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wp_nonce_field()

wp_nonce_field( int|string $action = -1, string $name = '_wpnonce', bool $referer = true, bool $display = true ): string

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Retrieves or display nonce hidden field for forms.

Description

The nonce field is used to validate that the contents of the form came from the location on the current site and not somewhere else. The nonce does not offer absolute protection, but should protect against most cases. It is very important to use nonce field in forms.

The $action and $name are optional, but if you want to have better security, it is strongly suggested to set those two parameters. It is easier to just call the function without any parameters, because validation of the nonce doesn’t require any parameters, but since crackers know what the default is it won’t be difficult for them to find a way around your nonce and cause damage.

The input name will be whatever $name value you gave. The input value will be the nonce creation value.

Parameters

$actionint|stringoptional
Action name.

Default:-1

$namestringoptional
Nonce name. Default '_wpnonce'.

Default:'_wpnonce'

$refererbooloptional
Whether to set the referer field for validation.

Default:true

$displaybooloptional
Whether to display or return hidden form field.

Default:true

Return

string Nonce field HTML markup.

Source

function wp_nonce_field( $action = -1, $name = '_wpnonce', $referer = true, $display = true ) {	$name = esc_attr( $name );	$nonce_field = '<input type="hidden" id="' . $name . '" name="' . $name . '" value="' . wp_create_nonce( $action ) . '" />';	if ( $referer ) {	$nonce_field .= wp_referer_field( false );	}	if ( $display ) {	echo $nonce_field;	}	return $nonce_field; }

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UsesDescription
wp_create_nonce()wp-includes/pluggable.php

Creates a cryptographic token tied to a specific action, user, user session, and window of time.

wp_referer_field()wp-includes/functions.php

Retrieves or displays referer hidden field for forms.

esc_attr()wp-includes/formatting.php

Escaping for HTML attributes.

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Used byDescription
the_block_editor_meta_boxes()wp-admin/includes/post.php

Renders the meta boxes forms.

the_block_editor_meta_box_post_form_hidden_fields()wp-admin/includes/post.php

Renders the hidden form required for the meta boxes form.

network_step1()wp-admin/includes/network.php

Prints step 1 for Network installation process.

WP_Screen::render_screen_options()wp-admin/includes/class-wp-screen.php

Renders the screen options tab.

install_themes_upload()wp-admin/includes/theme-install.php

Displays a form to upload themes from zip files.

WP_List_Table::display_tablenav()wp-admin/includes/class-wp-list-table.php

Generates the table navigation above or below the table

admin_color_scheme_picker()wp-admin/includes/misc.php

Displays the default admin color scheme picker (Used in user-edit.php).

WP_Theme_Install_List_Table::display()wp-admin/includes/class-wp-theme-install-list-table.php

Displays the theme install table.

install_plugins_upload()wp-admin/includes/plugin-install.php

Displays a form to upload plugins from zip files.

_wp_dashboard_control_callback()wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php

Outputs controls for the current dashboard widget.

wp_dashboard()wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php

Displays the dashboard.

wp_dashboard_quick_press()wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php

Displays the Quick Draft widget.

settings_fields()wp-admin/includes/plugin.php

Outputs nonce, action, and option_page fields for a settings page.

find_posts_div()wp-admin/includes/template.php

Outputs the modal window used for attaching media to posts or pages in the media-listing screen.

wp_comment_reply()wp-admin/includes/template.php

Outputs the in-line comment reply-to form in the Comments list table.

_list_meta_row()wp-admin/includes/template.php

Outputs a single row of public meta data in the Custom Fields meta box.

meta_form()wp-admin/includes/template.php

Prints the form in the Custom Fields meta box.

WP_Themes_List_Table::display()wp-admin/includes/class-wp-themes-list-table.php

Displays the themes table.

media_upload_type_form()wp-admin/includes/media.php

Outputs the legacy media upload form for a given media type.

media_upload_type_url_form()wp-admin/includes/media.php

Outputs the legacy media upload form for external media.

media_upload_gallery_form()wp-admin/includes/media.php

Adds gallery form to upload iframe.

media_upload_library_form()wp-admin/includes/media.php

Outputs the legacy media upload form for the media library.

post_comment_meta_box()wp-admin/includes/meta-boxes.php

Displays comments for post.

link_categories_meta_box()wp-admin/includes/meta-boxes.php

Displays link categories form fields.

post_categories_meta_box()wp-admin/includes/meta-boxes.php

Displays post categories form fields.

WP_Post_Comments_List_Table::display()wp-admin/includes/class-wp-post-comments-list-table.php
WP_Comments_List_Table::extra_tablenav()wp-admin/includes/class-wp-comments-list-table.php
WP_Comments_List_Table::display()wp-admin/includes/class-wp-comments-list-table.php

Displays the comments table.

WP_Terms_List_Table::inline_edit()wp-admin/includes/class-wp-terms-list-table.php

Outputs the hidden row displayed when inline editing

request_filesystem_credentials()wp-admin/includes/file.php

Displays a form to the user to request for their FTP/SSH details in order to connect to the filesystem.

WP_Posts_List_Table::inline_edit()wp-admin/includes/class-wp-posts-list-table.php

Outputs the hidden row displayed when inline editing

Custom_Image_Header::step_1()wp-admin/includes/class-custom-image-header.php

Displays first step of custom header image page.

Custom_Image_Header::step_2()wp-admin/includes/class-custom-image-header.php

Displays second step of custom header image page.

confirm_delete_users()wp-admin/includes/ms.php
list_core_update()wp-admin/update-core.php

Lists available core updates.

list_plugin_updates()wp-admin/update-core.php

Display the upgrade plugins form.

list_theme_updates()wp-admin/update-core.php

Display the upgrade themes form.

list_translation_updates()wp-admin/update-core.php

Display the update translations form.

Custom_Background::admin_page()wp-admin/includes/class-custom-background.php

Displays the custom background page.

signup_nonce_fields()wp-includes/ms-functions.php

Adds a nonce field to the signup page.

wp_comment_form_unfiltered_html_nonce()wp-includes/comment-template.php

Displays form token for unfiltered comments.

_WP_Editors::wp_link_dialog()wp-includes/class-wp-editor.php

Dialog for internal linking.

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Changelog

VersionDescription
2.0.4Introduced.

User Contributed Notes

  1. Skip to note 3 content
    Codex
    You must log in to vote on the helpfulness of this noteVote results for this note: 11You must log in to vote on the helpfulness of this note

    Basic Examples
    While less secure than the examples that follow, this is the simplest implementation which omits all arguments. In your form add the following:

    <?php wp_nonce_field(); ?>

    It’s better to name your action and nonce in your form. Enter values for the first and second arguments to print the necessary hidden field:

    <form method="post"> <!-- some inputs here ... --> <?php wp_nonce_field( 'name_of_my_action', 'name_of_nonce_field' ); ?> </form>

    Then in the page where it is being submitted to, you may verify it using the wp_verify_nonce() function. Notice that you have to manually retrieve the nonce (from the $_POST array in this example), and the name of the action is the 2nd parameter instead of the first:

    if ( ! isset( $_POST['name_of_nonce_field'] ) || ! wp_verify_nonce( $_POST['name_of_nonce_field'], 'name_of_my_action' ) ) { print 'Sorry, your nonce did not verify.'; exit; } else { // process form data }
  2. Skip to note 4 content
    Sarathlal N
    You must log in to vote on the helpfulness of this noteVote results for this note: 1You must log in to vote on the helpfulness of this note

    We can create a nonce field without a name because it is optional. In that case, the name will be _wpnonce.

    wp_nonce_field( 'my-action-name' );

    The above statement echo a hidden field named as _wpnonce.

    To verify this nonce, we can use the `wp_verify_nonce` function.

    if ( isset( $_REQUEST['_wpnonce'] ) && wp_verify_nonce( $_REQUEST['_wpnonce'], 'my-action-name' ) ) { //do you action } else { die( __( 'Security check', 'textdomain' ) ); }

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