Term Custom Post Order

Order posts differently within each taxonomy term. Perfect for displaying the same posts in different orders on different pages.

Description

This WordPress plugin allows you to set custom ordering for posts within specific taxonomy terms. For example, if you have a "Testimonial" post type with a "Testimonial Category" taxonomy containing "Home" and "About" terms, you can display the testimonials in one order on the Home page but a different order on the About page.

Key Features

• Term-based ordering: Set different post orders for the same posts within different taxonomy terms
• Drag-and-drop interface: Intuitive admin interface for reordering posts
• Quick action links: Direct access to reorder posts from taxonomy term list pages
• Flexible configuration: Enable ordering for specific post type/taxonomy combinations
• Auto-modify queries: Optionally automatically apply custom ordering to queries
• Elementor integration: Built-in support for Elementor Loop Grid and Loop Carousel widgets
• Developer-friendly: Use orderby => 'term_order' in your queries for explicit control, or use convenient template tag functions

Installation

1. Upload the term-custom-post-order folder to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory
2. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress
3. Go to Settings > Term Post Order to configure which post types and taxonomies should support custom ordering
4. Use Term Post Order menu to reorder posts within terms

Configuration

1. Enable Post Type/Taxonomy Combinations

Go to Settings > Term Post Order and add the post type/taxonomy combinations you want to enable:

1. Select a post type (e.g., "Testimonials")
2. Select a taxonomy (e.g., "Testimonial Category")
3. Click "Add Combination" to add more
4. Click "Save Changes"

2. Configure Auto-Modify Queries (Optional)

Enable the "Auto-modify Queries" option if you want the plugin to automatically apply custom term ordering to queries that:

• Filter by a term
• Order by menu_order

When disabled (default), you must explicitly use orderby => 'term_order' in your queries.

Usage

Admin Interface

Method 1: From the Term Post Order Menu

1. Go to Term Post Order in the WordPress admin menu
2. Select a post type from the dropdown
3. Select a taxonomy from the dropdown
4. Select a specific term from the dropdown
5. Drag and drop posts to reorder them
6. Click "Save Order" to save your changes

Method 2: Quick Link from Taxonomy Pages

When viewing taxonomy term lists (e.g., Categories, Tags, or custom taxonomies), you'll see a "Post Order" quick action link for each term (if the combination is enabled in settings).

1. Navigate to any taxonomy page (e.g., Posts > Categories or your custom taxonomy)
2. Hover over a term to reveal row actions
3. Click the "Post Order" link
4. The Term Post Order page will open with that term pre-selected
5. Drag and drop posts to reorder them
6. Click "Save Order" to save your changes

This quick link provides instant access to reorder posts for a specific term without manually navigating through dropdowns.

Querying Posts with Custom Order

Method 1: Explicit orderby Parameter

$args = array(
    'post_type' => 'testimonial',
    'tax_query' => array(
        array(
            'taxonomy' => 'testimonial_category',
            'field'    => 'slug',
            'terms'    => 'home',
        ),
    ),
    'orderby' => 'term_order',
    'order' => 'ASC',
);

$query = new WP_Query( $args );

Method 2: Auto-Modify (if enabled in settings)

$args = array(
    'post_type' => 'testimonial',
    'tax_query' => array(
        array(
            'taxonomy' => 'testimonial_category',
            'field'    => 'slug',
            'terms'    => 'home',
        ),
    ),
    'orderby' => 'menu_order', // Will be automatically converted to term order
    'order' => 'ASC',
);

$query = new WP_Query( $args );

Block Editor / Gutenberg

When using the Query Loop block or similar blocks that filter by terms, you can:

1. Enable "Auto-modify Queries" in settings, OR
2. Use a custom query filter to set orderby to term_order

Page Builders

Most page builders that support query filtering by terms will work with this plugin when "Auto-modify Queries" is enabled.

Elementor Integration

The plugin includes built-in support for Elementor's Loop Grid and Loop Carousel widgets via Query ID.

How to Use:

1. Edit your Loop Grid, Loop Carousel, or Posts widget in Elementor
2. Go to the Query section
3. Scroll to the Advanced tab (or look for "Query ID")
4. Set the Query ID field to: tcpo_term_order
5. Make sure your query is filtered by a taxonomy term (under Include → Term)
6. Update/Publish the page

Example Setup:

Query Settings:
├── Source: Posts (or your custom post type)
├── Include
│   └── Term: Select your term (e.g., "Home" from "Testimonial Category")
├── Advanced
│   └── Query ID: tcpo_term_order
└── Order By: Any (will be overridden)

That's it! Your posts will now display in the custom order you set for that specific term.

Alternative Query ID: You can also use term_order as the Query ID (both work the same).

Developer Information

Data Storage

The plugin stores custom post orders in term meta:

• Meta key: _tcpo_post_order
• Format: Serialized array mapping post IDs to order values
• Example: array( 123 => 1, 456 => 2, 789 => 3 )

Filters and Actions

Filter: posts_clauses

The plugin hooks into posts_clauses to modify query clauses when term ordering is requested.

Filter: posts_orderby

Adds secondary ordering by post title for posts with the same order value.

Template Tags

The plugin provides convenient template tag functions for easier usage in themes and plugins.

Get Custom Order for a Term

$term_id = 123;
$order_data = tcpo_get_term_post_order( $term_id );

// Returns: array( 123 => 1, 456 => 2, 789 => 3 )
// Or empty array if no custom order exists

Update Custom Order for a Term

$term_id = 123;
$order_data = array(
    123 => 1, // Post ID 123 has order 1
    456 => 2, // Post ID 456 has order 2
    789 => 3, // Post ID 789 has order 3
);

$success = tcpo_update_term_post_order( $term_id, $order_data );
// Returns: true on success, false on failure

Delete Custom Order for a Term

$term_id = 123;
$success = tcpo_delete_term_post_order( $term_id );
// Returns: true on success, false on failure

Get Order Value for a Specific Post in a Term

$post_id = 123;
$term_id = 456;
$order_value = tcpo_get_post_order_in_term( $post_id, $term_id );

// Returns: integer order value, or null if no custom order exists

Check if a Term Has Custom Ordering

$term_id = 123;
$has_order = tcpo_has_custom_order( $term_id );
// Returns: true if term has custom ordering, false otherwise

Programmatic Usage (Advanced)

Check if Combination is Enabled

use TermCustomPostOrder\Settings;

$is_enabled = Settings::is_combination_enabled( 'testimonial', 'testimonial_category' );

Get Plugin Settings

use TermCustomPostOrder\Settings;

$settings = Settings::get_settings();
$auto_modify = $settings['auto_modify_queries'];
$combinations = $settings['enabled_combinations'];

Direct Term Meta Access (Alternative)

You can also access the data directly using WordPress term meta functions:

// Get custom order
$term_id = 123;
$custom_order = get_term_meta( $term_id, '_tcpo_post_order', true );

// Update custom order
$order_data = array( 123 => 1, 456 => 2, 789 => 3 );
update_term_meta( $term_id, '_tcpo_post_order', $order_data );

// Delete custom order
delete_term_meta( $term_id, '_tcpo_post_order' );

Note: Using the template tag functions is recommended as they include validation and error handling.

Requirements

• WordPress: 6.0 or higher
• PHP: 8.2 or higher

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What happens to posts that don't have a custom order set?

A: Posts without a custom order will default to order value 0 (same as the default menu_order value).

Q: Can I use this with custom post types?

A: Yes! The plugin works with any public post type, including custom post types.

Q: Does this work with hierarchical taxonomies?

A: Yes, the plugin works with both hierarchical (like categories) and non-hierarchical (like tags) taxonomies.

Q: Will this affect my existing queries?

A: Only if you enable "Auto-modify Queries" in settings. Otherwise, you must explicitly use orderby => 'term_order'.

Q: Can I order posts for multiple terms at once?

A: No, ordering is done per-term to allow for different orders in different contexts.

Q: What if a post belongs to multiple terms?

A: Each term maintains its own order, so the same post can have different orders in different terms.

Q: How do I use this with Elementor?

A: In any Elementor widget with a Query section (Loop Grid, Loop Carousel, Posts widget), simply set the Query ID field to tcpo_term_order in the Advanced tab. Make sure your query is filtered by a taxonomy term, and the custom ordering will be applied automatically.

Q: Does this work with Elementor Pro's Posts widget?

A: Yes! It works with all Elementor widgets that have query capabilities: Loop Grid, Loop Carousel, Posts widget, and more. Just set the Query ID to tcpo_term_order.

Q: How do I quickly access the ordering page for a specific term?

A: When viewing any taxonomy term list page (e.g., Categories, Tags, or custom taxonomies), hover over a term and you'll see a "Post Order" quick action link. Clicking this link takes you directly to the reordering page with that term already selected.

Changelog

1.0.2

• Small spelling error.

1.0.1

• Fixing an issue where the Elementor query ID's weren't working properly to reorder the posts.

1.0.0

• Initial release
• Drag-and-drop interface for reordering posts
• Settings page for enabling post type/taxonomy combinations
• Optional auto-modify queries feature
• Support for custom orderby parameter
• Built-in Elementor integration for Loop Grid and Loop Carousel widgets
• Post status indicators in admin interface
• Accurate post counts per post type in term selection
• Quick action links on taxonomy term list pages for instant access to reordering
• Template tag functions for easier developer usage:
  • tcpo_get_term_post_order() - Get custom order for a term
  • tcpo_update_term_post_order() - Update custom order for a term
  • tcpo_delete_term_post_order() - Delete custom order for a term
  • tcpo_get_post_order_in_term() - Get order value for a specific post in a term
  • tcpo_has_custom_order() - Check if term has custom ordering

Credits

Developed by Brianna Deleasa me@briannadeleasa.com

License

This plugin is licensed under the GPL v2 or later.

License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html