get_template_directory_uri(): string

Compatibility

Present in every tracked release (6.7.7 to 7.1.0), and compiles on PHP 7.4 through 8.6-dev.

Return value

string

URI to active theme's template directory.

Code examples

Every example is editable and runs in a real WordPress booted in your browser by WordPress Playground. Press Run, then edit the code: clicking away re-runs it. Nothing is sent anywhere until you do.

echo esc_html( get_template_directory_uri() );

add_action( 'wp_head', 'wppaste_print_parent_theme_bg' );

function wppaste_print_parent_theme_bg() {
	$parent_theme_uri = get_template_directory_uri();

	printf(
		'<style id="wppaste-parent-bg">body{background-image:url(%s);}</style>' . "\n",
		esc_url( $parent_theme_uri . '/assets/images/background.jpg' )
	);

	echo '<!-- parent theme directory uri: ' . esc_html( $parent_theme_uri ) . ' -->' . "\n";
}

Common problems and fixes · 3

• Why does get_template_directory_uri() give me the parent theme's URL instead of my child theme's?
• Can I use get_template_directory_uri() to require a PHP file from the theme?
• I filtered template_directory_uri and now other parts of the theme look broken, why?

Alternatives and related functions

get_stylesheet_directory_uri

When you need the URL of the currently active theme's own folder, which differs from this function whenever a child theme is active.

get_template_directory

When you need a filesystem path (for require, include, or file_exists) rather than a URL.

get_stylesheet_directory

When you need the filesystem path of the active (possibly child) theme instead of the parent.

get_theme_root_uri

When you only need the URL of the themes root folder itself, without the theme's own directory name appended.

Performance profile

How much work a call to get_template_directory_uri() does, and what it touches: the algorithmic scaling, the Zend instruction count per call across PHP versions, the hooks it hands control to, and the core code that calls it. Measured from the compiled opcodes, not a stopwatch, so every number is identical on any machine running the same PHP version, and every function in core is ranked by cost.

Cost class

Moderate

Reads stored settings via get_option(), cached per request but not free on a cold cache.

Scaling

Constant

No loop in the body: the same number of instructions runs whatever you pass in.

Instructions

21

Executed per call on PHP 8.5. The body compiles to 21.

Plugin surface

1 hook

Third-party callbacks on 'template_directory_uri' run inside this call, and their cost is not bounded by anything here.

Called by

50

50 places in core call this, so the cost is paid more often than your own code shows.

What it touches

• hookthird-party callbacksapply_filters()called directly
• optionoption read or writeget_option()one call below get_template_directory_uri()

Further down the call graph this can also reach cache, serialize, transient and query. Those are the worst case, several calls deep and usually down an error path, not what a normal call pays.

What one call costs · 1 distinct outcome

One number would be a lie: the work depends on which branch runs. These are every distinct cost get_template_directory_uri() can have, taken from its control-flow graph on PHP 8.5.

Hooks and filters fired · 1

One hook fires while get_template_directory_uri() runs, in this order:

1. 1
   apply_filters( template_directory_uri )filterline 375 (+14 into the body)

   Filters the active theme directory URI.

Uses · 3

• get_template()Retrieves name of the active theme.
• get_theme_root_uri()Retrieves URI for themes directory.
• apply_filters()Calls the callback functions that have been added to a filter hook.

Used by · 50

• Custom_Image_Header::get_default_header_images()Gets the details of default header images if defined.
• Custom_Image_Header::process_default_headers()Processes the default headers.
• Custom_Image_Header::reset_header_image()Resets a header image to the default image for the theme.
• Custom_Image_Header::step_1()Displays first step of custom header image page.
• Featured_Content::enqueue_scripts()Enqueues the tag suggestion script.
• Twenty_Twenty_One_Dark_Mode::customize_controls_enqueue_scripts()Enqueues scripts for the customizer.
• Twenty_Twenty_One_Dark_Mode::editor_custom_color_variables()Enqueues editor custom color variables & scripts.
• Twenty_Twenty_One_Dark_Mode::enqueue_scripts()Enqueues scripts and styles.
• Twenty_Twenty_One_Dark_Mode::the_script()Prints the dark-mode switch script.
• WP_Customize_Manager::register_controls()Registers some default controls.
• WP_REST_Themes_Controller::prepare_item_for_response()Prepares a single theme output for response.
• WP_URL_Pattern_Prefixer::get_default_contexts()Returns the default contexts used by the class.

Source code

View on Trac ↗View on GitHub ↗

361function get_template_directory_uri() {362	$template         = str_replace( '%2F', '/', rawurlencode( get_template() ) );363	$theme_root_uri   = get_theme_root_uri( $template );364	$template_dir_uri = "$theme_root_uri/$template";365 366	/**367	 * Filters the active theme directory URI.368	 *369	 * @since 1.5.0370	 *371	 * @param string $template_dir_uri The URI of the active theme directory.372	 * @param string $template         Directory name of the active theme.373	 * @param string $theme_root_uri   The themes root URI.374	 */375	return apply_filters( 'template_directory_uri', $template_dir_uri, $template, $theme_root_uri );376}

Changelog

Introduced in 1.5.0. Unchanged from 6.7.7 through 7.1.0.

1. 6.7.7
2. 6.8.8
3. 6.9.7
4. 7.0.4
5. 7.1.0

Signature, return type and hooks compared across 5 parsed releases.

About this page

Parsed data

Generated from the wordpress-develop 7.1.0 tag, from src/wp-includes/theme.php, and regenerated for each WordPress release so it tracks the code rather than a snapshot of it.

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