How to use manage_this-screen-id_sortable_columns filter in WordPress

Ever wondered how you can customize WordPress to fit your specific needs? Hooks are your best friend! Let’s dive into the manage_this-screen-id_sortable_columns filter. This is an amazing hook that lets you modify the sortable columns on a screen in WordPress. The dynamic part, $this->screen->id, represents the current screen’s ID. You can register this filter using add_filter in your theme’s functions.php or a custom plugin. It’s always a good idea to create a custom plugin so your changes persist even after theme updates.

Example 1: Making the Title Column Non-Sortable

Here’s a simple example of how you can use the hook to make the title column non-sortable in the posts screen.

    add_filter( 'manage_edit-post_sortable_columns', 'weplugins_slug_title_not_sortable' );
    function weplugins_slug_title_not_sortable( $cols ) {
        unset( $cols['title'] );
        return $cols;
    }
    

Example 2: Customizing Sortable Columns

Below is an example of how to use this hook to customize the sortable columns according to your needs.

    function weplugins_modify_manage_this_screen_id_sortable_columns_defaults($sortable_columns) { 
        // Update the $sortable_columns as needed.
        return $sortable_columns; 
    }
    // Add the filter
    add_filter( "manage_this-screen-id_sortable_columns", "weplugins_modify_manage_this_screen_id_sortable_columns_defaults", 10, 1 );
    

Example 3: Removing the Hook Callback

If you need to remove a registered hook, you can use the following code snippet. Remember to provide the same callback function name, priority, and number of arguments.

    remove_filter( "manage_this-screen-id_sortable_columns", "weplugins_modify_manage_this_screen_id_sortable_columns_defaults", 10, 1 );
    

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need some customization help. Check out our Contact Us page for more info.