Pagination not working on Custom Page Template

Question

I searched a lot on this but I can't figure out why my code is not working.

I published a page with slug "blog" that uses a custom built template "page-blog.php" that I build from editing the original "page.php". I want to loop latest posts, with pagination.

For numbered pagination I tried several plugins. They all works on archive and category pages, but on page-blog.php I always get the same result. Any page I try to view gives me a 404 error. Only the loop on first page is working.

URLS are like this:

www.mywebsite.com/blog/ (page url, with first page loop, ok)

www.mywebsite.com/blog/page/2/ (404 error)

www.mywebsite.com/blog/page/3/ (404 error)

This is My page-blog.php full code.

    <?php get_header(); ?>

    <div id="primary" class="content-area col three-fourth two-columns-right">
        <main id="main" class="site-main" role="main">
            
            <?php while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); // page loop ?>

            <article id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>" <?php post_class(); ?>>
                <header class="entry-header">
                    <?php the_title( '<h1 class="entry-title">', '</h1>' ); ?>
                    <?php edit_post_link( __( 'Edit', 'mywebsite' ), '<span class="edit-link">', '</span>' ); ?>
                </header>

                <div class="entry-content">
                    <?php the_content(); ?>
                </div>
            </article>

            <?php endwhile; // end of the page loop. ?>
            <?php wp_reset_postdata(); ?>
            
            <?php 
            // Begin secondary loop (pagination not working)
            $paged = ( get_query_var('page') ) ? get_query_var('page') : 1;
            
            $args = array (
                'post_type'              => 'post',
                'post_status'            => 'publish',
                'paged' => $paged,
            );

            // The Query
            $news_query = new WP_Query( $args );
            
            // Preserving main query
            $temp_query = $wp_query;
            $wp_query   = NULL;
            $wp_query   = $news_query;
            
            ?>
            <?php if ( $news_query->have_posts() ) : ?>
                <?php while ( $news_query->have_posts() ) : $news_query->the_post(); ?>
                    <?php get_template_part( 'content', get_post_format() );?>
                <?php endwhile; ?>

                <?php  if(function_exists('wp_paginate')) {
                    wp_paginate();
                } ?>
                
                <?php wp_reset_postdata(); ?>

            <?php else : ?>

                <?php get_template_part( 'content', 'none' ); ?>

            <?php endif; ?>
            <?php 
            // Reset main query object
            $wp_query = NULL;
            $wp_query = $temp_query;    
            ?>

        </main><!-- #main -->
    </div><!-- #primary -->

<?php get_sidebar('blog'); ?>
<?php get_footer(); ?>

Answer 1

MOST IMPORTANT EDIT

When I tested your code, I always added the page header name, and never realized that this was one thing that you didn't add. You should always name a custom page template so that wordpress knows it's a page template. So you need to edit your custom page template and add the header as follows

<?php
/**
 * Template Name: Name of your template
 */
get_header(); ?>

ORIGINAL ANSWER

You have to take a look at the pagination parameters of WP_Query.

• paged (int) - number of page. Show the posts that would normally show up just on page X when using the "Older Entries" link.

• page (int) - number of page for a static front page. Show the posts that would normally show up just on page X of a Static Front Page.

If you set this page template as a home page, your code works and paginate as it should. However, if you use this page template as a post/blog page, you will need to change

$paged = ( get_query_var('page') ) ? get_query_var('page') : 1;

to

$paged = ( get_query_var('paged') ) ? get_query_var('paged') : 1;

One point of note, the plugin you are using (WP Paginate) hasn't been updated in more that two years. Although it still works, I would recommend that you have a look at other plugins that are up to date to avoid issues later.

Alternatively, you can use this function for pagination. Who the original author is, I'm not sure, but whoever you are my friend, credit goes to you.

The following code goes into functions.php

if ( ! function_exists( 'pietergoosen_pagination' ) ) :

    function pietergoosen_pagination($pages = '', $range = 2) {   
       $showitems = ($range * 2)+1;  

      global $paged;
      if(empty($paged)) $paged = 1;

          if($pages == '')
          {
             global $wp_query;
             $pages = $wp_query->max_num_pages;
                if(!$pages)
                {
                $pages = 1;
                }
            }   

           if(1 != $pages)
          {
            $string = _x( 'Page %1$s of %2$s' , '%1$s = current page, %2$s = all pages' , 'pietergoosen' );
            echo "<div class='pagination'><span>" . sprintf( $string, $paged, $pages ) . "</span>";
              if($paged > 2 && $paged > $range+1 && $showitems < $pages) echo "<a href='".get_pagenum_link(1)."'>" . __( '&laquo; First', 'pietergoosen' ) . "</a>";
             if($paged > 1 && $showitems < $pages) echo "<a href='".get_pagenum_link($paged - 1)."'>" . __( '&lsaquo; Previous', 'pietergoosen' ) . "</a>";

                for ($i=1; $i <= $pages; $i++)
                {
                   if (1 != $pages &&( !($i >= $paged+$range+1 || $i <= $paged-$range-1) || $pages <= $showitems ))
                   {
                        echo ($paged == $i)? "<span class=\"current\">".$i."</span>":"<a href='".get_pagenum_link($i)."' class=\"inactive\">".$i."</a>";
                   }
               }

               if ($paged < $pages && $showitems < $pages) echo "<a href='" . get_pagenum_link($paged + 1)."'>" . __( 'Next &rsaquo;', 'pietergoosen' ) . "</a>";
               if ($paged < $pages-1 &&  $paged+$range-1 < $pages && $showitems < $pages) echo "<a href='".get_pagenum_link($pages)."'>" . __( 'Last &raquo;', 'pietergoosen' ) . "</a>";
               echo "</div>\n";
         }
        } //  pietergoosen_pagination

endif;

You can just call the pagination in your template as follows

 <?php  pietergoosen_pagination(); ?>

EDIT

As far as I can gather from your comment to the other answer

i don't want that page to be my homepage. I have another template for my homepage. I just want it to work and list posts under the www.mywebsite.com/blog/ URL

you have set your blog page as a "Posts page:" in "Reading Settings" and some other page a your "Front page:". If this is the case, then index.php will be used as your posts page, and not your custom page template.

There is a quick way to check which template is used by the page you are viewing. Just paste the following code in your functions.php (taken from here)

add_action('wp_head', 'show_template');
function show_template() {
    global $template;
    print_r($template);
} 

EDIT 2

Here is one of my modified templates. Please test it and see it works. If this doesn't work, then I don't know. Have tested your template in as many ways as possible thinkable, and I can't get it to fail as you describe

<?php
/**
 * Template Name: Test Page 3
 */
get_header(); ?>

<div id="main-content" class="main-content">

    <div id="primary" class="content-area">
        <div id="content" class="site-content" role="main">

        <article id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>" <?php post_class(); ?>>
            <header class="entry-header">
                <?php the_title( '<h1 class="entry-title">', '</h1>' ); ?>
                <?php edit_post_link( __( 'Edit', 'mywebsite' ), '<span class="edit-link">', '</span>' ); ?>
            </header>

            <div class="entry-content">
                <?php the_content(); ?>
            </div>
        </article>


            <?php 
                global $post;

                $tmp_post = $post;

                 $paged = ( get_query_var('paged') ) ? get_query_var('paged') : 1;

                $args = array (
                    'post_type'              => 'post',
                    'post_status'            => 'publish',
                    'paged' => $paged,
                );


                    $wp_query= null;
                    $wp_query = new WP_Query();
                    $wp_query->query( $args );

        if ( $wp_query->have_posts() ) :

                while ( $wp_query->have_posts() ) : $wp_query->the_post();


                    get_template_part( 'content', get_post_format() );

            endwhile;

                if(function_exists('wp_paginate')) {
                wp_paginate();
            }   

                else 

                    get_template_part( 'content', 'none' );

                endif; 

                $post = $tmp_post; 

                 if ( comments_open() || get_comments_number() ) {
                        comments_template();
                    } ?>

    </div><!-- #content -->
    </div><!-- #primary -->

    <?php get_sidebar(); ?>

</div><!-- #main-content -->

<?php
get_footer();

Answer 2

From my point of view you are trying to make a pagination on a page, which can also mean wordpress is trashing your page/paged var, this can be easily solved by adding a filter adding a custom vars page/paged

add_filter('query_vars', function( $vars ){
    //!!SUPER IMPORTANT!! - always *APPEND* $vars array (NOT re-assign)
    $vars[] = 'page';
    $vars[] = 'paged';

    //!!SUPER IMPORTANT!! - always return $vars
    return $vars;
});

YOU MUST REFRESH REWRITE RULES THEN ! - easiest way is to go to your admin>preferences>permalinks => and just click on Save (changes)

If you are still getting 404, you might want to add your custom rewrite rule - after every change always refresh rewrite rules as mentionted before...

Answer 3

Have you set the blog page in reading as post page, if yes then please make a template with name home and put the above code in your home template.

hope this help you.