Disable PHP Error Display for Anonymous Users in WordPress
Explanation
When you're running a WordPress site, it's important to keep things secure and tidy. One way to do this is by hiding PHP error messages from visitors who aren't logged in. These messages can sometimes reveal sensitive information about your site, which you definitely don't want to share with the world.
The code snippet above helps you achieve this by checking if a user is logged in. If they're not, it turns off the display of PHP errors. This means that only logged-in users (like you or your team) can see these messages, keeping your site safer and more professional-looking to the outside world.
Here's a quick breakdown of what the code does:
- It hooks into WordPress's 'init' action, which is one of the first things that happen when WordPress starts up. This ensures the function runs early.
- It checks if a user is logged in using is_user_logged_in(). If not, it turns off error reporting with @ini_set('display_errors', 0) and error_reporting(0).
By using this approach, you keep your site's error messages private and maintain a more secure environment for your visitors.
Code
<?php
/**
* Disable PHP error display for anonymous users in WordPress.
*
* This function ensures that PHP error messages are not displayed to users who are not logged in.
* It is a security best practice to prevent sensitive information from being exposed to the public.
*/
// Hook into 'init' to ensure the function runs early in the WordPress lifecycle.
add_action('init', 'wp_dudecom_disable_php_errors_for_anonymous_users');
/**
* Disables PHP error display for users who are not logged in.
*/
function wp_dudecom_disable_php_errors_for_anonymous_users() {
// Check if the user is not logged in.
if (!is_user_logged_in()) {
// Disable error reporting.
@ini_set('display_errors', 0);
@ini_set('display_startup_errors', 0);
error_reporting(0);
}
}
?>Instructions
File Location: Add the code to your theme's functions.php file or a custom plugin file.
Prerequisites: No additional plugins or settings are required.
Implementation Steps:
- Access Your WordPress Dashboard: Log in to your WordPress admin panel.
- Navigate to Theme Editor:
- Go to Appearance > Theme Editor.
- In the right sidebar, locate and click on
functions.phpunder Theme Files.
- Insert the Code:
- Scroll to the bottom of the
functions.phpfile. - Copy and paste the provided code snippet.
- Scroll to the bottom of the
- Save Changes: Click the Update File button to save your changes.
- Verify Implementation:
- Log out of your WordPress site.
- Visit your site as an anonymous user to ensure PHP errors are not displayed.
If you need assistance with this implementation or require more advanced functionality, consider reaching out to wp-dude.com for expert help.