Title: Adding shortcode to Plugin Last modified: August 7, 2017 --- # Adding shortcode to Plugin * Resolved [jamezon](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamezon/) * (@jamezon) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/) * Hi, * It is easy to add shortcode to a text widget by either using a plugin or adding the following to the functions file: * add_filter( ‘widget_text’, ‘shortcode_unautop’ ); add_filter(‘widget_text’, ‘ do_shortcode’); * This enables you to use a shortcode such as a date and then displaying a current or dynamic date in your widget sidebar. * Is there a way to actually enable shortcode execution (specifically for a dynamic or current date) for WordPress Popular Posts? * The actual shortcode is showing in the side bar and not the date. * WordPress does not support shortcodes in widgets or the sidebar as far as I know, unless you add a filter. * Can anyone help please? * Thanks. Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 18 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/page/2/?output_format=md) * Plugin Author [Hector Cabrera](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hcabrera/) * (@hcabrera) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/#post-9387358) * Hi there, * Sorry, I didn’t understand any of that 😛 Could you please explain what are you trying to do? * Thread Starter [jamezon](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamezon/) * (@jamezon) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/#post-9387411) * Hi Hector, * In my post title, in the H1 tag, I add a date automatically by using a shortcode[ datetoday]. * So if my if my post title is: “How to Understand Shortcode [datetoday]” * it shows as: “How to Understand Shortcode 2017” * When this heading gets pulled into the widget, this is what it shows: “How to Understand Shortcode [datetoday]” * See how it looks currently in the popular posts widget: [http://www.spyequipmentguide.com/](http://www.spyequipmentguide.com/) * Thanks, * James * Plugin Author [Hector Cabrera](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hcabrera/) * (@hcabrera) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/#post-9387609) * Ah, I see. Thanks for the explanation! * Not sure if there’s a simple way to do what you want since the plugin isn’t expecting to find a shortcode in the post title, yours isn’t really a common use case. * I’ll give it some thought and get back to you later, alright? * Thread Starter [jamezon](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamezon/) * (@jamezon) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/#post-9387695) * Thanks. * As you can imagine, it is extremely annoying. * Plugin Author [Hector Cabrera](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hcabrera/) * (@hcabrera) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/#post-9388203) * You can remove the widget from your sidebar for the time being. As long as the plugin is active it’ll keep tracking visits, even if the widget isn’t active. * Thread Starter [jamezon](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamezon/) * (@jamezon) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/#post-9388255) * Thanks. * I’ll leave it up for now. * Hopefully you will find an answer. * Plugin Author [Hector Cabrera](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hcabrera/) * (@hcabrera) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/#post-9389401) * Alright, try this: * ``` function bse_custom_single_popular_post( $post_html, $p, $instance ){ // Post permalink $permalink = get_the_permalink( $p->id ); // Post title, here's where the magic happens! $post_title = do_shortcode( $p->title ); /* do_shortcode parses shortcodes found in a string */ // Retrieve post thumbnail $thumbnail = get_the_post_thumbnail( $p->id, array(80, 100), array('class' => 'wpp-thumbnail', 'alt' => esc_attr( $post_title ) ) ); // OK, now let's put everything together $output = '
  • ' . $thumbnail . ' ' . $post_title . '
    • '; return $output; } add_filter( 'wpp_post', 'bse_custom_single_popular_post', 10, 3 ); ``` * Explanation: * The code hooks into [wpp_post](https://github.com/cabrerahector/wordpress-popular-posts/wiki/3.-Filters#wpp_post), a filter hook provided by WPP to customize the HTML output of the widget, so we can tweak it to our needs. * First, let’s retrieve the URL of your post (we’re literally building the HTML ouptut of the widget from scratch here.) Next, we’ll use the [do_shortcode function](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/do_shortcode/) to parse all shortcodes found (if any) in your post titles. Finally, let’s retrieve the post thumbnail and then put everything together before returning it to the plugin. * FYI I didn’t test this but I’m pretty confident it’ll work. * Thread Starter [jamezon](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamezon/) * (@jamezon) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/#post-9394197) * Thanks Hector, * I added the code to the bottom of my functions file (I hope that’s what you actually meant I must do) * The popular post plugin refused to work at all and some pages gave me a parse error on this line: $permalink = get_the_permalink( $p->id ); * Thanks again for your help. * Plugin Author [Hector Cabrera](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hcabrera/) * (@hcabrera) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/#post-9394283) * That’s odd, I don’t see anything wrong with that line. I’ll give it a try and report back. * Thread Starter [jamezon](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamezon/) * (@jamezon) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/#post-9394804) * Thanks Hector. * Plugin Author [Hector Cabrera](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hcabrera/) * (@hcabrera) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/#post-9394938) * Ah, there was an error indeed. See, most of WordPress functions follow this convention: - _the\_function\_name_ - _**get\_**the\_function\_name_ * where the former outputs data directly into the screen, and the latter returns the data to PHP. * The function to retrieve a post/page permalink is (one of) the exception(s): it’s [get_permalink()](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_permalink/), not get**_the**_permalink(). * In short: simply replace `get_the_permalink` with `get_permalink` and it should be good now 🙂 - This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by [Hector Cabrera](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hcabrera/). * Thread Starter [jamezon](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamezon/) * (@jamezon) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/#post-9395152) * Hi Hector, * I did what you said. * Got the following: * [Large code excerpt removed by moderator per [forum guidelines](https://wordpress.org/support/guidelines/). Please use [Pastebin](https://pastebin.com/) or a [Gist](https://gist.github.com) for all large code excerpts, they work better anyway.] * Now I am stuck. It still does not work. * Thanks again. - This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by [James Huff](https://wordpress.org/support/users/macmanx/). * Plugin Author [Hector Cabrera](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hcabrera/) * (@hcabrera) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/#post-9395426) * Ok, just tested it on the Twenty Seventeen theme and it works as expected: [https://prnt.sc/g6f98s](https://prnt.sc/g6f98s) * Here’s the revised code: * ``` function bse_custom_single_popular_post( $post_html, $p, $instance ){ // Post permalink $permalink = get_permalink( $p->id ); // Post title, here's where the magic happens! $post_title = do_shortcode( $p->title ); /* do_shortcode parses shortcodes found in a string */ // Retrieve post thumbnail $thumbnail = get_the_post_thumbnail( $p->id, array(80, 100), array('class' => 'wpp-thumbnail', 'alt' => esc_attr( $post_title ) ) ); // OK, now let's put everything together $output = '
  • ' . $thumbnail . ' ' . $post_title . '
    • '; return $output; } add_filter( 'wpp_post', 'bse_custom_single_popular_post' ); ``` * Are you sure you’re placing the code in the right spot within your theme’s functions. php file? * Also, please use the code button when sharing code here. WP forums breaks some times when posting raw code like you did. * Thread Starter [jamezon](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamezon/) * (@jamezon) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/#post-9395532) * Thanks. * No more errors but still not working with the Tortuga theme. * Where in the functions file should I place the code? * I placed the code at the bottom; obviously not the right place. * I feel that we are almost there. * Thanks, * James * Plugin Author [Hector Cabrera](https://wordpress.org/support/users/hcabrera/) * (@hcabrera) * [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/#post-9395559) * Try placing it at the top of the file. If it still doesn’t work, please upload your theme’s functions.php file to pastebin.com so I can take a look. * Alternatively, you could just convert that code snippet into a plugin: * ``` id ); // Post title, here's where the magic happens! $post_title = do_shortcode( $p->title ); /* do_shortcode parses shortcodes found in a string */ // Retrieve post thumbnail $thumbnail = get_the_post_thumbnail( $p->id, array(80, 100), array('class' => 'wpp-thumbnail', 'alt' => esc_attr( $post_title ) ) ); // OK, now let's put everything together $output = '
  • ' . $thumbnail . ' ' . $post_title . '
    • '; return $output; } add_filter( 'wpp_post', 'bse_custom_single_popular_post' ); ``` * Save that as wpp-custom-html-markup.php, place it in your wp-content/plugins/ folder and activate it through your Dashboard (and remember to delete the code from your theme’s functions.php file!) Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 18 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/page/2/?output_format=md) The topic ‘Adding shortcode to Plugin’ is closed to new replies. * ![](https://ps.w.org/wordpress-popular-posts/assets/icon-256x256.png?rev=1232659) * [WP Popular Posts](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-popular-posts/) * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-popular-posts/#faq) * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wordpress-popular-posts/) * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wordpress-popular-posts/active/) * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wordpress-popular-posts/unresolved/) * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wordpress-popular-posts/reviews/) ## Tags * [do_shortcode](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/do_shortcode/) * [filter](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/filter/) * [hook](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/hook/) * [wpp_post](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/wpp_post/) * 18 replies * 2 participants * Last reply from: [jamezon](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jamezon/) * Last activity: [8 years, 9 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-shortcode-to-plugin/page/2/#post-9401839) * Status: resolved