How to use get_comment_author filter in WordPress

get_comment_author filter

Filters the returned comment author name.

To use the get_comment_author 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_get_comment_author_defaults which takes 3 parameters and we registered using add_filter. The first parameter get_comment_author is the name of the hook, the second parameter weplugins_modify_get_comment_author_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 the get_comment_author filter.

Parameters

Below are the 3 parameters required to use this hook.

• $author : (string) The comment author’s username.
• $comment_ID : (string) The comment ID as a numeric string.
• $comment : (WP_Comment) The comment object.

Live Example

apply_filters( 'get_comment_author', string $author, string $comment_ID, WP_Comment $comment )

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

    function weplugins_modify_get_comment_author_defaults($author, $comment_ID, $comment) { 
        // Update the $author variable according to your website requirements and return this variable. You can modify the $author variable conditionally too if you want.
        return $author; 
    }
    // add the filter
    add_filter( "get_comment_author", "weplugins_modify_get_comment_author_defaults", 10, 3 );
    

Example 1: Modify Comment Author Name

This example demonstrates how to modify the comment author name to include the word “Guest” before the author’s name.

    function weplugins_modify_get_comment_author_name($author, $comment_ID, $comment) {
        return 'Guest ' . $author;
    }
    add_filter( 'get_comment_author', 'weplugins_modify_get_comment_author_name', 10, 3 );
    

Example 2: Append Comment ID to Author Name

In this example, the comment ID is appended to the author’s name for better identification.

    function weplugins_append_comment_id_to_author($author, $comment_ID, $comment) {
        return $author . ' (Comment ID: ' . $comment_ID . ')';
    }
    add_filter( 'get_comment_author', 'weplugins_append_comment_id_to_author', 10, 3 );
    

Example 3: Add Author Role to Comment Author Name

This example shows how to append the user’s role to the comment author name.

    function weplugins_append_author_role($author, $comment_ID, $comment) {
        $user = get_user_by('email', $comment->comment_author_email);
        if ($user) {
            $role = implode(', ', $user->roles);
            return $author . ' (' . ucfirst($role) . ')';
        }
        return $author;
    }
    add_filter( 'get_comment_author', 'weplugins_append_author_role', 10, 3 );
    

To remove a hook callback, use the example below.

remove_filter( "get_comment_author", "weplugins_modify_get_comment_author_defaults", 10, 3 );

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