How can I conditionally show different home page templates based on whether or not the user is logged in?

Question

How can I conditionally load HTML for the home page based on whether or not the user is logged in?

Currently my theme has an index.php file. In that file I tried to create:

<?php
if(is_user_logged_in()) {
 get_header(); ?>
<div id="primary" class="content-area">
    <div class="primary-inner">
        <div id="content" class="site-content content-list" role="main">
        <?php 
        if ( have_posts() ) : 
            while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); 
                get_template_part( 'content', get_post_format() ); 
            endwhile;
            dw_minion_content_nav( 'nav-below' ); 
        else : 
            get_template_part( 'no-results', 'index' ); 
        endif; 
        ?>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>
<?php get_sidebar('secondary'); ?>
<?php get_footer(); ?>
<?php } else { ?>
    // load plain ol' static boring HTML here with a login widget area.
<?php
} ?>

However, this doesn't work. In fact, no matter what I change in the index.php file, nothing else changes. I can even delete the file and it works fine!!

I can see that I have a header.php file. If I modify that file, then I can see changes appear. But, that means I'd have to modify that, footer.php, page.php, content.php etc etc, ultimately having multiple files that have conditional logic in them.

I'm new to developing in Wordpress. There has to be a better way to do this right?

If the person is not logged in, a completely different home page template / design should show up that has one single widget area where the WP login form (bp login widget) shows up. Once that person is logged in, the normal home page with default template should appear.

In Reading, a static page is set and it has a template of "Default Template."

Answer 1

First check that there isn't a page set as a front page in "Reading Setting". If that is set, index.php is not used as the home page, but the template of the page you set as front page.

In that case, you need to find that template and add you conditional is there.

<?php
if(is_user_logged_in()) {
 get_header(); ?>
<div id="primary" class="content-area">
    <div class="primary-inner">
        <div id="content" class="site-content content-list" role="main">
        <?php 
        if ( have_posts() ) : 
            while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); 
                get_template_part( 'content', get_post_format() ); 
            endwhile;
            dw_minion_content_nav( 'nav-below' ); 
        else : 
            get_template_part( 'no-results', 'index' ); 
        endif; 
        ?>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>
<?php get_sidebar('secondary'); ?>
<?php get_footer(); ?>
<?php } else { ?>
    YOU CAN CREATE A PAGE TEMPLATE HERE THAT WILL SHOW IF USER IS NOT LOGGED IN
     YOU CAN ALSO ADD A LOGIN WIDGET HERE. 
<?php
} ?>

Answer 2

You might wanna take a look at this: https://codex.wordpress.org/Template_Hierarchy

Your index.php is typically the last file that Wordpress will look for when loading any page. In the case of the homepage, it will first look for front-page.php then home.php (if your home page is set to show latest posts, and not a static page). If you're changing the index.php and nothing is happening, then it means another template is being used higher up in the hierarchy.

Answer 3

You could add a widget with the if ( is_user_logged_in() ) { conditional tag and add the HTML to a text widget.

Or you could create a different home page template and use this code in your functions file:

add_filter( 'template_include', 'wpsites_conditional_home_page_template', 99 );

function wpsites_conditional_home_page_template( $template ) {

    if ( is_user_logged_in() ) {
        $new_template = locate_template( array( 'alt-home-page-template.php' ) );
        if ( '' != $new_template ) {
            return $new_template ;
        }
    }

    return $template;
}