Every time I need to customize a WordPress plugin or theme—whether it's changing how a product is displayed or injecting some content—I find myself going through this lengthy process. First, I inspect the element and try to trace the class or ID, then I grep the plugin folder in VSCode looking for do_action or apply_filters. Sometimes I get lucky and find the right hook quickly, but other times I sift through over 100 results and start guessing or using add_filter('all', ...) to test things out. It works, but feels a bit hacky and repetitive, especially with plugins I haven't used before. What's your workflow for this? Do you grep, use a plugin, check the docs, or just rely on your experience? Has anything made this process easier for you?
5 Answers
I keep it simple: I use grep for hooks, rely on Query Monitor, check the documentation, and debug with add_action('all', ...). Experience definitely helps with this process!
I usually go with the Roots stack and sometimes just override things in the template files, which I guess is what you'd call child theming. It's got its pros and cons compared to using hooks, which feels more like the WordPress way to go!
If you haven't yet, get a WordPress extension for your IDE. There are many out there that provide references and code completions for hooks. It saves you a lot of time! CoPilot or any AI chat and completion extensions can also help a bunch.
Oh, I’m right there with you! I often grep through the plugin folder in VSCode or use "Find in Files" for do_action or apply_filters. It really gets messy with larger plugins that lack documentation, though many do have decent docs. One tool that's really helped me is Query Monitor with the hook tracking add-on—it shows the hooks firing on the current page and clears up a lot of the guesswork. It's still trial and error to some extent, but it gets easier with practice.
The documentation is quite detailed on hooks, and they even have tables describing when actions occur and their purposes. Plus, remember you can create your own hooks if needed! Check it out here: https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/hooks/
But that's separate from finding existing hooks used by plugins!
Totally hear you! Some folks prefer template overrides for that reason. When you do use hooks, what makes that smoother for you? Or do you only resort to hooks when template overrides aren't possible?