To create a custom WordPress shortcode, you need to define a custom function that generates the desired output and then register that function as a shortcode using the add_shortcode() function. You can add this code to your theme’s functions.php file or a custom plugin file.
Here’s an example of creating a simple shortcode:
- In your WordPress admin dashboard, go to “Appearance” > “Theme Editor.”
- In the right sidebar, locate and click on the “functions.php” file.
- Add the following code snippet at the end of the file:
// Your custom shortcode function
function my_custom_shortcode($atts) {
// Extract the shortcode attributes (if any)
$atts = shortcode_atts(array(
'text' => 'Hello, world!', // Default value for the 'text' attribute
), $atts, 'my_shortcode');
// Generate and return the output
return '' . esc_html($atts['text']) . '';
}
// Register the shortcode
add_shortcode('my_shortcode', 'my_custom_shortcode');
This code snippet creates a function called my_custom_shortcode() that generates a div element containing the text specified by the text attribute.
The shortcode_atts() function is used to extract the attributes and provide default values.
The add_shortcode() function registers the shortcode with the tag my_shortcode.
- Click “Update File” to save the changes.
Now you can use the [my_shortcode] shortcode in your WordPress posts and pages.
You can also pass the text attribute to customize the output, like this:
[my_shortcode text="Custom text"]
This will display a div element with the specified custom text instead of the default “Hello, world!”.
Note: When creating more advanced shortcodes, make sure to sanitize and validate any user-supplied data to ensure security and proper functionality.