Code Snippet to Enable Post Revision Management in WordPress

Post Revision Management in WordPress

Custom Code Solution

Add this code to your theme's functions.php file or in a site-specific plugin:

Enable or disable post revisions completely:

define('WP_POST_REVISIONS', true); // Set to false to disable, or number to limit

Set a specific number of revisions to keep per post:

define('WP_POST_REVISIONS', 5); // Keeps 5 revisions per post

Control revision cleanup by post type:

function custom_revision_settings($num, $post) {
    switch ($post->post_type) {
        case 'post':
            return 10; // Keep 10 revisions for posts
        case 'page':
            return 5;  // Keep 5 revisions for pages
        default:
            return 3;  // Keep 3 revisions for other post types
    }
}
add_filter('wp_revisions_to_keep', 'custom_revision_settings', 10, 2);

Add custom intervals for autosave:

function custom_autosave_interval($seconds) {
    return 120; // Set autosave to every 2 minutes (120 seconds)
}
add_filter('autosave_interval', 'custom_autosave_interval');

Database Cleanup

Remove all revisions from database:

function delete_all_revisions() {
    global $wpdb;
    $wpdb->query(
        "DELETE FROM $wpdb->posts WHERE post_type = 'revision'"
    );
}
// Hook to run on theme activation
add_action('after_switch_theme', 'delete_all_revisions');

Plugin Solutions

If you prefer a plugin solution, these options provide user-friendly interfaces:

1. WP Revisions Control - Simple revision management
2. Better Delete Revision - Advanced revision cleanup
3. Simple Revision Control - Post-type specific controls

Important Notes

• Post revisions are stored in the database, so limiting them can help manage database size
• The default WordPress revision system keeps all revisions unless limited
• Changes take effect for new posts/revisions only
• Always backup your database before making changes to revision settings
• Some hosting providers may limit revision storage

When using these solutions, choose the approach that best matches your needs:

• Use custom code for precise control
• Use plugins for user-friendly management
• Consider database size impact when setting revision limits