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Working with Users

Topics

Adding Users Adding Users

To add a user you can use wp_create_user() or wp_insert_user().

wp_create_user() creates a user using only the username, password and email parameters while while wp_insert_user() accepts an array or object describing the user and it’s properties.

Create User Create User

wp_create_user(
    string $username,
    string $password,
    string $email = ''
);

Allows you to create a new WordPress user.

Note:
It uses wp_slash() to escape the values. The PHP compact() function to create an array with these values. The wp_insert_user() to perform the insert operation.

Please refer to the Function Reference about wp_create_user() for full explanation about the used parameters.

Example Create Example Create

// check if the username is taken
$user_id = username_exists($user_name);

// check that the email address does not belong to a registered user
if (!$user_id && email_exists($user_email) === false) {
// create a random password
    $random_password = wp_generate_password(
        $length = 12,
        $include_standard_special_chars = false
    );
// create the user
    $user_id = wp_create_user(
        $user_name,
        $random_password,
        $user_email
    );
}

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Insert User Insert User

wp_insert_user(
    array|object|WP_User $userdata
);

Note:
The function calls a filter for most predefined properties.

The function performs the action user_register when creating a user (user ID does not exist).

The function performs the action profile_update when updating the user (user ID exists).

Please refer to the Function Reference about wp_insert_user() for full explanation about the used parameters.

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Example Insert Example Insert

Below is an example showing how to insert a new user with the website profile field filled in.

$username = $_POST['username'];
$password = $_POST['password'];
$website = $_POST['website'];
$user_data = [
    'user_login' => $username,
    'user_pass'  => $password,
    'user_url'   => $website,
];

$user_id = wp_insert_user($user_data);

// success
if (!is_wp_error($user_id)) {
    echo 'User created: ' . $user_id;
}

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Updating Users Updating Users

wp_update_user(
    mixed $userdata
);

Updates a single user in the database. The update data is passed along in the $userdata array/object.

To update a single piece of user meta data, use update_user_meta() instead.
To create a new user, use wp_insert_user() instead.

Note:
If current user’s password is being updated, then the cookies will be cleared!

Please refer to the Function Reference about wp_update_user() for full explanation about the used parameters.

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Example Update Example Update

Below is an example showing how to update a user’s website profile field.

$user_id = 1;
$website = 'https://wordpress.org';

$user_id = wp_update_user(
    [
        'ID'       => $user_id,
        'user_url' => $website,
    ]
);

if (is_wp_error($user_id)) {
    // error
} else {
    // success
}

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Deleting Users Deleting Users

wp_delete_user(
    int $id,
    int $reassign = null
);

Delete the user and optionally reassign associated entities to another user ID.

Note:
The function performs the action deleted_user after the user have been deleted.

Alert:
If the $reassign parameter is not set to a valid user ID, then all entities belonging to the deleted user will be deleted!

Please refer to the Function Reference about wp_delete_user() for full explanation about the used parameters.