Title: create_initial_taxonomies
Published: April 25, 2014
Last modified: May 20, 2026

---

# create_initial_taxonomies()

## In this article

 * [Description](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/create_initial_taxonomies/?output_format=md#description)
 * [Source](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/create_initial_taxonomies/?output_format=md#source)
 * [Hooks](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/create_initial_taxonomies/?output_format=md#hooks)
 * [Related](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/create_initial_taxonomies/?output_format=md#related)
 * [Changelog](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/create_initial_taxonomies/?output_format=md#changelog)

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

Creates the initial taxonomies.

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

This function fires twice: in wp-settings.php before plugins are loaded (for backward
compatibility reasons), and again on the [‘init’](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/hooks/init/)
action. We must avoid registering rewrite rules before the [‘init’](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/hooks/init/)
action.

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

    ```php
    function create_initial_taxonomies() {
    	global $wp_rewrite;

    	WP_Taxonomy::reset_default_labels();

    	if ( ! did_action( 'init' ) ) {
    		$rewrite = array(
    			'category'    => false,
    			'post_tag'    => false,
    			'post_format' => false,
    		);
    	} else {

    		/**
    		 * Filters the post formats rewrite base.
    		 *
    		 * @since 3.1.0
    		 *
    		 * @param string $context Context of the rewrite base. Default 'type'.
    		 */
    		$post_format_base = apply_filters( 'post_format_rewrite_base', 'type' );
    		$rewrite          = array(
    			'category'    => array(
    				'hierarchical' => true,
    				'slug'         => get_option( 'category_base' ) ? get_option( 'category_base' ) : 'category',
    				'with_front'   => ! get_option( 'category_base' ) || $wp_rewrite->using_index_permalinks(),
    				'ep_mask'      => EP_CATEGORIES,
    			),
    			'post_tag'    => array(
    				'hierarchical' => false,
    				'slug'         => get_option( 'tag_base' ) ? get_option( 'tag_base' ) : 'tag',
    				'with_front'   => ! get_option( 'tag_base' ) || $wp_rewrite->using_index_permalinks(),
    				'ep_mask'      => EP_TAGS,
    			),
    			'post_format' => $post_format_base ? array( 'slug' => $post_format_base ) : false,
    		);
    	}

    	register_taxonomy(
    		'category',
    		'post',
    		array(
    			'hierarchical'          => true,
    			'query_var'             => 'category_name',
    			'rewrite'               => $rewrite['category'],
    			'public'                => true,
    			'show_ui'               => true,
    			'show_admin_column'     => true,
    			'_builtin'              => true,
    			'capabilities'          => array(
    				'manage_terms' => 'manage_categories',
    				'edit_terms'   => 'edit_categories',
    				'delete_terms' => 'delete_categories',
    				'assign_terms' => 'assign_categories',
    			),
    			'show_in_rest'          => true,
    			'rest_base'             => 'categories',
    			'rest_controller_class' => 'WP_REST_Terms_Controller',
    		)
    	);

    	register_taxonomy(
    		'post_tag',
    		'post',
    		array(
    			'hierarchical'          => false,
    			'query_var'             => 'tag',
    			'rewrite'               => $rewrite['post_tag'],
    			'public'                => true,
    			'show_ui'               => true,
    			'show_admin_column'     => true,
    			'_builtin'              => true,
    			'capabilities'          => array(
    				'manage_terms' => 'manage_post_tags',
    				'edit_terms'   => 'edit_post_tags',
    				'delete_terms' => 'delete_post_tags',
    				'assign_terms' => 'assign_post_tags',
    			),
    			'show_in_rest'          => true,
    			'rest_base'             => 'tags',
    			'rest_controller_class' => 'WP_REST_Terms_Controller',
    		)
    	);

    	register_taxonomy(
    		'nav_menu',
    		'nav_menu_item',
    		array(
    			'public'                => false,
    			'hierarchical'          => false,
    			'labels'                => array(
    				'name'          => __( 'Navigation Menus' ),
    				'singular_name' => __( 'Navigation Menu' ),
    			),
    			'query_var'             => false,
    			'rewrite'               => false,
    			'show_ui'               => false,
    			'_builtin'              => true,
    			'show_in_nav_menus'     => false,
    			'capabilities'          => array(
    				'manage_terms' => 'edit_theme_options',
    				'edit_terms'   => 'edit_theme_options',
    				'delete_terms' => 'edit_theme_options',
    				'assign_terms' => 'edit_theme_options',
    			),
    			'show_in_rest'          => true,
    			'rest_base'             => 'menus',
    			'rest_controller_class' => 'WP_REST_Menus_Controller',
    		)
    	);

    	register_taxonomy(
    		'link_category',
    		'link',
    		array(
    			'hierarchical' => false,
    			'labels'       => array(
    				'name'                       => __( 'Link Categories' ),
    				'singular_name'              => __( 'Link Category' ),
    				'search_items'               => __( 'Search Link Categories' ),
    				'popular_items'              => null,
    				'all_items'                  => __( 'All Link Categories' ),
    				'edit_item'                  => __( 'Edit Link Category' ),
    				'update_item'                => __( 'Update Link Category' ),
    				'add_new_item'               => __( 'Add Link Category' ),
    				'new_item_name'              => __( 'New Link Category Name' ),
    				'separate_items_with_commas' => null,
    				'add_or_remove_items'        => null,
    				'choose_from_most_used'      => null,
    				'back_to_items'              => __( '← Go to Link Categories' ),
    			),
    			'capabilities' => array(
    				'manage_terms' => 'manage_links',
    				'edit_terms'   => 'manage_links',
    				'delete_terms' => 'manage_links',
    				'assign_terms' => 'manage_links',
    			),
    			'query_var'    => false,
    			'rewrite'      => false,
    			'public'       => false,
    			'show_ui'      => true,
    			'_builtin'     => true,
    		)
    	);

    	register_taxonomy(
    		'post_format',
    		'post',
    		array(
    			'public'            => true,
    			'hierarchical'      => false,
    			'labels'            => array(
    				'name'          => _x( 'Formats', 'post format' ),
    				'singular_name' => _x( 'Format', 'post format' ),
    			),
    			'query_var'         => true,
    			'rewrite'           => $rewrite['post_format'],
    			'show_ui'           => false,
    			'_builtin'          => true,
    			'show_in_nav_menus' => current_theme_supports( 'post-formats' ),
    		)
    	);

    	register_taxonomy(
    		'wp_theme',
    		array( 'wp_template', 'wp_template_part', 'wp_global_styles' ),
    		array(
    			'public'            => false,
    			'hierarchical'      => false,
    			'labels'            => array(
    				'name'          => __( 'Themes' ),
    				'singular_name' => __( 'Theme' ),
    			),
    			'query_var'         => false,
    			'rewrite'           => false,
    			'show_ui'           => false,
    			'_builtin'          => true,
    			'show_in_nav_menus' => false,
    			'show_in_rest'      => false,
    		)
    	);

    	register_taxonomy(
    		'wp_template_part_area',
    		array( 'wp_template_part' ),
    		array(
    			'public'            => false,
    			'hierarchical'      => false,
    			'labels'            => array(
    				'name'          => __( 'Template Part Areas' ),
    				'singular_name' => __( 'Template Part Area' ),
    			),
    			'query_var'         => false,
    			'rewrite'           => false,
    			'show_ui'           => false,
    			'_builtin'          => true,
    			'show_in_nav_menus' => false,
    			'show_in_rest'      => false,
    		)
    	);

    	register_taxonomy(
    		'wp_pattern_category',
    		array( 'wp_block' ),
    		array(
    			'public'             => false,
    			'publicly_queryable' => false,
    			'hierarchical'       => false,
    			'labels'             => array(
    				'name'                       => _x( 'Pattern Categories', 'taxonomy general name' ),
    				'singular_name'              => _x( 'Pattern Category', 'taxonomy singular name' ),
    				'add_new_item'               => __( 'Add Category' ),
    				'add_or_remove_items'        => __( 'Add or remove pattern categories' ),
    				'back_to_items'              => __( '← Go to Pattern Categories' ),
    				'choose_from_most_used'      => __( 'Choose from the most used pattern categories' ),
    				'edit_item'                  => __( 'Edit Pattern Category' ),
    				'item_link'                  => __( 'Pattern Category Link' ),
    				'item_link_description'      => __( 'A link to a pattern category.' ),
    				'items_list'                 => __( 'Pattern Categories list' ),
    				'items_list_navigation'      => __( 'Pattern Categories list navigation' ),
    				'new_item_name'              => __( 'New Pattern Category Name' ),
    				'no_terms'                   => __( 'No pattern categories' ),
    				'not_found'                  => __( 'No pattern categories found.' ),
    				'popular_items'              => __( 'Popular Pattern Categories' ),
    				'search_items'               => __( 'Search Pattern Categories' ),
    				'separate_items_with_commas' => __( 'Separate pattern categories with commas' ),
    				'update_item'                => __( 'Update Pattern Category' ),
    				'view_item'                  => __( 'View Pattern Category' ),
    			),
    			'query_var'          => false,
    			'rewrite'            => false,
    			'show_ui'            => true,
    			'_builtin'           => true,
    			'show_in_nav_menus'  => false,
    			'show_in_rest'       => true,
    			'show_admin_column'  => true,
    			'show_tagcloud'      => false,
    		)
    	);
    }
    ```

[View all references](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/files/wp-includes/taxonomy.php/)
[View on Trac](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tags/7.0/src/wp-includes/taxonomy.php#L25)
[View on GitHub](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/blob/7.0/src/wp-includes/taxonomy.php#L25-L264)

## 󠀁[Hooks](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/create_initial_taxonomies/?output_format=md#hooks)󠁿

 [apply_filters( ‘post_format_rewrite_base’, string $context )](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/hooks/post_format_rewrite_base/)

Filters the post formats rewrite base.

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

| Uses | Description | 
| [WP_Taxonomy::reset_default_labels()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_taxonomy/reset_default_labels/)`wp-includes/class-wp-taxonomy.php` |

Resets the cache for the default labels.

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

Creates or modifies a taxonomy object.

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

Retrieves the number of times an action has been fired during the current request.

  | 
| [WP_Rewrite::using_index_permalinks()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_rewrite/using_index_permalinks/)`wp-includes/class-wp-rewrite.php` |

Determines whether permalinks are being used and rewrite module is not enabled.

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

Checks a theme’s support for a given feature.

  | 
| [__()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/__/)`wp-includes/l10n.php` |

Retrieves the translation of $text.

  | 
| [_x()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/_x/)`wp-includes/l10n.php` |

Retrieves translated string with gettext context.

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

Calls the callback functions that have been added to a filter hook.

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

Retrieves an option value based on an option name.

  |

[Show 5 more](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/create_initial_taxonomies/?output_format=md#)
[Show less](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/create_initial_taxonomies/?output_format=md#)

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

| Version | Description | 
| [5.9.0](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/since/5.9.0/) | Added `'wp_template_part_area'` taxonomy. | 
| [2.8.0](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/since/2.8.0/) | Introduced. |

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