WordPress Taxonomy: Types and How to Create Custom Taxonomies

In WordPress, taxonomy is just a fancy word for grouping content. It helps you organize posts, products, or any custom content into logical sections. Imagine your website is a library. Without a system to sort books, finding anything would be a nightmare. That’s where taxonomy comes in.

In this blog, we’ll understand the importance of using taxonomy and its types offered in WordPress. We’ll learn how experts at a WordPress development company create custom taxonomies as per the site requirements. Plus, we’ll explore some of the best plugins you can use for managing WordPress taxonomy.

What is WordPress Taxonomy?

WordPress taxonomy is simply a way to group and organize your content, just like folders on your computer. By default, WordPress comes with two taxonomies: categories (for broad grouping) and tags (for specific details).

Taxonomies help visitors find related content easily while making your site more structured. Think of it as putting labels on your content so everything stays neat and searchable.

Beyond the basics, you can create custom taxonomies for special needs, like “Brands” for an online store or “Recipes” for a food blog. They work with posts, pages, or custom post types, giving you full control over how content is sorted. Whether you’re running a blog, portfolio, or eCommerce site, taxonomies keep everything in order.

Why Should You Use Taxonomy in WordPress?

Taxonomies help you organize content logically, making it easier for visitors to find what they need. Instead of a messy pile of posts, your site becomes a well-structured library where everything has its place.

They also improve overall SEO performance by helping search engines understand your content better. Clean categories and smart tags create clear connections between related posts, which is preferred by Google.

Plus, using taxonomies saves you time. Once set up, they automatically group content, so you’re not manually linking related posts. Whether you’re running a blog, store, or portfolio, taxonomies keep your site tidy and user-friendly.

Types of WordPress Taxonomies

WordPress gives you different ways to sort content. The two built-in options are Categories and Tags, but you can also create your own custom taxonomies for special needs.

Categories = Main sections of your site

Categories are your site’s main folders. They’re hierarchical, meaning you can create parent and child categories just like folders and subfolders on your computer.

Why they matter:

• Perfect for broad topics (e.g., a food blog might have “Desserts,” “Main Courses,” AND “Appetizers”).
• Essential for sites with lots of content—they keep things navigable.
• Show up in URLs (yoursite.com/category/desserts), which helps with SEO.

Example: Food Blog: Recipes > Desserts > Cakes

Don’t use too many categories. 5-10 well-thought-out categories work better than 50 messy ones.

Tags = Specific details across categories

If categories are shelves, tags are the sticky notes you put on individual books. They’re non-hierarchical and super specific.

When to use them:

• For cross-category connections (e.g., a “vegetarian” tag could apply to desserts AND main courses).
• To highlight specific details (#gluten-free, #30-minute-meals, #kid-friendly).
• Great for internal linking and helping visitors find related content.

Example: Same Food Blog: #chocolate, #easy-recipes, #gluten-free

WordPress doesn’t limit tags, but you should stick to 10-20 per post max.

Custom Taxonomies = Special organization needs

When categories and tags aren’t enough, custom taxonomies let you build your own organization system. This is useful when you need a custom taxonomy for your eCommerce or movie blog site.

How to add them:

• Use plugins like Custom Post Type UI (the easiest way).
• Or add code to your theme’s functions.php (for developers).

Example: Say you run a movie blog and want to sort by ‘Genre’ (horror, comedy) and ‘Actor’ (Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep); you can use custom taxonomy.

They work with custom post types too, making them perfect for complex sites.

Now that we know about taxonomy in WordPress and its types, let’s learn how you can create them on your own. If you find it complex to build a custom website, get assistance from our WordPress development services provider.

How to Create Custom Taxonomies in WordPress?

Want to organize content beyond categories and tags? Custom taxonomies let you group posts your way. Here’s how to set them up easily.

1. Install Custom Post Type UI Plugin

The easiest way to create a custom taxonomy is using a plugin. You can use plugins like the ‘Custom Post Type UI’ and ‘Pods’ to make taxonomy creation click-easy.

Step 1: Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.

Step 2: Go to ‘Plugins’ and click ‘Add New.’

Step 3: Search for ‘Custom Post Type UI.’

Step 4: Install the plugin and then activate it.

Using plugins simplifies the process of creating custom taxonomies without coding.

2. Create Your Taxonomy

Now, let’s build your custom grouping system.

Step 1: Navigate to CPT UI > Add/Edit Taxonomies.

Step 2: Under “Slug”, enter a name (like “brands”).

Step 3: Set Post Types (attach to posts, products, etc.).

This setup builds the framework for the custom taxonomy you need.

3. Configure Settings

Tweak options to fit your needs:

• Hierarchical (for parent/child structure like categories).
• Show in REST API (if using headless WordPress).
• Show Admin Column (see terms in post lists).

Tip: Enable “Show UI” to manage terms via WordPress admin.

4. Add Terms Manually

It’s like adding categories, but for your custom taxonomy.

Step 1: Go to Posts > Your Taxonomy Name (e.g., “Brands”).

Step 2: Enter names (e.g., “Nike,” “Adidas”), slug, and description.

Step 3: Click ‘Add New Brand.’

Bulk-import terms with plugins if you have many.

5. Assign to Content

Now tag posts/products with your new terms:

Step 1: Go to the post type you associated with your taxonomy.

Step 2: You’ll see your new taxonomy in the sidebar or post editor.

Step 3: Add terms to categorize your posts.

Use bulk edit to assign terms to multiple posts at once.

6. Display on Frontend

Two basic ways to show terms:

• Automatically via your theme’s archive templates
• Manually with shortcodes like [display-posts taxonomy=”brands”]

Some themes may need changes—check their documentation to adjust them.

7. Query Posts by Taxonomy (Optional)

Developers can filter content with:

$query = new WP_Query( array(
  'taxonomy' => 'brands',
  'term' => 'nike'
) );

This is how the custom categories make the organization better for you.

That’s it! You’ve just built a custom WordPress taxonomy without headaches. Now go organize your content like a pro.

How to Display WordPress Taxonomies on Your Site?

Here are multiple methods using which you can show the custom taxonomies anywhere on your WordPress site.

Way 1: Use Built-in Theme Display

Most themes automatically show taxonomies below posts or on archive pages. Check your single posts first – they might already be visible.

If not, try visiting yoursite.com/taxonomy-name/term-name to see if archive pages exist.

Way 2: Add Taxonomy Terms to Posts

Edit any post and look for the taxonomy box in the sidebar. Check the terms you want to assign – this makes them appear in default locations.

For custom taxonomies, ensure “Show UI” is enabled when creating them.

Way 3: Use Taxonomy Widgets

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Widgets. Add the Categories widget for hierarchical taxonomies and the Tag Cloud widget for non-hierarchical ones.

Way 4: Display with Shortcodes

To display taxonomy using shortcode, install, activate, and use the plugin ‘Shortcode UI’. Here is the shortcode for displaying taxonomies on your WordPress site:

[display-terms taxonomy="your_taxonomy"]

This works in posts, pages, or even text widgets.

Way 5: Customize with Code

Add this to your template files where you want terms to appear:

<?php the_terms( $post->ID, 'your_taxonomy', 'Categories: ', ', ' ); ?>

Change ‘Categories:’ to match your taxonomy name.

Now, your taxonomies are visible across your site. You can choose a method to display taxonomies that suits your needs and preferences.

Useful Plugins for Managing WordPress Taxonomy

Need better ways to handle your WordPress taxonomies? These plugins make organization a breeze.

1. Custom Post Type UI

The simplest way to create and manage custom taxonomies without coding. Perfect for developers who want full control over their content structure.

Key Features:

• Create unlimited custom taxonomies.
• Simple UI for non-developers.
• Works with existing post types.
• Export/import taxonomies.
• Supports hierarchical and non-hierarchical taxonomies.

Best for: Beginners needing a no-code solution.

2. Pods

Pods is a flexible framework that goes beyond basic taxonomies, letting you create custom content types with relationships.

Key Features:

• Build custom taxonomies with advanced fields.
• Create relationships between content types.
• Includes front-end forms for user submissions.
• Works with existing post types.
• Developer-friendly with hooks and APIs.

Best for: Sites needing complex content relationships.

3. Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)

Takes taxonomy management further by adding custom fields. Perfect when you need extra data with your taxonomy terms.

Key Features:

• Add custom fields to taxonomy terms
• Create term-specific metadata.
• Flexible location rules.
• Works with existing taxonomies.
• Developer-friendly hooks.

Best for: Developers needing extended taxonomy functionality.

These plugins serve the same purpose, but the ideal choice depends on your needs. Try out all three plugins if you can’t decide which one to use.

FAQs About WordPress Taxonomy

Final Words

Getting your content organized with WordPress taxonomies is like finally putting labels on all those kitchen jars. It makes everything organized so you can find what you need in seconds. By using custom groupings for your products, taxonomies help both visitors and search engines navigate your site effortlessly.

The best part? You don’t need to be a tech expert to make it work. With the right plugins and a little planning, you can set up a system that grows with your site. Start small, keep it clean, and adjust as you go.

If you want to build a site that is easily manageable and scalable, get in touch with us today!