category_exists() WordPress Function

The category_exists() WordPress function is used to check if a given category exists. It accepts a category id, slug, or name as its only parameter. If the category exists, it returns true. Otherwise, it returns false. This function is useful for making sure that a given category exists before attempting to do something with it.

category_exists( int|string $cat_name, int $category_parent = null ) #

function category_exists( $cat_name, $category_parent = null ) {
	$id = term_exists( $cat_name, 'category', $category_parent );
	if ( is_array( $id ) ) {
		$id = $id['term_id'];
	}
	return $id;
}