How to use comments_template_query_args filter in WordPress

comments_template_query_args filter

To use the `comments_template_query_args` filter, first you 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.

We at WePlugins 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_template_query_args_defaults` which takes 1 parameter and we registered using `add_filter`. The first parameter `comments_template_query_args` is the name of the hook, the second parameter `weplugins_modify_comments_template_query_args_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 in the registered function.

Sometimes, you have to remove a registered hook so you can use `remove_filter` to remove `comments_template_query_args` filter.

Parameters

Below the 1 parameter is required to use this hook.

• $comment_args: (array) Array of WP_Comment_Query arguments.
  ‘orderby’ (string|array) Field(s) to order by.
  ‘order’ (string) Order of results. Accepts ‘ASC’ or ‘DESC’.
  ‘status’ (string) Comment status.
  ‘include_unapproved’ (array) Array of IDs or email addresses whose unapproved comments will be included in results.
  ‘post_id’ (int) ID of the post.
  ‘no_found_rows’ (bool) Whether to refrain from querying for found rows.
  ‘update_comment_meta_cache’ (bool) Whether to prime cache for comment meta.
  ‘hierarchical’ (bool|string) Whether to query for comments hierarchically.
  ‘offset’ (int) Comment offset.
  ‘number’ (int) Number of comments to fetch.

Live Example

Example 1: Basic Modification

Below is an example of how you can use this hook to modify the comment query args.

function weplugins_modify_comments_template_query_args_defaults($comment_args) { 
    // Update the $comment_args variable according to your website requirements and return this variable. You can modify the $comment_args variable conditionally too if you want.
    return $comment_args; 
}
// add the filter
add_filter( "comments_template_query_args", "weplugins_modify_comments_template_query_args_defaults", 10, 1 );

Example 2: Removing the Hook

To remove a hook callback, use the example below.

remove_filter( "comments_template_query_args", "weplugins_modify_comments_template_query_args_defaults", 10, 1 );

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

Example 3: Conditional Modification

Here is an example where we modify the comment query args conditionally based on certain parameters.

function weplugins_modify_comments_template_query_args_defaults($comment_args) { 
    if (is_single()) {
        $comment_args['number'] = 5; // Limit to 5 comments on single posts.
    }
    return $comment_args; 
}
// add the filter
add_filter( "comments_template_query_args", "weplugins_modify_comments_template_query_args_defaults", 10, 1 );

Contact Us

If you’re having any trouble using this hook, please contact us and we’d be happy to assist you.