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How to use auth_cookie_expiration filter in WordPress

Sandeep Kumar Mishra
Sandeep Kumar Mishra
July 12, 2022
5 minutes read

auth_cookie_expiration filter

Filters the duration of the authentication cookie expiration period.

To use auth_cookie_expiration 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 Flipper Code, 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_auth_cookie_expiration_defaults which takes 3 parameters and we registered using add_filter. The first parameter auth_cookie_expiration is name of the hook, The second parameter modify_auth_cookie_expiration_defaults is name of the function which need to be called, third parameter is the priority of calling the hook if same hook is used multiple times and the last parameter is the number of arguments (if any) to be passed in the registered function.

Sometime, you have to remove a registered hook so you can use remove_filter to remove auth_cookie_expiration filter.

Parameters

    Below are the 3 parameters are required to use this hook.

  • $length : (int) Duration of the expiration period in seconds.
  • $user_id : (int) User ID.
  • $remember : (bool) Whether to remember the user login. Default false.

Live Example

add_filter ( 'auth_cookie_expiration', 'wpdev_login_session' );
 function wpdev_login_session( $expire ) { // Set login session limit in seconds
    return YEAR_IN_SECONDS;
    // return MONTH_IN_SECONDS;
    // return DAY_IN_SECONDS;
    // return HOUR_IN_SECONDS;
}

Below is an example how you can use this hook.

                        function modify_auth_cookie_expiration_defaults($length, $user_id, $remember) { 
   
                            // Update the $length variable according to your website requirements and return this variable. You can modify the $length variable conditionally too if you want.

                            return $length; 
                        }
                        // add the filter
                        add_filter( "auth_cookie_expiration", "modify_auth_cookie_expiration_defaults", 10, 3 );

To remove a hook callback, use the example below.

remove_filter( "auth_cookie_expiration", "modify_auth_cookie_expiration_defaults", 10, 3 );

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

Flipper Code is a Premium WordPress Plugins development company and integrating new functionalites into WordPress sites in form of custom WordPress Plugins since 2012. If you’re having any trouble using this hook, please contact our WordPress Development Team and we’d be happy to assist you.

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