widget_categories_args

The widget_categories_args hook is a WordPress filter hook that allows developers to modify the arguments used to retrieve categories in the Categories widget. This hook provides a way to customize the behavior of the widget by altering the query parameters.

By default, the Categories widget displays a list of categories with the count of posts in each category. However, with the widget_categories_args hook, you can modify the way categories are retrieved and displayed. This hook is particularly useful when you want to customize the categories’ order, exclude certain categories, or change the depth of the category hierarchy.

To use the widget_categories_args hook, you would typically add a filter function in your theme’s functions.php file or in a custom plugin. Here’s an example usage code that demonstrates how to modify the arguments for the Categories widget:

function custom_widget_categories_args($args) {
    // Exclude category IDs 1 and 2 from the widget
    $args['exclude'] = '1,2';

    // Change the order to sort the categories alphabetically
    $args['orderby'] = 'name';
    $args['order'] = 'ASC';

    // Display only top-level categories (depth 1)
    $args['depth'] = 1;

    return $args;
}
add_filter('widget_categories_args', 'custom_widget_categories_args');

In the example above, the custom_widget_categories_args function is used as a filter callback. It modifies the $args array by excluding categories with the IDs 1 and 2, changing the order to alphabetically sort the categories, and limiting the display to top-level categories only. Finally, the modified arguments are returned.

By utilizing the widget_categories_args hook, you can easily customize the behavior of the Categories widget to meet the specific requirements of your WordPress website.

Learn More on WordPress.org