Using WordPress ‘human_time_diff’ PHP filter

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The human_time_diff WordPress PHP Filter allows you to modify the human-readable difference between two timestamps.

Usage

add_filter('human_time_diff', 'your_custom_function', 10, 4);

function your_custom_function($since, $diff, $from, $to) {
  // your custom code here
  return $since;
}

Parameters

  • $since (string): The difference in human-readable text.
  • $diff (int): The difference in seconds.
  • $from (int): Unix timestamp from which the difference begins.
  • $to (int): Unix timestamp to end the time difference.

More information

See WordPress Developer Resources: human_time_diff

Examples

Customizing the Human Time Difference

Customize the human time difference display to show “Just now” for differences less than a minute.

function custom_human_time_diff($since, $diff, $from, $to) {
  if ($diff < 60) {
    return 'Just now';
  }
  return $since;
}
add_filter('human_time_diff', 'custom_human_time_diff', 10, 4);

Adding Suffix to Time Difference

Add “ago” as a suffix to the human-readable time difference.

function add_ago_suffix($since, $diff, $from, $to) {
  return $since . ' ago';
}
add_filter('human_time_diff', 'add_ago_suffix', 10, 4);

Changing Time Units

Change the time units from the default to only display the difference in hours.

function display_hours_only($since, $diff, $from, $to) {
  $hours = round($diff / 3600);
  return $hours . ' hours';
}
add_filter('human_time_diff', 'display_hours_only', 10, 4);

Displaying Exact Time Difference

Display the exact time difference in minutes and seconds.

function display_exact_difference($since, $diff, $from, $to) {
  $minutes = floor($diff / 60);
  $seconds = $diff % 60;
  return $minutes . ' minutes ' . $seconds . ' seconds';
}
add_filter('human_time_diff', 'display_exact_difference', 10, 4);

Custom Time Units

Display custom time units like “fortnights” for a 2-week difference.

function custom_time_units($since, $diff, $from, $to) {
  if ($diff >= 1209600) {
    $fortnights = floor($diff / 1209600);
    return $fortnights . ' fortnights';
  }
  return $since;
}
add_filter('human_time_diff', 'custom_time_units', 10, 4);