WordPress is a versatile and powerful content management system that allows users to create custom post types and taxonomies to organize their content effectively. Custom taxonomies play a significant role in classifying and grouping content, making it easier for users to find and navigate through a website. In this blog post, we will explore how to create custom taxonomies both with and without plugins, explaining the process in simple terms that even a primary school student can understand.

I. Understanding Custom Post Types and Taxonomies

Before diving into the creation process, let’s briefly understand what custom post types and taxonomies are:

1. Custom Post Types

In WordPress, the default post types are “posts” and “pages.” However, you can create your own custom post types with unique attributes and purposes. For example, if you’re running a recipe website, you might want a custom post type called “Recipes” to distinguish them from regular blog posts.

2. Taxonomies

Taxonomies are a way of grouping and organizing content into logical categories. By default, WordPress offers categories and tags as taxonomies for posts. However, custom taxonomies allow you to create additional ways of classifying content based on specific criteria. Staying with the recipe website example, you could create a custom taxonomy called “Cuisine” to categorize recipes based on different types of cuisines.

II. Creating Custom Taxonomies Without a Plugin

WordPress provides a straightforward way to create custom taxonomies without using any plugins. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Accessing Functions.php

To begin, you need to access the “functions.php” file of your WordPress theme. This file is responsible for adding custom code snippets to modify the appearance and functionality of your website.

Step 2: Writing the Code

In the “functions.php” file, you can add the following code snippet to create a custom taxonomy:

phpCopy codefunction custom_taxonomy() {
    $args = array(
        'label' => __( 'Custom Taxonomy', 'text_domain' ),
        'rewrite' => array( 'slug' => 'custom_taxonomy' ),
        'hierarchical' => true,
    );
    register_taxonomy( 'custom_taxonomy', array( 'custom_post_type' ), $args );
}
add_action( 'init', 'custom_taxonomy', 0 );

Make sure to replace 'Custom Taxonomy' with the desired name of your taxonomy and 'custom_taxonomy' with a unique slug.

Step 3: Save Changes

After adding the code, save the changes to your “functions.php” file. The custom taxonomy will now be available on your WordPress site, and you can start assigning it to your custom post type, “Recipes” in this case.

III. Creating Custom Taxonomies With a Plugin

Using plugins can simplify the process of creating custom taxonomies, especially for users who are not comfortable editing code directly. One popular plugin for this purpose is “Custom Post Type UI.” Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin

In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to “Plugins” and click “Add New.” Search for “Custom Post Type UI,” install it, and then activate the plugin.

Step 2: Accessing the Plugin

Once the plugin is active, you will find a new menu item called “CPT UI” in your dashboard. Click on it to access the plugin’s settings.

Step 3: Creating a Custom Taxonomy

In the “CPT UI” settings, click on “Taxonomies” and then “Add/Edit Taxonomies.” Fill in the necessary details such as the name, labels, slug, and choose the associated custom post type (e.g., Recipes).

Step 4: Save the Taxonomy

After configuring the taxonomy settings, click “Add Taxonomy” to save your custom taxonomy. It will now be ready for use on your website.

Conclusion

Creating custom taxonomies for custom post types in WordPress is a powerful way to organize and structure your content, making it more accessible to your website’s visitors. Whether you prefer to do it without a plugin using code snippets or with the help of a user-friendly plugin like “Custom Post Type UI,” the process is achievable and brings immense benefits to your WordPress site. With this knowledge, you can now start classifying your content in a way that enhances user experience and makes your website more user-friendly. Happy organizing!