is_singular( string|string[] $post_types = '' ): bool
- Since
- 1.5.0
- Source
wp-includes/query.php:762
Checks the main $wp_query object to report whether the current request is a singular view of one post, page, attachment, or custom post type. Pass a post type or array of post type names to narrow the check to specific types instead of any singular content. It returns false (and triggers a doing_it_wrong notice) if called before the query has run, so it belongs in template files or hooks that fire after 'wp', not in plugin bootstrap code.
Description
If the $post_types parameter is specified, this function will additionally check if the query is for one of the Posts Types specified.
For more information on this and similar theme functions, check out the https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/basics/conditional-tags/ Conditional Tags article in the Theme Developer Handbook.
Compatibility
- WordPress
- since 1.5.0
- PHP
- 7.4–8.6-dev
- 6.7.7
- 6.8.8
- 6.9.7
- 7.0.4
- 7.1.0
Present in every tracked release (6.7.7 to 7.1.0), and compiles on PHP 7.4 through 8.6-dev.
Parameters
$post_typesstring|string[]optional- Post type or array of post types to check against. Default empty.Default:
''
Return value
bool- Whether the query is for an existing single post or any of the given post types.
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.
Check whether the current query is for a single post of any type
Simulate visiting post 1 by overriding the main query, then test is_singular().
query_posts( array( 'p' => 1 ) );
if ( is_singular() ) {
echo esc_html( 'This is a singular view.' );
} else {
echo esc_html( 'This is not a singular view.' );
}
wp_reset_query();query_posts() is used here only to stand in for a real front end visit; use it in a live theme sparingly since it re-runs the main query.
Restrict the check to a specific post type such as page
Simulate visiting the page with ID 6 and compare the result for different post type arguments.
query_posts( array( 'page_id' => 6 ) );
printf( 'is_singular(): %s' . "\n", is_singular() ? 'true' : 'false' );
printf( "is_singular( 'post' ): %s" . "\n", is_singular( 'post' ) ? 'true' : 'false' );
printf( "is_singular( 'page' ): %s" . "\n", is_singular( 'page' ) ? 'true' : 'false' );
wp_reset_query();Common problems and fixes · 4
- Why does is_singular() always return false in my plugin?
- Why does is_singular('page') return false on a page I'm sure is being displayed?
- What is the difference between is_singular() and is_single()?
- Can I trust is_singular() inside a custom WP_Query loop?
Why does is_singular() always return false in my plugin?
Why does is_singular('page') return false on a page I'm sure is being displayed?
What is the difference between is_singular() and is_single()?
Can I trust is_singular() inside a custom WP_Query loop?
Alternatives and related functions
is_single- When you only care about a single post of the built in 'post' type or a named custom post type, and want pages and attachments excluded.
is_page- When you specifically need to know if the current view is a single page rather than any singular post type.
is_attachment- When the check needs to distinguish an attachment page from other singular content.
is_page_template- When the question is really which template file a page is using, not whether the query is singular.
Performance profile
How much work a call to is_singular() 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
- Trivial
- Scaling
- Constant
- Instructions
- 8–13
- Plugin surface
- None
- Called by
- 50
Touches nothing outside its own arguments.
No loop in the body: the same number of instructions runs whatever you pass in.
Executed per call on PHP 8.5, depending on the branch taken. The body compiles to 17.
Nothing here hands control to plugin code.
50 places in core call this, so the cost is paid more often than your own code shows.
What it touches
- hookthird-party callbacks
do_action()one call below is_singular()
Further down the call graph this can also reach query, option, cache, serialize and transient. Those are the worst case, several calls deep and usually down an error path, not what a normal call pays.
What one call costs · 2 distinct outcomes
One number would be a lie: the work depends on which branch runs. These are every distinct cost is_singular() can have, taken from its control-flow graph on PHP 8.5.
| When | Instructions | Calls it makes |
|---|---|---|
isset($wp_query) | 8 | ->is_singular() |
!isset($wp_query) | 13 | __(), _doing_it_wrong() |
Across PHP versions
Compiles the same on PHP 7.4, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5 and 8.6-dev: 17 instructions, 8–13 executed per call, 1 branch. The work does not change between versions.
An instruction is not a fixed amount of time, so a matching count is not necessarily the same speed; what it rules out is a difference in the work itself.
Uses · 2
- _doing_it_wrong()Marks something as being incorrectly called.
- __()Retrieves the translation of $text.
Used by · 50
- WP::handle_404()Set the Headers for 404, if nothing is found for requested URL.
- WP::send_headers()Sends additional HTTP headers for caching, content type, etc.
- WP_Widget_Custom_HTML::_filter_gallery_shortcode_attrs()Filters gallery shortcode attributes.
- WP_Widget_Custom_HTML::widget()Outputs the content for the current Custom HTML widget instance.
- WP_Widget_Text::_filter_gallery_shortcode_attrs()Filters gallery shortcode attributes.
- WP_Widget_Text::widget()Outputs the content for the current Text widget instance.
- feed_links_extra()Displays the links to the extra feeds such as category feeds.
- get_body_class()Retrieves an array of the class names for the body element.
- get_next_comments_link()Retrieves the link to the next comments page.
- get_posts_nav_link()Retrieves the post pages link navigation for previous and next pages.
- get_previous_comments_link()Retrieves the link to the previous comments page.
- get_the_block_template_html()Returns the markup for the current template.
Show all 50
- is_page_template()Determines whether the current post uses a page template.
- paginate_comments_links()Displays or retrieves pagination links for the comments on the current post.
- redirect_canonical()Redirects incoming links to the proper URL based on the site url.
- rel_canonical()Outputs rel=canonical for singular queries.
- render_block_core_post_navigation_link()Renders the `core/post-navigation-link` block on the server.
- rest_get_queried_resource_route()Gets the REST route for the currently queried object.
- twenty_twenty_one_body_classes()Adds custom classes to the array of body classes.
- twenty_twenty_one_pingback_header()Adds a pingback url auto-discovery header for single posts, pages, or attachments.
- twenty_twenty_one_post_thumbnail()Displays an optional post thumbnail.
- twenty_twenty_one_scripts()Enqueues scripts and styles.
- twentyeleven_body_classes()Adds two classes to the array of body classes.
- twentyeleven_skip_link()Includes a skip to content link at the top of the page so that users can bypass the menu.
- twentyfifteen_entry_meta()Prints HTML with meta information for the categories, tags.
- twentyfifteen_post_thumbnail()Displays an optional post thumbnail.
- twentyfifteen_scripts()Enqueues scripts and styles.
- twentyfourteen_body_classes()Extends the default WordPress body classes.
- twentyfourteen_post_thumbnail()Displays an optional post thumbnail.
- twentyfourteen_scripts()Enqueues scripts and styles for the front end.
- twentynineteen_body_classes()Adds custom classes to the array of body classes.
- twentynineteen_entry_footer()Prints HTML with meta information for the categories, tags and comments.
- twentynineteen_pingback_header()Adds a pingback url auto-discovery header for single posts, pages, or attachments.
- twentynineteen_post_thumbnail()Displays an optional post thumbnail.
- twentynineteen_post_thumbnail_sizes_attr()Adds custom 'sizes' attribute to responsive image functionality for post thumbnails.
- twentynineteen_scripts()Enqueues scripts and styles.
- twentyseventeen_body_classes()Adds custom classes to the array of body classes.
- twentyseventeen_pingback_header()Adds a pingback url auto-discovery header for singularly identifiable articles.
- twentyseventeen_scripts()Enqueues scripts and styles.
- twentysixteen_body_classes()Adds custom classes to the array of body classes.
- twentysixteen_entry_meta()Prints HTML with meta information for the categories, tags.
- twentysixteen_post_thumbnail()Displays an optional post thumbnail.
- twentysixteen_scripts()Enqueues scripts and styles.
- twentythirteen_scripts_styles()Enqueues scripts and styles for the front end.
- twentytwelve_scripts_styles()Enqueues scripts and styles for front end.
- twentytwenty_body_classes()Adds conditional body classes.
- twentytwenty_register_scripts()Registers and Enqueues Scripts.
- wp_get_document_title()Returns document title for the current page.
- wp_get_shortlink()Returns a shortlink for a post, page, attachment, or site.
- wp_list_pages()Retrieves or displays a list of pages (or hierarchical post type items) in list (li) format.
Source code
function is_singular( $post_types = '' ) { global $wp_query; if ( ! isset( $wp_query ) ) { _doing_it_wrong( __FUNCTION__, __( 'Conditional query tags do not work before the query is run. Before then, they always return false.' ), '3.1.0' ); return false; } return $wp_query->is_singular( $post_types );}Changelog
Introduced in 1.5.0. Unchanged from 6.7.7 through 7.1.0.
Signature, return type and hooks compared across 5 parsed releases.
About this page
- Parsed data
- Generated from the wordpress-develop 7.0.4 tag, from
src/wp-includes/query.php, and regenerated for each WordPress release so it tracks the code rather than a snapshot of it. - Corrections
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