get_the_category_list( string $separator = , string $parents = , int $post_id = false ): string

Retrieves category list for a post in either HTML list or custom format.

Description

Generally used for quick, delimited (e.g. comma-separated) lists of categories, as part of a post entry meta.

For a more powerful, list-based function, see wp_list_categories() .

See also

Parameters

$separatorstringoptional
Separator between the categories. By default, the links are placed in an unordered list. An empty string will result in the default behavior.

Default:''

$parentsstringoptional
How to display the parents. Accepts 'multiple', 'single', or empty.

Default:''

$post_idintoptional
ID of the post to retrieve categories for. Defaults to the current post.

Default:false

Return

string Category list for a post.

Source

function get_the_category_list( $separator = '', $parents = '', $post_id = false ) {
	global $wp_rewrite;

	if ( ! is_object_in_taxonomy( get_post_type( $post_id ), 'category' ) ) {
		/** This filter is documented in wp-includes/category-template.php */
		return apply_filters( 'the_category', '', $separator, $parents );
	}

	/**
	 * Filters the categories before building the category list.
	 *
	 * @since 4.4.0
	 *
	 * @param WP_Term[] $categories An array of the post's categories.
	 * @param int|false $post_id    ID of the post to retrieve categories for.
	 *                              When `false`, defaults to the current post in the loop.
	 */
	$categories = apply_filters( 'the_category_list', get_the_category( $post_id ), $post_id );

	if ( empty( $categories ) ) {
		/** This filter is documented in wp-includes/category-template.php */
		return apply_filters( 'the_category', __( 'Uncategorized' ), $separator, $parents );
	}

	$rel = ( is_object( $wp_rewrite ) && $wp_rewrite->using_permalinks() ) ? 'rel="category tag"' : 'rel="category"';

	$thelist = '';
	if ( '' === $separator ) {
		$thelist .= '<ul class="post-categories">';
		foreach ( $categories as $category ) {
			$thelist .= "\n\t<li>";
			switch ( strtolower( $parents ) ) {
				case 'multiple':
					if ( $category->parent ) {
						$thelist .= get_category_parents( $category->parent, true, $separator );
					}
					$thelist .= '<a href="' . esc_url( get_category_link( $category->term_id ) ) . '" ' . $rel . '>' . $category->name . '</a></li>';
					break;
				case 'single':
					$thelist .= '<a href="' . esc_url( get_category_link( $category->term_id ) ) . '"  ' . $rel . '>';
					if ( $category->parent ) {
						$thelist .= get_category_parents( $category->parent, false, $separator );
					}
					$thelist .= $category->name . '</a></li>';
					break;
				case '':
				default:
					$thelist .= '<a href="' . esc_url( get_category_link( $category->term_id ) ) . '" ' . $rel . '>' . $category->name . '</a></li>';
			}
		}
		$thelist .= '</ul>';
	} else {
		$i = 0;
		foreach ( $categories as $category ) {
			if ( 0 < $i ) {
				$thelist .= $separator;
			}
			switch ( strtolower( $parents ) ) {
				case 'multiple':
					if ( $category->parent ) {
						$thelist .= get_category_parents( $category->parent, true, $separator );
					}
					$thelist .= '<a href="' . esc_url( get_category_link( $category->term_id ) ) . '" ' . $rel . '>' . $category->name . '</a>';
					break;
				case 'single':
					$thelist .= '<a href="' . esc_url( get_category_link( $category->term_id ) ) . '" ' . $rel . '>';
					if ( $category->parent ) {
						$thelist .= get_category_parents( $category->parent, false, $separator );
					}
					$thelist .= "$category->name</a>";
					break;
				case '':
				default:
					$thelist .= '<a href="' . esc_url( get_category_link( $category->term_id ) ) . '" ' . $rel . '>' . $category->name . '</a>';
			}
			++$i;
		}
	}

	/**
	 * Filters the category or list of categories.
	 *
	 * @since 1.2.0
	 *
	 * @param string $thelist   List of categories for the current post.
	 * @param string $separator Separator used between the categories.
	 * @param string $parents   How to display the category parents. Accepts 'multiple',
	 *                          'single', or empty.
	 */
	return apply_filters( 'the_category', $thelist, $separator, $parents );
}

Hooks

apply_filters( ‘the_category’, string $thelist, string $separator, string $parents )

Filters the category or list of categories.

apply_filters( ‘the_category_list’, WP_Term[] $categories, int|false $post_id )

Filters the categories before building the category list.

Changelog

VersionDescription
1.5.1Introduced.

User Contributed Notes

  1. Skip to note 3 content

    Display as List Items
    By leaving the $separator value empty, it will generate an unordered list instead, complete with classes.

    <?php echo get_the_category_list(); ?>

    Result:

    <ul class="post-categories">
    	<li>
    		<a href="http://myblog.com/category/business&quot; title="View all posts in Business" rel="category tag">Business</a>
    	</li>
    </ul>
  2. Skip to note 4 content

    Implementation in WordPress default Twenty Eleven theme
    In content-single.php:

    <?php
    /* translators: used between list items, there is a space after the comma */
    $categories_list = get_the_category_list( __( ', ', 'twentyeleven' ) );
    
    /* translators: used between list items, there is a space after the comma */
    $tag_list = get_the_tag_list( '', __( ', ', 'twentyeleven' ) );
    if ( '' != $tag_list ) {
    	$utility_text = __( 'This entry was posted in %1$s and tagged %2$s by <a href="%6$s">%5$s</a>. Bookmark the <a href="%3$s" title="Permalink to %4$s" rel="bookmark">permalink</a>.', 'twentyeleven' );
    } elseif ( '' != $categories_list ) {
    	$utility_text = __( 'This entry was posted in %1$s by <a href="%6$s">%5$s</a>. Bookmark the <a href="%3$s" title="Permalink to %4$s" rel="bookmark">permalink</a>.', 'twentyeleven' );
    } else {
    	$utility_text = __( 'This entry was posted by <a href="%6$s">%5$s</a>. Bookmark the <a href="%3$s" title="Permalink to %4$s" rel="bookmark">permalink</a>.', 'twentyeleven' );
    }
    
    printf(
    	$utility_text,
    	$categories_list,
    	$tag_list,
    	esc_url( get_permalink() ),
    	the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ),
    	get_the_author(),
    	esc_url( get_author_posts_url( get_the_author_meta( 'ID' ) ) )
    );
    ?>

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