Skip to content

Custom Post Types and Custom Taxonomies Made Simple

If you’ve ever felt limited by WordPress’s default “Posts” and “Pages,” you’ll love Custom Post Types (CPTs) and Custom Taxonomies. They allow you to structure your content exactly how you want — whether it’s portfolios, testimonials, products, or events.

wordpress nocmedia

1. What Are Custom Post Types?

A Custom Post Type is like a new content category in WordPress. For example, instead of using “Posts” for everything, you can create a “Projects” section with its own templates and admin menu.

You can register one by adding the following to your functions.php file:

 
function register_project_cpt() {
register_post_type('project', array(
'labels' => array('name' => 'Projects'),
'public' => true,
'supports' => array('title', 'editor', 'thumbnail'),
'has_archive' => true,
));
}
add_action('init', 'register_project_cpt');


This code adds a new “Projects” menu item in your dashboard — simple as that.


2. What About Custom Taxonomies?

Taxonomies help organize your CPTs. Just like “Categories” and “Tags” group blog posts, you can create your own. For example:

 
function register_project_taxonomy() {
register_taxonomy('project-type', 'project', array(
'label' => 'Project Types',
'hierarchical' => true,
));
}
add_action('init', 'register_project_taxonomy');

Now you can assign project types like “Web Design” or “E-Commerce” to your custom posts.


3. Why Use Them?

Custom Post Types and Taxonomies make your WordPress site scalable and logical. They keep your content organized, simplify theme development, and improve SEO by giving structure to your URLs.

Whether you’re managing a WooCommerce store or a portfolio site, mastering CPTs and taxonomies opens up a world of flexibility — and helps your projects stay maintainable for years to come.