How to Get the Current Page URL in WordPress (PHP)

To get the current page URL in WordPress with PHP, combine the global $wp object with home_url(). This works on any page type (posts, pages, archives, categories, tags) and returns a clean, full URL:

global $wp;
$current_url = home_url( add_query_arg( array(), $wp->request ) );

echo esc_url( $current_url );

Below I’ll cover the variations you’ll actually need: just the slug, the URL with query string intact, the WordPress-native alternatives (get_permalink(), home_url(), site_url()), a plain-PHP fallback when you can’t use WordPress functions, and a shortcode you can drop into any post or page.

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Method 1: Get the current URL with the global $wp object

This is the canonical WordPress-native way. It respects your permalink structure, works on any page type, and honors HTTPS and the site’s home setting without hardcoding anything.

function my_get_current_url() {
    global $wp;
    return home_url( add_query_arg( array(), $wp->request ) );
}

// Usage
echo esc_url( my_get_current_url() );

$wp->request holds the path after your domain (for example, about or blog/my-post). Wrapping it in home_url() prepends your site’s base URL, so the result is always a full, correctly-protocolled URL regardless of the environment.

Always pass output through esc_url() before printing it in HTML. It’s WordPress’s built-in function for escaping URLs safely.

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Method 2: Get the current URL with query string

Method 1 strips the query string. If you want the URL including anything after the ? (e.g. ?page=2&s=keyword), use add_query_arg() with no arguments:

$current_url_full = home_url( add_query_arg( null, null ) );

echo esc_url( $current_url_full );

add_query_arg( null, null ) is WordPress shorthand for “the current URL plus its current query args.” Pair it with home_url() if you want the full, absolute URL rather than a relative one.

If you only care about one query parameter, use get_query_var() instead of parsing the URL manually. It works with both pretty permalinks and query-string params.

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Method 3: Get just the current slug

If you only need the path (everything after the domain), the global $wp object has it ready:

global $wp;
$slug = $wp->request;  // e.g. "about" or "blog/my-post"

This returns whatever WordPress parsed as the request path, with no leading or trailing slashes. For deeper slug handling (post slug vs. path, terms, pagination), see the dedicated guide on getting the current page slug.

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Method 4: Use get_permalink() inside the loop

If you’re inside the WordPress loop or have access to a $post object, get_permalink() returns the URL of the current post or page. It’s the cleanest option for single-post templates:

// Inside the loop
$permalink = get_permalink();

// Or by ID
$permalink = get_permalink( 42 );

echo esc_url( $permalink );

The difference from Method 1: get_permalink() only works for posts and pages, not for archive, category, tag, or search result pages. Use global $wp when you need a universal solution.

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Method 5: Plain PHP fallback (no WordPress functions)

Sometimes you need the current URL in a context where WordPress functions aren’t loaded (for example, a stand-alone PHP file you drop into your server). Use $_SERVER:

$protocol = ( ! empty( $_SERVER['HTTPS'] ) && $_SERVER['HTTPS'] !== 'off' )
    ? 'https://'
    : 'http://';

$current_url = $protocol . $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] . $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'];

echo esc_url( $current_url );

When WordPress is loaded, this is the less-safe option. $_SERVER values can be manipulated by request headers, and you’d need to sanitize them carefully. Stick with Method 1 unless you specifically need a zero-dependency snippet.

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Method 6: Current URL as a shortcode

If you want to drop the current URL into a post or page without writing PHP in a template, register a shortcode. Drop this into your theme’s functions.php or a code snippets plugin:

add_shortcode( 'current_url', function() {
    global $wp;
    return esc_url( home_url( add_query_arg( array(), $wp->request ) ) );
} );

Now you can type [current_url] inside any post, page, or widget and it’ll output the current URL at render time.

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home_url() vs site_url() vs get_permalink()

Three WordPress URL functions that look similar but do different things:

Function	Returns	Use when
home_url()	The site’s public home address (Settings → General → Site Address)	Building URLs for visitors
site_url()	Where WordPress itself is installed (WordPress Address)	Building admin, wp-login, or WP core URLs
get_permalink()	The URL of a specific post or page	Inside the loop or when you have a post ID

For most themes, home_url() and site_url() return the same value. They diverge when WordPress is installed in a subdirectory but served from the root (for example, WP installed at /wp/ but the site lives at /).

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Frequently asked questions

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Bottom line

Most of the time you want home_url( add_query_arg( array(), $wp->request ) ) wrapped in esc_url(). That pattern works on every page type, respects your site’s permalink structure and HTTPS settings, and sanitizes cleanly. Switch to get_permalink() when you’re inside the loop or have a post ID, and drop to plain $_SERVER only when WordPress functions aren’t available.

Related: how to get the current page slug, get the post ID, or browse the full WordPress code snippets library.