Category link redirect to custom template page instead of index.php?

Your question implies that index.php is a page to be redirected to, it isn’t, it’s purely a template file. It implies that single.php being loaded is what makes a page singular, or that loading the page.php template will give you a page, when it’s actually the other way around.

I strongly recommend reading about the template hierarchy, it should answer your question, and make a few things about WordPress chooses a template file to load in your theme make a lot more sense.

Specifically WordPress:

  • Uses rewrite rules to match the URL to a set of query variables to pass into a database query
  • Passes those through the pre_get_posts filter then makes the query to grab posts
  • Uses those query variables to choose a template

E.g. if the s query var is present, then is_search() will return true, and WordPress will look for a search.php theme template to load. If it doesn’t exist, it loads the fallback, archive.php, and if that doesn’t exist it loads the final fallback index.php.

In your custom taxonomy case it will load these files in this order until it finds one:

  • taxonomy-$taxonomy-$term.php
  • taxonomy-$taxonomy.php
  • taxonomy.php
  • archive.php
  • if paged=true: paged.php
  • index.php

Were $taxonomy is the internal name of your taxonomy ( as used in register_taxonomy ), and $term is the ID of the taxonomy term.

Further Reading

Related Posts:

  1. Preventing index.php?category_name=something from redirecting
  2. Different templates for parent and children categories/taxonomies
  3. Are Category or Tag Archive Pages Possible?
  4. Categories overview that links to page displaying posts
  5. Can’t custom taxonomies have same terms (slugs) as categories?
  6. Best Way to Redirect Category to Page and Hide Category
  7. get_categories for custom post type with a specific custom taxonomy attached
  8. Order get_terms() By Custom Field
  9. How to make custom taxonomy check boxes like ‘Categories’
  10. Optimal way to redirect home page to category archive?
  11. Redirecting specific category posts to subdomain
  12. cat_is_ancestor_of() for custom taxonomies
  13. How to create non-unique sub-category slugs?
  14. Show Post from parent category (custom taxonomy) ONLY!
  15. How to get next previous category in same taxonomy?
  16. How to: 301 Redirect /category/ to /customname/
  17. Display only deepest category on a single post?
  18. How do I set a specific template for sub-categories?
  19. Create single.php for specific category by category id
  20. Are Custom Taxonomy Templates Possible?
  21. is_archive() content being shown instead of is_category()
  22. Get a list of Terms for a specific category
  23. How to display a description of a given category from a custom taxonomy
  24. Which php file lists all the post of a category
  25. Redirect category to first available child post
  26. Apply custom category template to subcategories
  27. Category tree is flattened inside admin upon saving
  28. PHP Fatal error: Cannot use object of type WP_REST_Response as array in wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php
  29. How to know if it’s a child taxonomy?
  30. wp_dropdown_categories and custom taxonomy + custom post type
  31. Exclude category from Tag Template
  32. Need Category RSS Feed that shows all posts
  33. Changing permalink from /postname/ to category/postname/
  34. one category template for multiple categories
  35. One Specific Category To Permalink
  36. Different templates for different category tags
  37. add_rewrite_endpoint returns 404 on archives
  38. Add category only if post has custom taxonomy category
  39. Updating category template to change how subcategories display
  40. How can I get categories IDs if multiple categories requested via URI?
  41. Sub Categories Keep Redirecting to Pages With Same Slugs
  42. Add child category to parent on post creation and save
  43. Get Number of total Parent Categories for Custom Taxonomy
  44. Category template to show different categories based on parent
  45. Sub category templates
  46. Custom taxonomy template for categories
  47. Redirect single article permalink to paginated category page
  48. Display custom taxonomy attached to the post on post single page
  49. Limit number of posts on a custom category template – breaking pagination
  50. Automatically redirect a page to a category that share the same slug
  51. Limit categories and it’s subcategories for specific group of users
  52. Ive got a term (get_term_by) but now I want to filter it by a category it is in?
  53. add slug beside name in Admin Category Checklists
  54. Target a specific category from a custom taxonomy?
  55. How can I display the number of post associated to a category in Twig/Timber WordPress? [closed]
  56. Having a template per category? Bad for server overhead?
  57. Is it possible to have a template that works on multiple categories where the link address contains the specific category?
  58. Echo text using is_tag
  59. How to use wp_list_categories with plugin category?
  60. Add Date & Author Meta to Category Archive Page
  61. Use blog as base for tags and categories
  62. I would like to feature a tip on the homepage
  63. Redirect depending on category chosen
  64. How to load several hierarchical categories from functions.php
  65. How to differentiate the homepage structure from the category page structure in WordPress template?
  66. Posts not listing out sub category in hierarchy
  67. Post to inherit custom category background image from parent
  68. Different header for each category
  69. Custom post type archive category page results in 404
  70. Need help with major category and permalink re-organization
  71. Include home page template in specific category template
  72. 3.1 post formats and specific categories/custom taxonomies
  73. How to fix select filter on category
  74. Migrate the posts of a category to another blog as a custom taxonomy
  75. Include last post date in get_categories loop
  76. List of post categories only associated to another custom taxonomy
  77. Taxonomy custom check box meta field not getting saved
  78. How to prevent WordPress from redirecting single page to prefixed category archive with same name?
  79. Grab all the posts for particular category
  80. Category pages redirecting to tab on Posts page grid
  81. Custom Archive Template for Multiple Categories
  82. How to assign Categories and tags inside the TinyMCE Editor for each Image?
  83. Why use hierarchical taxonomies instead of many custom taxonomies?
  84. Adding a category view to a page
  85. How to Manage and link certain custom taxonomy?
  86. Display Taxonomies in loop with template args
  87. Show posts from all categories
  88. Catch 404 after changing permalink structure from /%postname%/ to /%category%/%postname%/
  89. Paginations in Category Page Leads to Sample Pages
  90. Most efficient way to have 1 template for parent, 1 template for child categories?
  91. Category Templates for Post Types not Working
  92. htaccess redirect for all categories converted to tags now showing 404
  93. Most efficient use of custom taxonomies, categories, and pages
  94. Create Cross Promoting Categories in WordPress Using ‘pre_get_posts’
  95. How do I get a single page navigation depending on the previous page?
  96. Template files not working for archives and categories
  97. Category Template – to be editable from the backend?
  98. have_posts is empty on category.php
  99. How to Organize my Photo Albums?
  100. Converting Categories (with ACF fields) to custom taxonomies