How to create custom shortcode in WordPress?

Shortcode in WordPress.

In WordPress we can create custom shortcodes and we can show its output anywhere on the site. To create a shortcode, we will use WordPress built in function add_shortcode(), this function required two parameters, first “shortcode” and others “callback function”; callback function is the function that we will create in theme’s functions.php file.

For reference, check following function, suppose there is custom post type named “movies” and you want to show movie list in sidebar.

function theme_name_movies_shortcode($atts = [])
{
$a = shortcode_atts( array(
    'no_of_posts' => 5,
    'title' => "Movies List"
), $atts );

$the_query = new WP_Query( array(
    'post_type' => 'movies',
    'posts_per_page' => $a['no_of_posts'],
));
if ( $the_query->have_posts() ) : ?>
    <h2><?php echo $a['title']?></h2>
  <ul>
   <?php while ( $the_query->have_posts() ) : $the_query->the_post(); ?>
       <li><a href="<?php echo get_permalink($the_query->ID)?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></li>
    <?php
   endwhile;
    ?>
  </ul>
    <?php wp_reset_postdata();
else :
    __('No Movies');
endif;

}
add_shortcode(“movies_list”, “theme_name_movies_shortcode”);

Now you can use “movies_list” shortcode in your website as following ways.

// Use shortcode in a PHP file.
echo do_shortcode( '[movies_list no_of_posts="5" title="Movies"]' );

Or you can add following statement in “text” widget.

[movies_list no_of_posts="5" title="Latest Films"] 

That’s it. Hope this will help.