Bulk Reassigning Posts to a Different Cloud Template in the Newspaper Theme

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The Newspaper theme by TagDiv is undeniably a powerful and versatile choice for WordPress users. However, it does come with certain limitations—one notable drawback being the inability to bulk reassign posts to a different Cloud Template.

I recently encountered this challenge while managing a site that had legacy, hardcoded post templates from the Newspaper theme’s earlier iterations—before it transitioned from the Standard Pack plugin to Cloud Templates. The task at hand? Updating 3,000 posts from one Cloud Template to another efficiently.

Since the Newspaper theme stores template assignments in the postmeta table as a serialized array, manually updating each post was impractical. To automate and streamline this process, I developed a custom PHP script to efficiently handle the bulk reassignment.

Below is the solution I implemented. For a detailed breakdown of how the script works, keep reading! 🚀

<?php

// Load WordPress
require_once(dirname(__FILE__) . '/wp-load.php');

// Global WordPress database object
global $wpdb;

// Define the meta key pattern to search for
$meta_key_pattern = 's:7:"notable";';

// Query to find all relevant meta_values
$results = $wpdb->get_results(
    "SELECT meta_id, meta_value FROM {$wpdb->postmeta} WHERE meta_key='td_post_theme_settings' AND  meta_value LIKE '%$meta_key_pattern%'"
);

if (!empty($results)) {
    foreach ($results as $row) {
        $meta_id = $row->meta_id;
        $meta_value = $row->meta_value;

        // Attempt to unserialize the meta_value
        $unserialized_data = maybe_unserialize($meta_value);

        // Check if unserialization was successful and if 'td_post_template' exists
        if (is_array($unserialized_data) && isset($unserialized_data['td_post_template'])) {
            // Update the value
            if ($unserialized_data['td_post_template'] === 'notable') {
                $unserialized_data['td_post_template'] = 'tdb_template_605785';

                // Reserialize the updated data
                $new_meta_value = maybe_serialize($unserialized_data);

                // Update the database
                $wpdb->update(
                    $wpdb->postmeta,
                    ['meta_value' => $new_meta_value],
                    ['meta_id' => $meta_id]
                );

                echo "Updated meta_id: $meta_id <br>";
            }
        }
    }
    echo "Update process completed.";
} else {
    echo "No matching records found.";
}

Explanation of the Script

This script automates the process of updating Cloud Templates for posts stored in the WordPress database. Here’s how it works:

  1. Load the WordPress Environment:
    require_once(dirname(__FILE__) . '/wp-load.php');
    • This ensures the script has access to WordPress functions and the database.
  2. Define the WordPress Database Object:
    global $wpdb;
    • $wpdb is WordPress’s built-in database object, allowing us to interact with the database safely.
  3. Search for Posts Using a Specific Cloud Template:
    $meta_key_pattern = 's:7:"notable";';
    • The script looks for posts using the old Cloud Template (notable).
    • These settings are stored in the wp_postmeta table under the key 'td_post_theme_settings'.
  4. Query the Database to Find Matching Posts:
    $results = $wpdb->get_results(
    "SELECT meta_id, meta_value FROM {$wpdb->postmeta} WHERE meta_key='td_post_theme_settings' AND meta_value LIKE '%$meta_key_pattern%'"
    );
    • Retrieves all posts where the 'td_post_template' is set to 'notable'.
  5. Loop Through the Results and Update Each Post:
    foreach ($results as $row) { ... }
    • Iterates through each matching post to update its Cloud Template.
  6. Unserialize the Stored Data:
    $unserialized_data = maybe_unserialize($meta_value);
    • WordPress stores td_post_theme_settings as a serialized array.
    • maybe_unserialize() safely converts it back into an array.
  7. Check and Modify the Template Value:
    if (is_array($unserialized_data) && isset($unserialized_data['td_post_template'])) {
    if ($unserialized_data['td_post_template'] === 'notable') {
    $unserialized_data['td_post_template'] = 'tdb_template_605785';
    • If the 'td_post_template' is 'notable', it is replaced with 'tdb_template_605785'.
  8. Reserialize the Data and Update the Database:
    $new_meta_value = maybe_serialize($unserialized_data);
    $wpdb->update(
    $wpdb->postmeta,
    ['meta_value' => $new_meta_value],
    ['meta_id' => $meta_id]
    );
    • The updated array is serialized again and saved back into the database.
  9. Display a Confirmation Message:
    • Each updated post’s meta_id is printed for verification.
  10. Handle Cases Where No Matches Are Found:
if (empty($results)) {
echo "No matching records found.";
}
  • Ensures the script does not run unnecessarily if there are no matches.

Final Thoughts

This script solves a major limitation of the Newspaper theme by enabling bulk reassignment of Cloud Templates, saving significant manual effort. If you need to update thousands of posts at once, this approach is efficient, reliable, and scalable.

Have a similar challenge? Reach out and get in touch!

Matt Pramschufer is a seasoned technology expert and co-founder of E-Moxie, where he specializes in transforming visionary ideas and business goals into thriving online ventures. With over two decades of experience in website design, development, and custom application creation, Matt understands that success requires more than just a visually appealing website or a well-built app. He combines proven methodologies with the latest internet technologies to deliver digital solutions that not only look great but also drive measurable growth.