Title: $post = NULL with ajax request
Last modified: August 22, 2016

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# $post = NULL with ajax request

 *  Resolved [olofiano](https://wordpress.org/support/users/olofiano/)
 * (@olofiano)
 * [11 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/post-null-with-ajax-request/)
 * Hi
 * I am building a filtering function that does an ajax request that uses get_posts
   to fetch correct posts from the database. My problem is that the $post variable
   is null which means i cant enter the loop to get my posts.
 * These functions are written in functions.php:
 *     ```
       function ajax_filter_posts_scripts() {
         // Enqueue script
         wp_register_script('afp_script', get_stylesheet_directory_uri() . '/filter-ajax.js', false, null, false);
         wp_enqueue_script('afp_script');
   
         wp_localize_script( 'afp_script', 'afp_vars', array(
               'afp_nonce' => wp_create_nonce( 'afp_nonce' ),
               'afp_ajax_url' => admin_url( 'admin-ajax.php' ),
             )
         );
       }
       add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', 'ajax_filter_posts_scripts', 100);
   
       function ajax_filter_get_posts( $area ) {
       global $post;
       $cat_IDs 	= array(
          'coming' => 44,
          'reference' => 45,
          'sold' => 46,
          'sleeping' => 47,
          'for_sale' => 48
       ); 
   
         $area = $_POST['area'];
   
         // Verify nonce
         if( !isset( $_POST['afp_nonce'] ) || !wp_verify_nonce( $_POST['afp_nonce'], 'afp_nonce' ) )
           die('Permission denied');
   
         $for_sale_args = array(
       	'post_type' 		=> 'objekt',
       	'category' 		=>$cat_IDs['for_sale'],
       	'posts_per_page'	=> -1,
       	'meta_query'		=> array(
       			array(
       				'key' => 'gw_search_tag',
       				'value' => $area,
       				'compare' => 'LIKE'
       			)
       													),
       	'order'	=> 'DESC'
       );
   
       // If area is not set, remove key from array and get all posts
        if( !$area ) {
           unset( $for_sale_args['meta_query'] );
       }
   
       if ( have_posts() ) : while ( have_posts() ) : the_post();
          $for_sale_posts = get_posts($for_sale_args);
          foreach ( $for_sale_posts as $post ) : setup_postdata( $post );?>
             <!-- html stuff -->
       <?php
          endforeach; wp_reset_postdata();
       endwhile;
       endif;
   
       die();
       }
       add_action('wp_ajax_filter_posts','ajax_filter_get_posts');
       add_action('wp_ajax_nopriv_filter_posts', 'ajax_filter_get_posts');
       ```
   
 * And in my ajax-filter.js:
 *     ```
       jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
           $body = $("body");
   
           $(document).on({
               ajaxStart: function() { $body.addClass("ajax-loading");    },
               ajaxStop: function() { $body.removeClass("ajax-loading"); }
           });
           $('#filter li').click( function(event) {
               // Prevent defualt action - opening tag page
               if (event.preventDefault) {
                   event.preventDefault();
               } else {
                   event.returnValue = false;
               }
   
               // Get tag slug from title attirbute
               var selected_area = $(this).attr('area');
               console.log(selected_area);
               $('#list').fadeOut();
   
               data = {
                   action: 'filter_posts', // function to execute
                   afp_nonce: afp_vars.afp_nonce, // wp_nonce
                   area: selected_area, // selected tag
                   };
   
               $.post( afp_vars.afp_ajax_url, data, function(response) {
   
                   if( response ) {
                       // Display posts on page
                       $('#list').html( response );
                       // Restore div visibility
                       $('#list').fadeIn();
                   }
               });
           });
       });
       ```
   
 * I read somewhere that i needed to do
 * `require_once('./wp-blog-header.php');`
 * but that didn’t work either.
 * How can I retrieve the $post variable? Or is it something else that I am doing
   wrong?

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

 *  [catacaustic](https://wordpress.org/support/users/catacaustic/)
 * (@catacaustic)
 * [11 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/post-null-with-ajax-request/#post-5423304)
 * Which line is giving you that error?
 * From what I can see, I’d guess that it’s coming from this line:
 * `global $post;`
 * If that’s the case, remove that line.
 * The reason behind this is that at the stage that you’re working on it there, 
   there is no $post object as it’s never been defined anywhere in teh script. Not
   every request has to have a $post object behind it, and especailyl in the case
   of AJAX requests there’s no object to get because there’s no post content to 
   associate the request with – unless you specifically tell it to.
 *  Thread Starter [olofiano](https://wordpress.org/support/users/olofiano/)
 * (@olofiano)
 * [11 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/post-null-with-ajax-request/#post-5423345)
 * Thanks for your input, it is indeed that line of code that gives me the error.
   However, since I’m trying to use get_posts that is supposed to be located inside
   the loop I need the $post variable to be “working”. Otherwise the loop will be
   neglected. Or am I wrong?
 * I got it to work by using wp_Query, but the reason i don’t want to use this is
   that I get problems with duplicate posts, as i have multiple loops. This is easily
   handed with an do-not-duplicate-array of post-ids, but for that part i need $
   post, which i don’t have. I realize now when writing this that i probably could
   use get_the_ID() or something similar.
 *  [catacaustic](https://wordpress.org/support/users/catacaustic/)
 * (@catacaustic)
 * [11 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/post-null-with-ajax-request/#post-5423347)
 * `get_posts()` does not need to be inside the loop as it doesn’t use anything 
   from any current posts. I’ve used it outside the loop many times so I’m certain
   that it works.
 *  Thread Starter [olofiano](https://wordpress.org/support/users/olofiano/)
 * (@olofiano)
 * [11 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/post-null-with-ajax-request/#post-5423351)
 * Thank you for you quick replies! OK, it seems I need to go through some basics
   again 🙂 I’ll try without the loop and come back when it’s done.
 *  Thread Starter [olofiano](https://wordpress.org/support/users/olofiano/)
 * (@olofiano)
 * [11 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/post-null-with-ajax-request/#post-5423354)
 * Works perfectly without the loop. Guess it didn’t solve my question, but the 
   problem is gone anyway.
 * Thanks for your input, very appreciated!

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

The topic ‘$post = NULL with ajax request’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [ajax](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/ajax/)
 * [get_posts](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/get_posts/)
 * [post](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/post/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 5 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [olofiano](https://wordpress.org/support/users/olofiano/)
 * Last activity: [11 years, 6 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/post-null-with-ajax-request/#post-5423354)
 * Status: resolved

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