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What’s the best way to register custom post types with hierarchical support?

Asked on Aug 25, 2025

Answer

To register a custom post type with hierarchical support in WordPress, you should use the `register_post_type` function with the `'hierarchical'` argument set to `true`. This allows the custom post type to behave like pages, supporting parent-child relationships.

<!-- BEGIN COPY / PASTE -->
    function my_custom_post_type() {
        $args = array(
            'label'         => 'Books',
            'public'        => true,
            'hierarchical'  => true,
            'supports'      => array('title', 'editor', 'thumbnail'),
            'has_archive'   => true,
            'rewrite'       => array('slug' => 'books'),
        );
        register_post_type('book', $args);
    }
    add_action('init', 'my_custom_post_type');
    <!-- END COPY / PASTE -->

Additional Comment:

Setting `'hierarchical' => true` allows the custom post type to have a parent-child structure similar to pages.
Ensure the `'supports'` array includes features you want, such as 'title', 'editor', and 'thumbnail'.
Use `'rewrite' => array('slug' => 'books')` to customize the URL structure.
Always hook your custom post type registration to the 'init' action.
Remember to flush rewrite rules after registering a new post type by visiting the Permalinks settings page.

✅ Answered with WordPress best practices.

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

What’s the best way to register custom post types with hierarchical support?

Asked on Aug 25, 2025

Answer

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