How to use comments_number filter in WordPress

comments_number filter

To use the comments_number filter, you first have to register it using add_filter. You can write this code into functions.php of your activated theme or in a custom WordPress Plugin.

At WePlugins, we always prefer to create a custom WordPress Plugin while using hooks so nothing breaks when you update your WordPress Theme in the future.

In the below live example, we have defined a function weplugins_modify_comments_number_defaults which takes 2 parameters and we registered it using add_filter. The first parameter comments_number is the name of the hook. The second parameter weplugins_modify_comments_number_defaults is the name of the function which needs to be called. The third parameter is the priority of calling the hook if the same hook is used multiple times, and the last parameter is the number of arguments (if any) to be passed to the registered function.

Sometimes, you have to remove a registered hook, so you can use remove_filter to remove the comments_number filter.

Parameters

Below are the 2 parameters required to use this hook.

• $output : (string) A translatable string formatted based on whether the count is equal to 0, 1, or 1+.
• $number : (int) The number of post comments.

Live Examples

Example 1: Basic Usage

Below is an example of how you can use this hook.

    function weplugins_modify_comments_number_defaults($output, $number) { 
        // Update the $output variable according to your website requirements and return this variable. You can modify the $output variable conditionally too if you want.
        return $output; 
    }
    // add the filter
    add_filter("comments_number", "weplugins_modify_comments_number_defaults", 10, 2);
    

Example 2: Custom Message for No Comments

This example shows how to customize the message when there are no comments.

    function weplugins_modify_comments_number_defaults($output, $number) { 
        if ($number == 0) {
            $output = 'No comments yet. Be the first to comment!';
        }
        return $output; 
    }
    // add the filter
    add_filter("comments_number", "weplugins_modify_comments_number_defaults", 10, 2);
    

Example 3: Remove the Filter

To remove a hook callback, use the example below.

    remove_filter("comments_number", "weplugins_modify_comments_number_defaults", 10, 2);
    

Please make sure to provide the same callback function name, priority, and number of arguments while removing the hook callback.

Contact Us

If you need any customization or help with this hook, feel free to contact us.