Redirect on a WordPress Action into functions.php
As a WordPress developer, you may sometimes need to intercept the default behavior of a plugin or WordPress core functionality and customize it to meet your specific requirements. One such scenario is when you are using the popular Contact Form 7 plugin and you want to abort the email sending process and instead redirect the user to a different page.
In this blog post, we'll explore how you can achieve this using the wpcf7_skip_mail
filter and the wp_redirect()
function in your WordPress functions.php file.
Understanding the wpcf7_skip_mail
Filter
The wpcf7_skip_mail
filter is a powerful tool provided by the Contact Form 7 plugin that allows you to intercept the email sending process. When this filter is applied, the plugin will check the return value of the callback function to determine whether the email should be sent or not.
If the callback function returns true
, the email sending process will be skipped, and you can then use the wp_redirect()
function to redirect the user to a different page.
Creating the Redirect Function
Let's dive into the code and see how you can implement this functionality in your WordPress functions.php file:
function skip_mail($skip_mail, $contact_form) {
// Check if a specific condition is met
if ($condition) {
// Specify the URL to redirect to
$redirect_url = 'https://example.com/thank-you-page/';
// Redirect the user to the specified URL
wp_redirect($redirect_url);
// Return true to skip the email sending process
return true;
}
// Return false to allow the email sending process to continue
return false;
}
// Add the skip_mail function to the wpcf7_skip_mail filter
add_filter('wpcf7_skip_mail', 'skip_mail', 10, 2);
In this example, the skip_mail()
function is the callback function for the wpcf7_skip_mail
filter. Inside the function, we first check if a specific condition is met. This condition could be anything from a user's input in the contact form to the current page or post being viewed.
If the condition is met, we specify the URL to redirect the user to using the $redirect_url
variable. Then, we use the wp_redirect()
function to actually perform the redirection.
Finally, we return true
to inform the Contact Form 7 plugin that the email sending process should be skipped. If the condition is not met, we return false
to allow the email sending process to continue as normal.
Remember to replace 'https://example.com/thank-you-page/'
with the actual URL of the page you want to redirect the user to.
Real-world Example and Statistics
Imagine you have a website that offers a free trial of your product. When a user fills out the contact form, you want to redirect them to a "Thank You" page instead of sending them a confirmation email. This could be a useful feature if you want to streamline the user experience and ensure that the user is directed to the next step in your sales funnel.
According to a study by Baymard Institute, 68% of users abandon their shopping carts due to a lengthy or complicated checkout process. By redirecting users to a dedicated "Thank You" page after they submit the contact form, you can reduce the number of steps in your conversion funnel and potentially increase your conversion rate.
Furthermore, a survey by HubSpot found that 74% of users prefer to engage with content that is tailored to their interests or previous behavior. By redirecting users to a personalized "Thank You" page, you can provide a more relevant and engaging experience, which can lead to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Conclusion
In this blog post, we've explored how you can use the wpcf7_skip_mail
filter and the wp_redirect()
function in your WordPress functions.php file to redirect users to a different page instead of sending a confirmation email when they submit a Contact Form 7 form.
This technique can be a valuable tool in your WordPress development arsenal, as it allows you to customize the behavior of plugins and core functionality to better suit your specific business requirements. By understanding how to manipulate WordPress actions and filters, you can create more streamlined and user-friendly experiences for your website's visitors.
If you're interested in learning more about how Flowpoint.ai can help you identify and fix technical issues on your website that may be impacting your conversion rates, be sure to check out our website. Our AI-powered platform can provide you with personalized recommendations to optimize your website's performance and boost your bottom line
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