Introduction to WordPress Function the_tags() and Practical Examples

Overview

The the_tags() function in WordPress is used to display the tags associated with a post. It outputs an HTML list of linked tags, making it easy for visitors to explore related content.

Basic Syntax

the_tags( $before, $sep, $after, $post_id );

• $before (string) – Text/HTML to display before the tags (default: 'Tags: ').

• $sep (string) – Separator between tags (default: ', ').

• $after (string) – Text/HTML to display after the tags (default: none).

• $post_id (int) – Optional. The post ID (uses current post if not specified).

Example Usage

1. Default Output (Comma-separated list)

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   the_tags();

   Output:

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   Tags: <a href="https://example.com/tag/wordpress">WordPress</a>, <a href="https://example.com/tag/php">PHP</a>

2. Custom Formatting

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   the_tags( '<div class="post-tags"><span>Tags: </span>', ', ', '</div>' );

   Output:

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   <div class="post-tags">  
     <span>Tags: </span>  
     <a href="https://example.com/tag/wordpress">WordPress</a>,  
     <a href="https://example.com/tag/php">PHP</a>  
   </div>

3. Conditional Check (Display only if tags exist)

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   if ( has_tag() ) {  
       the_tags( '<p>Related Topics: ', ' · ', '</p>' );  
   }

   Output (if tags exist):

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   <p>Related Topics: <a href="https://example.com/tag/seo">SEO</a> · <a href="https://example.com/tag/woocommerce">WooCommerce</a></p>

4. Using with get_the_tags() for Advanced Control

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   $tags = get_the_tags();  
   if ( $tags ) {  
       echo '<ul class="tag-list">';  
       foreach ( $tags as $tag ) {  
           echo '<li><a href="' . get_tag_link( $tag->term_id ) . '">' . $tag->name . '</a></li>';  
       }  
       echo '</ul>';  
   }

   Output:

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   <ul class="tag-list">  
     <li><a href="https://example.com/tag/wordpress">WordPress</a></li>  
     <li><a href="https://example.com/tag/theme">Theme</a></li>  
   </ul>

Practical Applications

• Improve SEO: Internal linking via tags enhances site structure.

• User Engagement: Helps visitors discover related posts.

• Custom Styling: Wrap tags in <div> or <span> for CSS styling.

Note: Use has_tag() to check if a post has tags before calling the_tags().

Alternatives

• get_the_tag_list() – Returns tags as a string (for manual echo).

• get_the_tags() – Retrieves tags as an array for custom loops.

This function is ideal for themes, plugins, or custom post templates.