Template Routing System

Last updated: January 26, 2026

The ExtraChill theme uses WordPress’s native template_include filter for template routing, providing plugin override capability for complete customization.

Core Router Function

Location: inc/core/template-router.php

The extrachill_route_templates() function routes all page types to modular template files in the /inc directory.

Route Mapping

Page Type Default Template Override Mechanism Notes
Homepage/Front Page /inc/home/templates/front-page.php extrachill_homepage_content action No template filter; plugins inject content via action hook
Single Post /inc/single/single-post.php extrachill_template_single_post filter
Page /inc/single/single-page.php extrachill_template_page filter Only when no custom template assigned
Archives /inc/archives/archive.php extrachill_template_archive filter
Search extrachill-search plugin template extrachill_template_search filter Plugin provides main template
404 Error /inc/core/templates/404.php extrachill_template_404 filter
Unknown Types /inc/core/templates/404.php extrachill_template_fallback filter

Plugin Override Examples

Homepage Content (via Action Hook)

The homepage uses an action hook pattern – plugins inject content rather than replacing the template:

// Add content to homepage
add_action( 'extrachill_homepage_content', function() {
    include MY_PLUGIN_DIR . '/templates/homepage-section.php';
} );

Other Templates (via Filters)

Non-homepage templates can be completely overridden via filters:

// Override single post template conditionally
add_filter( 'extrachill_template_single_post', function( $template ) {
    if ( has_tag( 'special' ) ) {
        return MY_PLUGIN_DIR . '/templates/special-post.php';
    }
    return $template;
} );

Integration with WordPress

  • Uses template_include filter for proper WordPress integration
  • Respects WordPress template hierarchy
  • Compatible with child themes
  • index.php serves as emergency fallback only

Archive Detection

Archive template triggers for:

  • Category archives (is_category())
  • Tag archives (is_tag())
  • Author archives (is_author())
  • Date archives (is_date())
  • Custom taxonomy archives (is_archive())

Why This Matters

Centralized Control: All routing logic in one file
Plugin Extensibility: Filters allow complete template customization
Performance: Efficient routing while maintaining WordPress compatibility
Maintainability: Clear separation of routing from template logic

More in Extrachill

All Extrachill Docs