To show posts based on custom field values in WordPress without plugins, use WP_Query with parameters like meta_key, meta_value, and meta_query. 1) Filter posts by specifying 'meta_key' and 'meta_value' in query arguments to display posts with specific custom field values. 2) Sort results using 'orderby' set to 'meta_value_num' for numeric data or 'meta_value' for text-based data. 3) Combine multiple conditions using 'meta_query' with logical operators to filter posts meeting several criteria. 4) Loop through the query results and output the desired HTML, ensuring to call 'wp_reset_postdata()' afterward to avoid conflicts with the main loop.
If you want to show posts based on custom field values in WordPress, it’s usually done by modifying your query using WP_Query
and filtering by the custom field you’re targeting. This is especially useful if you have specific content you only want to display under certain conditions — like featured posts, event dates, or user-defined categories.
Here’s how to do it effectively without plugins.
Using meta_key
and meta_value
in WP_Query
When querying posts, WordPress lets you filter by custom fields using parameters like meta_key
, meta_value
, and meta_compare
. These are part of the WP_Query
class, so they work in templates, custom page builders, or even shortcodes.
Here’s a basic example:
$args = array( 'post_type' => 'post', 'meta_key' => 'featured', 'meta_value' => 'yes' ); $query = new WP_Query( args );
This will return all posts where the custom field "featured" has the value "yes". You can use this inside a template file or a custom block/shortcode depending on where you need to show these posts.
Tips:
- Make sure the custom field name (
meta_key
) is spelled exactly as it appears in the database. - If you're comparing numbers, use
'type' => 'NUMERIC'
in the query arguments. - If you're checking for existence only (not a specific value), use
meta_value
=> ‘your-value’ along withmeta_compare
.
Sorting Posts by Custom Field Value
Sometimes you don’t just want to filter posts — you also want to sort them based on custom field values. For example, sorting events by date or products by price.
To sort by a custom field, include orderby
and set it to meta_value_num
or meta_value
depending on whether the data is numeric or text-based:
$args = array( 'post_type' => 'event', 'meta_key' => 'event_date', 'orderby' => 'meta_value_num', 'order' => 'ASC' );
This setup would list events starting from the earliest date. Use meta_value_num
for numerical comparisons and meta_value
for alphabetical ones.
Note: If you're dealing with dates stored as timestamps, convert them using strtotime()
when displaying to make them human-readable.
Combining Multiple Meta Conditions
What if you need to filter posts by more than one custom field? You can use the meta_query
parameter to define multiple conditions and logical operators like AND
or OR
.
Here's an example that shows posts where both “featured” is “yes” AND “visibility” is “public”:
$args = array( 'post_type' => 'post', 'meta_query' => array( array( 'key' => 'featured', 'value' => 'yes', 'compare' => '=' ), array( 'key' => 'visibility', 'value' => 'public', 'compare' => '=' ) ) );
You can also mix comparison types — like >=
for numbers or LIKE
for partial matches. Just be careful not to overcomplicate it unless necessary.
Displaying the Results
Once you’ve built your query, you’ll need to loop through the results and display them. Here’s how to do it:
if ( $query->have_posts() ) { while ( $query->have_posts() ) { $query->the_post(); // Your HTML output here, e.g., the_title(), the_permalink() } } else { echo 'No posts found'; } wp_reset_postdata(); // Always reset after custom queries
This ensures your theme displays the correct post information and avoids conflicts with the main loop.
A common mistake is forgetting to call wp_reset_postdata()
. It restores the global $post
object so other parts of your site behave normally.
That’s basically how it works. Whether you're filtering, sorting, or combining conditions, using WP_Query
gives you full control without relying on plugins. Just remember to test each condition separately if things don't behave as expected — small typos or incorrect compare values can break the query silently.
The above is the detailed content of How to display posts based on custom field values. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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