Template System

A normal Design Page, pointed at a class of content. Instead of writing the words into content fields, you write placeholders that resolve per item at render time — so one designed page renders every blog post, or every category archive.

Single posts and CPTs

{{post_title}} · {{post_content}} · {{post_date}} · {{post_author}} · {{post_thumbnail}} and the rest of the {{post_*}} family.

Build the template page with these instead of content fields. If you're writing the body of a specific post rather than a template, use the post's own content and {{post_content}}.

If an author has no name in their profile, the byline shows the business name (or the site name), never the login.

Archives and taxonomies

{{archive_*}} · {{term_*}} · {{post_type_archive_*}} · {{search_query}} · {{paged_*}}

Fourteen placeholder families in total, covering archive titles and descriptions, term names, counts and metadata, the current search string, and pagination state.

Template pages stay out of search

A page used as a template (single post, category, search and so on) is not meant to be visited on its own. It carries noindex, it is left out of the WordPress, Yoast and Rank Math sitemaps, and a visitor who opens its own address gets a 404. You can still open it while logged in. A post shown through a template prints its own schema as well as the template's.

{{product_add_to_cart}} places WooCommerce's real add-to-cart form, with quantity and variation dropdowns, so variable products can be bought from a designed product page. A product template can also show the price, the sale badge, two gallery styles, the short and long descriptions, rating, stock, SKU, categories, attributes and breadcrumbs.

{{wc_cart_*}} puts a live cart count and total in your header. {{wc_products:…}} fetches a curated row of products: featured, on sale, best selling, top rated, newest, related, upsells, cross-sells or any category. It respects catalogue visibility and the "hide out of stock" setting.

Cart, checkout and account pages can be designed around WooCommerce's own working parts.

On a product template use {{product_add_to_cart}}, not {{loop_wc_add_to_cart}}. The loop button is the shop archive's button and can't sell a variable product.

{{main_query}} renders the page's own list of posts (an archive, search results), and {{wp_query:…}} fetches any list of posts you describe.

A post loop returns at most 50 items. A loop that had to be shortened is marked as shortened rather than silently cut. Category and custom-taxonomy filter buttons narrow the grid in place, without a reload.

{{wp_menu:ppd_header}} shows two levels of a WordPress menu. Write {{wp_menu:ppd_header:3}} for three levels, or :0 for every level. set_menu warns when a menu is deeper than the page shows.

1. Design the template page with placeholders and confirm it looks right in preview.
2. Create the assignment.
3. Run test_template_assignment and check it matches what you meant.
4. Visit a real post or archive URL and confirm.