In WordPress, an “action” and a “hook” are fundamental concepts related to extending and customizing the functionality of the platform. They are essential parts of the WordPress Plugin and Theme development system, allowing developers to add or modify code at specific points in the WordPress execution flow.
What is a Hook
- A hook in WordPress is a point in the WordPress code where you can attach custom functions or code snippets. Hooks can be either actions or filters.
- Hooks act as placeholders where you can “hook” your custom code into WordPress to alter or extend its functionality.
- There are two types of hooks: action hooks and filter hooks.
- Action hooks allow you to add custom code that performs an action at a specific point in WordPress.
- Filter hooks allow you to modify or filter data before it is displayed or saved in WordPress.
- Hooks are crucial for creating plugins, themes, and customizations in WordPress because they provide a standardized way to extend the platform’s functionality.
Example of a filter hook in WordPress:
// This is an example of a filter hook.
$new_content = apply_filters('my_custom_filter', $original_content);