This path is divided into six sub-types, and WordPress will use one of these sub-types for any given request with a collection of post data. Let's consider the following diagram for the Archive Page's hierarchy:
We use the archive.php file as the main template in this path. It's an optional file for a theme, with the index.php file handling the archives when this template is missing in a theme. However, almost all of these themes will include the archive.php file for handling the collection of data. Let's take a look at the various types of Archive Pages, starting with Author Archive.
