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How to use pre_do_shortcode_tag filter in WordPress

Sandeep Kumar Mishra
Sandeep Kumar Mishra
September 9, 2022
5 minutes read

pre_do_shortcode_tag filter

Returning a non-false value from the filter will short-circuit the shortcode generation process, returning that value instead.

To use the pre_do_shortcode_tag 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_pre_do_shortcode_tag_defaults which takes 4 parameters and we registered using add_filter. The first parameter pre_do_shortcode_tag is the name of the hook, the second parameter weplugins_modify_pre_do_shortcode_tag_defaults 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_filter to remove the pre_do_shortcode_tag filter.

Parameters

Below are the 4 parameters required to use this hook.

  • $return: (false|string) Short-circuit return value. Either false or the value to replace the shortcode with.
  • $tag: (string) Shortcode name.
  • $attr: (array|string) Shortcode attributes array or empty string.
  • $m: (array) Regular expression match array.

Live Example

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

    function weplugins_modify_pre_do_shortcode_tag_defaults($return, $tag, $attr, $m) {
        // Update the $return variable according to your website requirements and return this variable. You can modify the $return variable conditionally too if you want.
        return $return;
    }
    // add the filter
    add_filter("pre_do_shortcode_tag", "weplugins_modify_pre_do_shortcode_tag_defaults", 10, 4);
    

Removing the Hook

To remove a hook callback, use the example below.

    remove_filter("pre_do_shortcode_tag", "weplugins_modify_pre_do_shortcode_tag_defaults", 10, 4);
    

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

Example 1: Simple Shortcode Replacement

This example shows how to replace a shortcode with a simple text string.

    function weplugins_modify_pre_do_shortcode_tag_defaults($return, $tag, $attr, $m) {
        if ($tag == 'example_shortcode') {
            return 'This is a replacement text.';
        }
        return $return;
    }
    add_filter("pre_do_shortcode_tag", "weplugins_modify_pre_do_shortcode_tag_defaults", 10, 4);
    

Example 2: Conditional Replacement Based on Attributes

This example demonstrates how to conditionally replace a shortcode based on its attributes.

    function weplugins_modify_pre_do_shortcode_tag_defaults($return, $tag, $attr, $m) {
        if ($tag == 'example_shortcode' && isset($attr['type']) && $attr['type'] == 'special') {
            return 'Special replacement text for shortcode.';
        }
        return $return;
    }
    add_filter("pre_do_shortcode_tag", "weplugins_modify_pre_do_shortcode_tag_defaults", 10, 4);
    

Example 3: Using Regular Expression Matches

This example shows how to use regular expression matches to modify the shortcode output.

    function weplugins_modify_pre_do_shortcode_tag_defaults($return, $tag, $attr, $m) {
        if ($tag == 'example_shortcode' && !empty($m)) {
            return 'Replacement based on regex match: ' . $m[0];
        }
        return $return;
    }
    add_filter("pre_do_shortcode_tag", "weplugins_modify_pre_do_shortcode_tag_defaults", 10, 4);
    

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Contact Us

If you’re having any trouble using this hook, please contact our team and we’d be happy to assist you.

Sandeep Kumar Mishra

Sandeep Kumar Mishra

Sandeep Kumar Mishra writes about WordPress and Artificial Intelligence, offering tips and guides to help you master your website and stay updated with the latest tech trends.

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