Issue with Category Page in Reverse Order

  • Unknown's avatar
    justjennifer · Member ·

    Howdy! I’m in the process of archiving older posts on my site and want to present a Category in reverse chronological order (oldest first) using a link that contains ?order=asc at the end of the link. (See this Guide)

    The issue is that when one scrolls to the bottom of that Category page, the direction of Newer and Older posts is reversed. Newer posts should appear on the right and Older on the left. Here’s a screenshot from the bottom of Page 2 of that reversed order Category page

    Yes, I know I could use a Query Loop block to achieve this, but am also concerned that creating a separate Query page will compete with the Category page in search results.

    Noting that my site currently uses a Classic theme (Dalston) but will be switching to a block theme within the month.

    Thanks for any assistance. Happy holidays!

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

  • Unknown's avatar
    justjennifer · Member ·

    Regarding the second bit about a published Query Loop page vs an archive page like a Category page, I overlooked that archive pages only happen when someone clicks on the taxonomy (category, tag, month, author, etc.) Obviously I didn’t fully engage my uncaffeinated brain before posting.

    Still need help with the first issue on reversed directions on the Newer and Older posts links.

  • mauropereiiira · Staff ·

    Hi Jennifer! 👋

    You’ve identified one of the limitations of the ?order=asc method. The URL parameter successfully reverses the order in which posts are displayed, but the theme’s pagination links don’t know the order has been flipped. From what I’ve learned as well, they’re hardcoded to assume the default newest-first view. So the labels end up semantically backwards from what you’d expect.

    I did take a look at your site and tested the ?order=asc parameter on your Archived category page (https://wpcommaven.com/category/archived/?order=asc). And the pagination is actually working correctly. Navigating from left to right (1 → 2 → 3, etc.) does take you from the oldest to the newest posts. The issue is just that the label “Older posts” is misleading, given the reversed context.

    Since category archive pages are generated and controlled by the theme itself, the pagination labels are baked into how Dalston handles those templates. There’s no built-in way to adjust those things without custom code (CSS to hide/restyle them, or PHP to modify the template output).

    That said, could I ask you to share the specific URL of the page where you’re seeing this? I’d like to take a closer look and see if there’s any workaround we can suggest.

    Although, since you’re planning to switch to a block theme soon, that’ll actually give you a better solution. As you mentioned, with a Query Loop block, you can set the order directly in the block settings, and the pagination will behave consistently with that order since it’s all handled within the block itself rather than relying on a URL parameter override.

    In the meantime, if the reversed labels are confusing for visitors, one workaround would be to add a small note at the bottom of that category explaining the navigation, though I realize that’s more of a band-aid than a fix.

    Happy holidays to you as well! 🎄

  • Unknown's avatar
    justjennifer · Member ·

    could I ask you to share the specific URL of the page where you’re seeing this?

    Hi @mauropereiiira Thanks for weighing in on this issue. The “page” in question is exactly the one you linked to. My screenshot comes from the second page of that archive page.

    Since that is a built-in archive page drawing from the WP software’s database and not a “static page”, can you tell me how or if it’s even possible to add a note mentioning the reversed pagination labels? I don’t think changing to a block theme will change that. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

    If reversing the labels can be accomplished by CSS, again not sure given the above, I’ll wait until I make the switch to a block theme as I know that CSS is normally theme dependent.

    But you’ve given me an idea to test, so thanks for that. Again, happy holidays!

  • aradhysingh · Staff ·

    Hi Jennifer!

    I checked the site as you explained, but it still shows the same thing, i.e., Navigating from left to right and taking you from the oldest to the newest posts. 

    However, if you would like to change the wording of the Older Posts button, this thread might prove helpful: https://wordpress.com/forums/topic/change-wording-of-older-posts-and-newer-posts/.

    Hope this helps. Looking forward to your input.

    Happy holidays to you, too!

  • Unknown's avatar
    justjennifer · Member ·

    Hi @aradhysingh thanks for that info. I’ll give that a try later after I change themes so I have the new theme’s CSS “class”.

    However, am I correct that implementing this CSS will change the pagination wording on every archive page (month, year, author, category, tag, etc.) and not limit it to that single, reversed chronological archive page? If so, is there a way I can target that page specifically? All other archive pages will be in chronological order.

    (Just a reminder that I can install plugins on my above site.)

    Thanks again.

  • dhruvikmalaviya · Staff ·

    Hi Jennifer! Great follow-up question, you’re thinking about this exactly the right way.

    You’re correct on both counts:

    Yes, using CSS to change the “Older posts” / “Newer posts” labels would affect all archive pages that use the same pagination markup in the theme (categories, tags, dates, authors, etc.), not just the one category where you’re using ?order=asc.

    However, you can target that single reversed-order category page specifically with CSS, as long as there’s something unique in the page context you can hook into.

    Category archive pages automatically get category-specific classes on the <body> tag, such as:

    .category-archived
  • Unknown's avatar
    justjennifer · Member ·

    Thanks, again. OK-y’all have given me a lot to think about and experiment with. I’ll post back here if I have any other questions (and, knowing me, I probably will).

  • Unknown's avatar
    justjennifer · Member ·

    OK- here’s another question:

    If I do end up using a static page with a Query Loop block, which is looking more likely, is there a way I can make that static page be the default page for that specific archive (hopefully without needing to install a redirect plugin).

    Thanks again. This thread has been a real education, so thank you for that.

  • imranahmadrt · Staff ·

    Hi @justjennifer

    You’re very welcome — I’m glad this thread has been helpful 😊
    Short answer: no redirect plugin is needed, but it does depend on how much control you want.

    By default, WordPress does not allow you to assign a regular static page as the archive page for a post type or taxonomy. Archives are generated automatically by WordPress based on its template hierarchy.

    However, you do have a couple of clean options:

    Option 1: Use a block theme and customize the archive template (recommended)
    If you’re using a block theme, you can edit the archive template directly in the Site Editor and build it exactly how you like using a Query Loop block. This effectively becomes the archive page, without needing redirects or plugins.

    Option 2: Create a static page and manually link to it
    You can create a static page with a Query Loop and use it wherever you like (menus, buttons, links). This won’t technically replace the archive URL, but for visitors it can function as the “main” listing page.

    Option 3: Redirect (not required, but optional)
    A redirect would only be needed if you specifically want visitors hitting the default archive URL to be sent to your custom static page. This can be done at the server or theme level, but it’s not required for most setups.

    So in summary:
    If you want that page to truly be the archive, customizing the archive template with a Query Loop is the best approach and avoids plugins entirely.

    Hope that helps — and happy to clarify anything further if needed.

  • Unknown's avatar
    justjennifer · Member ·

    Good stuff here! Thanks.

    1. Use a block theme and customize the archive template Again, this particular archive page is an outlier. If I customize the general archive template, I understand that all archives will behave like it. So here I’d need a customized archive template just for that category. Is that possible?
    2. Create a static page and manually link to it This was going to be my preferred option with a Query Loop reversed in lieu of the page I originally thought to use with the reversed Link URL. However, I’m not sure I understood what you mean by, “but for visitors it can function as the “main” listing page”. Could you please explain?
    3. Redirect (not required, but optional) This is now an option because I learned earlier that when you convert a tag to a category or vice versa, the old tag or category page no longer redirects to the new tag or category page like it used to.
  • dhruvikmalaviya · Staff ·

    Hi Jennifer! Great questions, you’re digging into some of the more nuanced (and honestly very smart) WordPress decisions here. I’ll go point by point and keep this grounded in what is and is not possible without plugins.

    1. “Can I have a custom archive template for just one category in a block theme?”

    Block themes support template-specific overrides, including category-specific archive templates.

    Once you switch to a block theme, you can:

    1. Go to Appearance → Editor
    2. Open Templates
    3. Choose Add New Template
    4. Select Category
    5. Pick the specific category (for example, Archived)
    6. Customize that template with a Query Loop set to:
      • Order: Ascending (oldest first)
      • Pagination enabled

    This template will apply only to that category.

    All other categories, tags, date archives, author archives, etc., will continue using the default archive template and remain unaffected.

    So yes, your understanding is correct, and this solves the “outlier archive” concern cleanly without redirects or CSS hacks.

    2. “What does it mean that a static Query Loop page can ‘function as the main listing page’?”

    Great question, and you’re right to ask for clarification.

    What that means in practice is:

    • You create a regular page (for example, /archived-posts/)
    • You build it with a Query Loop block, ordered oldest → newest
    • You link to that page everywhere visitors would normally navigate:
      • Menus
      • Internal links
      • Buttons
      • Footer links

    From a visitor’s perspective, that page becomes the archive, even though WordPress still technically generates the real category archive in the background.

    However, two important caveats:

    • The original category URL (/category/archived/) still exists
    • Search engines may still index the category archive unless you noindex it or redirect it

    So this approach is perfectly usable, but it’s more of a content strategy workaround than a structural replacement.

    3. “Do I need a redirect, especially given tag ↔ category changes?”

    You’re right to be cautious here.

    If you want:

    • One single canonical URL
    • No duplicate archive behavior
    • Clear signals to search engines

    Then a redirect becomes the cleanest option, even though it’s technically optional.

    That said:

    • If you go with a category-specific block template, you do not need a redirect at all
    • If you go with a static page instead of the category archive, then a redirect (or at least a canonical/noindex strategy) is recommended

    Given what you’ve described, the block-theme category template is still the best long-term solution.

  • Unknown's avatar
    justjennifer · Member ·

    Thank you everyone for the detailed replies which will help me to go forward.

    I’ll go ahead and mark this thread as resolved.

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