Title: Custom WordPress Loop
Last modified: August 19, 2016

---

# Custom WordPress Loop

 *  [gcarson](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gcarson/)
 * (@gcarson)
 * [15 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-wordpress-loop-1/)
 * I’m looking to modify a custom wordpress loop. Currently, I have it working to
   pull posts based on meta tag value. But, I want to add in that it has to be in
   a certain category. I’ve tried dozens of combinations but couldn’t come up with
   anything. I was hoping someone new the right mix here. Here is what I have so
   far:
 *     ```
       $wp_query->request = "
       	SELECT wposts.*
          FROM $wpdb->posts wposts, $wpdb->postmeta wpostmeta
          WHERE wposts.ID = wpostmeta.post_id
          AND wpostmeta.meta_key = 'meta-value'
          AND wpostmeta.meta_value = 'yes'
          AND wposts.post_status = 'publish'
          AND wposts.post_type = 'post'
          AND $wpdb->term_taxonomy.term_id = '300'
          AND $wpdb->term_taxonomy.taxonomy = 'category'
            ORDER BY wposts.post_date DESC LIMIT $ppp OFFSET $offset
        ";
       ```
   
 * So I’m trying to query posts that are published, that have a meta-value = yes
   and with a category ID of 300. It works without the 2-3 last lines in, but then
   it pulls posts from all categories. When I try that code, I get the error “Unknown
   column wp_term_taxonomy.term_id in where clause”. I tried a join statement among
   other things. However, mysql is not my strong suite.
 * Thanks for the help1

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

 *  [ambrosite](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ambrosite/)
 * (@ambrosite)
 * [15 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-wordpress-loop-1/#post-1966995)
 * Have you tried using advanced taxonomy queries, rather than writing your own 
   SQL?
 * [http://ottopress.com/2010/wordpress-3-1-advanced-taxonomy-queries/](http://ottopress.com/2010/wordpress-3-1-advanced-taxonomy-queries/)
 *  Thread Starter [gcarson](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gcarson/)
 * (@gcarson)
 * [15 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-wordpress-loop-1/#post-1967024)
 * No I haven’t. I read about what I posted above from another help topic. Modified
   as I needed, but couldn’t figure out how to add an additional parameter to for
   only certain categories. I use similar queries as above throughout my site.
 * Thanks for the link. I’ll take a look at that post. I’ve read some of their other
   tutorials and its usually good stuff. Problem is… I’m still on 2.9.. not 3.1 
   yet. So maybe I should update first. I haven’t updated as I hacked alot of the
   code and plugins to get my sites to work the way they do. I’m nervous about updating
   for sure!
 *  [ambrosite](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ambrosite/)
 * (@ambrosite)
 * [15 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-wordpress-loop-1/#post-1967031)
 * I understand how you feel. I have a heavily hacked 2.9 site myself and I’m a 
   little nervous about updating it too!
 * Your query is not working because the ‘term_id’ and ‘taxonomy’ fields exist in
   the wp_term_taxonomy table, but you did not join that table in your query. Furthermore,
   you must also join the wp_term_relationships table in order to match a post with
   a taxonomy term. I have not tested this query, but I think it should work:
 *     ```
       $wp_query->request = "
          SELECT wposts.*
          FROM $wpdb->posts wposts
          INNER JOIN $wpdb->postmeta wpostmeta ON ( wposts.ID = wpostmeta.post_id )
          INNER JOIN $wpdb->term_relationships tr ON ( wposts.ID = tr.object_id )
          INNER JOIN $wpdb->term_taxonomy tt ON ( tr.term_taxonomy_id = tt.term_taxonomy_id )
          WHERE wpostmeta.meta_key = 'meta-value'
          AND wpostmeta.meta_value = 'yes'
          AND wposts.post_status = 'publish'
          AND wposts.post_type = 'post'
          AND tt.term_id = '300'
          AND tt.taxonomy = 'category'
            ORDER BY wposts.post_date DESC LIMIT $ppp OFFSET $offset
        ";
       ```
   
 *  Thread Starter [gcarson](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gcarson/)
 * (@gcarson)
 * [15 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-wordpress-loop-1/#post-1967085)
 * Thank you for this! I have to admit, that looks like a foreign language to me.
   I think it might be time to upgrade to 3.1 to get those new easier commands.
 * I tried it and got this error:
 * `MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '->posts wposts INNER 
   JOIN $wpdb->postmeta wpostmeta ON ( wposts.ID = wpostme'`
 * I’ll have some time tomorrow to review and if I figure it out, I’ll post for 
   all.
 *  [ambrosite](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ambrosite/)
 * (@ambrosite)
 * [15 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-wordpress-loop-1/#post-1967090)
 * That’s strange. I ran the query on my own database just now and it worked.
 * Did you try running this directly in MySQL? If so, you need to replace the $wpdb
   variable with your WP database prefix. For example, $wpdb->posts becomes wp_posts,
   and so on. The $wpdb variable is only available from within WordPress.

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

The topic ‘Custom WordPress Loop’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [custom loop](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/custom-loop/)

 * In: [Hacks](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/plugins-and-hacks/hacks/)
 * 5 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [ambrosite](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ambrosite/)
 * Last activity: [15 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-wordpress-loop-1/#post-1967090)
 * Status: not resolved

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