Hook on opening a media/document

I am trying to find a hook to be able to set a datalayer.push everytime a document is opened.

It could even be something that runs after the document is opened ex: https://proximite-courtage.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/LISTE_PARTENAIRES_PC_22062022.pdf

No.

WP isn’t running when you visit PDF files directly via their URL, so there is no PHP loaded and no opportunities for WordPress hooks

Does it exist? Or how can I create one?

In the olden days the wp-content/uploads folder was handled by an ms-files.php, which might have provided you this possibility in some cases. However it had large performance problems, is incompatible with a lot of CDNs and caching systems.

Most importantly of all:

  • it would only work the first time due to browser cache
  • it’s deprecated and only present for legacy reasons.

If you did use this, and worked around the problems, the resulting hook would be extremely unreliable.

If you want to fire off an analytics event when a user visits and opens a PDF you have these options:

  • you need to indicate the PDF can never be cached in the headers
  • you need to handle the loading and sending of the PDF yourself
    • you’ll need special Apache/Nginx rules to reroute the request to your custom bespoke application ( highly likely that this will not be a WordPress application )
  • you would need to investigate options for the PDF phoning home, as well as the legal and regulatory ramifications, as anybody could save and share the PDF
    • all these protections can be bypassed using the print dialog, either to physical paper, or the print to PDF option

The easiest option is to never link to the PDF and instead display it inside the web page.

But most important of all, you need to come to terms with the fact that no matter what you do, no matter what system you use, you will never get a reliable analytics signal that your PDF was opened, and you will always record fewer openings than actually happened.

Related Posts:

  1. Do WordPress Core Filenames Work as Hooks?
  2. How to hook update_post_meta and delete_post_meta?
  3. Are there any hooks that alter the 404 logic?
  4. WooCommerce: change display order of product short description and price [closed]
  5. Hooks for trashing, deleting, saving, restoring custom post type
  6. Is there a WordPress core & plugins update action hook?
  7. trigger save_post event programmatically
  8. Implementing advanced add_* function wrappers
  9. My add_action (wp_footer, ‘method’) is not calling?
  10. Hook into wp_head(); in a plugin
  11. is it possible to get the hook name in add_action?
  12. What hook is executed just after wp_query has been executed?
  13. How can I hook into the post editor title field in order to change the HTML?
  14. How to properly test a method that is called by an action hook
  15. How can I do customizations on login, registration and password recovery forms?
  16. WordPress v5.0.3 Gutenberg & JS error “Uncaught SyntaxError: missing ) after argument list”
  17. Searching hook to set cookies before and avoid “headers already sent”
  18. Custom form action hook
  19. How to send an automated user ‘inactivity’ email?
  20. wp_redirect() not working on form submission with init hook
  21. How do I successfully create a hook for an email override?
  22. Cast string to number
  23. How to debug user_register hook
  24. Storing state between hook functions
  25. Using wp_editor tinyMCE in metabox cause form alert on leaving page
  26. What’s the difference between “wp” and “wp_loaded”?
  27. WordPress capabilities and restricted categories access
  28. When WP_CLI runs WordPress from the command line, are hooks called?
  29. Query categories that have a description
  30. How to use custom form on add_meta_boxes callback
  31. Is it possible to switch Gutenberg’s editor styles when document settings change?
  32. schedule event in class oriented plugin
  33. How can I find the hook I need to rewrite a function?
  34. Show message in media-new.php
  35. Hooks are not being removed in child theme
  36. add_action second argument missing
  37. How to get user meta fields that have just been updated?
  38. admin_notices action doesn’t trigger within save_post action
  39. When a plugin gets updated from the repo, does the “activation” hook fire again?
  40. I don’t understand how add_action and do_action work in tandem. The former executes the code already…what is do_action for?
  41. Insert HTML in post, below nav bar but above content?
  42. Hook Adding content after title
  43. Fatal error: Call to a member function get_queried_object_id()
  44. Defining hooks within (php)classes?
  45. Divi hook not working [closed]
  46. Add WordPress hook outside of Plugin or Theme
  47. How to add content to suscriptor dashboard frontend?
  48. How to perform action when plugin/theme editor is used?
  49. Add PHP code to header section from plugin
  50. How to run hooks one by one manually?
  51. What is the proper hook to use for recording a post view?
  52. How to load this code on function.php
  53. What hook should I use that will fire whenever I open a post for editing in the WP back-end?
  54. Woocommerce single_product_summary hook not working
  55. Where is publish_post hook fired?
  56. A good hook to check authorization and redirect?
  57. Is there a author_update action?
  58. Bloginfo hook – can it be more precise?
  59. Custom posts and get_post_meta in {$post_status}_{$post_type}
  60. Hooking custom PHP output into WP: how to do it, parse_request almost works but not quite
  61. Print on screen during shutdown hook – error during saving in theme-editor.php
  62. How to stop execution of a function via add_action hook?
  63. changing genesis_before_while in new theme framework
  64. Moving Javascript from footer to header
  65. Adding a new hidden field based on a condition in Ninja Forms
  66. Forcing WooCommerce customers to create account before checking out
  67. Store user ID on wp_term_taxonomy when new term inserted
  68. ‘user_register’ hook – need to distinguish if created from wp admin panel
  69. Make multiple URLs behave as home page
  70. remove_action not working for a function
  71. Debug a WP install: how to find which functions write post updates during a process (a woocommerce checkout in my case)
  72. What hook should I use to add post meta data with on update?
  73. Transition_Post_Status hook not working properly
  74. Wodpress XML Import hooks
  75. profile_update hook does not fire from front-end
  76. wp_update_post not getting triggered by hook
  77. How to get user profile information before update?
  78. Why is pre_get_posts hook invoked multiple times?
  79. Undefined fieldId in gform.addFilter for limiting dates in datepicker – Gravity Forms
  80. Get First Post content and edit it using pre_get_posts (or similar?!)
  81. Are there Hooks for featured image popup?
  82. WordPress sending data with add_action
  83. How to hide / remove attachment “alt” or “caption” field in Admin?
  84. Why does get_post() not return anything?
  85. Hourly events don’t get triggered
  86. WordPress save_post hook not firing when checking if _GET[‘post’] is set
  87. Access post meta just after publishing
  88. Which hook runs first(init,… or ???) [duplicate]
  89. Which hook should I use for this scenario regarding the registration process and account/profile update?
  90. Redirect back to origin page after using get_delete_post_link()
  91. $GLOBALS & global doesn’t work [closed]
  92. Is there any Reference of WordPress hook and hacks? [closed]
  93. Thesis Theme -> hooks not working for custom function
  94. Hooks not working on live server
  95. Can I display text that’s generated by a hook in another place in the HTML?
  96. Use wordpress search hooks to search a second database
  97. Why callback function is not working in wp_head hook?
  98. woocommerce_add_to_cart_validation max quantity depending on user geoip [closed]
  99. theme.json is altering Group block HTML
  100. Not able to set userId and email at wp_set_current_user in Worpdress