register_setting( string $option_group, string $option_name, array $args = array() )

Register a setting and its data.


Description Description


Parameters Parameters

$option_group

(string) (Required) A settings group name. Should correspond to a whitelisted option key name. Default whitelisted option key names include "general," "discussion," and "reading," among others.

$option_name

(string) (Required) The name of an option to sanitize and save.

$args

(array) (Optional) Data used to describe the setting when registered.

  • 'type'
    (string) The type of data associated with this setting. Valid values are 'string', 'boolean', 'integer', and 'number'.
  • 'description'
    (string) A description of the data attached to this setting.
  • 'sanitize_callback'
    (callable) A callback function that sanitizes the option's value.
  • 'show_in_rest'
    (bool) Whether data associated with this setting should be included in the REST API.
  • 'default'
    (mixed) Default value when calling get_option().

Default value: array()


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Source Source

File: wp-includes/option.php

function register_setting( $option_group, $option_name, $args = array() ) {
	global $new_whitelist_options, $wp_registered_settings;

	$defaults = array(
		'type'              => 'string',
		'group'             => $option_group,
		'description'       => '',
		'sanitize_callback' => null,
		'show_in_rest'      => false,
	);

	// Back-compat: old sanitize callback is added.
	if ( is_callable( $args ) ) {
		$args = array(
			'sanitize_callback' => $args,
		);
	}

	/**
	 * Filters the registration arguments when registering a setting.
	 *
	 * @since 4.7.0
	 *
	 * @param array  $args         Array of setting registration arguments.
	 * @param array  $defaults     Array of default arguments.
	 * @param string $option_group Setting group.
	 * @param string $option_name  Setting name.
	 */
	$args = apply_filters( 'register_setting_args', $args, $defaults, $option_group, $option_name );
	$args = wp_parse_args( $args, $defaults );

	if ( ! is_array( $wp_registered_settings ) ) {
		$wp_registered_settings = array();
	}

	if ( 'misc' == $option_group ) {
		_deprecated_argument(
			__FUNCTION__,
			'3.0.0',
			sprintf(
				/* translators: %s: misc */
				__( 'The "%s" options group has been removed. Use another settings group.' ),
				'misc'
			)
		);
		$option_group = 'general';
	}

	if ( 'privacy' == $option_group ) {
		_deprecated_argument(
			__FUNCTION__,
			'3.5.0',
			sprintf(
				/* translators: %s: privacy */
				__( 'The "%s" options group has been removed. Use another settings group.' ),
				'privacy'
			)
		);
		$option_group = 'reading';
	}

	$new_whitelist_options[ $option_group ][] = $option_name;
	if ( ! empty( $args['sanitize_callback'] ) ) {
		add_filter( "sanitize_option_{$option_name}", $args['sanitize_callback'] );
	}
	if ( array_key_exists( 'default', $args ) ) {
		add_filter( "default_option_{$option_name}", 'filter_default_option', 10, 3 );
	}

	$wp_registered_settings[ $option_name ] = $args;
}

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Changelog Changelog

Changelog
Version Description
4.7.0 $args can be passed to set flags on the setting, similar to register_meta().
2.7.0 Introduced.


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User Contributed Notes User Contributed Notes

  1. Skip to note 1 content
    Contributed by Farhan Noor
    /**
    * Registers a text field setting for Wordpress 4.7 and higher.
    **/
    function register_my_setting() {
    	$args = array(
    			'type' => 'string', 
    			'sanitize_callback' => 'sanitize_text_field',
    			'default' => NULL,
    			);
        register_setting( 'my_options_group', 'my_option_name', $args ); 
    } 
    add_action( 'admin_init', 'register_my_setting' );
    
  2. Skip to note 3 content
    Contributed by Andy Schmidt

    The sanitize callback will be launched twice! Therefore, if sanitizing involves any performance critical or singular tasks, then measures must be taken in the callback to avoid duplicate execution of those portions.

    const	PLUGIN_SLUG =	'MyPlugin';
    
    /*
     *	Setup Plug-In Hooks (Namespaced Example)
     */
    \add_action( 'wp_loaded', __NAMESPACE__.'\on_wp_loaded' );
    
    if ( is_blog_admin() ) {
    	\register_activation_hook( __FILE__,  __NAMESPACE__.'\on_activate' );
    	\register_deactivation_hook( __FILE__,  __NAMESPACE__.'\on_deactivate' );
    	
    	\add_action( 'admin_menu', __NAMESPACE__.'\on_admin_menu' );
    	\add_action( 'admin_init', __NAMESPACE__.'\on_admin_init' );
    	\add_filter( 'plugin_action_links_' . plugin_basename( __FILE__ ), __NAMESPACE__.'\action_links' );
    }
    return;
    
    /*
     *	Add custom options to whitelist, allowing valiated settings to be saved by form.
     */
    function on_admin_init(): void 
    {
    	\register_setting( PLUGIN_SLUG, PLUGIN_SLUG, [ 'sanitize_callback' => __NAMESPACE__.'\sanitize_settings' ] ); 
    }
    
    /*
     *	Sanitize the form input.
     */
    function sanitize_settings( $input = NULL ):  
    {
    	// Detect multiple sanitizing passes.
    	// Accomodates bug: https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/21989
    	static $pass_count = 0; $pass_count++;
    
    	if ( $pass_count <= 1 ) {
    		// Handle any single-time / performane sensitive actions.
    
    	}
    
    	// Insert regular santizing code here.
    }
  3. Skip to note 4 content
    Contributed by Bence Szalai

    Some notes about the elements in the $args parameter:

    'type':

    • Only has an effect if 'show_in_rest' is set. So if 'show_in_rest' is false or not part of $args, do not bother with setting a 'type'.
    • Only used by the REST API to define the schema associated with the setting and to implement sanitization over the REST API.
    • Has no effect for the workings of the Admin pages or the way the Setting is handled by the Options API. (I.e.: although probably you shouldn’t, it is possible to submit for example a string value for a setting from the Admin forms that has the 'type' set to "boolean". WP will not complain and will store the value in the options table. It would however cause issues with the REST API, so be careful!)
    • On top of those listed in this page, it also accepts values such as: 'array' and 'object'.

    'description':

    • Only has an effect if 'show_in_rest' is set. So if 'show_in_rest' is false or not part of $args, do not bother with setting a 'description'.
    • Only used by the REST API.

    'default':

    • Affects both the Options API (e.g. get_option()) and the REST API.

    In conclusion: if you do not plan to include your setting in the REST API, it is perfectly enough to only set the 'default' and the 'sanitize_callback' elements in the $args array. Anything else would be ignored anyway.

  4. Skip to note 6 content
    Contributed by Ian Dunn

    If you want the setting to appear in the wp-json/wp/v2/settings endpoint, you’ll need to call register_setting() on the rest_api_init action, in addition to the normal admin_init action.

    add_action( 'admin_init',    'foo_register_settings' );
    add_action( 'rest_api_init', 'foo_register_settings' );
    
    function foo_register_settings() {
    	register_setting(
    		'foo',
    		'foo_my_setting',
    		array(
    			'type'              => 'string',
    			'show_in_rest'      => true,
    			'sanitize_callback' => 'sanitize_text_field',
    		)
    	);
    }
    

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