Using WordPress ‘nav_menu_items_{$post_type_name}’ PHP filter

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The nav_menu_items_{$post_type_name} WordPress PHP filter modifies the posts displayed in the ‘View All’ tab of the current post type’s menu items meta box.

Usage

add_filter( 'nav_menu_items_post', 'your_custom_function', 10, 3 );

function your_custom_function( $posts, $args, $post_type ) {
    // your custom code here
    return $posts;
}

Parameters

  • $posts (object[]): The posts for the current post type. Mostly WP_Post objects, but can also contain “fake” post objects to represent other menu items.
  • $args (array): An array of WP_Query arguments.
  • $post_type (WP_Post_Type): The current post type object for this menu item meta box.

More information

See WordPress Developer Resources: nav_menu_items_{$post_type_name}

Examples

Exclude private posts from menu items

Exclude private posts from the ‘View All’ tab in the post menu items meta box.

add_filter( 'nav_menu_items_post', 'exclude_private_posts', 10, 3 );

function exclude_private_posts( $posts, $args, $post_type ) {
    return array_filter( $posts, function( $post ) {
        return $post->post_status !== 'private';
    });
}

Add custom post type to menu items

Include a custom post type called ‘portfolio’ in the ‘View All’ tab of the post menu items meta box.

add_filter( 'nav_menu_items_post', 'add_portfolio_to_menu_items', 10, 3 );

function add_portfolio_to_menu_items( $posts, $args, $post_type ) {
    if ( $post_type->name === 'post' ) {
        $portfolio_posts = get_posts( array( 'post_type' => 'portfolio' ) );
        $posts = array_merge( $posts, $portfolio_posts );
    }
    return $posts;
}

Limit menu items to specific categories

Show only posts from categories ‘news’ and ‘events’ in the ‘View All’ tab of the post menu items meta box.

add_filter( 'nav_menu_items_post', 'limit_categories_in_menu_items', 10, 3 );

function limit_categories_in_menu_items( $posts, $args, $post_type ) {
    $allowed_categories = array( 'news', 'events' );
    return array_filter( $posts, function( $post ) use ( $allowed_categories ) {
        $post_categories = wp_get_post_categories( $post->ID, array( 'fields' => 'slugs' ) );
        return count( array_intersect( $post_categories, $allowed_categories ) ) > 0;
    });
}

Sort menu items by title

Sort posts alphabetically by their titles in the ‘View All’ tab of the post menu items meta box.

add_filter( 'nav_menu_items_post', 'sort_posts_by_title', 10, 3 );

function sort_posts_by_title( $posts, $args, $post_type ) {
    usort( $posts, function( $a, $b ) {
        return strcmp( $a->post_title, $b->post_title );
    });
    return $posts;
}