When a user creates a post (pending), send a confirmation link that allows them to publish

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I’ve got another question for you guys!

I need the following thing:

  1. User creates post (automatically sets it to pending for approval)
  2. Send the user an email with a confirmation link
  3. The User clicks the link
  4. The posts will be set to approved and will be posted automatically

How can this be created? Are there hooks in WordPress available to create such a confirmation link?

1 Answer
1

You need a function that hook into post status transitions and send and email containing a link with some verification variables and a function that takes that variables, check them and if all ok update posts status.

Following code I think is self-explanatory, and comments give additional help:

add_action('new_to_pending', 'send_approve_link');
add_action('draft_to_pending', 'send_approve_link');
add_action('auto-draft_to_pending', 'send_approve_link');
add_action('init', 'approve_post');

function set_html_content_type() { return 'text/html'; }

function send_approve_link( $post ) {
  // get author of post
  $author = new WP_User($post->post_author);
  // create a key for security check and save as meta
  $check = md5( $author->user_email . $post->ID  );
  update_post_meta( $post->ID, '_approve_key', $check);
  // set the content for the email
  $content="<p>Please click following link to allow the publishing of your post: &quot;";
  $content .= esc_html( get_the_title($post->ID) ) . '&quot;</p>';
  // create an url vor verify link with some variables: key, post id, and email
  $url = add_query_arg( array('email'=>$author->user_email,'approve'=>$post->ID), site_url() );
  $content .= '<p><a href="' . $url . '">Click to Confirm</a></p>';
  $from = get_bloginfo('name');
  $from_email = get_option('admin_email');
  $headers="From: " . $from . ' <' . $from_email . '>' . "\r\n";
  // sending email in html format
  add_filter( 'wp_mail_content_type', 'set_html_content_type' );
  wp_mail( $author->user_email, 'Confirm your Post', $content, $headers);
  remove_filter( 'wp_mail_content_type', 'set_html_content_type' );
}

function approve_post( ) {
  if ( isset($_GET['approve']) && isset($_GET['email']) ) {
    // have we all variable needed?
    if ( empty($_GET['approve']) || ! filter_var($_GET['email'], FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL) ) return;
    // get post
    $post = get_post($_GET['approve']);
    // this post has an author?
    if ( ! isset($post->post_author) ) return;
    // is the post already published?
    if ( $post->post_status == 'publish' ) {
      wp_redirect( get_permalink($post->ID) );
      exit();
    } elseif ( $post->post_status != 'pending' ) { // was the post deleted by admin?
      return;
    }
    // get the author
    $author = new WP_User($post->post_author);
    // check author variable
    if ( ! isset($author->user_email) ) return;
    // verify email
    if ( $_GET['email'] != $author->user_email ) return;
    // verify key
    $key = get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_approve_key', true);
    if ( $key != md5( $author->user_email . $post->ID ) ) return;
    // ok, update status
    $post_data = array('ID' => $post->ID, 'post_status' => 'publish');
    $update = wp_update_post($post_data);
    // update failed...
    if ( ! $update ) return;
    // delete verify key
    delete_post_meta($post->ID, '_approve_key');
    // work finished, view the post
    wp_redirect( get_permalink($post->ID) );
    exit();
  }
}

Thats, all. Please note code is untested.

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