WordPress Cheat Sheet For Developers (Quick Reference)

Last Updated on November 1, 2020

If you wish to download the WordPress cheat sheet directly into your computer, download this pdf. file.

This WordPress Cheat Sheet should be enough to get you started developing or tweaking WordPress themes.

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Basic template files
style.css	Style sheet file
index.php	Include any file
single.php	Single post page file
archive.php	Archive or Category file
archive.php	Archive or category file
searchform.php	Search form file
search.php	Search content file
404.php	comments.php
footer.php	Footer content file
header.php	Header content file
sidebar.php	Sidebar content file
page.php	Single page file

PHP snippets for header
`bloginfo('name');`	Title of the site
`wp_title();`	Title of the specific post or page
`get_stylesheet_directory_uri();`	The style.css file’s location
`bloginfo('pingback_url');`	Pingback URL for this site
`bloginfo('template_url');`	Location for the site’s theme files
`bloginfo('version');`	WordPress version for the site
`bloginfo('atom_url');`	Atom URL for the site
`bloginfo('rss2_url');`	RSS2 URL for the site
`get_site_url();`	Exact URL for the site
`bloginfo('name');`	Name of the site
`bloginfo('html_type');`	HTML version of the site
`bloginfo('charset');`	Charset parameter of the site

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PHP snippets for templates
`the_content();`	Content of the posts
`if(have_posts()):`	Check if there are posts
`while(have_posts()): the_post();`	Shows posts if posts are available
`endwhile;`	Closes the ‘while’ PHP function
`endif;`	Closes the ‘if’ PHP function
`get_header();`	Header.php file’s content
`get_sidebar();`	Sidebar.php file’s content
`get_footer();`	Footer.php file’s content
`the_time('m-d-y');`	The date in ’month-day-year′ format
`comments_popup_link();`	Link for the comments on the post
`the_title()';`	Title of a specific post or page
`the_permalink();`	URL of a specific post or page
`the_category();`	Category of a specific post or page
`the_author();`	Author of a specific post or page
`the_ID();`	ID of a specific post or page
`edit_post_link();`	Link to edit a specific post or page
`get_links_list();`	Links from the blogroll
`comments_template();`	Comment PHP file’s content
`wp_list_pages();`	List of pages of the site
`wp_list_cats();`	List of categories for the site
`next_post_link('%link');`	URL to the next post
`previoust_post_link('%link');`	URL to the previous post
`get_calendar()'`	The built-in calendar
`wp_get_archives();`	List of archives for the site
`posts_nav_link();`	Next and previous post links
`bloginfo('description');`	Site’s description

Categories based navigation
`<ul id="menu">`
`<li <?php if(is_home()) { ?> class="current-cat" <?php } ?> >`
`<a href="<php bloginfo('home'); ?>">Home</a></li>`
`<?php wp_list_categories('title_li=&orderby;=id'); ?>`
`</ul>`

Pages based navigation
`<ul id="menu">`
`<li <?php if(is_home()) { ?> class="current_page_item" <?php } > >`
`<a href="<php bloginfo('home'); ?>">Home</a></li>`
`<?php wp_list_pages('sort_column=menu_order&depth;=1&title;_li='); ?>`
`</ul>`

Extra stuff
`/%postname%/`	Custom permalinks
`include(TEMPLATEPATH . '/x');`	Include any file
`the_search_query();`	Value for search form
`_e('Message');`	Prints out message
`wp_register();`	Displays the register link
`wp_loginout();`	Displays the login/logout link
`<!--next page-->`	Divides the content into pages
	Cuts off the content and adds a read more link
`wp_meta();`	Meta for administrators
`timer_stop(1);`	Time to load the page
`echo get_num_queries();`	Queries to load the page

The loop
`<php if(have_posts()): ?>`
`<php while(have_posts()): the_post(); ?>`
`// Post content here (Custom HTML & PHP code)`
`<php else; ?>`
`<php endif; ?>`

Update: Some people requested a .jpg version of this table, here you go:

This chart is mainly for web designers and developers who use WordPress. But you can use this sheet to improve your skills and learn some of the basics. It’s pretty handy and comes useful when you are trying to tweak/edit your WordPress blog.

As an Average Joe, you don’t need to know about all those things.

Advanced WordPress cheat sheet

Click on the picture to enlarge or Download PDF version

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13 thoughts on “WordPress Cheat Sheet for developers”

irfanali
June 23, 2013 at 3:51 pm

Ohh that’s a great WordPress Cheat Sheet with easy to follow steps. Thanks

1. Karen
  June 30, 2013 at 4:05 pm
  
  Hi irfanali,
  
  Thanks for the kind words! We work hard to see happy readers/followers like you. I hope it makes your life a bit easier.
  
  Cheers,
  Karen
  
Keith hearn
July 26, 2013 at 1:26 pm

This is awesome! Im just starting to learn to create WP themes and saw this link on the Template Monster site. Thank you!

1. Karen
  July 26, 2013 at 2:07 pm
  
  I’m glad you find it useful!
  
  Let me know when your first WP theme is ready. I’ll try it out for sure!
  
  Cheers
  
Michael Wilhelmsen
August 5, 2013 at 11:56 pm

Thanks for creating these, will definitely frame it 😀

Michael Leppan
August 31, 2013 at 7:12 pm

Nice cheat sheet, good work. One thing that bothers me is that traditionally a while loop is used to loop through many items, and here they use it to loop through just 1 item. In while has posts, the post?

Can you explain that to me please?

Sonny
October 31, 2014 at 11:59 pm

Excellent cheatsheet. I would like to add one though, the action hook . This hook makes it possible for you to add elements to the such as stylesheets, meta tags and scripts.

1. Karen
  November 21, 2014 at 11:32 am
  
  Thanks for the tip, Sonny 🙂
  
sadri ercan
December 12, 2016 at 6:36 pm

Very helpful and useful shortcodes for template designers and who wants to modify their themes. Thank you

MonTea
April 19, 2018 at 7:40 am

Very helpfull,
could you please make the JPG-Cheatsheet “readable” for Printers? I just printed it and can’t read anything on the printed page.

Thanks

hema
June 21, 2018 at 1:20 pm

Wow! That’s easy to follow cheatsheet. Thanks for sharing it

Bobby
November 28, 2018 at 9:54 am

Thanks for sharing this useful WordPress cheat-sheet, very helpful and informative who are new to WordPress and need to learn more above these stuffs!

Alessandra Milburn
April 27, 2020 at 2:18 am

Amazing stuff in here!

WordPress Cheat Sheet for developers

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13 thoughts on “WordPress Cheat Sheet for developers”

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