What is a Wordpress snippet and why use it?

Snippets in WordPress are short pieces of PHP code that allow you to add or modify functionality without installing a full plugin. They are ideal for developers and website administrators who want more control over how their site works, improve performance, increase security, or customize the admin interface.

Below is a selection of the most commonly used snippets, grouped by purpose – each with ready-to-copy code examples.

Security Snippets

Snippets focused on increasing WordPress security.

1. Disable XML-RPC
Protects the site from brute-force and overload attacks.

add_filter('xmlrpc_enabled', '__return_false');

2. Hide WordPress version from HTML header
Prevents attackers from identifying your WordPress version.

remove_action('wp_head', 'wp_generator');

3. Disable REST API for non-logged-in users

add_filter('rest_authentication_errors', function( $result ) {
    if ( ! is_user_logged_in() ) {
        return new WP_Error( 'rest_disabled', 'REST API is available to logged-in users only.', array( 'status' => 401 ) );
    }
    return $result;
});

WooCommerce Snippets
Snippets for customizing your WooCommerce store.

1. Change the “Add to cart” button text

add_filter('woocommerce_product_add_to_cart_text', function() {
    return 'Buy Now';
});

2. Redirect to checkout after adding a product to cart

add_filter('woocommerce_add_to_cart_redirect', function() {
    return wc_get_checkout_url();
});

3. Hide order notes field during checkout

add_filter( 'woocommerce_enable_order_notes_field', '__return_false' );

Admin Customization Snippets

1. Redirect user to a specific page after login

add_filter('login_redirect', function($redirect_to, $request, $user) {
    return home_url('/my-dashboard/');
}, 10, 3);

2. Hide update notifications for non-admin users

if (!current_user_can('manage_options')) {
    remove_action('admin_notices', 'update_nag', 3);
}

3. Disable plugin update notifications

if (!current_user_can('update_plugins')) {
    add_filter('pre_site_transient_update_plugins', '__return_null');
}

Performance Snippets

1. Disable emoji scripts

remove_action( 'wp_head', 'print_emoji_detection_script', 7 );
remove_action( 'wp_print_styles', 'print_emoji_styles' );

2. Remove oEmbed scripts (if not needed)

remove_action( 'wp_head', 'wp_oembed_add_discovery_links' );
remove_action( 'wp_head', 'wp_oembed_add_host_js' );

Cleanup and Optimization

1. Remove unused dashboard widgets

add_action('admin_menu', function() {
    remove_meta_box('dashboard_quick_press', 'dashboard', 'side');
    remove_meta_box('dashboard_primary', 'dashboard', 'side');
});

2. Disable automatic post revisions

add_action('admin_init', function() {
    remove_action('post_updated', 'wp_save_post_revision');
});

How to add snippets correctly

You can add snippets in one of the following ways:

• To the functions.php file of your active theme (recommended for small customizations only).
• Using the Code Snippets plugin, which lets you manage and test code safely within the admin panel.
• As a custom plugin – ideal for agencies or advanced projects.

Snippets are a fast and efficient way to customize WordPress without overloading your site with plugins. With the right code snippets, you can improve performance, enhance security, streamline admin workflows, and deliver a better experience to both visitors and users. Just a few lines of code can make your WordPress site faster, cleaner, and more powerful.