Ask any question about WordPress here... and get an instant response.

How can I enqueue custom scripts properly in a WordPress theme?

Asked on Oct 31, 2025

Answer

Enqueuing custom scripts in a WordPress theme ensures that your scripts are loaded correctly and without conflicts. This is done using the `wp_enqueue_script` function within the theme's `functions.php` file.

<!-- BEGIN COPY / PASTE -->
    function my_custom_scripts() {
        wp_enqueue_script('custom-script', get_template_directory_uri() . '/js/custom-script.js', array('jquery'), null, true);
    }
    add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', 'my_custom_scripts');
    <!-- END COPY / PASTE -->

Additional Comment:

The `wp_enqueue_script` function registers and enqueues your script.
The first parameter is a unique handle for the script.
The second parameter is the path to the script file, often using `get_template_directory_uri()`.
The third parameter is an array of dependencies, such as `array('jquery')` if your script depends on jQuery.
The fourth parameter is the script version number, which can be set to `null` to use the theme version.
The fifth parameter is a boolean indicating whether to load the script in the footer (`true`) or header (`false`).

✅ Answered with WordPress best practices.

Ask any question about WordPress here... and get an instant response.

How can I enqueue custom scripts properly in a WordPress theme?

Asked on Oct 31, 2025

Answer

The Q&A Network