Upgrade guide for Admin Columns 7
Can I safely upgrade?
Yes - for most users, it is safe to upgrade.
- You use Admin Columns through the interface only
- You did not add custom code, hooks, filters, or custom columns in PHP
No action is needed. You can update to version 7.
Action required if you use custom code
Review the developer notes below before updating if any of these apply:
- You added custom columns via PHP
- You use Admin Columns hooks or filters
- You extended Admin Columns or Admin Columns Pro programmatically
Important: Upgrading to version 7 will not cause your site to crash. However, custom columns or integrations may stop working until they are updated.
After upgrading to version 7, you can use the Help tab in Admin Columns to see which deprecated hooks or filters are used on your site and which replacements to use.
Note: The version jumps to 7 because Admin Columns and Admin Columns Pro now share the same version numbering (Core: 4.7 → 7, Pro: 6.4 → 7). This is expected and safe.
Using custom code?
You can still upgrade to version 7, but custom columns or hook-based integrations may need to be updated afterward. In version 7, deprecated hooks are listed in the Help tab, together with their replacements and links to documentation.
In the Help tab, you can quickly see:
- which deprecated hooks or filters are used on your site
- which replacements to use
- links to the relevant documentation
If your site includes custom Admin Columns code, this is the fastest way to understand what needs updating after the upgrade.
You can also review and update your code before upgrading by using the developer notes below.
What changed in version 7?
Version 7 includes an updated interface and internal changes to hooks, filters, and column handling. These changes are mostly relevant for developers who built custom integrations on top of Admin Columns. Read our blog post for an in-depth article covering all the changes.
What happens if I update without changing custom code?
- Your site will not crash
- Some custom columns may stop working
- You may see notices or missing functionality
Developer notes
If you are using custom code, review:
- Updated hooks and filters
- Changes to column classes
- Deprecated methods
Update your implementation accordingly.
How do I know I am using Admin Columns Pro version 7?
We overhauled the UI, if it looks like this you are on version 7. And in the bottom right corner you will find the version too.
Filters / Actions
To prevent fatal errors, we have removed or updated many column-related hooks. If your code contains any of these hooks, they will trigger a deprecated notice in version 7. You can find these notices under the Help tab in the Admin Columns settings screen. This tab provides developers with migration tools and information to migrate to the new hooks.
The following overview lists all hooks that have been updated, along with links to their current implementation examples:
All newly introduced hooks and filters include working code examples are available on GitHub.
Replaced Filters
| Removed Filted | Replacement Filter |
|---|---|
| ac/column/value | ac/column/render |
| ac/column/value/sanitize | ac/column/render/sanitize |
| ac/headings/label | ac/column/heading/label |
| ac/export/value | ac/export/render |
| ac/export/value/escape | ac/export/render/escape |
| acp/custom_field/stored_date_format | ac/custom_field/stored_date_format |
| acp/delete/bulk/deleted_rows_per_iteration | ac/delete/bulk/deleted_rows_per_iteration |
| acp/delete/reassign_user | ac/delete/reassign_user |
| acp/editing/bulk/show_confirmation | ac/editing/bulk/show_confirmation |
| acp/editing/bulk/updated_rows_per_iteration | ac/editing/bulk/updated_rows_per_iteration |
| acp/editing/persistent | ac/editing/persistent |
| acp/editing/post_statuses | ac/editing/post_statuses |
| acp/editing/save_value | ac/editing/save_value |
| acp/editing/settings/post_types | ac/editing/custom_field/post_types |
| acp/editing/value | ac/editing/value |
| acp/editing/view | ac/editing/view |
| acp/export/is_active | ac/export/is_active |
| acp/export/file_name | ac/export/file_name |
| acp/filtering/cache/seconds | ac/filtering/cache/seconds |
| acp/resize_columns/active | ac/resize_columns/active |
| acp/search/is_active | ac/search/enable |
| acp/search/filters | ac/search/filters |
| acp/sorting/default | ac/sorting/default |
| acp/sorting/model | ac/sorting/model |
| acp/sorting/remember_last_sorting_preference | ac/sorting/remember_last_sorting_preference |
| acp/sorting/custom_field/date_type | ac/sorting/custom_field/date_type |
| acp/sorting/custom_field/numeric_type | ac/sorting/custom_field/numeric_type |
| acp/quick_add/enable | ac/quick_add/enable |
| acp/wc/column/product/sales/statuses | ac/wc/column/product/sales/statuses |
Removed Filters
| Removed Filter |
|---|
| ac/admin/menu_group |
| ac/column/custom_field/field_types |
| ac/column/separator |
| ac/column_group |
| ac/export/column/disable |
| ac/headings |
| ac/read_only_message |
| ac/show_banner |
| ac/list_screen/preferences |
| acp/admin/enable_submenu |
| acp/editing/inline/deprecated_style |
| acp/editing/value/column_type |
| acp/editing/view_settings |
| acp/editing/view_settings/$type |
| acp/horizontal_scrolling/enable |
| acp/sorting/post_status |
Replaced Actions
| Removed Filter | Replacement Filter |
|---|---|
| ac/column_types | ac/column/types |
| ac/columns_stored | ac/list_screen/saved |
| acp/acf/after_get_field_options | ac/acf/after_get_field_options |
| acp/acf/before_get_field_options | ac/acf/before_get_field_options |
| acp/column_types | ac/column/types |
| acp/editing/before_save | ac/editing/before_save |
| acp/editing/saved | ac/editing/saved |
| acp/list_screen/deleted | ac/list_screen/deleted |
| acp/quick_add/saved | ac/quick_add/saved |
| ac/column_groups | ac/column/groups |
Removed Actions
| Old Action |
|---|
| ac/admin/menu_group |
| ac/column/settings |
| ac/list_screen/column_created |
| ac/list_screen_groups |
| ac/settings/after_columns |
| ac/settings/after_title |
| ac/settings/before_columns |
| ac/settings/sidebox |
| acp/admin/settings/hide_on_screen |
Using custom columns?
Custom columns are created and registered differently in version 7. Custom columns created prior to version 7 may stop working, but they should not cause fatal errors.
Our new template repository on GitHub demonstrates how you can create a new column for version 7:
https://github.com/codepress/ac-column-template
The main changes for registering custom columns are:
- The hook to register a new column is changed to
ac/column/types - Instead of creating a new column, you now write a factory that will create the new column
- Instead of returning a string for the value, you now return a FormatterCollection of Formatters that will construct the value for a record
Feature classes for Sorting, Editing, Export, and Filtering are unchanged; only the way that the features are linked to a column is changed.
Need help?
Stuck with this? No worries, we will help you! Our support team is available to answer any questions on how to implement the hooks or custom columns in version 7.