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 4740 (+98 into the body)

   Filters the paginated links for the given archive pages.

2. 2
   apply_filters( paginate_links )filterline 4766 (+124 into the body)

   Filters the paginated links for the given archive pages.

3. 3
   apply_filters( paginate_links )filterline 4790 (+148 into the body)

   Filters the paginated links for the given archive pages.

4. 4
   apply_filters( paginate_links_output )filterline 4819 (+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()Displays 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 ↗

4642function paginate_links( $args = '' ) {4643	global $wp_query, $wp_rewrite;4644 4645	// Setting up default values based on the current URL.4646	$pagenum_link = html_entity_decode( get_pagenum_link() );4647	$url_parts    = explode( '?', $pagenum_link );4648 4649	// Get max pages and current page out of the current query, if available.4650	$total   = isset( $wp_query->max_num_pages ) ? $wp_query->max_num_pages : 1;4651	$current = get_query_var( 'paged' ) ? (int) get_query_var( 'paged' ) : 1;4652 4653	// Append the format placeholder to the base URL.4654	$pagenum_link = trailingslashit( $url_parts[0] ) . '%_%';4655 4656	// URL base depends on permalink settings.4657	$format  = $wp_rewrite->using_index_permalinks() && ! strpos( $pagenum_link, 'index.php' ) ? 'index.php/' : '';4658	$format .= $wp_rewrite->using_permalinks() ? user_trailingslashit( $wp_rewrite->pagination_base . '/%#%', 'paged' ) : '?paged=%#%';4659 4660	$defaults = array(4661		'base'               => $pagenum_link, // http://example.com/all_posts.php%_% : %_% is replaced by format (below).4662		'format'             => $format, // ?page=%#% : %#% is replaced by the page number.4663		'total'              => $total,4664		'current'            => $current,4665		'aria_current'       => 'page',4666		'show_all'           => false,4667		'prev_next'          => true,4668		'prev_text'          => __( '&laquo; Previous' ),4669		'next_text'          => __( 'Next &raquo;' ),4670		'end_size'           => 1,4671		'mid_size'           => 2,4672		'type'               => 'plain',4673		'add_args'           => array(), // Array of query args to add.4674		'add_fragment'       => '',4675		'before_page_number' => '',4676		'after_page_number'  => '',4677	);4678 4679	$args = wp_parse_args( $args, $defaults );4680 4681	if ( ! is_array( $args['add_args'] ) ) {4682		$args['add_args'] = array();4683	}4684 4685	// Merge additional query vars found in the original URL into 'add_args' array.4686	if ( isset( $url_parts[1] ) ) {4687		// Find the format argument.4688		$format       = explode( '?', str_replace( '%_%', $args['format'], $args['base'] ) );4689		$format_query = isset( $format[1] ) ? $format[1] : '';4690		wp_parse_str( $format_query, $format_args );4691 4692		// Find the query args of the requested URL.4693		wp_parse_str( $url_parts[1], $url_query_args );4694 4695		// Remove the format argument from the array of query arguments, to avoid overwriting custom format.4696		foreach ( $format_args as $format_arg => $format_arg_value ) {4697			unset( $url_query_args[ $format_arg ] );4698		}4699 4700		$args['add_args'] = array_merge( $args['add_args'], urlencode_deep( $url_query_args ) );4701	}4702 4703	// Who knows what else people pass in $args.4704	$total = (int) $args['total'];4705	if ( $total < 2 ) {4706		return;4707	}4708	$current  = (int) $args['current'];4709	$end_size = (int) $args['end_size']; // Out of bounds? Make it the default.4710	if ( $end_size < 1 ) {4711		$end_size = 1;4712	}4713	$mid_size = (int) $args['mid_size'];4714	if ( $mid_size < 0 ) {4715		$mid_size = 2;4716	}4717 4718	$add_args   = $args['add_args'];4719	$r          = '';4720	$page_links = array();4721	$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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