I am trying to make a custom page template that shows the most viewed posts. I can return posts but I am having trouble figuring out how to paginate it. Here is what I have:

$args = array('orderby' => 'meta_value_num', 'meta_key' => 'post_views_count', 'posts_per_page' => 36 );
            $loop = new WP_Query( $args );
            while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post();

I tried:

$paged = ( get_query_var('paged') ) ? get_query_var('paged') : 1; 
            $args = array('paged' => $paged, 'orderby' => 'meta_value_num', 'meta_key' => 'post_views_count', 'posts_per_page' => 36 );
            $loop = new WP_Query( $args );
            while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post();

but my pagination still doesn't show up. I am wondering if it has to do with my pagination function or the way I am setting up my query.

I just call my pagination function below the query, it all looks like this:

<?php
            $paged = ( get_query_var('paged') ) ? get_query_var('paged') : 1; 
            $args = array('paged' => $paged, 'orderby' => 'meta_value_num', 'meta_key' => 'post_views_count', 'posts_per_page' => 36 );
            $loop = new WP_Query( $args );
            while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post();?>
                <?php get_template_part( 'content', get_post_format() ); ?>
            <?php endwhile; ?>
        <?php wp_reset_postdata(); ?>

<?php pagination(); ?>

This is my pagination function:

if ( ! function_exists( 'pagination' ) ) :
    function pagination() {
        global $wp_query;

        $big = 999999999; // need an unlikely integer

        echo paginate_links( array(
            'base' => str_replace( $big, '%#%', esc_url( get_pagenum_link( $big ) ) ),
            'format' => '?paged=%#%',
            'current' => max( 1, get_query_var('paged') ),
            'total' => $wp_query->max_num_pages,
            'mid_size' => 1,
            'prev_text'    => __('«'),
            'next_text'    => __('»'),
            'type'         => 'list'
        ) );
    }
endif;

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I am trying to make a custom page template that shows the most viewed posts. I can return posts but I am having trouble figuring out how to paginate it. Here is what I have:

$args = array('orderby' => 'meta_value_num', 'meta_key' => 'post_views_count', 'posts_per_page' => 36 );
            $loop = new WP_Query( $args );
            while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post();

I tried:

$paged = ( get_query_var('paged') ) ? get_query_var('paged') : 1; 
            $args = array('paged' => $paged, 'orderby' => 'meta_value_num', 'meta_key' => 'post_views_count', 'posts_per_page' => 36 );
            $loop = new WP_Query( $args );
            while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post();

but my pagination still doesn't show up. I am wondering if it has to do with my pagination function or the way I am setting up my query.

I just call my pagination function below the query, it all looks like this:

<?php
            $paged = ( get_query_var('paged') ) ? get_query_var('paged') : 1; 
            $args = array('paged' => $paged, 'orderby' => 'meta_value_num', 'meta_key' => 'post_views_count', 'posts_per_page' => 36 );
            $loop = new WP_Query( $args );
            while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post();?>
                <?php get_template_part( 'content', get_post_format() ); ?>
            <?php endwhile; ?>
        <?php wp_reset_postdata(); ?>

<?php pagination(); ?>

This is my pagination function:

if ( ! function_exists( 'pagination' ) ) :
    function pagination() {
        global $wp_query;

        $big = 999999999; // need an unlikely integer

        echo paginate_links( array(
            'base' => str_replace( $big, '%#%', esc_url( get_pagenum_link( $big ) ) ),
            'format' => '?paged=%#%',
            'current' => max( 1, get_query_var('paged') ),
            'total' => $wp_query->max_num_pages,
            'mid_size' => 1,
            'prev_text'    => __('«'),
            'next_text'    => __('»'),
            'type'         => 'list'
        ) );
    }
endif;

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

• wp-query
• functions
• pagination

• 1 Looks like you are doing a local query, where the pagination is using global query variable. Replace this line - $loop = new WP_Query( $args ); to query_posts( $args ). Also replace - $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post() to have_posts() ) : the_post(). And you don't need to use wp_reset_postdata(). – Shazzad Commented Jul 12, 2014 at 17:35
• I've heard you shouldn't use query_posts to output a custom loop. – justinw Commented Jul 12, 2014 at 17:39
• That's best practice. Using global pagination ( get_query_var('paged') ) into a custom query isn't also a best practice. However, i am writing an answer in few seconds. – Shazzad Commented Jul 12, 2014 at 17:45
• I found a post on this. Using that method works quite well. – justinw Commented Jul 12, 2014 at 17:46
• I found the solution: WordPress post pagination – Fefar Ravi Commented Oct 5, 2021 at 16:37

3 Answers 3

This is a local/global variable problem. It can be solved either by changing the pagination function to work with local variable, or by promoting the local variable into global scope. As you are using wp_reset_postdata(), i guess you want to keep the original query.

Change the pagination function to accept arguments -

if ( ! function_exists( 'pagination' ) ) :

    function pagination( $paged = '', $max_page = '' ) {
        $big = 999999999; // need an unlikely integer
        if( ! $paged ) {
            $paged = get_query_var('paged');
        }

        if( ! $max_page ) {
            global $wp_query;
            $max_page = isset( $wp_query->max_num_pages ) ? $wp_query->max_num_pages : 1;
        }

        echo paginate_links( array(
            'base'       => str_replace( $big, '%#%', esc_url( get_pagenum_link( $big ) ) ),
            'format'     => '?paged=%#%',
            'current'    => max( 1, $paged ),
            'total'      => $max_page,
            'mid_size'   => 1,
            'prev_text'  => __( '«' ),
            'next_text'  => __( '»' ),
            'type'       => 'list'
        ) );
    }
endif;

And the loop template will be like -

$paged = ( get_query_var( 'paged' ) ) ? get_query_var( 'paged' ) : 1; 
$args = array(
    'paged'          => $paged, 
    'orderby'        => 'meta_value_num', 
    'meta_key'       => 'post_views_count', 
    'posts_per_page' => 36 
);
$loop = new WP_Query( $args );

if ( $loop->have_posts() ) :
    while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : 
        $loop->the_post();
        get_template_part( 'content', get_post_format() );
    endwhile;

    pagination( $paged, $loop->max_num_pages); // Pagination Function
endif;

wp_reset_postdata();

Try this..

$paged = ( get_query_var( 'paged' ) ) ? absint( get_query_var( 'paged' ) ) : 1;
$args = array(
    'orderby' => 'meta_value_num',
    'meta_key' => 'post_views_count',
    'posts_per_page' => 36,
    'paged' => $paged
    );

$loop = new WP_Query( $args );
if ( $loop->have_posts() ) :
    while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post();

            get_template_part( 'content', get_post_format() );

    endwhile;

    pagination(); // Pagination Function

endif;
wp_reset_postdata();

The pagination should be added before the wp_reset_postdata();.

I sill faced that issue and solved it like that

Pagination function

function post_pagination($paged = '', $max_page = '') {
    if (!$paged) {
        $paged = (get_query_var('paged')) ? get_query_var('paged') : ((get_query_var('page')) ? get_query_var('page') : 1);
    }

    if (!$max_page) {
        global $wp_query;
        $max_page = isset($wp_query->max_num_pages) ? $wp_query->max_num_pages : 1;
    }

    $big  = 999999999; // need an unlikely integer

    $html = paginate_links(array(
        'base'       => str_replace($big, '%#%', esc_url(get_pagenum_link($big))),
        'format'     => '?paged=%#%',
        'current'    => max(1, $paged),
        'total'      => $max_page,
        'mid_size'   => 1,
        'prev_text'  => __('« Prev'),
        'next_text'  => __('Next »'),
    ));

    $html = "<div class='navigation pagination'>" . $html . "</div>";

    echo $html;
}

Query on the custom template

$paged = (get_query_var('paged')) ? get_query_var('paged') : ((get_query_var('page')) ? get_query_var('page') : 1);

$args = array(
    'post_type' => 'post',
    'post_status' => 'publish',
    'posts_per_page' => get_option('posts_per_page'),
    'order' => 'DESC',
    'orderby' => 'date',
    'paged' => $paged
);

$loop = new WP_Query($args);
if ($loop->have_posts()) :
    while ($loop->have_posts()) :
        $loop->the_post();
        get_template_part('content', get_post_format());
    endwhile;

    post_pagination($paged, $loop->max_num_pages);
endif;

wp_reset_postdata();