Title: Exclude posts from first loop in second loop
Last modified: August 21, 2016

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# Exclude posts from first loop in second loop

 *  [kesp](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kesp/)
 * (@kesp)
 * [12 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/exclude-posts-from-first-loop-in-second-loop/)
 * Hi,
 * I’ve created a related posts function for the end of my single.php that has 2
   loops. The first loop displays related posts by tag and then if there’s not enough
   of those then the second loop kicks in and displays some recent posts from the
   same category.
 * The idea is that i always want to show 4 related posts but i haven’t always got
   enough related by tag so when that happens i display a few from the same category
   to pad it out.
 * Both loops exclude the current post id, however, the problem i have is that it
   is possible for a post to be returned in the first tag loop and the second by-
   category loop, so i end up with 2 of the same in the related posts
 * What I want to do is exclude any posts returned in the first by-tag loop from
   the second by-category loop.
 * I’ve been trying to implement something this solution but not much luck
 * [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12539952/two-loops-exclude-post-from-first-loop-in-second-loop](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12539952/two-loops-exclude-post-from-first-loop-in-second-loop)
 * Here’s my code:
 *     ```
       <?php
               $orig_post = $post;
               global $post;
               $tags = wp_get_post_tags($post->ID);
                $max_articles = 4;  // How many articles to display
       		 $cnt = 0;
   
               if ($tags) {
              	 $tag_ids = array();
              	 foreach($tags as $individual_tag) $tag_ids[] = $individual_tag->term_id;
              	 $args=array(
               'tag__in' => $tag_ids,
               'post__not_in' => array($post->ID),
               'posts_per_page'=> $max_articles, // Number of related posts to display.
               'caller_get_posts'=>1 ,
       		'tag__not_in' => array('480'),
       		'orderby' => 'date',
       		'order' => 'DESC'
   
               );  
   
               $my_query = new wp_query( $args );
       	$exclude_featured = array();
   
               while( $my_query->have_posts() ) {
               $my_query->the_post();
       		$cnt++;
       		$exclude_featured = $post->ID;
   
               ?> <?php the_title(); ?>  	
   
               <? }
               }
               $post = $orig_post;  
   
                if ($cnt < $max_articles) {
       		 			 $args=array(
       		'category_name' => $category[0]->cat_name,
               'post__not_in' =>  array($post->ID),
               'caller_get_posts'=>1
               );  
   
       				 			 $blah=array(
               'post__not_in' =>  array($exclude_featured)
               );
              $mergeblah = array_merge( $args, $blah );
               $relQuery = new WP_query( $mergeblah );  
   
       		if($relQuery->have_posts()) : 
   
       		while($relQuery->have_posts()) : $relQuery->the_post();
       		            $cnt++;
                       if ($cnt > $max_articles) break;
       		?>
       		        <?php the_title(); ?>
       		<?php
       		endwhile;
   
       		else :
       			//do nothing
       		endif;
   
       		 }
       		wp_reset_postdata();
               ?>
       ```
   
 * Any pointers much appreciated.
 * Thanks,
 * Kes

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

 *  [Michael](https://wordpress.org/support/users/alchymyth/)
 * (@alchymyth)
 * [12 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/exclude-posts-from-first-loop-in-second-loop/#post-4725245)
 * the Codex has some examples:
    [https://codex.wordpress.org/The_Loop#Multiple_Loops_in_Action](https://codex.wordpress.org/The_Loop#Multiple_Loops_in_Action)
 * start with changing this line:
    `$exclude_featured = $post->ID;`
 * to:
    `$exclude_featured[] = $post->ID;`
 *  Thread Starter [kesp](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kesp/)
 * (@kesp)
 * [12 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/exclude-posts-from-first-loop-in-second-loop/#post-4725252)
 * Hi alchymyth,
 * Thanks for the reply.
 * I just gave that a try but no change to the output..
 * Kes
 *  Moderator [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/)
 * (@bcworkz)
 * [12 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/exclude-posts-from-first-loop-in-second-loop/#post-4725335)
 * When you define the fill in query and array merge the existing related posts,
   the merge overwrites the initial value of the presumably main post ID. Except
   it is not the main post ID at this point, it is the last post in the related 
   loop. To include the main post in the exclusion array, it’s probably easiest 
   to include the ID when the exclusion array is first initialized. In other words,
   instead of:
    `$exclude_featured = array();` do this: `$exclude_featured = array(
   $post->ID );`
 * Then get rid of the array merge, define `'post__not_in' => $exclude_featured`
   straight away. Do not place it in an array, it is an array already. I don’t think‘
   post__not_in’ can deal with nested arrays.
 * If you still have trouble, repost your latest code and describe exactly how it
   is not working right.
 *  Thread Starter [kesp](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kesp/)
 * (@kesp)
 * [12 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/exclude-posts-from-first-loop-in-second-loop/#post-4725358)
 * Hey bc,
 * That works a treat – thanks!
 * So essentially, we’ve grabbed the current post ID, put it in the array exclude_featured
   and then inserted the post ID’s from the first loop in exclude_featured as well.
 * Then in the second loop exclude everything in exclude_featured
 * Have I got that right?
 * Cheers,
 * Kes
 *  Moderator [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/)
 * (@bcworkz)
 * [12 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/exclude-posts-from-first-loop-in-second-loop/#post-4725392)
 * Exactly! You had the right idea all along, it’s just that you weren’t collecting
   the IDs in a sustainable manner.

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

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## Tags

 * [exclude posts](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/exclude-posts/)

 * In: [Hacks](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/plugins-and-hacks/hacks/)
 * 5 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/)
 * Last activity: [12 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/exclude-posts-from-first-loop-in-second-loop/#post-4725392)
 * Status: not resolved

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