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

---

# get_random_header_image(): string

## In this article

 * [Return](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_random_header_image/?output_format=md#return)
 * [Source](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_random_header_image/?output_format=md#source)
 * [Related](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_random_header_image/?output_format=md#related)
 * [Changelog](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_random_header_image/?output_format=md#changelog)

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

Gets random header image URL from registered images in theme.

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

 string Path to header image.

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

    ```php
    function get_random_header_image() {
    	$random_image = _get_random_header_data();

    	if ( empty( $random_image->url ) ) {
    		return '';
    	}

    	return $random_image->url;
    }
    ```

[View all references](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/files/wp-includes/theme.php/)
[View on Trac](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tags/6.9.4/src/wp-includes/theme.php#L1447)
[View on GitHub](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/blob/6.9.4/src/wp-includes/theme.php#L1447-L1455)

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

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

Gets random header image data from registered images in theme.

  |

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

Retrieves header image for custom header.

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

Checks if random header image is in use.

  |

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

| Version | Description | 
| [3.2.0](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/since/3.2.0/) | Introduced. |

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