How to use deleted_meta_type_meta action in WordPress

deleted_meta_type_meta action

The dynamic portion of the hook name, $meta_type, refers to the meta object type (post, comment, term, user, or any other type with an associated meta table).

To use deleted_meta_type_meta action, first, you have to register it using add_action. 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_execute_on_deleted_meta_type_meta_event which takes 4 parameters and we registered using add_action. The first parameter deleted_meta_type_meta is the name of the hook, The second parameter weplugins_execute_on_deleted_meta_type_meta_event 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_action to remove deleted_meta_type_meta action.

Parameters

Below are the 4 parameters required to use this hook:

• $meta_ids: (string[]) An array of metadata entry IDs to delete.
• $object_id: (int) ID of the object metadata is for.
• $meta_key: (string) Metadata key.
• $_meta_value: (mixed) Metadata value.

Live Example

do_action( "deleted_{$meta_type}_meta", string[] $meta_ids, int $object_id, string $meta_key, mixed $_meta_value )

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

Example 1: Basic Usage

In this example, we simply log the meta data details when it gets deleted.

    function weplugins_execute_on_deleted_meta_type_meta_event($meta_ids, $object_id, $meta_key, $_meta_value){
       // Log the deleted meta data
       error_log("Meta Data Deleted: IDs - " . implode(',', $meta_ids) . ", Object ID - $object_id, Meta Key - $meta_key, Meta Value - $_meta_value");
    }
    // add the action
    add_action( "deleted_meta_type_meta", "weplugins_execute_on_deleted_meta_type_meta_event" , 10, 4 );
    

Example 2: Custom Functionality

Implement custom functionality when meta data is deleted.

    function weplugins_execute_on_deleted_meta_type_meta_event($meta_ids, $object_id, $meta_key, $_meta_value){
       // Custom code to execute
       // For example, updating a custom log table
       global $wpdb;
       $wpdb->insert(
           'wp_custom_log_table',
           array(
               'meta_ids' => implode(',', $meta_ids),
               'object_id' => $object_id,
               'meta_key' => $meta_key,
               'meta_value' => $_meta_value
           )
       );
    }
    // add the action
    add_action( "deleted_meta_type_meta", "weplugins_execute_on_deleted_meta_type_meta_event" , 10, 4 );
    

Example 3: Removing the Hook

To remove a hook callback, use the example below.

    remove_action( "deleted_meta_type_meta", "weplugins_execute_on_deleted_meta_type_meta_event", 10, 4 );
    

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

Contact Us

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