Title: WP_Query Priority Ordering
Last modified: August 21, 2016

---

# WP_Query Priority Ordering

 *  Resolved [GenericBox](https://wordpress.org/support/users/genericbox/)
 * (@genericbox)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wp_query-priority-ordering/)
 * Hi WordPress,
 * I was hoping to get some help with a custom query I am writing for a gallery 
   system on my site.
 * The problem is, my content is split across multiple post types, and while my 
   query is pulling in all the content fine, one of my post types has nearly 1,000
   entries.
 * Therefore, the query is returning hundreds of entries from the one post type 
   before it happens to return one from another post type which has relatively few
   entries (10-30).
 * So, is there a way to keep the results orderby “random” but prioritise (or better
   yet deprioritise) the actual post_types so that the less populated post_types
   appear closer to the start of the query results?
 * My query is written below (disregard the $filter variable — I have also implemented
   a filter system):
 *     ```
       $paged = (get_query_var('paged')) ? get_query_var('paged') : 1;
       $filter = esc_sql($_GET['filter']);
       $pts = array('pt1','pt2','pt3','pt4');
       if(!in_array($filter, $cats)) $filter = $cats;
       $args = array('post_type'	=> $filter,
       	      'posts_per_page'	=> 8,
       	      'paged'		=> $paged,
       	      'orderby'		=> 'post_type rand',
       	      'post_status'	=> 'publish');
       $the_query = new WP_Query;
       $the_query->query($args);
       ```
   
 * I have changed the variable names/custom post type names.
 * Thanks for any help you can provide.
 * Regards,
    GenericBox

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

 *  [Birgir Erlendsson (birgire)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/birgire/)
 * (@birgire)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wp_query-priority-ordering/#post-4515490)
 * Here’s one way to do it:
 * This is untested, but you get the idea:
 *     ```
       $arr = array();
   
       foreach( array( 'pt1', 'pt2', 'pt3', 'pt4') as $pt )
       {
           $args = array(
                                  'post_type' => $pt,
                                  'posts_per_page' => 8,
                                  'paged' => $paged,
                                  'orderby' => 'rand',
                                  'fields' => 'ids',
                        );
   
           $arr = $arr + get_posts( $args );
       }
   
       // get 8 random entries
       $ids = array_rand( $arr, 8 );
   
       $args = array( 'posts__in' => $ids );
   
       $the_query = new WP_Query( $args );
       ```
   
 * i.e. we fetch `8` random post ids for each of your post type, collect them into
   an array,
    and then we select `8` random entries from that array and feed it 
   into `WP_Query()`.
 * That way you can the give same probability of selecting a post from each post
   type (assuming there are at least 8 posts in each post type).
 *  Thread Starter [GenericBox](https://wordpress.org/support/users/genericbox/)
 * (@genericbox)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wp_query-priority-ordering/#post-4515535)
 * Thanks for your response Birgire, the method makes sense. Thanks alot.
 * I will implement it now and let you know how it works, and if I have to tweak
   it in any way.
 * Regards,
    GB.
 *  Thread Starter [GenericBox](https://wordpress.org/support/users/genericbox/)
 * (@genericbox)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wp_query-priority-ordering/#post-4515550)
 * Figured it out!
 * It’s a little messy, and not as controllable as I would have liked – but its 
   working, and the site for the client is a campaign landing page so will only 
   be live for a few weeks/months anyway.
 * If anyone has a similar issue, of wanting to handle different WP_Query arguments
   from multiple Custom Post Types in the one loop, maybe this will help you out.
   IT IS VERY BESPOKE however, and I doubt much of it will make sense, but I tried
   to comment as much as I could.
 * I also ran into issues because I was using a plugin called WPML for translation
   into 3 different languages.
 *     ```
       $paged = (get_query_var('paged')) ? get_query_var('paged') : 1; // Get the page value
       $filter = get_query_var('filter'); // Get filter query var from permalink
       $langs = array('en','fr','nl'); // Define languages
       $notlangs = array_diff($langs, array(ICL_LANGUAGE_CODE)); // Create a new array from the languages minus the current language
       foreach($notlangs as $l) $lids[] = get_category_by_slug($l)->cat_ID; // Get the category IDs of the languages
       $pts = array('pt1','pt2','pt3','pt4'); // My Custom Post Types
       if(!in_array($filter, $pts)) $filter = array_diff($pts, array('pt1')); // Due to the conflicts with WPML, pt1 was causing the issues, so if the filter is all (as in, it isn't just "one" of the defined $pts, remove pt1 from the filter list
   
       // This is the main query - if $filter is just one post_type it runs as normal, if not, it is post_types minus pt1
       $args = array('post_type'	=> $filter,
       	      'posts_per_page'	=> 8,
       	      'paged'		=> $paged,
       	      'orderby'		=> 'menu_order',
       	      'post_status'	=> 'publish',
       	      );
   
       // This is the second query - this is for pt1 specifically, and has different args
       $eargs = array('post_type'	=> 'pt1',
       	       'posts_per_page'	=> 8,
       	       'paged'		=> $paged,
       	       'category__not_in' => $lids,
       	       'suppress_filters' => true
       	       );
   
       $the_query = new WP_Query; // Create the main query
       if($filter=='pt1') $args=$eargs; // If the filter is for just pt1 by itself, make the pt1 specific args the main args
       $the_query->query($args); // Run the standard WP loop query
       if(is_array($filter)) { // If $filter is an array, meaning it is not JUST a single filter
       	$ent_query = new WP_Query; // Create a new WP Query
       	$ent_query->query($eargs); // Run the query with pt1 args, effectively running two simultaneous queries
       	$the_query->posts = array_merge($the_query->posts, $ent_query->posts); // So then merge the two results into array, the original, "main" WP query
       	$the_query->post_count = count($the_query->posts); // So that the page count isn't broken by the merge, recount the query
       	shuffle($the_query->posts); // Randomise the results so it isn't 8 of each in a row
       }
       ```
   
 * Because the 3 less populated post_types are queried first, the top part of my
   gallery is now garuanteed to be populated by them first, and the shuffle after
   each merge ensures I get a nice random pattern until they disappear normally 
   when there is no more left for that page.
 * I know this is highly specific – but hopefully some of the logic helps someone.
 * The important part is running two queries simultaneously and then merging both
   of those results into the original main query.
 * Thanks again Birgire, you got me thinking on the right track.
 * Regards,
    GB.
 *  [Birgir Erlendsson (birgire)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/birgire/)
 * (@birgire)
 * [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wp_query-priority-ordering/#post-4515551)
 * Good to hear you solved it,
 * thanks for reporting back and sharing your code.
 * cheers

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

 The topic ‘WP_Query Priority Ordering’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 4 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [Birgir Erlendsson (birgire)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/birgire/)
 * Last activity: [12 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wp_query-priority-ordering/#post-4515551)
 * Status: resolved

## Topics

### Topics with no replies

### Non-support topics

### Resolved topics

### Unresolved topics

### All topics