How to use get_meta_type_metadata action in WordPress

get_meta_type_metadata 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). Returning a non-null value will effectively short-circuit the function.

To use get_meta_type_metadata 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.

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_execute_on_get_meta_type_metadata_event which takes 5 parameters and we registered using add_action. The first parameter get_meta_type_metadata is the name of the hook, the second parameter weplugins_execute_on_get_meta_type_metadata_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 get_meta_type_metadata action.

Parameters

Below are the 5 parameters required to use this hook:

• $value: (mixed) The value to return, either a single metadata value or an array of values depending on the value of $single. Default null.
• $object_id: (int) ID of the object metadata is for.
• $meta_key: (string) Metadata key.
• $single: (bool) Whether to return only the first value of the specified $meta_key.
• $meta_type: (string) Type of object metadata is for. Accepts ‘post’, ‘comment’, ‘term’, ‘user’, or any other object type with an associated meta table.

Live Example 1: Basic Hook Registration

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

    function weplugins_execute_on_get_meta_type_metadata_event($value, $object_id, $meta_key, $single, $meta_type) {
        // You can write code here to be executed when this action occurs in WordPress. Use the parameters received in the function arguments & implement the required additional custom functionality according to your website requirements.
    }
    // add the action
    add_action("get_meta_type_metadata", "weplugins_execute_on_get_meta_type_metadata_event", 10, 5);
    

Live Example 2: Removing a Hook Callback

To remove a hook callback, use the example below.

    remove_action("get_meta_type_metadata", "weplugins_execute_on_get_meta_type_metadata_event", 10, 5);
    

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

Live Example 3: Custom Metadata Filtering

Here’s another example showing how to filter user metadata.

    add_action('init', 'weplugins_init');
    function weplugins_init() {
        add_filter('get_user_metadata', 'weplugins_get_user_metadata', 10, 3);
    }

    function weplugins_get_user_metadata($check, $object_id, $meta_key) {
        if ('custom_key' === $meta_key) {
            // Always return an array with your return value.
            return array('custom_value');
        }
        return $check;
    }
    

Contact Us

If you need customization or have any trouble using this hook, please contact us.