WordPress get_the_terms(): Enhancing WordPress Taxonomy Displays

If you’ve ever tried to customize how categories, tags, or custom taxonomies appear on your WordPress site, you know it’s not always straightforward. While WordPress offers powerful taxonomy features, pulling and displaying this data in a meaningful way can feel like navigating a maze—especially if you’re not familiar with the right functions. This can leave your site looking disorganized, or worse, missing out on key SEO and user engagement opportunities.

Fortunately, WordPress provides a built-in solution: the get_the_terms() function. This handy tool lets you retrieve and display taxonomy terms with precision, giving you full control over how they appear on your site.

Whether you’re showcasing product categories in an online store or highlighting topics in a blog, get_the_terms() can transform your site’s structure and user experience. Let’s dive into how WordPress developers can leverage this function to enhance WordPress taxonomy displays!

What is get_the_terms?

The get_the_terms function in WordPress is used to retrieve the terms (e.g., categories, tags) associated with a particular post or custom post type.

This function returns an array of term objects related to the given post, allowing developers to interact with the WordPress taxonomy terms in a variety of ways, such as displaying them or modifying them programmatically.

Syntax of get_the_terms

get_the_terms( int $post_id, string|array $taxonomy )

• $post_id (int): The ID of the post you want to retrieve terms for. If this parameter is omitted, it defaults to the global $post object.
• $taxonomy (string|array): The taxonomy or taxonomies you want to retrieve terms for. This can be a single taxonomy (like ‘category’ or ‘post_tag’) or an array of taxonomies.

Return Values

The function returns an array of term objects on success, or false if no terms are found or there is an error. The returned terms will contain various pieces of information, such as:

• term_id: The ID of the term.
• name: The name of the term (e.g., “Travel”, “Technology”).
• slug: The URL-friendly version of the term name.
• taxonomy: The name of the taxonomy.
• description: A description of the term (if available).
• parent: The parent term ID (for hierarchical taxonomies).

Common Use Cases of get_the_terms

Now that we’ve covered the basics of how get_the_terms works, let’s dive into some practical examples of how you can use it in real-world WordPress projects.

Whether you’re displaying categories, linking to custom taxonomies, or organizing your content in unique ways, this function opens up a lot of possibilities.

Here are some common use cases to help you get the most out of it.

1. Display Categories or Tags on Single Post Pages

One of the most common uses of get_the_terms is displaying terms like categories or tags on a post page. Here’s how you can retrieve and display categories associated with a post:

$categories = get_the_terms( $post->ID, 'category' );
if ( $categories && ! is_wp_error( $categories ) ) {
    $category_list = array();
    foreach ( $categories as $category ) {
        $category_list[] = $category->name;
    }
    echo implode( ', ', $category_list );
}

This code fetches the categories assigned to the post and lists them, separated by commas.

2. Get Multiple Taxonomies

If you need to retrieve terms for multiple taxonomies (e.g., categories and tags), pass an array of taxonomies to the second parameter:

$terms = get_the_terms( $post->ID, array( 'category', 'post_tag' ) );
if ( $terms && ! is_wp_error( $terms ) ) {
    foreach ( $terms as $term ) {
        echo '<p>' . $term->name . '</p>';
    }
}

This will display terms from both the ‘category’ and ‘post_tag’ taxonomies.

3. Working with Custom Taxonomies

If you’re using custom taxonomies, get_the_terms can also retrieve terms for them. For example, suppose you have a custom taxonomy called “genre” assigned to a custom post type “movie”:

$genres = get_the_terms( $post->ID, 'genre' );
if ( $genres && ! is_wp_error( $genres ) ) {
    foreach ( $genres as $genre ) {
        echo '<p>' . $genre->name . '</p>';
    }
}

This will display the terms associated with the “genre” taxonomy for the current movie post.

4. Handling No Terms

If no terms are associated with a post or if an error occurs, get_the_terms will return false. It’s important to check for this case to avoid potential issues. Here’s how to handle it:

$terms = get_the_terms( $post->ID, 'category' );
if ( $terms && ! is_wp_error( $terms ) ) {
    // Display the terms
} else {
    echo 'No terms found.';
}

These examples showcase just a few of the many ways you can utilize get_the_terms to manage and display taxonomy terms in your WordPress projects.

With its flexibility, this function makes it easy to integrate categories, tags, and custom taxonomies in creative and functional ways, helping you enhance the organization and presentation of your content.

Customizing Term Output

Once you retrieve the terms, you can easily customize how they’re displayed. For example, you can link the terms to their respective archive pages or apply custom styling:

$terms = get_the_terms( $post->ID, 'category' );
if ( $terms && ! is_wp_error( $terms ) ) {
    foreach ( $terms as $term ) {
        echo '<a href="' . get_term_link( $term ) . '">' . $term->name . '</a>';
    }
}

Customizing your term output is a great way to make your content more engaging and tailored to your site’s needs. With just a few adjustments, you can enhance the way terms are presented to your visitors.

Handling Term Count and Hierarchical Taxonomies

When working with taxonomies in WordPress, it’s often useful to display additional information about the terms, such as their hierarchical relationships or the number of posts assigned to each term. This section explores how to handle term counts and manage hierarchical taxonomies, allowing you to create more dynamic and informative term displays.

In some cases, taxonomies might have parent-child relationships, such as in hierarchical taxonomies like categories. You can easily manage and display parent terms:

$categories = get_the_terms( $post->ID, 'category' );
if ( $categories && ! is_wp_error( $categories ) ) {
    foreach ( $categories as $category ) {
        if ( $category->parent != 0 ) {
            echo '<strong>' . $category->name . '</strong> (Parent)';
        } else {
            echo $category->name;
        }
    }
}

Additionally, you can get the term count by using the count property:

$tags = get_the_terms( $post->ID, 'post_tag' );
if ( $tags && ! is_wp_error( $tags ) ) {
    foreach ( $tags as $tag ) {
        echo $tag->name . ' (' . $tag->count . ') ';
    }
}

This will display the tag name along with the number of posts assigned to each tag.

By understanding how to work with term counts and hierarchical taxonomies, you can add another layer of functionality to your WordPress site. Whether you want to show the popularity of a term or display parent-child relationships in your taxonomies, these techniques will help you create a richer user experience.

Performance Considerations

While get_the_terms is a powerful tool for fetching taxonomy terms, it’s important to be mindful of performance, especially when dealing with large sites or posts with many terms. Here are some tips:

• Use caching mechanisms to store the results of term retrieval, especially in loops or on high-traffic pages.

Avoid unnecessary calls to get_the_terms if you’re querying terms that are unlikely to change often.

FAQs on WordPress get_the_terms() Functions

Conclusion

Effectively managing and displaying taxonomies can be the difference between a cluttered website and one that’s intuitive, engaging, and SEO-friendly. The get_the_terms() function is more than just a tool—it’s your gateway to transforming how users interact with your content. By harnessing its power, you can pull precise taxonomy data and display it in ways that make sense for your site’s design and purpose.

Whether you’re highlighting blog categories, showcasing product attributes, or organizing custom post types, get_the_terms() gives you the flexibility to craft a seamless user experience. Don’t let your valuable content get lost in the shuffle—start using get_the_terms() to enhance your taxonomy displays, improve navigation, and keep your visitors coming back for more.

If you need advanced customizations for your WordPress site, hire WordPress developers for the best outcomes!