WordPress Template Hierarchy Explained

This post attempts to give anyone wanting to learn the basics of WordPress a good start. In order to be able to successfully use the full potential of WordPress as a Content Management System it is essential to understand how to create a file structure for posts, pages, categories, tags, taxonomies of other kinds and more.

Home

1. home.php
2. index.php

Single Posts

1. single-{posttype}.php
2. single.php
3. index.php

Pages

1. {pagename}.php (custom template)
2. page-{slug}.php
3. page-{id}.php
4. page.php
5. index.php

Category

1. category-{slug}.php
2. category-{id}.php
3. category.php
4. archive.php
5. index.php

Taxonomy

1. taxonomy-{taxonomy}-{term}.php
2. taxonomy-{taxonomy}.php
3. taxonomy.php
4. archive.php
5. index.php

Tag

1. tag-{slug}.php
2. tag-{id}.php
3. tag.php
4. archive.php
5. index.php

Date

1. date.php
2. archive.php
3. index.php

Archive

1. archive.php
2. index.php

Attachment

1. {MIME_type}.php (text.php, image.php, audio.php, video.php)
2. attachment.php
3. single.php
4. index.php

Author

1. author-{nicename}.php
2. author-{id}.php
3. author.php
4. archive.php
5. index.php

Search

1. search.php
2. index.php

404

1. 404.php
2. index.php

Graphics and info taken from the WordPress codex.