WordPress archive index page

Question

I am trying to create a custom archive index page for a custom post type. I can't get it to work, I have followed this guide: https://codex.wordpress.org/Creating_an_Archive_Index.

Here's what I have been trying:

1. Created a custom post type:

function references(){
    register_post_type('cows',
     [
         'labels'       => [
             'name'          => __('Cows'),
             'singular_name' => __('Cow'),
         ],
         'public'       => true,
         'has_archive'  => true,
         'supports'     => ['title', 'editor', 'thumbnail'],
         'rewrite'      => array(
           'slug'       => 'cows'
         ),
     ]
    );
}
add_action('init', 'references');

2. Created a archive-cows.php page for all the custom post type's posts.

if ( have_posts() ) {
    while ( have_posts() ) {
        the_post();
    the_title();
        //
        // Post Content here
        //
    } // end while
} // end if

3. Created a template called Cows in file: cows.php

  /*
    Template name: Cows
  */

  get_header();

  wp_get_archives(array(
    'type' => 'monthly',
    'post_type' => 'cows',
  ));
get_footer(); 

4. Created a new page (backend) and assigned it to template: Cows

At the moment WordPress is loading archive-cows.php (because post type slug: cows and page template slug: cows), where I would like it to load cows.php template file, and then in that template load the archives for cows (would not like to use a custom query without a archive page).

Answer 1

The first parameter passed to register_post_type is the post type key which is used by the theme template hierarchy. register_post_type documentation.

The cows.php is a page template, so to use it create a new page and select the 'Cows' template. You will need to alter the slug of this page so it doesn't conflict with the existing www.example/cows of the post type archive page.