delete_metadata( string $meta_type, int $object_id, string $meta_key, mixed $meta_value = '', bool $delete_all = false )

Delete metadata for the specified object.


Description Description


Parameters Parameters

$meta_type

(string) (Required) Type of object metadata is for (e.g., comment, post, term, or user).

$object_id

(int) (Required) ID of the object metadata is for

$meta_key

(string) (Required) Metadata key

$meta_value

(mixed) (Optional) Metadata value. Must be serializable if non-scalar. If specified, only delete metadata entries with this value. Otherwise, delete all entries with the specified meta_key. Pass null, false, or an empty string to skip this check. (For backward compatibility, it is not possible to pass an empty string to delete those entries with an empty string for a value.)

Default value: ''

$delete_all

(bool) (Optional) If true, delete matching metadata entries for all objects, ignoring the specified object_id. Otherwise, only delete matching metadata entries for the specified object_id.

Default value: false


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Return Return

(bool) True on successful delete, false on failure.


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Source Source

File: wp-includes/meta.php

function delete_metadata( $meta_type, $object_id, $meta_key, $meta_value = '', $delete_all = false ) {
	global $wpdb;

	if ( ! $meta_type || ! $meta_key || ! is_numeric( $object_id ) && ! $delete_all ) {
		return false;
	}

	$object_id = absint( $object_id );
	if ( ! $object_id && ! $delete_all ) {
		return false;
	}

	$table = _get_meta_table( $meta_type );
	if ( ! $table ) {
		return false;
	}

	$type_column = sanitize_key( $meta_type . '_id' );
	$id_column   = 'user' == $meta_type ? 'umeta_id' : 'meta_id';
	// expected_slashed ($meta_key)
	$meta_key   = wp_unslash( $meta_key );
	$meta_value = wp_unslash( $meta_value );

	/**
	 * Filters whether to delete metadata of a specific type.
	 *
	 * The dynamic portion of the hook, `$meta_type`, refers to the meta
	 * object type (comment, post, term, or user). Returning a non-null value
	 * will effectively short-circuit the function.
	 *
	 * @since 3.1.0
	 *
	 * @param null|bool $delete     Whether to allow metadata deletion of the given type.
	 * @param int       $object_id  Object ID.
	 * @param string    $meta_key   Meta key.
	 * @param mixed     $meta_value Meta value. Must be serializable if non-scalar.
	 * @param bool      $delete_all Whether to delete the matching metadata entries
	 *                              for all objects, ignoring the specified $object_id.
	 *                              Default false.
	 */
	$check = apply_filters( "delete_{$meta_type}_metadata", null, $object_id, $meta_key, $meta_value, $delete_all );
	if ( null !== $check ) {
		return (bool) $check;
	}

	$_meta_value = $meta_value;
	$meta_value  = maybe_serialize( $meta_value );

	$query = $wpdb->prepare( "SELECT $id_column FROM $table WHERE meta_key = %s", $meta_key );

	if ( ! $delete_all ) {
		$query .= $wpdb->prepare( " AND $type_column = %d", $object_id );
	}

	if ( '' !== $meta_value && null !== $meta_value && false !== $meta_value ) {
		$query .= $wpdb->prepare( ' AND meta_value = %s', $meta_value );
	}

	$meta_ids = $wpdb->get_col( $query );
	if ( ! count( $meta_ids ) ) {
		return false;
	}

	if ( $delete_all ) {
		if ( '' !== $meta_value && null !== $meta_value && false !== $meta_value ) {
			$object_ids = $wpdb->get_col( $wpdb->prepare( "SELECT $type_column FROM $table WHERE meta_key = %s AND meta_value = %s", $meta_key, $meta_value ) );
		} else {
			$object_ids = $wpdb->get_col( $wpdb->prepare( "SELECT $type_column FROM $table WHERE meta_key = %s", $meta_key ) );
		}
	}

	/**
	 * Fires immediately before deleting metadata of a specific type.
	 *
	 * The dynamic portion of the hook, `$meta_type`, refers to the meta
	 * object type (comment, post, term, or user).
	 *
	 * @since 3.1.0
	 *
	 * @param array  $meta_ids   An array of metadata entry IDs to delete.
	 * @param int    $object_id  Object ID.
	 * @param string $meta_key   Meta key.
	 * @param mixed  $meta_value Meta value.
	 */
	do_action( "delete_{$meta_type}_meta", $meta_ids, $object_id, $meta_key, $_meta_value );

	// Old-style action.
	if ( 'post' == $meta_type ) {
		/**
		 * Fires immediately before deleting metadata for a post.
		 *
		 * @since 2.9.0
		 *
		 * @param array $meta_ids An array of post metadata entry IDs to delete.
		 */
		do_action( 'delete_postmeta', $meta_ids );
	}

	$query = "DELETE FROM $table WHERE $id_column IN( " . implode( ',', $meta_ids ) . ' )';

	$count = $wpdb->query( $query );

	if ( ! $count ) {
		return false;
	}

	if ( $delete_all ) {
		foreach ( (array) $object_ids as $o_id ) {
			wp_cache_delete( $o_id, $meta_type . '_meta' );
		}
	} else {
		wp_cache_delete( $object_id, $meta_type . '_meta' );
	}

	/**
	 * Fires immediately after deleting metadata of a specific type.
	 *
	 * The dynamic portion of the hook name, `$meta_type`, refers to the meta
	 * object type (comment, post, term, or user).
	 *
	 * @since 2.9.0
	 *
	 * @param array  $meta_ids   An array of deleted metadata entry IDs.
	 * @param int    $object_id  Object ID.
	 * @param string $meta_key   Meta key.
	 * @param mixed  $meta_value Meta value.
	 */
	do_action( "deleted_{$meta_type}_meta", $meta_ids, $object_id, $meta_key, $_meta_value );

	// Old-style action.
	if ( 'post' == $meta_type ) {
		/**
		 * Fires immediately after deleting metadata for a post.
		 *
		 * @since 2.9.0
		 *
		 * @param array $meta_ids An array of deleted post metadata entry IDs.
		 */
		do_action( 'deleted_postmeta', $meta_ids );
	}

	return true;
}

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Changelog Changelog

Changelog
Version Description
2.9.0 Introduced.


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User Contributed Notes User Contributed Notes

  1. Skip to note 1 content
    Contributed by raoabid491
    		/*
    		 * Remove all post meta data for Custom Post Type (CPT)
    		 * at the time of uninstall of plugin that created this CPT.
    		 * So that plugin do not leave behind any orphan post meta data
    		 * related to its CPT. 
    		 * 
    		 * You may place this code in uninstall.php file in your plugin root directory.
    		 */
    		$meta_type  = 'post';           // since we are deleting data for CPT 
    		$object_id  = 0;                // no need to put id of object since we are deleting all
    		$meta_key   = 'my_meta_key';    // Your target meta_key added using update_post_meta()
    		$meta_value = '';               // No need to check for value since we are deleting all
    		$delete_all = true;             // This is important to have TRUE to delete all post meta
    
    		// This will delete all post meta data having the specified key 
    		delete_metadata( $meta_type, $object_id, $meta_key, $meta_value, $delete_all );

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