I am guessing but based on your choice of placeholder names in the code above… $args = array( ‘meta_key’ => ‘myvalue’, ‘orderby’ => ‘meta_value_num’, ‘order’ => ‘DESC’ ); … your meta_key argument is wrong. That is the meta key not the meta value as your naming convention suggests. meta_key (string) – Custom field key. http://codex.wordpress.org/Class_Reference/WP_Query#Custom_Field_Parameters … Read more
pre_get_posts in your child themes functions file is the best in my opinion. add_action( ‘pre_get_posts’, ‘wpsites_custom_get_posts’ ); function wpsites_custom_get_posts( $query ) { if( $query->is_main_query() && $query->is_home() ) { $query->set( ‘cat’, ‘-182,-184’ ); $query->set( ‘posts_per_page’, ’12’ ); $query->set( ‘orderby’, ‘RAND’ ); } } This method is more flexible in my opinion.
Your code fails because: array( ‘cat’ => -9, -4 ); is the same as: array( ‘cat’ => -9, -4 ); The -4 is its own element, not a part of the ‘cat’ argument. The correct way to do what you tried to do would be: array ( ‘cat’ => array( -9, -4 ) ); But … Read more
This can be done in a single query: $parent_only = new WP_Query( array( ‘post_parent’ => 0, ) ); If you want to have all children of a specific page (for e.g.) in the loop (or on a request that returns TRUE for is_singular()), use get_the_ID() as argument for post_parent. Edit (after seeing the full loop … Read more
It’s not recommended to use query_posts(), check for example this warning note in the Codex: This function isn’t meant to be used by plugins or themes. As explained later, there are better, more performant options to alter the main query. query_posts() is overly simplistic and problematic way to modify main query of a page by … Read more
Welcome the the WordPress Stack Exchange and congrats on your first post! First off, you may not want to use query_posts() here. Second off – the_post() needs to be before the_title() as it sets up all the posts functions such as the_title(), the_permalink() etc. and queues the next post in your while loop. Your Loop … Read more
If you’re altering the main query, always use pre_get_posts to alter query parameters before the query is run and before the template is loaded. This will be the most efficient and will not break pagination. As of v4, orderby accepts an array of arguments, which gives you the ability to have different order for each … Read more
As already mentioned, don’t use query_posts(). Even the WordPress docs state this: Note: This function isn’t meant to be used by plugins or themes. As explained later, there are better, more performant options to alter the main query. query_posts() is overly simplistic and problematic way to modify main query of a page by replacing it … Read more
Your problem is your custom query. Do not use variables that is used by default by WordPress. $posts and $post is WordPress reserved global variables. Change $post to a unique variable, something like $posts_query. When using get_posts and you need to setup postdata to make use of template tags, you have no choiche but to … Read more
You shouldn’t really need to “exclude” anything. Just make use of the built in loop tracking. WP_Query will “remember” where you left off. For example: if (have_posts()) { while (have_posts()) { the_post(); echo ‘firstpost##’; the_content(); echo ‘##endfirstpost’; break; } } // do some other stuff if (have_posts()) { while (have_posts()) { the_post(); echo ‘otherposts##’; the_content(); … Read more