How to use pre_get_document_title filter in WordPress

pre_get_document_title filter

This filter allows you to tweak the title displayed in the browser bar. For instance, if you’re developing an SEO plugin, this filter enables you to dynamically modify the page title.

To use the pre_get_document_title 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_pre_get_document_title_defaults which takes 1 parameter and we registered using add_filter. The first parameter pre_get_document_title is the name of the hook, the second parameter modify_pre_get_document_title_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_get_document_title filter.

Parameters

Below the 1 parameter is required to use this hook.

• $title : (string) The document title. Default empty string.

Live Example

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

function weplugins_modify_pre_get_document_title_defaults($title) { 
    // Update the $title variable according to your website requirements and return this variable.
    // You can modify the $title variable conditionally too if you want.
    return $title; 
}
// add the filter
add_filter("pre_get_document_title", "weplugins_modify_pre_get_document_title_defaults", 10, 1);

Add Site Name to Page Titles Example

This example shows how to append the site name to the title for singular pages.

function weplugins_add_site_name_to_title($title) {
    if (is_singular()) {
        $title .= ' | ' . get_bloginfo('name');
    }
    return $title;
}
add_filter('pre_get_document_title', 'weplugins_add_site_name_to_title');

Customize Archive Page Titles Example

In this example, we customize the titles for archive pages by adding specific text to the title.

function weplugins_customize_archive_titles($title) {
    if (is_archive()) {
        $title = 'Explore ' . single_cat_title('', false) . ' Archives';
    }
    return $title;
}
add_filter('pre_get_document_title', 'weplugins_customize_archive_titles');

Dynamic SEO Titles for Posts Example

This example dynamically sets the title for posts using a custom field named ‘seo_title’.

function weplugins_dynamic_seo_titles($title) {
    if (is_single()) {
        $seo_title = get_post_meta(get_the_ID(), 'seo_title', true);
        if (!empty($seo_title)) {
            $title = $seo_title;
        }
    }
    return $title;
}
add_filter('pre_get_document_title', 'weplugins_dynamic_seo_titles');

To remove a hook callback, use the example below.

remove_filter("pre_get_document_title", "weplugins_modify_pre_get_document_title_defaults", 10, 1);

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 our WordPress Development Team and we’d be happy to assist you.