Introduction

WordPress is a powerful CMS that uses queries to fetch & display content from its database. By default, WordPress runs a query on every page based on the context to retrieve the necessary data. However, sometimes we need to customize these queries to meet specific requirements. In this article, I’ll discuss how custom queries differ from default queries in WordPress and when to use each.

Default Query

The default query in WordPress is the query that runs automatically on every page load. This query is responsible for fetching posts, pages, and other content types based on the current context. the context mostly refers to the current slug or url of the website. For example, on a blog’s homepage, the default query retrieves the latest posts in reverse chronological order. On a category archive page, it fetches posts belonging to that category etc.

Characteristics of Default Query

  • Context-Aware: The default query adapts based on the page being viewed (e.g., homepage, single post, category archive).
  • Automatic Execution: It runs automatically without any additional code.
  • Standard Parameters: Uses standard parameters like post type, post status, and pagination settings.

Custom Query

A custom query, on the other hand, is a query that you define to override or supplement the default query. Custom queries are useful when we need to fetch content that doesn’t fit the default query’s criteria. For instance, we might want to display posts in a specific order, exclude certain categories, exclude certain Posts from showing based on filters (maybe posted date etc?) or fetch posts based on custom fields.

Characteristics of Custom Query

  • Flexibility: Allows you to define specific criteria for fetching content on demand.
  • Manual Execution: Requires additional code to implement.
  • Custom Parameters: Can use a wide range of parameters, including custom fields, taxonomies, and meta queries.

Implementing Custom Queries

To implement a custom query in WordPress, you typically use the WP_Query class. Here’s an example of how to create a custom query to fetch the latest 5 posts from a specific category:

$args = array(
    'category_name' => 'news',
    'posts_per_page' => 5
);

$custom_query = new WP_Query($args);

if ($custom_query->have_posts()) {
    while ($custom_query->have_posts()) {
        $custom_query->the_post();
        // Display post content
    }
    wp_reset_postdata();
}