get_query_var( string $var, mixed $default = '' )

Retrieves the value of a query variable in the WP_Query class.

Parameters

$var

(string) (Required) The variable key to retrieve.

$default

(mixed) (Optional) Value to return if the query variable is not set.

Default value: ''

Return

(mixed) Contents of the query variable.

More Information

get_query_var() only retrieves public query variables that are recognized by WP_Query. This means that if you create your own custom URLs with their own query variables, get_query_var() will not retrieve them without some further work (see below).

Custom Query Vars

In order to be able to add and work with your own custom query vars that you append to URLs (eg: “http://mysite.com/some_page/?my_var=foo” – for example using add_query_arg()) you need to add them to the public query variables available to WP_Query. These are built up when WP_Query instantiates, but fortunately are passed through a filter ‘query_vars‘ before they are actually used to populate the $query_vars property of WP_Query.

So, to expose your new, custom query variable to WP_Query hook into the ‘query_vars‘ filter, add your query variable to the $vars array that is passed by the filter, and remember to return the array as the output of your filter function. See below:


function themeslug_query_vars( $qvars ) {
	$qvars[] = 'custom_query_var';
	return $qvars;
}
add_filter( 'query_vars', 'themeslug_query_vars' );

Examples

Getting current page pagination number

$paged = get_query_var( 'paged', 1 );
echo 'Currently Browsing Page ', $paged;

To get the current pagination number on a static front page (Page template) you have to use the ‘page’ query variable:

$paged = get_query_var( 'page', 1 );
echo 'Currently Browsing Page ', $paged, ' on a static front page';

Note: The query variable ‘page’ holds the pagenumber for a single paginated Post or Page that includes the Quicktag in the post content.

Source

File: wp-includes/query.php

function get_query_var( $var, $default = '' ) {
	global $wp_query;
	return $wp_query->get( $var, $default );
}

Changelog

Version Description
3.9.0 The $default argument was introduced.
1.5.0 Introduced.

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Licensed under the GNU GPLv2+ License.
https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_query_var