pom://theme/templates/archive: archive page-shell guide

This Markdown resource supplies the detailed POM Theme syntax for an archive template. An archive template controls the page around a result loop; it does not define the card for each returned post or product.

Essential archive contract

Build HTML using only the merge tags reported by pom://theme/mergetags/archive. A typical shell combines an archive heading, optional term information, controls, and exactly one results insertion point:

<header class="archive-header">
    <h1>{{archive_title}}</h1>
    <div>{{term_description}}</div>
</header>
<main class="archive-results">
    {{archive_results}}
</main>

{{archive_results}} is the bridge to the selected feed template. Omitting it produces a shell without the archive loop; repeating it intentionally renders the results more than once.

Before saving

1. Call pom_get_template_schema with type: "archive".
2. Read the structured archive merge-tag catalog.
3. Use %%...%% for long, quoted, HTML, or nested literal values inside merge-tag attributes.
4. Call pom_validate_template_markup.
5. Fix every error.
6. Dry-run pom_theme_upsert_html_template.
7. Save, then assign the template in a separate confirmed operation.

Term fields can be empty outside taxonomy archives. Design a useful fallback or omit the dependent block when the template can serve multiple archive contexts. Keep result-item styling in the feed template rather than duplicating card markup in the archive shell.

Related guides: archive merge tags, create an archive template, and template assignment.