wp_delete_term( int $term, string $taxonomy, array|string $args = array() ): bool|int|WP_Error

Removes a term from the database.

Description

If the term is a parent of other terms, then the children will be updated to that term’s parent.

Metadata associated with the term will be deleted.

Parameters

$termintrequired
Term ID.
$taxonomystringrequired
Taxonomy name.
$argsarray|stringoptional
Array of arguments to override the default term ID.
  • default int
    The term ID to make the default term. This will only override the terms found if there is only one term found. Any other and the found terms are used.
  • force_default bool
    Optional. Whether to force the supplied term as default to be assigned even if the object was not going to be term-less.
    Default false.

Default:array()

Return

bool|int|WP_Error True on success, false if term does not exist. Zero on attempted deletion of default Category. WP_Error if the taxonomy does not exist.

Source

function wp_delete_term( $term, $taxonomy, $args = array() ) {
	global $wpdb;

	$term = (int) $term;

	$ids = term_exists( $term, $taxonomy );
	if ( ! $ids ) {
		return false;
	}
	if ( is_wp_error( $ids ) ) {
		return $ids;
	}

	$tt_id = $ids['term_taxonomy_id'];

	$defaults = array();

	if ( 'category' === $taxonomy ) {
		$defaults['default'] = (int) get_option( 'default_category' );
		if ( $defaults['default'] === $term ) {
			return 0; // Don't delete the default category.
		}
	}

	// Don't delete the default custom taxonomy term.
	$taxonomy_object = get_taxonomy( $taxonomy );
	if ( ! empty( $taxonomy_object->default_term ) ) {
		$defaults['default'] = (int) get_option( 'default_term_' . $taxonomy );
		if ( $defaults['default'] === $term ) {
			return 0;
		}
	}

	$args = wp_parse_args( $args, $defaults );

	if ( isset( $args['default'] ) ) {
		$default = (int) $args['default'];
		if ( ! term_exists( $default, $taxonomy ) ) {
			unset( $default );
		}
	}

	if ( isset( $args['force_default'] ) ) {
		$force_default = $args['force_default'];
	}

	/**
	 * Fires when deleting a term, before any modifications are made to posts or terms.
	 *
	 * @since 4.1.0
	 *
	 * @param int    $term     Term ID.
	 * @param string $taxonomy Taxonomy name.
	 */
	do_action( 'pre_delete_term', $term, $taxonomy );

	// Update children to point to new parent.
	if ( is_taxonomy_hierarchical( $taxonomy ) ) {
		$term_obj = get_term( $term, $taxonomy );
		if ( is_wp_error( $term_obj ) ) {
			return $term_obj;
		}
		$parent = $term_obj->parent;

		$edit_ids    = $wpdb->get_results( "SELECT term_id, term_taxonomy_id FROM $wpdb->term_taxonomy WHERE `parent` = " . (int) $term_obj->term_id );
		$edit_tt_ids = wp_list_pluck( $edit_ids, 'term_taxonomy_id' );

		/**
		 * Fires immediately before a term to delete's children are reassigned a parent.
		 *
		 * @since 2.9.0
		 *
		 * @param array $edit_tt_ids An array of term taxonomy IDs for the given term.
		 */
		do_action( 'edit_term_taxonomies', $edit_tt_ids );

		$wpdb->update( $wpdb->term_taxonomy, compact( 'parent' ), array( 'parent' => $term_obj->term_id ) + compact( 'taxonomy' ) );

		// Clean the cache for all child terms.
		$edit_term_ids = wp_list_pluck( $edit_ids, 'term_id' );
		clean_term_cache( $edit_term_ids, $taxonomy );

		/**
		 * Fires immediately after a term to delete's children are reassigned a parent.
		 *
		 * @since 2.9.0
		 *
		 * @param array $edit_tt_ids An array of term taxonomy IDs for the given term.
		 */
		do_action( 'edited_term_taxonomies', $edit_tt_ids );
	}

	// Get the term before deleting it or its term relationships so we can pass to actions below.
	$deleted_term = get_term( $term, $taxonomy );

	$object_ids = (array) $wpdb->get_col( $wpdb->prepare( "SELECT object_id FROM $wpdb->term_relationships WHERE term_taxonomy_id = %d", $tt_id ) );

	foreach ( $object_ids as $object_id ) {
		if ( ! isset( $default ) ) {
			wp_remove_object_terms( $object_id, $term, $taxonomy );
			continue;
		}

		$terms = wp_get_object_terms(
			$object_id,
			$taxonomy,
			array(
				'fields'  => 'ids',
				'orderby' => 'none',
			)
		);

		if ( 1 === count( $terms ) && isset( $default ) ) {
			$terms = array( $default );
		} else {
			$terms = array_diff( $terms, array( $term ) );
			if ( isset( $default ) && isset( $force_default ) && $force_default ) {
				$terms = array_merge( $terms, array( $default ) );
			}
		}

		$terms = array_map( 'intval', $terms );
		wp_set_object_terms( $object_id, $terms, $taxonomy );
	}

	// Clean the relationship caches for all object types using this term.
	$tax_object = get_taxonomy( $taxonomy );
	foreach ( $tax_object->object_type as $object_type ) {
		clean_object_term_cache( $object_ids, $object_type );
	}

	$term_meta_ids = $wpdb->get_col( $wpdb->prepare( "SELECT meta_id FROM $wpdb->termmeta WHERE term_id = %d ", $term ) );
	foreach ( $term_meta_ids as $mid ) {
		delete_metadata_by_mid( 'term', $mid );
	}

	/**
	 * Fires immediately before a term taxonomy ID is deleted.
	 *
	 * @since 2.9.0
	 *
	 * @param int $tt_id Term taxonomy ID.
	 */
	do_action( 'delete_term_taxonomy', $tt_id );

	$wpdb->delete( $wpdb->term_taxonomy, array( 'term_taxonomy_id' => $tt_id ) );

	/**
	 * Fires immediately after a term taxonomy ID is deleted.
	 *
	 * @since 2.9.0
	 *
	 * @param int $tt_id Term taxonomy ID.
	 */
	do_action( 'deleted_term_taxonomy', $tt_id );

	// Delete the term if no taxonomies use it.
	if ( ! $wpdb->get_var( $wpdb->prepare( "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM $wpdb->term_taxonomy WHERE term_id = %d", $term ) ) ) {
		$wpdb->delete( $wpdb->terms, array( 'term_id' => $term ) );
	}

	clean_term_cache( $term, $taxonomy );

	/**
	 * Fires after a term is deleted from the database and the cache is cleaned.
	 *
	 * The 'delete_$taxonomy' hook is also available for targeting a specific
	 * taxonomy.
	 *
	 * @since 2.5.0
	 * @since 4.5.0 Introduced the `$object_ids` argument.
	 *
	 * @param int     $term         Term ID.
	 * @param int     $tt_id        Term taxonomy ID.
	 * @param string  $taxonomy     Taxonomy slug.
	 * @param WP_Term $deleted_term Copy of the already-deleted term.
	 * @param array   $object_ids   List of term object IDs.
	 */
	do_action( 'delete_term', $term, $tt_id, $taxonomy, $deleted_term, $object_ids );

	/**
	 * Fires after a term in a specific taxonomy is deleted.
	 *
	 * The dynamic portion of the hook name, `$taxonomy`, refers to the specific
	 * taxonomy the term belonged to.
	 *
	 * Possible hook names include:
	 *
	 *  - `delete_category`
	 *  - `delete_post_tag`
	 *
	 * @since 2.3.0
	 * @since 4.5.0 Introduced the `$object_ids` argument.
	 *
	 * @param int     $term         Term ID.
	 * @param int     $tt_id        Term taxonomy ID.
	 * @param WP_Term $deleted_term Copy of the already-deleted term.
	 * @param array   $object_ids   List of term object IDs.
	 */
	do_action( "delete_{$taxonomy}", $term, $tt_id, $deleted_term, $object_ids );

	return true;
}

Hooks

do_action( ‘deleted_term_taxonomy’, int $tt_id )

Fires immediately after a term taxonomy ID is deleted.

do_action( ‘delete_term’, int $term, int $tt_id, string $taxonomy, WP_Term $deleted_term, array $object_ids )

Fires after a term is deleted from the database and the cache is cleaned.

do_action( ‘delete_term_taxonomy’, int $tt_id )

Fires immediately before a term taxonomy ID is deleted.

do_action( “delete_{$taxonomy}”, int $term, int $tt_id, WP_Term $deleted_term, array $object_ids )

Fires after a term in a specific taxonomy is deleted.

do_action( ‘edited_term_taxonomies’, array $edit_tt_ids )

Fires immediately after a term to delete’s children are reassigned a parent.

do_action( ‘edit_term_taxonomies’, array $edit_tt_ids )

Fires immediately before a term to delete’s children are reassigned a parent.

do_action( ‘pre_delete_term’, int $term, string $taxonomy )

Fires when deleting a term, before any modifications are made to posts or terms.

Changelog

VersionDescription
2.3.0Introduced.

User Contributed Notes

  1. Skip to note 4 content

    Delete WooCommerce Product Category on Form submit with post request.

    if ( isset( $_POST['pro_cat_nonce'] ) || wp_verify_nonce( $_POST['pro_cat_nonce'], 'pro_cat_nonce_delete' ) ){ // nonce check
        if ( isset( $_POST['id'] ) && ! empty( $_POST['id'] ) ) {
            // delete product_cat taxonomy term
            $product_cat_id = intval( $_POST['id'] );
            wp_delete_term( $product_cat_id, 'product_cat' );
        }
    }

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