get_header() – Function | Developer.WordPress.org

Loads header template.

Description

Includes the header template for a theme or if a name is specified then a specialized header will be included.

For the parameter, if the file is called "header-special.php" then specify "special".

Parameters

$namestringoptional: The name of the specialized header.
Default:null
$argsarrayoptional: Additional arguments passed to the header template.

Default:array()

Return

void|false Void on success, false if the template does not exist.

More Information

If the theme contains no header.php file then the header from the default theme wp-includes/theme-compat/header.php will be included.

Source

function get_header( $name = null, $args = array() ) {
	/**
	 * Fires before the header template file is loaded.
	 *
	 * @since 2.1.0
	 * @since 2.8.0 The `$name` parameter was added.
	 * @since 5.5.0 The `$args` parameter was added.
	 *
	 * @param string|null $name Name of the specific header file to use. Null for the default header.
	 * @param array       $args Additional arguments passed to the header template.
	 */
	do_action( 'get_header', $name, $args );

	$templates = array();
	$name      = (string) $name;
	if ( '' !== $name ) {
		$templates[] = "header-{$name}.php";
	}

	$templates[] = 'header.php';

	if ( ! locate_template( $templates, true, true, $args ) ) {
		return false;
	}
}

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Hooks

do_action( ‘get_header’, string|null $name, array $args ): Fires before the header template file is loaded.

Uses	Description
locate_template()`wp-includes/template.php`	Retrieves the name of the highest priority template file that exists.
do_action()`wp-includes/plugin.php`	Calls the callback functions that have been added to an action hook.

Changelog

Version	Description
5.5.0	The `$args` parameter was added.
1.5.0	Introduced.

User Contributed Notes

Skip to note 6 content

Codex 9 years ago

You must log in to vote on the helpfulness of this noteVote results for this note: 12You must log in to vote on the helpfulness of this note
Multiple Headers
Different header for different pages.
```
<?php
if ( is_home() ) :
	get_header( 'home' );
elseif ( is_404() ) :
	get_header( '404' );
else :
	get_header();
endif;
?>
```
The file names for the home and 404 headers should be header-home.php and header-404.php respectively.
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Ruhul Amin 4 years ago

You must log in to vote on the helpfulness of this noteVote results for this note: 8You must log in to vote on the helpfulness of this note
As second parameter in get_header() we can pass an array
```
<?php
// in index.php or where you want to include header
get_header( '', array( 'name' => 'Ruhul Amin', 'age' => 23 ) ); 
?>
```
We will be able to use this in header.php
```
<h2>This is a Header</h2>
<p>Hey, <?php echo $args['name']; ?>, You are <?php echo $args['age']; ?> years old</p>
```
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Barrett Golding 6 years ago

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Named header template
Load an alternate header file by using the $name param:
<?php get_header( 'special' ); ?>

The above code in a theme file will load the template file: header-special.php. If not found, will default to loading: header.php.

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Muhammad Jawad Abbasi 3 years ago

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Pass array as second parameter in get_header()
```
<?php
// that code put in page.php, single.php etc
// I have put that code in index.php file
get_header( '', array( 'menu' => wp_nav_menu( array(
	'menu' => 'wpdocs_primary_menu',
	'menu_class' => 'wpdocs_header_menu',
	'menu_id' => 'wpdocs_nav_menu',
) ) ) );
?>
```
Put a code on header.php
```
<?php echo $args['menu']; ?>
```
Output:
Show menu item that setup in the WordPress dashboard

Note:
In the above code class wpdocs_header_menu assign to the menu and also id wpdocs_nav_menu assign to the menu. So you can style the menu according to the requirements.
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Codex 9 years ago

You must log in to vote on the helpfulness of this noteVote results for this note: -12You must log in to vote on the helpfulness of this note
Simple 404 page
The following code is a simple example of a template for an “HTTP 404: Not Found” error (which you could include in your theme as 404.php).
```
<?php get_header(); ?>

<h2><?php esc_html_e( 'Error 404 - Not Found', 'textdomain' ); ?></h2>

<?php get_sidebar(); ?>
<?php get_footer(); ?>
```
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get_header( string $name = null, array $args = array() ): void|false

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