paginate_links( string|array $args = '' ): string|string[]|void

Description

Compatibility

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

Parameters

$argsstring|arrayoptional

Array or string of arguments for generating paginated links for archives.Default: ''

• $basestringdefault: empty

  Base of the paginated url.

• $formatstringdefault: empty

  Format for the pagination structure.

• $totalintdefault: is the value WP_Query's max_num_pages or 1

  The total amount of pages.

• $currentintdefault: is 'paged' query var or 1

  The current page number.

• $aria_currentstringdefault: is 'page'

  The value for the aria-current attribute. Possible values are 'page', 'step', 'location', 'date', 'time', 'true', 'false'.

• $show_allbooldefault: false

  Whether to show all pages.

• $end_sizeintdefault: 1

  How many numbers on either the start and the end list edges.

• $mid_sizeintdefault: 2

  How many numbers to either side of the current pages.

• $prev_nextbooldefault: true

  Whether to include the previous and next links in the list.

• $prev_textstringdefault: '« Previous'

  The previous page text.

• $next_textstringdefault: 'Next »'

  The next page text.

• $typestringdefault: is 'plain'

  Controls format of the returned value. Possible values are 'plain', 'array' and 'list'.

• $add_argsarraydefault: false

  An array of query args to add.

• $add_fragmentstringdefault: empty

  A string to append to each link.

• $before_page_numberstringdefault: empty

  A string to appear before the page number.

• $after_page_numberstringdefault: empty

  A string to append after the page number.

Return value

string|string[]|void

String of page links or array of page links, depending on 'type' argument.
Void if total number of pages is less than 2.

Performance profile

How much work a call to paginate_links() 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

Light

Touches nothing outside its own arguments.

Scaling

Scales with input

The body loops, so the work grows with what you pass in.

Instructions

80–229

Executed per call on PHP 8.5, depending on the branch taken. The body compiles to 353.

Plugin surface

2 hooks

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

Called by

8

8 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

Further down the call graph this can also reach option, cache, serialize, query 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 · 28 distinct outcomes

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

This body has more branch combinations than are worth enumerating, so the table covers the outcomes found first rather than every one that exists.

Hooks and filters fired · 4

4 hooks fire while paginate_links() runs, in this order:

1. 1
   apply_filters( paginate_links )filterline 4598 (+98 into the body)

   Filters the paginated links for the given archive pages.

2. 2
   apply_filters( paginate_links )filterline 4624 (+124 into the body)

   Filters the paginated links for the given archive pages.

3. 3
   apply_filters( paginate_links )filterline 4648 (+148 into the body)

   Filters the paginated links for the given archive pages.

4. 4
   apply_filters( paginate_links_output )filterline 4677 (+177 into the body)

   Filters the HTML output of paginated links for archives.

Uses · 13

• get_pagenum_link()Retrieves the link for a page number.
• get_query_var()Retrieves the value of a query variable in the WP_Query class.
• trailingslashit()Appends a trailing slash.
• user_trailingslashit()Retrieves a trailing-slashed string if the site is set for adding trailing slashes.
• __()Retrieves the translation of $text.
• wp_parse_args()Merges user defined arguments into defaults array.
• wp_parse_str()Parses a string into variables to be stored in an array.
• urlencode_deep()Navigates through an array, object, or scalar, and encodes the values to be used in a URL.
• add_query_arg()Retrieves a modified URL query string.
• esc_url()Checks and cleans a URL.
• apply_filters()Calls the callback functions that have been added to a filter hook.
• esc_attr()Escaping for HTML attributes.

Used by · 8

• WP_User_Search::do_paging()Handles paging for the user search query.
• get_the_posts_pagination()Retrieves a paginated navigation to next/previous set of posts, when applicable.
• media_upload_library_form()Outputs the legacy media upload form for the media library.
• paginate_comments_links()Displays or retrieves pagination links for the comments on the current post.
• render_block_core_query_pagination_numbers()Renders the `core/query-pagination-numbers` block on the server.
• twentyfourteen_paging_nav()Display navigation to next/previous set of posts when applicable.
• wp_nav_menu_item_post_type_meta_box()Displays a meta box for a post type menu item.
• wp_nav_menu_item_taxonomy_meta_box()Displays a meta box for a taxonomy menu item.

Source code

View on Trac ↗View on GitHub ↗

4500function paginate_links( $args = '' ) {4501	global $wp_query, $wp_rewrite;4502 4503	// Setting up default values based on the current URL.4504	$pagenum_link = html_entity_decode( get_pagenum_link() );4505	$url_parts    = explode( '?', $pagenum_link );4506 4507	// Get max pages and current page out of the current query, if available.4508	$total   = isset( $wp_query->max_num_pages ) ? $wp_query->max_num_pages : 1;4509	$current = get_query_var( 'paged' ) ? (int) get_query_var( 'paged' ) : 1;4510 4511	// Append the format placeholder to the base URL.4512	$pagenum_link = trailingslashit( $url_parts[0] ) . '%_%';4513 4514	// URL base depends on permalink settings.4515	$format  = $wp_rewrite->using_index_permalinks() && ! strpos( $pagenum_link, 'index.php' ) ? 'index.php/' : '';4516	$format .= $wp_rewrite->using_permalinks() ? user_trailingslashit( $wp_rewrite->pagination_base . '/%#%', 'paged' ) : '?paged=%#%';4517 4518	$defaults = array(4519		'base'               => $pagenum_link, // http://example.com/all_posts.php%_% : %_% is replaced by format (below).4520		'format'             => $format, // ?page=%#% : %#% is replaced by the page number.4521		'total'              => $total,4522		'current'            => $current,4523		'aria_current'       => 'page',4524		'show_all'           => false,4525		'prev_next'          => true,4526		'prev_text'          => __( '&laquo; Previous' ),4527		'next_text'          => __( 'Next &raquo;' ),4528		'end_size'           => 1,4529		'mid_size'           => 2,4530		'type'               => 'plain',4531		'add_args'           => array(), // Array of query args to add.4532		'add_fragment'       => '',4533		'before_page_number' => '',4534		'after_page_number'  => '',4535	);4536 4537	$args = wp_parse_args( $args, $defaults );4538 4539	if ( ! is_array( $args['add_args'] ) ) {4540		$args['add_args'] = array();4541	}4542 4543	// Merge additional query vars found in the original URL into 'add_args' array.4544	if ( isset( $url_parts[1] ) ) {4545		// Find the format argument.4546		$format       = explode( '?', str_replace( '%_%', $args['format'], $args['base'] ) );4547		$format_query = isset( $format[1] ) ? $format[1] : '';4548		wp_parse_str( $format_query, $format_args );4549 4550		// Find the query args of the requested URL.4551		wp_parse_str( $url_parts[1], $url_query_args );4552 4553		// Remove the format argument from the array of query arguments, to avoid overwriting custom format.4554		foreach ( $format_args as $format_arg => $format_arg_value ) {4555			unset( $url_query_args[ $format_arg ] );4556		}4557 4558		$args['add_args'] = array_merge( $args['add_args'], urlencode_deep( $url_query_args ) );4559	}4560 4561	// Who knows what else people pass in $args.4562	$total = (int) $args['total'];4563	if ( $total < 2 ) {4564		return;4565	}4566	$current  = (int) $args['current'];4567	$end_size = (int) $args['end_size']; // Out of bounds? Make it the default.4568	if ( $end_size < 1 ) {4569		$end_size = 1;4570	}4571	$mid_size = (int) $args['mid_size'];4572	if ( $mid_size < 0 ) {4573		$mid_size = 2;4574	}4575 4576	$add_args   = $args['add_args'];4577	$r          = '';4578	$page_links = array();4579	$dots       = false;

Changelog

Introduced in 2.1.0. One change between 6.7.7 and 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

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Generated from the wordpress-develop 6.7.7 tag, from src/wp-includes/general-template.php, and regenerated for each WordPress release so it tracks the code rather than a snapshot of it.

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