PolyCMS Template Tags & Helper Functions

Last updated on May 16, 2026 3:07 AM

Overview

PolyCMS provides a comprehensive set of helper functions (template tags) available in theme templates and plugins. These functions simplify common operations like URL generation, content retrieval, and menu rendering.

URL Functions

polycms_blog_url()

Returns the base URL of the blog frontend.

$url = polycms_blog_url();
// Output: https://yourdomain.com/blog

polycms_post_url($post)

Generates the full frontend URL for a post.

$url = polycms_post_url($post);
// Output: https://yourdomain.com/blog/my-first-post

polycms_category_url($category)

Generates the archive URL for a category.

$url = polycms_category_url($category);
// Output: https://yourdomain.com/blog/category/web-development

polycms_tag_url($tag)

Generates the archive URL for a tag.

$url = polycms_tag_url($tag);
// Output: https://yourdomain.com/blog/tag/php

Content Retrieval

polycms_get_post($id)

Retrieves a single post by ID.

$post = polycms_get_post(42);
echo $post->title;
echo $post->content_html;

polycms_get_posts($args)

Retrieves a collection of posts with filtering options.

$posts = polycms_get_posts([
    'status'      => 'published',
    'category_id' => 5,
    'limit'       => 10,
    'order_by'    => 'created_at',
    'order'       => 'DESC',
]);

polycms_get_post_meta($post_id, $key, $default = '')

Retrieves a custom meta value for a post.

$reading_time = polycms_get_post_meta($post->id, 'reading_time', '5 min');

polycms_get_categories($args)

Retrieves categories with optional filtering.

$categories = polycms_get_categories([
    'parent_id' => null,  // Top-level only
    'order_by'  => 'name',
]);

polycms_get_tags()

Retrieves all tags.

$tags = polycms_get_tags();

Rendering Functions

polycms_render_menu($location)

Renders a navigation menu assigned to the specified location.

polycms_render_menu('primary');
// Outputs: <nav><ul><li><a href="...">Home</a></li>...</ul></nav>

polycms_render_widget_area($area_id)

Renders all widgets assigned to a Widget Area.

polycms_render_widget_area('blog-sidebar');

polycms_render_shortcodes($content)

Processes and replaces all shortcodes in the given content string.

$rendered = polycms_render_shortcodes($post->content_html);

SEO Functions

polycms_get_meta_title($content)

Returns the computed meta title for a post or page.

$title = polycms_get_meta_title($post);

polycms_get_meta_description($content)

Returns the meta description for a post or page.

$desc = polycms_get_meta_description($post);

Theme Functions

polycms_get_theme_option($key, $default = '')

Retrieves a Theme Option value set by the site administrator.

$logo_url = polycms_get_theme_option('logo_url', '/assets/default-logo.png');
$primary_color = polycms_get_theme_option('primary_color', '#333333');

polycms_get_active_theme()

Returns information about the currently active theme.

$theme = polycms_get_active_theme();
echo $theme->name;
echo $theme->version;

Hook Functions

polycms_add_action($hook, $callback, $priority = 10, $args = 1)

Registers an action hook callback.

polycms_add_filter($hook, $callback, $priority = 10, $args = 1)

Registers a filter hook callback.

polycms_do_action($hook, ...$args)

Fires an action hook, executing all registered callbacks.

polycms_apply_filters($hook, $value, ...$args)

Applies all registered filter callbacks to a value and returns the result.

For complete hook documentation, see the Hooks & Filters Reference.

Utility Functions

polycms_validate_file_path($path)

Validates a file path to prevent directory traversal attacks. Returns true if the path is safe.

polycms_get_setting($key, $default = '')

Retrieves a CMS setting value from the blog_settings table.

$posts_per_page = polycms_get_setting('posts_per_page', 10);

Need Help?

Need guidance implementing template tags in your custom theme or plugin? Reach out through our CodeCanyon page. We offer completely free developer support for all PolyCMS customers.