Best WordPress Hooks Database / Reference

Written by Jean Galea
Written by Jean Galea
Hooks are very useful in WordPress. They allow you to hook a custom function to an existing function, which allows you to modify WordPress' functionality without editing core files.

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To achieve a particular effect on a WordPress blog, you have to modify how WordPress works. Some of these modifications are made to what WordPress developers call core files,� files required by WordPress to work properly.

But modifying core files is always a bad idea. It may create a security loophole. Also, you will have lost the modification when you upgrade your WordPress installation.

Still, developers need to overwrite some of WordPress’ functionality, which is why WordPress provides the Plugin API.

Hooks are one of the main building blocks of WordPress plug-ins. Almost every plug-in uses a hook to overwrite WordPress’ core functionality.

While the WordPress website itself has its own Hooks reference, the most complete hooks database / reference is the one maintained by Adam Brown, link below:

Visit Adam Brown’s hook database

Another excellent database is WP Seek, which contains WP functions, template tags, function sources, actions, hooks and more:

http://wpseek.com

http://wpfunction.me

Some other Hook Resources

http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/08/18/10-useful-wordpress-hook-hacks/

This article was filed in our archives.
Written by Jean Galea
Jean Galea is an investor, entrepreneur, and blogger. He is the founder of WP Mayor, the plugins WP RSS Aggregator and Spotlight, as well as the Mastermind.fm podcast. His personal blog can be found at jeangalea.com.

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