How to use get_the_time filter in WordPress

get_the_time filter

Filters the time a post was written.

To use the get_the_time filter, first, you have to register it using add_filter. You can write this code into the 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_the_time_defaults which takes 3 parameters, and we registered it using add_filter. The first parameter get_the_time is the name of the hook. The second parameter weplugins_modify_get_the_time_defaults is the name of the function that 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_the_time filter.

Parameters

Below are the 3 parameters required to use this hook.

• $the_time : (string|int) Formatted date string or Unix timestamp if $format is ‘U’ or ‘G’.
• $format : (string) Format to use for retrieving the time the post was written. Accepts ‘G’, ‘U’, or PHP date format.
• $post : (WP_Post) Post object.

Live Example 1: Basic Usage

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

	function weplugins_modify_get_the_time_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_time", "weplugins_modify_get_the_time_defaults", 10, 3 );
	

Live Example 2: Conditional Modification

In this example, we’ll modify the time format conditionally based on the post ID.

	function weplugins_modify_get_the_time_conditionally($the_time, $format, $post) {
		if ($post->ID == 1) {
			$the_time = date('F j, Y', strtotime($the_time));
		}
		return $the_time;
	}
	// add the filter
	add_filter( "get_the_time", "weplugins_modify_get_the_time_conditionally", 10, 3 );
	

Live Example 3: Remove Hook

To remove a hook callback, use the example below.

	remove_filter( "get_the_time", "weplugins_modify_get_the_time_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.