---
title: "Programmatically Display Kadence Hook Elements"
source: "https://docs.nexcess.com/software/kadence/theme/display-kadence-hook-elements/"
description: "Kadence Hooked Elements give you full control over your site’s layout and content by allowing you to insert elements, whether simple content sections or complet…"
vertical: "Software"
area: "Kadence Theme"
date: "2025-08-14"
last_modified: "2026-07-02"
---

# Programmatically Display Kadence Hook Elements

[Kadence Hooked Elements](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/kadence/theme/what-are-hooked-elements/) give you full control over your site’s layout and content by allowing you to insert elements, whether simple content sections or complete templates, into specific areas via theme hooks. You can design reusable layouts with dynamic content and dictate exactly when and where they appear. Normally, visibility is managed through the Element **Display Settings** in the editor, but you also have the option to programmatically override these settings for greater flexibility.

Sometimes, you need more dynamic control, such as showing an element only for subcategories of a specific blog category, based on a URL variable, or within certain dates. This is where the **kadence\_element\_display** filter becomes useful.

**Important**: In the Element settings, set **Display Settings** to **None**. This ensures there is no conflict between the code logic and the editor rules.

![](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Add-New-Element-‹-SITE-TITLE-—-WordPress-2025-08-14-at-12.50.31-PM-442x1024-1.jpg)What the kadence\_element\_display Filter Does

The **kadence\_element\_display** filter runs every time Kadence checks whether to show a Hooked Element.

You can use it to:

- Return **true** to show the element
- Return **false** to hide the element
- Return **$display** to keep the original decision from the editor

**Filter structure:**

```php
apply_filters( 'kadence_element_display', bool $display, WP_Post $element, array $meta )
```

- **$display** → current decision from the editor
- **$element** → the Hooked Element post object
- **$meta** → element meta data

Examples:

Show an Element for All Subcategories of a Parent Blog Category

```php
add_filter( 'kadence_element_display', function( $display, $element, $meta ) {

	$target_element_id = 288297; // Your Hooked Element ID
	$parent_cat_id     = 8890;   // Parent category ID

	if ( $element->ID !== $target_element_id ) {
		return $display;
	}

	static $child_ids = null;
	if ( $child_ids === null ) {
		$child_ids = get_term_children( (int) $parent_cat_id, 'category' );
		if ( is_wp_error( $child_ids ) ) {
			$child_ids = [];
		}
	}

	if ( empty( $child_ids ) ) {
		return false;
	}

	if ( is_category() ) {
		$current_cat_id = get_queried_object_id();
		if ( in_array( $current_cat_id, $child_ids, true ) ) {
			return true;
		}
	}

	return false;

}, 20, 3 );
```

Show Element Based on a URL Variable

```php
add_filter( 'kadence_element_display', function( $display, $element, $meta ) {

	if ( $element->ID !== 12345 ) {
		return $display;
	}

	if ( isset( $_GET['promo'] ) && $_GET['promo'] === 'yes' ) {
		return true;
	}

	return false;

}, 20, 3 );
```

Show Element Only on Specific Dates

```php
add_filter( 'kadence_element_display', function( $display, $element, $meta ) {

	if ( $element->ID !== 67890 ) {
		return $display;
	}

	$today = date( 'Y-m-d' );

	if ( $today >= '2025-08-01' && $today <= '2025-08-15' ) {
		return true;
	}

	return false;

}, 20, 3 );
```

How to Find Your Element ID

You can find the Element ID by navigating to **Dashboard -> Appearance -> Kadence -> Elements** and checking the element details.

![](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ElementID-scaled.jpg-2560×1053-2025-08-14-at-1.00.16-PM-1024x423-1.jpg)Where to Put the Code

Code snippets can be added to the `functions.php` file of a [child theme ](https://www.kadencewp.com/blog/child-themes/)or through a plugin like Code Snippets. You can read documentation on using the Code Snippets Plugin [here](https://docs.nexcess.com/software/kadence/blocks/add-custom-filter-or-function-with-code-snippets/).