Is the Index template necessary in themes?

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The current WordPress default themes – Twenty Twenty Three, Twenty Twenty Four – provide a list of templates, including: All Archives, Blog Home, Index, Page:404, Pages, Search Results, Single Posts (not mentioning a few Custom Templates).

I am wondering why the Index template is needed. According to the Template Hierarchy documentation, all the basic query types are covered by the six primary templates:

1. Front Page : uses Blog Home (or Pages if a static page is chosen)
2. Singular : uses Single Posts
3. Page : uses Pages
4. Archive : uses All Archives
5. Search : uses Search Results
6. 404 (not found) : uses Page:404

Therefore there won't be any case where Index would be used – right?

My questions

• A) Am I correct in my understanding? Or are there edge cases where the Index template will be used?
• B) If my assumption is correct, why do those themes even include the Index template?

The current WordPress default themes – Twenty Twenty Three, Twenty Twenty Four – provide a list of templates, including: All Archives, Blog Home, Index, Page:404, Pages, Search Results, Single Posts (not mentioning a few Custom Templates).

I am wondering why the Index template is needed. According to the Template Hierarchy documentation, all the basic query types are covered by the six primary templates:

1. Front Page : uses Blog Home (or Pages if a static page is chosen)
2. Singular : uses Single Posts
3. Page : uses Pages
4. Archive : uses All Archives
5. Search : uses Search Results
6. 404 (not found) : uses Page:404

Therefore there won't be any case where Index would be used – right?

My questions

• A) Am I correct in my understanding? Or are there edge cases where the Index template will be used?
• B) If my assumption is correct, why do those themes even include the Index template?

• template-hierarchy

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1 Answer 1

Sorted by: Reset to default 2

There could be edge cases where the index template could be used. For example, a plugin or a future WordPress version could introduce a new template hierarchy "type" that is not covered by any other template. WordPress would use the index template as a fallback in this case.

Of note, the WordPress Theme Handbook mentions this a little:

Theme Structure

• templates/index.html (Templates): The default/fallback template. This is necessary for WordPress to consider this a block theme.

Template Hierarchy

If WordPress cannot find a template file with a matching name, it will skip to the next file in the hierarchy. If WordPress cannot find any matching template file, the theme’s index.php file will be used.

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