Title: $found_posts issues when using WP_Query with meta_compare Last modified: August 20, 2016 --- # $found_posts issues when using WP_Query with meta_compare * [lherry](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lherry/) * (@lherry) * [13 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/found_posts-issues-when-using-wp_query-with-meta_compare/) * Hi, * I’m just getting started in WP experience and I meet a little problem : I’m using this Wp_Query : * ``` $agenda = new WP_Query( array( 'cat' => getCurrentCatID(), 'meta_key' => 'date', 'meta_value' => getDateWithTol(), 'meta_compare' => '<', 'orderby' => 'meta_value_num', 'order' => 'ASC', 'post_status' => 'publish', 'posts_per_page' => get_option('posts_per_page'), 'paged' => (get_query_var('paged')) ? get_query_var('paged') : 1 )); ``` * This query return 4 posts, but the property $wp_query->found_posts returns 32 posts which creates problem with the plugin wp_paginate which creates more pages than it is needed… * Is anybody has an idea or can hep me please ? Thanks a lot ! Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total) * Moderator [keesiemeijer](https://wordpress.org/support/users/keesiemeijer/) * (@keesiemeijer) * [13 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/found_posts-issues-when-using-wp_query-with-meta_compare/#post-3400278) * Does the query return the correct (4) posts or are there more posts? How many posts do you set with `get_option('posts_per_page')`? is this on a category archive page? * Thread Starter [lherry](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lherry/) * (@lherry) * [13 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/found_posts-issues-when-using-wp_query-with-meta_compare/#post-3400280) * No, the query return the correct posts (4). I’ve tuned WP to display 9 posts per pages so I normally have only one page, but with the $found_posts returning 32… * Our template designer has desactivated the archive property so we don’t have any archive page… * Moderator [keesiemeijer](https://wordpress.org/support/users/keesiemeijer/) * (@keesiemeijer) * [13 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/found_posts-issues-when-using-wp_query-with-meta_compare/#post-3400284) * Can you post the full template file code, see the [Forum Welcome](http://codex.wordpress.org/Forum_Welcome#Posting_Code) on how to post code. * Is this a custom Page template or a [Page template](http://codex.wordpress.org/Pages#Page_Templates)? * What does `getCurrentCatID()` return? * Thread Starter [lherry](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lherry/) * (@lherry) * [13 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/found_posts-issues-when-using-wp_query-with-meta_compare/#post-3400286) * So, it is a custom Page template to display agenda posts… * getCurrentCatID() is a template function : * ``` function getCurrentCatID() { global $wp_query; $cat_ID = $wp_query->query_vars[ 'cat' ]; if( !$cat_ID ) { foreach(( get_the_category()) as $category ) $cat_ID = $category->cat_ID; } return $cat_ID; } // getCurrentCatID() ``` * Here is the category custom template file code : [http://pastebin.com/kEHzY79C](http://pastebin.com/kEHzY79C) * Thanks ! * Moderator [keesiemeijer](https://wordpress.org/support/users/keesiemeijer/) * (@keesiemeijer) * [13 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/found_posts-issues-when-using-wp_query-with-meta_compare/#post-3400297) * Try it with this after the wp-paginate function: * ``` ``` * Thread Starter [lherry](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lherry/) * (@lherry) * [13 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/found_posts-issues-when-using-wp_query-with-meta_compare/#post-3400298) * It does not change anything : 4 posts, and 4 pages available. * Moderator [keesiemeijer](https://wordpress.org/support/users/keesiemeijer/) * (@keesiemeijer) * [13 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/found_posts-issues-when-using-wp_query-with-meta_compare/#post-3400300) * Try it with this pastebin: [http://pastebin.com/g22kw035](http://pastebin.com/g22kw035) Be careful for typos because I haven’t tested this on my own site. * Thread Starter [lherry](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lherry/) * (@lherry) * [13 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/found_posts-issues-when-using-wp_query-with-meta_compare/#post-3400323) * Thanks a lot for your help : it works ! * It was missing the definition of global $wp_query, but it seems to work perfectly. * If understand well, you : – backup the wp_query in a temp object – initialize the wp_query object – do the query – exploit datas – restore the wp_query object to its initial state * Is that right ? * How do you explain that we need to initialize and use directly the wp_query object to correct the problem ? * Thanks a lot for the time you given to help me ! * Moderator [keesiemeijer](https://wordpress.org/support/users/keesiemeijer/) * (@keesiemeijer) * [13 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/found_posts-issues-when-using-wp_query-with-meta_compare/#post-3400329) * > Is that right? * Yes, but… new WP_Query() is (normally) used for secondary loops. wp-paginate uses the $wp_query object to calculate the pagination. `$wp_query->query($args);` is essentially the same as `query_posts($args);` which is normally used to alter the main (paginated) loop. Very confusing, I know 🙂 * An even better way to query posts is by hooking into pre_get_post: [http://www.billerickson.net/customize-the-wordpress-query/](http://www.billerickson.net/customize-the-wordpress-query/) [http://developer.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/querying-posts-without-query_posts/](http://developer.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/querying-posts-without-query_posts/) [http://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/50761/when-to-use-wp-query-query-posts-and-pre-get-posts](http://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/50761/when-to-use-wp-query-query-posts-and-pre-get-posts) * I’m glad you’ve got it resolved. Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total) The topic ‘$found_posts issues when using WP_Query with meta_compare’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [found_posts](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/found_posts/) * [wp_query](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/wp_query/) * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 9 replies * 2 participants * Last reply from: [keesiemeijer](https://wordpress.org/support/users/keesiemeijer/) * Last activity: [13 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/found_posts-issues-when-using-wp_query-with-meta_compare/#post-3400329) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics