Title: wpdb::get_col
Published: April 25, 2014
Last modified: February 24, 2026

---

# wpdb::get_col( string|null $query = null, int $x ): array

## In this article

 * [Description](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#description)
 * [Parameters](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#parameters)
 * [Return](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#return)
 * [Source](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#source)
 * [Related](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#related)
 * [Changelog](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#changelog)
 * [User Contributed Notes](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#user-contributed-notes)

[ Back to top](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#wp--skip-link--target)

Retrieves one column from the database.

## 󠀁[Description](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#description)󠁿

Executes a SQL query and returns the column from the SQL result.
If the SQL result
contains more than one column, the column specified is returned.If $query is null,
the specified column from the previous SQL result is returned.

## 󠀁[Parameters](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#parameters)󠁿

 `$query`string|nulloptional

SQL query. Defaults to previous query.

Default:`null`

`$x`intoptional

Column to return. Indexed from 0. Default 0.

## 󠀁[Return](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#return)󠁿

 array Database query result. Array indexed from 0 by SQL result row number.

## 󠀁[Source](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#source)󠁿

    ```php
    public function get_col( $query = null, $x = 0 ) {
    	if ( $query ) {
    		if ( $this->check_current_query && $this->check_safe_collation( $query ) ) {
    			$this->check_current_query = false;
    		}

    		$this->query( $query );
    	}

    	$new_array = array();
    	// Extract the column values.
    	if ( $this->last_result ) {
    		for ( $i = 0, $j = count( $this->last_result ); $i < $j; $i++ ) {
    			$new_array[ $i ] = $this->get_var( null, $x, $i );
    		}
    	}
    	return $new_array;
    }
    ```

[View all references](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/files/wp-includes/class-wpdb.php/)
[View on Trac](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tags/6.9.4/src/wp-includes/class-wpdb.php#L3111)
[View on GitHub](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/blob/6.9.4/src/wp-includes/class-wpdb.php#L3111-L3128)

## 󠀁[Related](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#related)󠁿

| Uses | Description | 
| [wpdb::check_safe_collation()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/check_safe_collation/)`wp-includes/class-wpdb.php` |

Checks if the query is accessing a collation considered safe.

  | 
| [wpdb::query()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/query/)`wp-includes/class-wpdb.php` |

Performs a database query, using current database connection.

  | 
| [wpdb::get_var()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_var/)`wp-includes/class-wpdb.php` |

Retrieves one value from the database.

  |

[Show 1 more](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#)
[Show less](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#)

| Used by | Description | 
| [wp_set_option_autoload_values()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_set_option_autoload_values/)`wp-includes/option.php` |

Sets the autoload values for multiple options in the database.

  | 
| [_wp_batch_update_comment_type()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/_wp_batch_update_comment_type/)`wp-includes/comment.php` |

Updates the comment type for a batch of comments.

  | 
| [wp_delete_site()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_delete_site/)`wp-includes/ms-site.php` |

Deletes a site from the database.

  | 
| [WP_Network_Query::get_network_ids()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_network_query/get_network_ids/)`wp-includes/class-wp-network-query.php` |

Used internally to get a list of network IDs matching the query vars.

  | 
| [WP_Site_Query::get_site_ids()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_site_query/get_site_ids/)`wp-includes/class-wp-site-query.php` |

Used internally to get a list of site IDs matching the query vars.

  | 
| [wp_get_users_with_no_role()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_get_users_with_no_role/)`wp-includes/user.php` |

Gets the user IDs of all users with no role on this site.

  | 
| [WP_Comment_Query::get_comment_ids()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_comment_query/get_comment_ids/)`wp-includes/class-wp-comment-query.php` |

Used internally to get a list of comment IDs matching the query vars.

  | 
| [maybe_drop_column()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/maybe_drop_column/)`wp-admin/install-helper.php` |

Drops column from database table, if it exists.

  | 
| [export_wp()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/export_wp/)`wp-admin/includes/export.php` |

Generates the WXR export file for download.

  | 
| [WP_User_Search::query()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_user_search/query/)`wp-admin/includes/deprecated.php` |

Executes the user search query.

  | 
| [get_author_user_ids()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_author_user_ids/)`wp-admin/includes/deprecated.php` |

Get all user IDs.

  | 
| [get_editable_user_ids()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_editable_user_ids/)`wp-admin/includes/deprecated.php` |

Gets the IDs of any users who can edit posts.

  | 
| [get_nonauthor_user_ids()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_nonauthor_user_ids/)`wp-admin/includes/deprecated.php` |

Gets all users who are not authors.

  | 
| [wpmu_delete_user()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wpmu_delete_user/)`wp-admin/includes/ms.php` |

Deletes a user and all of their posts from the network.

  | 
| [populate_options()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/populate_options/)`wp-admin/includes/schema.php` |

Create WordPress options and set the default values.

  | 
| [maybe_create_table()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/maybe_create_table/)`wp-admin/includes/upgrade.php` |

Creates a table in the database, if it doesn’t already exist.

  | 
| [maybe_add_column()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/maybe_add_column/)`wp-admin/includes/upgrade.php` |

Adds column to a database table, if it doesn’t already exist.

  | 
| [wp_delete_user()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_delete_user/)`wp-admin/includes/user.php` |

Delete user and optionally reassign posts and links to another user.

  | 
| [meta_form()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/meta_form/)`wp-admin/includes/template.php` |

Prints the form in the Custom Fields meta box.

  | 
| [WP_MS_Sites_List_Table::prepare_items()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_ms_sites_list_table/prepare_items/)`wp-admin/includes/class-wp-ms-sites-list-table.php` |

Prepares the list of sites for display.

  | 
| [get_meta_keys()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_meta_keys/)`wp-admin/includes/post.php` |

Returns a list of previously defined keys.

  | 
| [get_available_post_mime_types()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_available_post_mime_types/)`wp-includes/post.php` |

Gets all available post MIME types for a given post type.

  | 
| [_wp_delete_orphaned_draft_menu_items()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/_wp_delete_orphaned_draft_menu_items/)`wp-admin/includes/nav-menu.php` |

Deletes orphaned draft menu items

  | 
| [get_usermeta()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_usermeta/)`wp-includes/deprecated.php` |

Retrieve user metadata.

  | 
| [WP_Query::get_posts()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_query/get_posts/)`wp-includes/class-wp-query.php` |

Retrieves an array of posts based on query variables.

  | 
| [do_enclose()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/do_enclose/)`wp-includes/functions.php` |

Checks content for video and audio links to add as enclosures.

  | 
| [wp_set_object_terms()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_set_object_terms/)`wp-includes/taxonomy.php` |

Creates term and taxonomy relationships.

  | 
| [wp_delete_term()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_delete_term/)`wp-includes/taxonomy.php` |

Removes a term from the database.

  | 
| [get_objects_in_term()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_objects_in_term/)`wp-includes/taxonomy.php` |

Retrieves object IDs of valid taxonomy and term.

  | 
| [WP_User_Query::query()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_user_query/query/)`wp-includes/class-wp-user-query.php` |

Executes the query, with the current variables.

  | 
| [count_users()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/count_users/)`wp-includes/user.php` |

Counts number of users who have each of the user roles.

  | 
| [wp_delete_auto_drafts()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_delete_auto_drafts/)`wp-includes/post.php` |

Deletes auto-drafts for new posts that are > 7 days old.

  | 
| [wp_delete_attachment()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_delete_attachment/)`wp-includes/post.php` |

Trashes or deletes an attachment.

  | 
| [get_all_page_ids()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_all_page_ids/)`wp-includes/post.php` |

Gets a list of page IDs.

  | 
| [wp_delete_post()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_delete_post/)`wp-includes/post.php` |

Trashes or deletes a post or page.

  | 
| [remove_user_from_blog()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/remove_user_from_blog/)`wp-includes/ms-functions.php` |

Removes a user from a blog.

  | 
| [is_multi_author()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/is_multi_author/)`wp-includes/author-template.php` |

Determines whether this site has more than one author.

  | 
| [wp_delete_comment()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_delete_comment/)`wp-includes/comment.php` |

Trashes or deletes a comment.

  | 
| [delete_metadata()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/delete_metadata/)`wp-includes/meta.php` |

Deletes metadata for the specified object.

  | 
| [update_metadata()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/update_metadata/)`wp-includes/meta.php` |

Updates metadata for the specified object. If no value already exists for the specified object ID and metadata key, the metadata will be added.

  |

[Show 35 more](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#)
[Show less](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#)

## 󠀁[Changelog](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#changelog)󠁿

| Version | Description | 
| [0.71](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/since/0.71/) | Introduced. |

## 󠀁[User Contributed Notes](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#user-contributed-notes)󠁿

 1.  [Skip to note 2 content](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/?output_format=md#comment-content-1469)
 2.   [Big-Erny](https://profiles.wordpress.org/erny_s/)  [  10 years ago  ](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/get_col/#comment-1469)
 3. [You must log in to vote on the helpfulness of this note](https://login.wordpress.org?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fdeveloper.wordpress.org%2Freference%2Fclasses%2Fwpdb%2Fget_col%2F%23comment-1469)
    Vote results for this note: 6[You must log in to vote on the helpfulness of this note](https://login.wordpress.org?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fdeveloper.wordpress.org%2Freference%2Fclasses%2Fwpdb%2Fget_col%2F%23comment-1469)
 4.     ```php
        global $wpdb;
    
        $table_name = $wpdb->prefix . 'some_custom_table_name';
    
        $field_name = 'some_field';
        $user_id = get_current_user_id();
    
        $prepared_statement = $wpdb->prepare( "SELECT {$field_name} FROM {$table_name} WHERE  user_id = %d", $user_id );
        $values = $wpdb->get_col( $prepared_statement );
        ```
    
 5. Returns an array of `$field_name` values in the `$table_name` that match the $user_id
 6.  [Log in to add feedback](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fdeveloper.wordpress.org%2Freference%2Fclasses%2Fwpdb%2Fget_col%2F%3Freplytocom%3D1469%23feedback-editor-1469)

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