22 Most Useful Hooks for WordPress Plugin Development

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In WordPress plugin development, hooks play a crucial role in extending and customizing the functionality of the platform. WordPress have two types of hooks.

  1. Action hooks – Action hooks allow you to execute custom functions at specific points in the WordPress lifecycle.
  2. Filter hooks – Filter hooks enable you to modify data.

Here are some of the most useful hooks for WordPress plugin development:

  1. Action Hooks:
  • admin_menu: Used to add menu items to the admin dashboard.
  • init: The init hook in WordPress is commonly used for initialization tasks.
  • wp_enqueue_scripts: Used to enqueue styles and scripts on the front end.
  • save_post: The save_post hook is triggered whenever a post or page is saved.
  • wp_ajax_{action} and wp_ajax_nopriv_{action}: hooks are used for handling AJAX requests in WordPress. The wp_ajax_{action} hook is for authenticated users, while wp_ajax_nopriv_{action} is for non-authenticated users. Here’s an example:
  1. Filter Hooks:
  • the_content: The the_content hook in WordPress allows you to modify the content of a post or page before it is displayed.
  • the_title: The the_title hook in WordPress allows you to modify the title of a post or page before it is displayed.
  • plugin_action_links_{plugin_file}: Adds custom links to the plugin row on the plugins page.
  • wp_nav_menu_items: Lets you add custom items to a navigation menu.
  • login_redirect: The login_redirect hook allows you to customize the destination a user is redirected to after logging in.
  1. Shortcode Hooks:
  • add_shortcode: Allows you to create custom shortcodes for embedding functionality into posts and pages.
  1. Widget Hooks:
  • widgets_init: Used to register widgets and sidebars.
  1. Custom Post Type Hooks:
  • register_post_type: Allows you to create custom post types.
  • manage_{post_type}_posts_custom_column: Used to add custom columns to the post type admin screen.
  1. User and Login Hooks:
  • user_register: The user_register hook in WordPress is triggered when a new user is registered. You can use this hook to perform custom actions or execute additional logic when a new user account is created.
  • authenticate: Used for custom authentication logic during the login process.
  • wp_logout: The wp_logout hook is triggered when a user logs out of WordPress. You can use this hook to perform custom actions or redirects after a user logs out.
  1. Query Hooks:
  • pre_get_posts: The pre_get_posts hook in WordPress allows you to modify the parameters of the main query before it is executed.
  1. Cron Hooks:
  • wp_schedule_event and wp_unschedule_event: Used for scheduling and unscheduling cron jobs.
  1. Translation Hooks:
  • load_textdomain: Allows you to load custom translations for your plugin.
  1. REST API Hooks:
    • rest_api_init: Used for adding custom routes and endpoints to the REST API.
  1. Customizer Hooks:
    • customize_register: Allows you to add settings, controls, and sections to the Theme Customizer.

These hooks provide a flexible and extensible framework for WordPress plugin development, allowing developers to customize and extend WordPress functionality according to their specific needs.

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