Title: Tag Cloud Shortcode Last modified: May 27, 2018 --- # Tag Cloud Shortcode * [Matt Rittman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrittman/) * (@mrittman) * [7 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/tag-cloud-shortcode-3/) * Hey guys, I tried creating a custom tag cloud shortcode, but it’s not showing the tags on the front of my site. Here’s the code I’m dropping into my functions. php file: * ``` function wpb_tag_cloud() { $tags = get_tags(); $args = array( 'smallest' => 10, 'largest' => 22, 'unit' => 'px', 'number' => 10, 'format' => 'flat', 'separator' => " ", 'orderby' => 'count', 'order' => 'DESC', 'show_count' => 1, 'echo' => false ); $tag_string = wp_generate_tag_cloud( $tags, $args ); return $tag_string; } // Add a shortcode so that we can use it in widgets, posts, and pages add_shortcode('wpb_popular_tags', 'wpb_tag_cloud'); // Enable shortcode execution in text widget add_filter ('widget_text', 'do_shortcode'); ``` * The page I need help with: _[[log in](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwordpress.org%2Fsupport%2Ftopic%2Ftag-cloud-shortcode-3%2F%3Foutput_format%3Dmd&locale=en_US) to see the link]_ Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total) * [Anass Rahou](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ranss/) * (@ranss) * [7 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/tag-cloud-shortcode-3/#post-10330469) * Hello Matt! * I have tried the code you provided, and it works as expected. Please make sure you already have tags in your website. * Don’t forget to copy the `[wpb_popular_tags]` shortcode in the place when you want to show the cloud of tags. You can past it on any page in your website or in a text widget from your dashboard in Appearance >> Widgets. * Please try this and let me know if all is fine and working now. 🙂 * Thread Starter [Matt Rittman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrittman/) * (@mrittman) * [7 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/tag-cloud-shortcode-3/#post-10331698) * Hmmm very strange! Well thanks for letting me know it’s working on your end. It must be something to do with my theme maybe? I have two custom taxonomies and I know I’m using the right ones. Is there any way to debug it to see where the problem might be? * Thread Starter [Matt Rittman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrittman/) * (@mrittman) * [7 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/tag-cloud-shortcode-3/#post-10332045) * Actually you know what, I don’t think the function wp_generate_tag_cloud allows for a custom taxonomy. So how would I edit the code to only pull tags from a specific taxonomy? * Thread Starter [Matt Rittman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrittman/) * (@mrittman) * [7 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/tag-cloud-shortcode-3/#post-10332589) * Nevermind, I think I figured out a solution but using this code instead: * ``` function my_cloud() { if (function_exists('wp_tag_cloud')) return wp_tag_cloud(array( 'smallest' => 9, 'largest' => 20, 'unit' => 'pt', 'number' => 10, 'format' => 'list', 'separator' => "\n", 'orderby' => 'name', 'order' => 'ASC', 'link' => 'view', 'taxonomy' => '', 'show_count' => 0, )); } add_shortcode('popular_tags', 'my_cloud'); ``` - This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by [Matt Rittman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrittman/). - This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by [Matt Rittman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrittman/). * Moderator [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/) * (@bcworkz) * [7 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/tag-cloud-shortcode-3/#post-10332890) * Nice! One thing though, wp_tag_cloud() echoes by default. Add `'echo'=> false,` to your arguments array. * I’m assuming you will also add a taxonomy value for your custom taxonomy. * Thread Starter [Matt Rittman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrittman/) * (@mrittman) * [7 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/tag-cloud-shortcode-3/#post-10333090) * I don’t really understand the whole echo thing lol. I went ahead and added it to my arguments array, but it didn’t seem to change anything. What does it do that I’m not seeing? Yeah, I have a taxonomy, but I just removed it for the sake of this thread 😀 * Thanks [@bcworks](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworks/)! * Moderator [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/) * (@bcworkz) * [7 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/tag-cloud-shortcode-3/#post-10336859) * When we echo from a shortcode handler, we cannot predict where the output will occur. It’s often not where the shortcode was placed. In your case it sounds like it didn’t make any difference, a fortunate happenstance. In any case, it’s a firm rule that shortcode handlers must return the desired output and not echo out. Something to keep in mind for your next shortcode 🙂 Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total) The topic ‘Tag Cloud Shortcode’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [custom](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/custom/) * [tags](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/tags/) * In: [Developing with WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/wp-advanced/) * 7 replies * 3 participants * Last reply from: [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/) * Last activity: [7 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/tag-cloud-shortcode-3/#post-10336859) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics