Make related posts random

  • Nikodemsky

    (@nikodemsky)


    8 years, 3 months ago

    So I’m trying to make related posts on my website more random, atm. it shows almost same posts on every other post. I’m pretty sure it’s about orderby arg but i’m not sure how to implement that.

    Code i’m using for it:

    if(!function_exists('cherry_related_posts')){
		function cherry_related_posts($args = array()){
			global $post;
			$default = array(
				'post_type' => get_post_type($post),
				'class' => 'related-posts',
				'class_list' => 'related-posts_list',
				'class_list_item' => 'related-posts_item',
				'display_title' => true,
				'display_link' => true,
				'display_thumbnail' => true,
				'width_thumbnail' => 250,
				'height_thumbnail' => 150,
				'before_title' => '<h3 class="related-posts_h">',
				'after_title' => '</h3>',
				'posts_count' => 14
			);
			extract(array_merge($default, $args));

			$post_tags = wp_get_post_terms($post->ID, $post_type.'_tag', array("fields" => "slugs"));
			$tags_type = $post_type=='post' ? 'tag' : $post_type.'_tag' ;
			$suppress_filters = get_option('suppress_filters');// WPML filter
			$blog_related = apply_filters( 'cherry_text_translate', of_get_option('blog_related'), 'blog_related' );
			if ($post_tags && !is_wp_error($post_tags)) {
				$args = array(
					"$tags_type" => implode(',', $post_tags),
					'post_status' => 'publish',
					'posts_per_page' => $posts_count,
					'ignore_sticky_posts' => 1,
					'post__not_in' => array($post->ID),
					'post_type' => $post_type,
					'suppress_filters' => $suppress_filters
					);
				query_posts($args);
				if ( have_posts() ) {
					$output = '<div class="'.$class.'">';
					$output .= $display_title ? $before_title.$blog_related.$after_title : '' ;
					$output .= '<ul class="'.$class_list.' clearfix">';
					while( have_posts() ) {
						the_post();
						$thumb   = has_post_thumbnail() ? get_post_thumbnail_id() : PARENT_URL.'/images/empty_thumb.gif';
						$blank_img = stripos($thumb, 'empty_thumb.gif');
						$img_url = $blank_img ? $thumb : wp_get_attachment_url( $thumb,'full');
						$image   = $blank_img ? $thumb : aq_resize($img_url, $width_thumbnail, $height_thumbnail, true) or $img_url;

						$output .= '<li class="'.$class_list_item.'">';
						$output .= $display_thumbnail ? '<figure class="thumbnail featured-thumbnail"><a href="'.get_permalink().'" title="'.get_the_title().'"><img data-src="'.$image.'" alt="'.get_the_title().'" /></a></figure>': '' ;
						$output .= $display_link ? '<a href="'.get_permalink().'" >'.get_the_title().'</a>': '' ;
						$output .= '</li>';
					}
					$output .= '</ul></div>';
					echo $output;
				}
				wp_reset_query();
			}
		}
	}

    i have tried changing line:
    $post_tags = wp_get_post_terms($post->ID, $post_type.'_tag', array("fields" => "slugs"));
    to
    $post_tags = wp_get_post_terms($post->ID, $post_type.'_tag', array("fields" => "slugs", "orderby" => "rand"));
    but nothing changed.

    Any help with that?

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • David Biňovec

    (@davidbinda)

    8 years, 3 months ago

    Hey there!

    I’d say that the problem is in using deprecated {tax} param of WP_Query.

    Try to replace the $tags_type" => implode(',', $post_tags), by a proper tax_query:

    'tax_query' => array( array(
    'taxonomy' => $tags_type,
    'field' => 'slug',
    'terms' => $post_tags
) ),

    That should do the trick!

    I’d also suggested to not use query_posts but a WP_Query instead. In such case, replace

    query_posts($args);
if ( have_posts() ) {

    by

    $related_posts = new WP_Query( $args );
if ( $related_posts->have_posts() ) {

    and

    while( have_posts() ) {
the_post();

    by

    while( $related_posts->have_posts() ) {
$related_posts->the_post();

    and wp_reset_query(); by wp_reset_postdata();

    Thread Starter Nikodemsky

    (@nikodemsky)

    8 years, 3 months ago

    Thank you very much!

    While the script works, then I’m still getting same 3 related posts for every other post. There’s 14 posts for this post type(it’s custom post type btw.) and it still gets only same 3 every time on every posts, while it should randomize those related posts and it’s order.

    Probably i’ve took wrong approach with that or i’m missing something, should i still use orderby arg with that(somewhere) or should I do something else?

    David Biňovec

    (@davidbinda)

    8 years, 3 months ago

    What really get’s posts and orders them is the $related_posts = new WP_Query( $args ); in my example or the query_posts($args); in original example. So if you want to randomise the order, use 'orderby' => 'rand' key-value pair in the $args array.

    I’d say that the reason for getting stale data might be in the data itself. I mean all posts having all tags or a similar situation. If the orderby rand is used, then the posts won’t be ordered by default post date in descending order.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
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