---
title: "lzb/include_template"
description: "PHP filter `lzb/include_template` of the Lazy Blocks WordPress plugin."
url: "https://www.lazyblocks.com/docs/php-filters/lzb-include_template/"
source: "php-filters/lzb-include_template.mdx"
---
# lzb/include_template

Filters the theme template file a block is about to include, and is the last filter to run on that path.

Source marks this one `DEPRECATED`. It is not an alias of [lzb/block_render/include_template](https://www.lazyblocks.com/docs/php-filters/lzb-block_render-include_template/): it takes three arguments where that one takes five, and it fires after it. Write new code against the longer name and reach for this one only to read what an existing handler does.

The two names do not line up argument by argument either. `lzb/block_render/include_template` never receives `$template_name`, its second argument is the block attributes, so a callback cannot be moved between the two filters unchanged.

## Attributes

| Name             | Type       | Description                                                                 |
| ---------------- | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `$template`      | **String** | absolute path resolved so far, empty when `locate_template()` found nothing |
| `$template_name` | **String** | theme relative path being looked up, `/blocks/lazyblock-my-block/block.php` |
| `$args`          | **Array**  | render arguments, see below                                                 |

`$args` has exactly four keys:

| Name              | Type                 | Description                             |
| ----------------- | -------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| `attributes`      | **Array**            | block attributes                        |
| `block`           | **Array**            | block data                              |
| `render_location` | **String**           | `editor` or `frontend`                  |
| `context`         | **WP_Block \| null** | block context provided by parent blocks |

The editor asks for `/blocks/BLOCK_SLUG/editor.php` first and falls back to `/blocks/BLOCK_SLUG/block.php`, with the slash in the slug replaced by a dash. Both file names arrive here as `$template_name`.

## Usage

```php title="PHP"
function my_lzb_include_template( $template, $template_name, $args ) {
  // Keep the block templates of a plugin in the plugin, not in the theme.
  if ( 0 !== strpos( $args['block']['slug'], 'lazyblock/acme-' ) ) {
    return $template;
  }

  $plugin_template = plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) . 'templates' . $template_name;

  return file_exists( $plugin_template ) ? $plugin_template : $template;
}

add_filter( 'lzb/include_template', 'my_lzb_include_template', 10, 3 );
```

This filter runs after `lzb/block_render/include_template` and after both per-slug variants, so whatever it returns is the path that gets included. The include only happens when `file_exists()` passes, so returning a path that is not there renders the block as an empty string rather than raising a warning. Pair it with [lzb/template_exists](https://www.lazyblocks.com/docs/php-filters/lzb-template_exists/), which decides whether the file is looked for at all.

`$args` is also expanded into `$attributes`, `$block`, `$render_location` and `$context` variables inside the included template, which is how the [Theme Template](https://www.lazyblocks.com/docs/blocks-code/theme-template/) output method reads block values.

## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.lazyblocks.com/llms.txt
> Fetch every page in a single file at: https://www.lazyblocks.com/llms-full.txt