How to Display Subcategories on Category Pages in WordPress

14 hours ago, WordPress Tutorials, Views
Display Subcategories on Category Pages in WordPress

Introduction: Enhancing Category Pages with Subcategory Displays

WordPress category pages, by default, list posts assigned to that specific category. However, websites with a hierarchical category structure often benefit from displaying subcategories directly on the parent category page. This improves navigation, helps users find more specific content, and enhances the overall user experience. This article explores various methods for displaying subcategories on WordPress category pages, catering to different technical skill levels and website configurations.

Understanding the Benefits of Displaying Subcategories

Presenting subcategories on your main category pages offers several key advantages:

  • Improved Navigation: Users can quickly navigate to more specific content within a category.
  • Enhanced User Experience: A clear display of subcategories makes it easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for.
  • Increased Engagement: By showcasing the breadth of content, you encourage users to explore more of your site.
  • Better SEO: A well-structured category page with subcategories can improve your site’s search engine optimization.

Displaying subcategories allows users to drill down into the topics they are most interested in, preventing them from having to sift through a large list of unrelated posts. This is particularly useful for websites with extensive content libraries and well-defined category hierarchies.

Method 1: Utilizing the Category Widget

The simplest method involves leveraging the built-in “Categories” widget in WordPress. While this widget doesn’t directly display subcategories on a category page, it can be configured to show a hierarchical list of all categories and subcategories on your sidebar.

To implement this:

  1. Navigate to Appearance > Widgets in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Find the “Categories” widget.
  3. Drag and drop the widget into your desired sidebar area.
  4. Configure the widget settings:
    • Title: Give the widget a suitable title, such as “Categories” or “Browse Topics”.
    • Display as dropdown: Uncheck this box to display a list of categories.
    • Show post counts: Choose whether to display the number of posts in each category.
    • Hierarchical: Ensure this box is checked to display subcategories under their parent categories.
    • Show this category only: Leave this unchecked to display all categories.
  5. Save the widget settings.

While this method is easy, it displays all categories and subcategories on every page where the sidebar is displayed, not just on category pages. It is best suited for sites with a limited number of categories.

Method 2: Editing the Category Template File (Requires Coding Knowledge)

For more precise control over where and how subcategories are displayed, you can directly edit your theme’s category template file. This method requires some familiarity with PHP and WordPress theme structure.

  1. Identify your theme’s category template file: This file is typically named `category.php` or `archive.php`. If your theme doesn’t have a dedicated `category.php` file, it may use `archive.php` to handle category archives. You might need to create a `category.php` file if one doesn’t exist, by copying the content of `archive.php` and modifying it.
  2. Create a child theme: **Important:** Never directly edit your parent theme’s files. Always create a child theme to avoid losing your changes when the theme is updated.
  3. Copy the category template file to your child theme.
  4. Edit the category template file in your child theme.
  5. Add the following PHP code snippet within the loop where you want to display the subcategories:

“`php
term_id;

$args = array(
‘child_of’ => $category_id,
‘hide_empty’ => 0,
‘title_li’ => ”
);

$subcategories = get_categories( $args );

if ( $subcategories ) {
echo ‘

Subcategories

‘;
echo ‘


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