How to use get_the_modified_date filter in WordPress

get_the_modified_date filter

Filters the date a post was last modified.

To use get_the_modified_date 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 modify_get_the_modified_date_defaults which takes 3 parameters and we registered using add_filter. The first parameter get_the_modified_date is name of the hook, The second parameter modify_get_the_modified_date_defaults is 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.

Sometime, you have to remove a registered hook so you can use remove_filter to remove get_the_modified_date filter.

Parameters

Below are the 3 parameters required to use this hook.

• $the_time : (string|int|false) The formatted date or false if no post is found.
• $format : (string) PHP date format.
• $post : (WP_Post|null) WP_Post object or null if no post is found.

Live Example 1: Basic Usage

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

    function weplugins_modify_get_the_modified_date_defaults($the_time, $format, $post) {
        // Update the $the_time variable according to your website requirements and return this variable. You can modify the $the_time variable conditionally too if you want.
        return $the_time;
    }
    // add the filter
    add_filter("get_the_modified_date", "weplugins_modify_get_the_modified_date_defaults", 10, 3);
    

Live Example 2: Custom Date Format

Here we modify the date format before returning it.

    function weplugins_modify_get_the_modified_date_format($the_time, $format, $post) {
        // Custom date format
        return date('F j, Y', strtotime($the_time));
    }
    // add the filter
    add_filter("get_the_modified_date", "weplugins_modify_get_the_modified_date_format", 10, 3);
    

Live Example 3: Conditional Date Modification

Modify the date based on a custom condition.

    function weplugins_modify_get_the_modified_date_conditional($the_time, $format, $post) {
        // Conditional modification
        if ($post->post_type == 'custom_post_type') {
            return date('Y-m-d', strtotime($the_time));
        }
        return $the_time;
    }
    // add the filter
    add_filter("get_the_modified_date", "weplugins_modify_get_the_modified_date_conditional", 10, 3);
    

Removing the Hook

To remove a hook callback, use the example below.

    remove_filter("get_the_modified_date", "weplugins_modify_get_the_modified_date_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’re having any trouble using this hook, please Contact Us and we’d be happy to assist you.