Action hooks in Wordpress - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is an action hook in WordPress?

An action hook is a way to add or change functionality in WordPress by running custom code at specific points during WordPress execution.

beginner

How do you add a function to an action hook in WordPress?

Use the add_action('hook_name', 'your_function_name'); function to tell WordPress to run your function when the hook runs.

intermediate

What is the difference between an action hook and a filter hook?

An action hook runs code at certain points but does not change data. A filter hook lets you modify data before it is used or displayed.

intermediate

What parameters can add_action accept besides the hook name and function?

It can accept priority (number to control order) and number of accepted arguments (how many inputs your function expects).

beginner

Give an example of a common WordPress action hook and its use.

The wp_footer action hook runs just before the closing </body> tag. You can use it to add scripts or HTML to the footer.

Which function is used to attach a function to an action hook in WordPress?

A add_action

B add_filter

C do_action

D apply_filters

add_action attaches your function to an action hook. add_filter is for filters, do_action runs the hook, and apply_filters runs filters.

What does the priority parameter in add_action control?

A The type of hook (action or filter)

B How many arguments your function accepts

C The number of times your function runs

D The order your function runs compared to others on the same hook

Priority controls the order functions run on the same hook. Lower numbers run first.

When is an action hook typically executed?

A At specific points during WordPress execution

B Only when a user logs in

C When a post is published

D Only during plugin activation

Action hooks run at many points in WordPress, like loading the header, footer, or saving a post.

Which hook would you use to add code just before the closing </body> tag?

A init

B wp_head

C wp_footer

D admin_init

wp_footer runs before the closing </body> tag, perfect for footer scripts.

What happens if you call do_action('my_hook') in your code?

A It creates a new hook named 'my_hook'

B All functions attached to 'my_hook' run in order

C It removes all functions from 'my_hook'

D It returns the value of 'my_hook'

do_action runs all functions attached to the named action hook.

Explain what an action hook is and how you use it in WordPress.

Think about how WordPress lets you add your code at certain points.

Describe the difference between action hooks and filter hooks in WordPress.

One changes behavior, the other changes data.