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How to Display a Random Testimonial or Post in WordPress

February 21, 2008 · 14 Comments

Code Snapshot

Usually, WordPress is a very simple system to code for, so I was surprised when all I wanted to do was get a random post from a category. There were a couple plugins, but I didn’t want to use them; it’s generally accepted that the fastest way to work with an optimized application like WordPress is to use it’s built-in functions.

I also wanted to have the testimonials as a category in WP, rather than as a separate plugin. This code will work for any type of category, not just a testimonial.

Here’s how I created a random post item in my sidebar:

  1. Create a Testimonials Category

    I created a category for testimonials. In this example, the category ID is 3

  2. Create the Query

    $test_cat = 3; // Define the category ID for testimonials
    $query = "SELECT ID, object_id, term_taxonomy_id FROM $wpdb->posts as p, $wpdb->term_relationships AS t WHERE p.post_status = 'publish' && t.term_taxonomy_id = $test_cat && (p.ID = t.object_id) ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT 0,1";
    $test_id = $wpdb->get_var($query); // $test_id is now the id of the single post

    Let’s break down what is going on in the code above:

    1. Define the category ID for testimonials ($test_cat)
    2. Create a query that gets the ID for the post and the category (SELECT ID, object_id, term_taxonomy_id FROM $wpdb->posts as p, $wpdb->term_relationships AS t)
    3. Make sure that it’s published and not a draft (WHERE p.post_status = 'publish')
    4. Match up the posts to the defined category (t.term_taxonomy_id = $test_cat && (p.ID = t.object_id))
    5. Request one random result (ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT 0,1)

  3. Display the testimonial

    <?php query_posts('p='.$test_id); // Call up the random post ?>
    <li class="widget">
    <h2>Testimonials</h2>
    <?php if (have_posts()) : while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
    <h3><?php the_title() ?></h3>
    <p><?php the_excerpt() ?></p>
    <?php endwhile; endif; ?>
    </li>

With the simple code above, you can add testimonials to your WordPress website as a basic category, and have a random testimonial displayed in your sidebar.

To take it one step further, you can create a Testimonials template page, and have it as a static page on your website by simply having query_posts('cat='.$test_cat).

Categories: Code
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14 responses so far ↓

  • Mattias // March 10, 2008 at 10:38 am | Reply

    Hmm, I cant get it to work.

    All I get it to do is to spew up all entries in the specified category. No randomness and no limit.

    Any ideas?

    /Mattias

  • Zack Katz // March 10, 2008 at 10:59 am | Reply

    Hi Mattias,

    I had been having that problem as well for a bit, after the initial period where it was working. I’m not sure what made it work again!

    If you’re having issues, test your query using phpMyAdmin and see what results you’re getting back. That’s always a great way to find out exactly what’s going on.

    One thing I’m doing differently is using the great plugin The Excerpt Reloaded (http://guff.szub.net/2005/02/26/the_excerpt-reloaded/), so instead of having the_excerpt(), I have wp_the_excerpt_reloaded().

    Another thing you might want to try is adding the showposts parameter to your query_posts query. So it would be query_posts('p='.$test_id.'showposts=1');

    Let me know how it goes!

  • al // March 17, 2008 at 10:31 am | Reply

    How would write write the query for WP 2.2?

    thanx

  • Zack Katz // March 17, 2008 at 10:49 am | Reply

    I’m not familiar with 2.2, but this post looks like it might have a good solution:
    http://wordpress.org/support/topic/123681#post-581065

    What I would do is then create an array of the results and randomize the array with PHP with array_rand.

  • zayn hamdan // May 31, 2008 at 8:18 am | Reply

    There’s a simple to pick up a random post, especially for me who want to display certain random post from my blog (http://kutucape.com). I’m using WP 2.5 and simply using code from here: http://codex.wordpress.org/Template_Tags/query_posts

    I’m using orderby=rand to display random post ;)

  • Joe // July 29, 2008 at 12:56 pm | Reply

    @ zayn your method works and it’s cleaner but for the life of me I can’t get query() to handle the output correctly. I keep getting the same post displayed twice on the home page in two different styles. What I’m really trying to do is create a section for a specific category that will display one random post from that category but I just keep getting one post dispayed twice on the page

    this is all I have before the loop query_posts(’cat=7&showposts=1&orderby=rand’);

  • Links for 8th October 2008 | Velcro City Tourist Board // October 8, 2008 at 6:01 pm | Reply

    [...] How to Display a Random Testimonial or Post in WordPress [...]

  • Daniel Condurachi // November 14, 2008 at 1:23 pm | Reply

    @zayn’s method is very good. But you can not apply it without thinking. @joe, you said that you do query_posts(’cat=7&showposts=1&orderby=rand’); The order in the query_posts matters. So what you do in there is 1st you choose all the posts from a certain category (7) then from all those post you choose just one by the default order which is by date, so you get the last post. After this you do random form one post which will always be 1

    Thank you @zayn for your hint. I used your idea of just 2 word instead of a script with many many lines. A BIG thank you!

  • Mayur // November 24, 2008 at 11:15 pm | Reply

    This works great:

    http://codex.wordpress.org/Template_Tags/get_posts#Random_posts

  • Naseer Ahmad // December 15, 2008 at 3:50 am | Reply

    how can i get the post of the open category…

    like i have category “Services” and wants to open the related post at the bottom of post.

    e.g. i have posts, design service, development service, etc… and when i select the category tab… other post will display at bottom…

    How can i get this… plz reply ungently…
    on my email webmaster [at] naseerahmad [dot] com

    warm regards,
    naseer

  • Zack Katz // December 15, 2008 at 9:31 am | Reply

    @Naseer – you could do something like this: $test_cat = get_the_category();. The problem is that if get_the_category() returns more than one, it will be in an array. Read WordPress Codex: get_the_category for more code and information.

  • thisismyurl // January 6, 2009 at 7:36 pm | Reply

    Thanks Zack, it’s a great piece of code.

  • Felix // May 15, 2009 at 12:29 pm | Reply

    Hope I didn’t miss something. That should do it:

    Felix

  • Jason // June 17, 2009 at 6:49 pm | Reply

    Or Try 'rand', 'category_name' => SomeCategoryName, 'showposts' => 1)); if (have_posts()) : while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>

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