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Reading some stuff about query_reset_postdata and query_reset_query makes me confused. For example:

  1. Is there any need to use both wp_reset_postdata and wp_reset_query together?

  2. http://www.poststat.us/properly-reset-wordpress-query/

Above states that you should only use query_reset_postdata() when using "separate queries". In example2 there's a comment:

WP_Query( $args ) = wp_reset_postdata();

AND

query_posts ( $args ) = wp_reset_query();

And really you should never use wp_reset_query because you shouldn't use query_posts!?

In the WP Codex it states that you should use wp_reset_query() after a custom loop (first example) http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/wp_reset_query

Is the codex wrong then?

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The difference between the two is that

  • wp_reset_query() - ensure that the main query has been reset to the original main query
  • wp_reset_postdata() - ensures that the global $post has been restored to the current post in the main query.

Indeed, looking at the source you'll see that the wp_reset_query() calls wp_reset_postdata(). The only difference between the two then is this line:

$GLOBALS['wp_query'] = $GLOBALS['wp_the_query'];

(in wp_reset_query()). So wp_reset_query() is only necessary should those two globals differ, and that only happens if query_posts() has been used somewhere.

When should I use them?

Simply put:

  • wp_reset_postdata() - immediately after every custom WP_Query()
  • wp_reset_query() - immediately after every loop using query_posts()

Should I use wp_reset_query

Well, yes, but it's only needed after using query_posts(). As you've pointed out you should never use query_posts(). So if you aren't ever using query_posts() then it's not necessary to call wp_reset_query() (instead of wp_reset_postdata().

In short, it's not that you shouldn't use wp_reset_query() instead of wp_reset_postdata(), it's that you shouldn't ever need to!

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    So basically you're saying: Only use wp_reset_postdata() and the codex has a poor example? (If you want to do it correct)
    – bestprogrammerintheworld
    Commented May 14, 2014 at 7:40
  • 2
    The codex may change, so I'm going to avoid making absolute statements about it which may become incorrect. It has an example a WP_Query() loop which uses wp_reset_query() and unnecessarily so. It could use wp_reset_postdata() instead, but no harm is done. It also has a query_posts() example where it does, and must, use wp_reset_query(). As noted in the codex, though this is a bad example and 'not recommended' in the sense that query_posts() should never be used.
    – Stephen Harris
    Commented May 14, 2014 at 8:08
  • Do I need to reset the query if I loop through the query within a foreach loop? For ex: $sol_args = array( 'post_type' => 'solution', 'orderby' => 'menu_order', 'order' => 'ASC', 'lang' => pll_current_language(), 'posts_per_page' => '-1', ); $solution_posts = new WP_Query($sol_args); $solution_posts = $solution_posts->get_posts(); <?php foreach ($solution_posts as $solution_post) { ?> <?php } ?> wp_reset_postdata()
    – Marcuzio Developuzio
    Commented Nov 9, 2022 at 13:01
  • I took this advice literally and had problems. It says to call wp_reset_postdata() immediately after every custom WP_Query() (emphasis added). But, [the developer reference][1] says that it should be called when: "A secondary query loop using $sec_query = new WP_Query() and $sec_query->the_post() affects the global $post variable." Again, emphasis added. If you are not calling the_post() then there is no need to call wp_reset_postdata() and, in fact, doing so can cause problems. [1]: developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_reset_postdata
    – Dave S
    Commented May 1 at 16:57

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