# Show Featured Items First on Post Type Archives

> Adds a "Featured" checkbox to chosen post types and lists featured items at the top of their archives, newest first after that.

- Type: PHP
- Runs: Run everywhere
- Category: [Custom Post Types & Fields](https://wpide.com/library/category/post-types/)
- Tags: featured, archives, meta-box
- Author: WPIDE Team
- Installs: 0
- Updated: 2026-10-28
- Page: https://wpide.com/library/featured-items-first/

## Code

```php
// Post types that get the Featured checkbox and ordering.
$wpide_featured_types = array( 'event', 'job', 'property' );

add_action( 'add_meta_boxes', function ( $post_type ) use ( $wpide_featured_types ) {
    if ( ! in_array( $post_type, $wpide_featured_types, true ) ) {
        return;
    }

    add_meta_box( 'wpide-featured', 'Featured', function ( $post ) {
        wp_nonce_field( 'wpide_featured_save', 'wpide_featured_nonce' );
        printf( '<label><input type="checkbox" name="wpide_featured" value="1"%s> Show at the top of the archive</label>', checked( get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_wpide_featured', true ), '1', false ) );
    }, $post_type, 'side', 'high' );
} );

add_action( 'save_post', function ( $post_id, $post ) use ( $wpide_featured_types ) {
    if ( ! in_array( $post->post_type, $wpide_featured_types, true ) || ! isset( $_POST['wpide_featured_nonce'] ) || ! wp_verify_nonce( sanitize_key( $_POST['wpide_featured_nonce'] ), 'wpide_featured_save' ) ) {
        return;
    }

    if ( wp_is_post_autosave( $post_id ) || ! current_user_can( 'edit_post', $post_id ) ) {
        return;
    }

    if ( ! empty( $_POST['wpide_featured'] ) ) {
        update_post_meta( $post_id, '_wpide_featured', '1' );
    } else {
        delete_post_meta( $post_id, '_wpide_featured' );
    }
}, 10, 2 );

add_filter( 'posts_clauses', function ( $clauses, $query ) use ( $wpide_featured_types ) {
    global $wpdb;

    if ( is_admin() || ! $query->is_main_query() || ! $query->is_post_type_archive( $wpide_featured_types ) ) {
        return $clauses;
    }

    // Join the flag once and sort flagged items first, keeping the existing order after that.
    $clauses['join']   .= $wpdb->prepare( " LEFT JOIN {$wpdb->postmeta} AS wpide_feat ON ( wpide_feat.post_id = {$wpdb->posts}.ID AND wpide_feat.meta_key = %s )", '_wpide_featured' );
    $clauses['orderby'] = "( wpide_feat.meta_value = '1' ) DESC" . ( $clauses['orderby'] ? ', ' . $clauses['orderby'] : '' );

    return $clauses;
}, 10, 2 );
```

## Notes

Change the post types in $wpide_featured_types. Sticky posts already do this for the blog.

## How to use it

Install the free WPIDE plugin (https://wordpress.org/plugins/wpide/), find "Show Featured Items First on Post Type Archives" in its snippet library and add it in one click; or create a new PHP snippet in WPIDE (or any code snippets plugin) and paste the code above. More snippets: https://wpide.com/library/