Generators

A generator makes a snippet from a short form: fill in a post type's name, a list of redirects or a Google Analytics ID, and you get a working snippet with readable code. The form stays with the snippet as its settings form, so you can change the values later without touching the code, or edit the code yourself.

Open the generators #

In the editor, click + New → From a generator…, or Generators at the bottom of the sidebar.

The screen lists the generators in groups. Search generators… finds one by its words. Each card shows the snippet type it makes, and a note if it Needs WooCommerce. or Needs Snipfire Pro.

To link straight to one, add #/generators/ and its ID to the editor's address, for example admin.php?page=snipfire#/generators/post-type.

Make a snippet #

1. Click Use on a generator. A new snippet opens on its Settings form tab, named after the generator, with notes in its description.
2. Fill in the form. The Code tab shows the code the form feeds.
3. Switch it on (Active) and click Save. The code is checked and your site test-loaded, as for any snippet. See How Snipfire keeps your site safe.

Generated snippets go in the folder Generated with the tag generator. Nothing is saved until you click Save.

Change it later #

Open the snippet: it opens on its form. Change the values and save. The code reads them each time it runs (as $settings in PHP and {setting:key} in HTML and JavaScript), so you don't need to touch it.

You can also edit the code like any snippet's, for example to add an argument the form doesn't have. The form keeps working as long as the code reads its values.

The generators #

The ID is for WP-CLI and links.

Content #

New or changed addresses work straight away: you don't need to visit Settings → Permalinks. Don't change a post type's key once it has content: the posts stay under the old key.

Theme #

Widget areas and menu locations are for classic themes: block themes have no Widgets or Menus screen. A new image size only applies to new uploads; regenerate thumbnails for existing images (for example with wp media regenerate).

Admin #

Tools #

WP-Cron runs when someone visits the site. For exact times on a quiet site, have the server call wp-cron.php (ask your host).

Structured data (schema) #

SEO plugins (Yoast, Rank Math, SEOPress…) often add Organization and Article data already. Check the page source first, so it isn't there twice. Put the FAQ's questions on the page itself too.

Tracking #

With Snipfire Pro, set Cookie consent on the Analytics and Pixel snippets (Statistics and Marketing) so they wait for the visitor's consent. See Cookie consent. Tag Manager handles consent for its tags itself. The noscript part of Tag Manager needs a theme that calls wp_body_open(); most do.

The GA4 purchase event needs WooCommerce, the Google tag on the page (for example from the Google Analytics 4 generator), and Snipfire Pro for the WooCommerce order smart tags it reads. Without Pro the tags aren't replaced and the event isn't sent. Without Pro, the library snippet Google Analytics 4 purchase event (wc-ga4-purchase-event, in the More tracking codes pack) does the same job in PHP. See The snippet library.

Who can use them #

Anyone who can create snippets can open the generators. With Snipfire Pro's team access, people with CSS, JS and HTML (no PHP) access can use the Meta Pixel and GA4 purchase generators. The others make PHP (the Google Analytics 4 snippet is HTML with a little PHP in it), so they need full access.

From the command line #

wp snipfire generate                        # list the generators and their fields
wp snipfire generate post-type --values='{"key":"book","singular":"Book","plural":"Books"}' --active
wp snipfire generate redirects --values='{"rules":[{"from":"/old/","to":"/new/"}]}' --active
wp snipfire generate google-analytics --values='{"measurement_id":"G-ABC123"}' --title="GA4" --porcelain

Fields you leave out get their defaults. Change the values later in the editor, or with wp snipfire update <id> --values=<json>. See WP-CLI.

The generators are also in the REST API and available to AI assistants.