<p>You can also use the PHP function <a href="http://php.net/manual/en/function.is-a.php" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><code>is_a()</code></a> in addition to the PHP function <a href="http://php.net/manual/en/function.get-class.php" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><code>get_class()</code></a>. </p>

<p>This is a bit different as it also matches classes which have the class as one of its parents, e.g. an element class that extends <code>craft\elements\User</code>.</p>

<p>Example:</p>

<pre><code>if (is_a($element, 'craft\elements\User')) {
    // Do stuff
}
</code></pre>

<p>or</p>

<pre><code>if (is_a($element, craft\elements\User::class)) {
    // Do stuff
}
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-09T18:16:49.837Z
2018-03-12T09:34:18.753Z
2018-03-12T09:34:18.753Z
Jay
<p>Having arrived here from a Google search while trying to do this in Twig rather than PHP, I thought it might help someone in future to leave an answer, even though it doesn't address your question directly:</p>
<pre class="lang-twig prettyprint-override"><code>{{ item is instance of('craft\\elements\\Entry') ? 'This element is an entry!' }}
{{ item is instance of('craft\\elements\\Asset') ? 'This is an asset!' }}
{{ item is instance of('craft\\elements\\Category') ? 'This is a category!' }}
{{ item is instance of('craft\\elements\\User') ? 'This is a user!' }}
{{ item is instance of('craft\\commerce\\elements\\Product') ? '' }}
</code></pre>
<p>I find this especially useful in, for example, internal keyword search results listings templates, where the elements that were found might be of different types and you want to take different actions depending on the types.</p>
<p>Edit 2024 to add: You can also fetch the element type a little more succinctly like this, <em>however</em> (and it's a big HOWEVER!), beware that this requires a database query - so if you're inside a loop, which is probably quite likely given the use case for this, it's going to give you a horrible N+1 problem which will slow down your template:</p>
<pre class="lang-twig prettyprint-override"><code>{# you probably shouldn't do this due to the N+1 problem it'll cause : #}

{{ craft.app.elements.getElementTypeById(item.id) }}
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-19T10:42:24.893Z
2024-05-20T08:23:45.707Z
2024-05-20T08:23:45.707Z
James Smith
<p>There’s no dedicated method on elements, but you can use <a href="http://php.net/manual/en/function.get-class.php" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><code>get_class()</code></a>. </p>

<pre><code>switch (get_class($element)) {
    case Entry::class:
        // it’s an entry
        break;

    case Category::class:
        // it’s a category
        break;
}
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-09T20:36:14.940Z
Just a simple question, would you mind to explain why you use 2 different functions here? I know the behavior of `::class` and `get_class` I would just like to know why you use `get_class(element) == Entry::class` instead of `element::class == Entry::class`
Robin Schambach
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-12T09:20:01.993Z
They are both very different, `::class` returns the fully qualified class name for a *class name* and `get_class()` the fully qualified class name for an *instance of a class*.
carlcs
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-07T10:36:52.713Z
2018-03-12T09:36:53.407Z
2018-03-12T09:36:53.407Z
carlcs
<p>I just discovered <code>getElementTypeById()</code></p>

<p>This pretty much does the trick: </p>

<pre><code>  public function getElementType($element) {

    $elementType = Craft::$app-&gt;getElements()-&gt;getElementTypeById($element-&gt;id);

    if (strpos($elementType, 'Category') !== false) {
      return 'category';
    } else if (strpos($elementType, 'Entry') !== false) {
      return 'entry';
    }

  }
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-20T00:16:39.893Z
2018-02-20T00:16:39.893Z
Mark Notton
<p>Example: do nothing if element is not Entry</p>
<pre><code>if (!$event-&gt;element instanceof \craft\elements\Entry) { return; }
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-01T08:47:44.857Z
2021-02-01T08:47:44.857Z
Nikolay Bronskiy
<p>This is a trick I always use when I want the &quot;base name&quot; of a class:</p>
<pre class="lang-php prettyprint-override"><code>// if $element is an instance of \craft\elements\Entry
$baseName = array_reverse(explode('\\', get_class($element)))[0]; // 'Entry'
$type = strtolower($baseName); // 'entry'
</code></pre>
<p><code>explode('\\', get_class($element))</code> gives you an array like <code>[&quot;Entry&quot;, &quot;elements&quot;, &quot;craft&quot;]</code>, so at position <code>0</code> you will find the class &quot;base name&quot; which we can use as a type string.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-17T09:29:15.093Z
2024-07-17T09:29:15.093Z
7ochem
<p>In Craft 3, I've got a service function that I'm passing either an 'entry' or 'category' element into. </p>

<p>I'd like to know how to differentiate between the possible element types; This kinda of works:</p>

<pre><code>public function getElementType($element) {
  if ( isset($element-&gt;group) ) {
    return = 'category';
  } else if (isset($element-&gt;section)) {
    return = 'entry';        
  }
}
</code></pre>

<p>However I can't help but feel this is unreliable and hacky. Is there a better way to check an elements elementType?</p>

<plugin-development><craft3><elementtype>
How to check an elements elementType
# How to check an elements elementType

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-02-20)

In Craft 3, I've got a service function that I'm passing either an 'entry' or 'category' element into. 
I'd like to know how to differentiate between the possible element types; This kinda of works:
public function getElementType($element) {
  if ( isset($element->group) ) {
    return = 'category';
  } else if (isset($element->section)) {
    return = 'entry';        
  }
}

However I can't help but feel this is unreliable and hacky. Is there a better way to check an elements elementType?

**Tags:** plugin-development, craft3, elementtype

---

## 6 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-03-09. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

You can also use the PHP function is_a() in addition to the PHP function get_class(). 
This is a bit different as it also matches classes which have the class as one of its parents, e.g. an element class that extends craft\elements\User.
Example:
if (is_a($element, 'craft\elements\User')) {
    // Do stuff
}

or
if (is_a($element, craft\elements\User::class)) {
    // Do stuff
}


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-08-19. Score: 7

Having arrived here from a Google search while trying to do this in Twig rather than PHP, I thought it might help someone in future to leave an answer, even though it doesn't address your question directly:
{{ item is instance of('craft\\elements\\Entry') ? 'This element is an entry!' }}
{{ item is instance of('craft\\elements\\Asset') ? 'This is an asset!' }}
{{ item is instance of('craft\\elements\\Category') ? 'This is a category!' }}
{{ item is instance of('craft\\elements\\User') ? 'This is a user!' }}
{{ item is instance of('craft\\commerce\\elements\\Product') ? '' }}

I find this especially useful in, for example, internal keyword search results listings templates, where the elements that were found might be of different types and you want to take different actions depending on the types.
Edit 2024 to add: You can also fetch the element type a little more succinctly like this, however (and it's a big HOWEVER!), beware that this requires a database query - so if you're inside a loop, which is probably quite likely given the use case for this, it's going to give you a horrible N+1 problem which will slow down your template:
{# you probably shouldn't do this due to the N+1 problem it'll cause : #}

{{ craft.app.elements.getElementTypeById(item.id) }}


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-03-07. Score: 2

There’s no dedicated method on elements, but you can use get_class(). 
switch (get_class($element)) {
    case Entry::class:
        // it’s an entry
        break;

    case Category::class:
        // it’s a category
        break;
}

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Just a simple question, would you mind to explain why you use 2 different functions here? I know the behavior of `::class` and `get_class` I would just like to know why you use `get_class(element) == Entry::class` instead of `element::class == Entry::class`  
> **username_3**: They are both very different, `::class` returns the fully qualified class name for a *class name* and `get_class()` the fully qualified class name for an *instance of a class*.  

---

### Answer by username_0 on 2018-02-20. Score: 1

I just discovered getElementTypeById()
This pretty much does the trick: 
  public function getElementType($element) {

    $elementType = Craft::$app->getElements()->getElementTypeById($element->id);

    if (strpos($elementType, 'Category') !== false) {
      return 'category';
    } else if (strpos($elementType, 'Entry') !== false) {
      return 'entry';
    }

  }


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2021-02-01. Score: 1

Example: do nothing if element is not Entry
if (!$event->element instanceof \craft\elements\Entry) { return; }


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2024-07-17. Score: 1

This is a trick I always use when I want the "base name" of a class:
// if $element is an instance of \craft\elements\Entry
$baseName = array_reverse(explode('\\', get_class($element)))[0]; // 'Entry'
$type = strtolower($baseName); // 'entry'

explode('\\', get_class($element)) gives you an array like ["Entry", "elements", "craft"], so at position 0 you will find the class "base name" which we can use as a type string.


---

