Using WordPress shortcodes to “memorize” links and save time

All bloggers, but especially deal bloggers, tend to link to the same sites over and over again. Affiliates can be time-consuming to link to, because you have to look up the specific code for the specific offer. It’s a pain to have to look up affiliate codes on the affiliate website, or go to your own site to find a previous instance of the link to copy so you can make sure you get your affiliate code inserted properly.

I knew there had to be a better way, but all the plugins I found either didn’t work, were expensive, or worked too well and inserted links where I didn’t want them. Then, thanks to WPShout, I discovered shortcodes and I’ve never looked back. They save me so much time – I have shortcodes for affiliates, other blogs I link to often, my Facebook page, etc.

Shortcodes are really pretty easy to set up. Once you get one done, the rest are easy. And I guarantee you will feel geeky when you understand WordPress shortcodes!

To begin, we’ll need to edit our functions.php file (or custom_functions.php if you’re a Thesis theme user). Editing this file can break your site, so you will want to make a backup before you start editing. Here’s how to back up your site files. If there is a problem with your code, you can then simply upload your backup of functions.php and you’ll be fine.

Note that if you do break your functions.php file, you’ll need access to your file manager or FTP to upload the backup you hopefully saved – you won’t be able to access the WordPress admin panel while it’s broken. So, make sure you know how to get into the actual files of your site before editing.

So, first make a backup of your functions.php file. If you’re nervous, save one on your desktop, one in your Documents, one or two other places on your computer. (Just kidding – that’s not really necessary unless you are super-duper nervous… which you should be if you’ve never messed with this stuff before.

Next, open your functions.php file, either in a text editor or in the WordPress theme editor area, and enter this code:

function yourfunctionname() {
    return '<a href="http://yourlink.com">YourLink.com</a>';
}
add_shortcode('TheNameYouWantToType', 'yourfunctionname');

You will, of course, want to change the names appropriately. The names highlighted in yellow are the function and shortcode names and must match each other. The first part of the code (the function) is telling the shortcode what exactly it’s supposed to do when inserted into the post. Do not put punctuation into the yellow part of the code – it won’t work. Also, know that yourfunctionname won’t show up anywhere except this .php file, so it can be called whatever. I usually call mine couponsdotcom if the shortcode is a link for Coupons.com.

The line highlighted in orange is where you need to put the HTML code for your link or image. Put it between the two apostrophes.

The line highlighted in pink is what you will actually be typing inside brackets to insert the code into your post. Make this something easy to remember, such as coupons.com. This is case sensitive, so be consistent when setting these up. I recommend doing it all lowercase so that you don’t have to remember what you capitalized and what you didn’t.

Once you’ve made all these changes, hit save and then go to your site to make sure it’s still working. If you get an error like “unexpected ‘/’ on line 22 of functions.php”, you’ve messed up and you’ll want to go load your backup functions.php file and start again.

I know it sounds confusing, but I guarantee it’s worth the effort – once you figure out how to do one, you’ll be saving so much time you won’t know what to do with yourself!

Now, to enter the shortcodes in your post, put the word highlighted in pink inside brackets, like this: [TheNameYouWantToType]. Then, in your post will appear YourLink.com, which is what you put inside the apostrophes in the orange area.

Here’s are three different functions that you could copy and paste into your functions.php file to see how it works.

function savvyblogging() {
return '<a href="http://savvyblogging.net">Savvy Blogging</a>';
}
add_shortcode('savvyblogging', 'savvyblogging');

function savvybloggingdotnet() {
return '<a href="http://savvyblogging.net">SavvyBlogging.net</a>';
}
add_shortcode('savvyblogging.net', 'savvybloggingdotnet');

function savvybloggingtwitter() {
return '<a href="http://twitter.com/savvyblogging">Savvy Blogging on Twitter</a>';
}
add_shortcode('twitter', 'savvybloggingtwitter');

If you’ve saved these in functions.php, they’re now active in your site. Here’s how you’d implement them in your post editor:

Remember that the shortcode has to be encapsulated in those brackets in order to show up.

And here’s the result in your actual post:

So, what are you waiting for? Stop wasting time hunting around for the same affiliate links over and over and make it easy on yourself by using shortcodes!

A few final notes: if you ever delete a shortcode in your functions.php file, any previous uses of that shortcode won’t work anymore, they’ll just show the “plain text” of the shortcode name (ie, [shortcodename]) since it’s no longer being told what to do.

Changing a link is easy – just edit the HTML part of the shortcode and all your instances of that shortcode will automatically be updated with the new link. I like this for affiliate programs that are available off and on. When there’s no affiliate link available for it, I can change it to just point directly to the home page of the destination site. Then, when an affiliate program becomes available again, I update it in fucntions.php and voila – all my links are updated, both old and new.

Your functions must be unique – they can’t share the same name or shortcode or it will likely break your site. Make sure you give them unique names.

And finally, you’ll probably want to come up with some way to keep track of the shortcodes you have so that you actually use them. I actually have my desktop background set as a cute picture of a puppy dog with my kids image of my shortcodes and website color scheme so I can access them quickly. After awhile, you remember what they are – I no longer refer to it for most codes, but as I add new shortcodes I add them to the desktop background and take others off so that I can remember what they are. A notebook works, too.

If you’ve got questions, please feel free to leave a comment! Please note that I am not liable for any damage you may do by editing your functions.php file, nor am I able to help you fix it other than offering moral support. Backup backup backup!

Carrie Isaac has broken her site many, many times and is grateful to now know enough that she doesn’t freak out when it happens! She blogs about deals in Colorado Springs at Springs Bargains and does internet marketing for her husband Jeremy, a Colorado Springs Realtor.

Tagged as: shortcodes, Wordpress