How to Redirect Users After Login and Logout in WordPress

Redirect After WordPress Login

To redirect users automatically after login, use the login_redirect filter hook. Add the following code to your theme's functions.php file:

function custom_login_redirect( $redirect_to, $request, $user ) {
    if ( is_a( $user, 'WP_User' ) && ! is_wp_error( $user ) ) {
        // Example: redirect to a 'dashboard' page
        return home_url( 'dashboard' );
    }
    return $redirect_to;
}
add_filter( 'login_redirect', 'custom_login_redirect', 10, 3 );

Using the home_url() Function

The home_url() function returns your site's root address. Provide only the path relative to the root or a query string inside the parentheses.

Correct examples:

• home_url( 'dashboard' ) – redirects to https://yoursite.com/dashboard
• home_url( 'category/news' ) – redirects to a category archive
• home_url( '?page_id=2' ) – redirects using a page ID

Incorrect: home_url( 'https://yoursite.com/dashboard' ) – this creates a malformed URL.

Redirect After WordPress Logout

To redirect users after logout, use the wp_logout action hook. Add this code to your theme's functions.php:

function custom_logout_redirect() {
    // Example: redirect to the homepage
    wp_redirect( home_url() );
    exit();
}
add_action( 'wp_logout', 'custom_logout_redirect' );

Advanced Usage & Best Practices

• Conditional Redirects: Add logic inside the function to redirect based on user roles.
• Code Location: Always add code to a child theme's functions.php to prevent loss during updates.
• Cache Consideration: Clear your browser and WordPress cache after making changes to see the effect.
• Logout Hook: The wp_logout action fires after the user session is destroyed. wp_redirect() must be followed by exit().

Tip: Test redirects thoroughly, especially if using caching or security plugins.