How to use loop_start action in WordPress

loop_start action

The loop_start action fires once the loop is started. To use this action, you first need to register it using add_action. You can place this code in your theme’s functions.php file or create a custom WordPress Plugin. At WePlugins, we recommend using a custom plugin to prevent breaking changes when updating your theme. Let’s explore some practical examples of using this hook.

Example 1: Registering the loop_start Action

In this example, we’ll define a function weplugins_execute_on_loop_start_event and register it using add_action. The parameters include the hook name loop_start, the function name, priority, and number of arguments.

    function weplugins_execute_on_loop_start_event($query) {
        // Code to execute when the loop starts
    }
    add_action("loop_start", "weplugins_execute_on_loop_start_event", 10, 1);
    

Example 2: Removing the loop_start Action

If you need to remove a registered hook, use remove_action. Here’s how you can remove the loop_start action.

    remove_action("loop_start", "weplugins_execute_on_loop_start_event", 10, 1);
    

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

Example 3: Using Parameters with loop_start

The loop_start action requires one parameter: $query (WP_Query). This is the WP_Query instance passed by reference.

    function weplugins_modify_query_on_loop_start($query) {
        if ($query->is_main_query()) {
            // Modify the main query
        }
    }
    add_action("loop_start", "weplugins_modify_query_on_loop_start", 10, 1);