Redirecting new users to a specific page after they register on your WordPress site can enhance their experience and guide them toward a particular action or resource. Here’s a step-by-step guide to achieve this:

Step 1: Choose the Redirection Method

There are multiple ways to redirect users in WordPress, including using a plugin or adding custom code to your theme’s functions.php file. For simplicity and to avoid potential issues with theme updates, we’ll use a plugin in this guide.

Step 2: Install a Redirection Plugin

One of the most popular plugins for redirection is “Peter’s Login Redirect”. Follow these steps to install it:

  1. Go to your WordPress admin dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
  3. In the search bar, type Peter's Login Redirect and press Enter.
  4. Find the plugin in the search results and click Install Now.
  5. After installation, click Activate.

Step 3: Configure the Plugin for New User Redirection

After activating the plugin, you need to configure it to redirect new users:

  1. In the WordPress dashboard, go to Settings > Login/logout Redirects.
  2. Scroll down to the section labeled Redirect Users by Role.
  3. In the dropdown for Subscriber (assuming new users are assigned the Subscriber role by default), enter the URL of the page you want to redirect new users to. If you’re targeting a different role, select that role instead.
  4. Click Save Changes.

Step 4: Test the Redirection

Create a new user account on your site to test the redirection:

  1. Open your site in a private/incognito browser window.
  2. Go to the registration page and register a new account.
  3. After registration, you should be automatically redirected to the page you specified.

Additional Tips

  • If your WordPress site does not allow user registration by default, you’ll need to enable it. Go to Settings > General, check the box next to Anyone can register, and save changes.
  • If you’re comfortable with code and prefer not to use a plugin, you can achieve the same result by adding custom code to your theme’s functions.php file or a site-specific plugin. However, this approach requires a good understanding of PHP and WordPress development practices.

Using a plugin like “Peter’s Login Redirect” simplifies the process and offers a user-friendly way to manage redirections without editing code. This method is suitable for most WordPress site owners looking to enhance their user experience by guiding new users to specific content or actions after registration.


Redirect New Registered Users to a Specific Page in WordPress Without a Plugin

To redirect new registered users to a specific page without using a plugin in WordPress, you can add custom code to your theme’s functions.php file. This method involves using WordPress hooks related to user registration and login processes. Here’s a step-by-step guide to achieve this:

Step 1: Identify the Redirection Target

Decide on the URL of the page where you want to redirect new users. This could be a welcome page, a custom dashboard, or any other page that provides value to new users.

Step 2: Add Custom Code to functions.php

Access Your Theme’s functions.php File:
Navigate to Appearance > Theme Editor in your WordPress dashboard. Select your active theme and find the functions.php file in the list of theme files. Alternatively, you can access this file via FTP or your hosting file manager.

Add the Custom Redirection Code:

function custom_redirect_after_registration($redirect_to) {
    // Change the URL below to the URL you want to redirect users to after registration
    $custom_redirect_url = 'http://www.yoursite.com/your-page/';
    return $custom_redirect_url;
}
add_filter('registration_redirect', 'custom_redirect_after_registration');

This code snippet hooks into the registration_redirect filter, which is triggered after a new user registers, and changes the redirection URL to the one you specify.

Step 3: Save Your Changes

After adding the code, save the changes to the functions.php file. If you’re editing the file through the WordPress editor, click the “Update File” button. If you’re using FTP or a file manager, save the file and ensure it’s uploaded back to the server.

Step 4: Test the Redirection

To ensure everything works as expected, test the registration process:

  • Open your website in a private/incognito browser window to avoid any caching issues.
  • Go through the user registration process on your site.
  • Upon successful registration, you should be redirected to the page you specified in the custom code.

Important Notes:

  • Theme Updates: If you update your theme, custom modifications to the functions.php file may be overwritten. To prevent this, consider creating a child theme and adding your custom code to the child theme’s functions.php file.
  • Specific Use Case: This approach specifically redirects users after registration. If you want to redirect users after login, you might need to use a different hook, such as login_redirect.
  • Testing: Always test changes on a staging site before applying them to your live site, especially when editing code, to avoid potential errors that could affect site functionality.

This method allows you to redirect new users without relying on plugins, giving you more control over the registration flow and user experience on your WordPress site.


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About the Author: Bernard Aybout

In the land of bytes and bits, a father of three sits, With a heart for tech and coding kits, in IT he never quits. At Magna's door, he took his stance, in Canada's wide expanse, At Karmax Heavy Stamping - Cosma's dance, he gave his career a chance. With a passion deep for teaching code, to the young minds he showed, The path where digital seeds are sowed, in critical thinking mode. But alas, not all was bright and fair, at Magna's lair, oh despair, Harassment, intimidation, a chilling air, made the workplace hard to bear. Management's maze and morale's dip, made our hero's spirit flip, In a demoralizing grip, his well-being began to slip. So he bid adieu to Magna's scene, from the division not so serene, Yet in tech, his interest keen, continues to inspire and convene.