WordPress Custom Post Types

When to use

• The user wants custom permalinks, a rewrite slug, or an archive page for a content type and needs the rewrite rules to work.
• The user needs typed custom fields (post meta) on a post type, optionally readable and writable through the REST API.
• The user wants to model a new content type (books, events, products) in WordPress beyond the built-in post and page.

When NOT to use

• Do not force high-volume relational records (orders, log rows, join tables) into a custom post type; use a dedicated custom table.
• Do not create a custom post type to group or classify existing content; register a custom taxonomy instead.

Core guidance