PHP Hooks and Filters Reference

Applies to: Elzo Forms Free and Elzo Forms Pro where noted.

Audience: Developers extending Elzo Forms with WordPress actions, filters, modules, templates, submissions, and PRO automations.

This page lists the main PHP actions and filters available in Elzo Forms. Use these hooks when you need to validate submissions, detect spam, customize saved data, modify email settings, change AJAX responses, register modules, customize templates, or extend PRO automations.

This is a developer reference. If you are looking for task-based examples, see the related developer guides for custom fields, modules, template overrides, JavaScript events, and custom automation actions.

How Elzo Forms processes a submission

Most submission-related hooks run in this order:

The form submission request is received.
Nonce, form ID, form object, timing, and IP checks are validated.
elzo_forms_validate_submission runs for custom server-side validation.
elzo_forms_detect_spam runs for custom spam detection.
Submitted fields are matched against visible form fields.
elzo_forms_is_field_value_empty runs for required-field empty checks.
Field classes validate and sanitize field values.
The submission is saved.
elzo_forms_after_submission_saved runs for non-spam submissions.
Enabled modules handle the submission.
elzo_forms_submission_email_settings runs before the built-in email notification is sent.
elzo_forms_submission_response runs before the final AJAX success response is returned.

Important: use the earliest hook that matches your goal. For example, use elzo_forms_validate_submission to block a submission, elzo_forms_after_submission_saved to run logic after saving, and elzo_forms_submission_response to customize the frontend success response.

Quick reference

Hook	Type	Scope	Use it to
`elzo_forms_validate_submission`	Filter	Free	Run custom server-side validation before field processing continues.
`elzo_forms_detect_spam`	Filter	Free	Mark a submission as spam using custom rules.
`elzo_forms_is_field_value_empty`	Filter	Free	Customize how Elzo Forms decides whether a required field is empty.
`elzo_forms_after_submission_saved`	Action	Free	Run custom logic after a valid non-spam submission is saved.
`elzo_forms_submission_email_settings`	Filter	Free	Change built-in email notification settings at runtime.
`elzo_forms_submission_response`	Filter	Free	Customize the AJAX success response returned to the frontend.
`elzo_forms_field_types`	Filter	Free	Register or modify available field types.
`elzo_forms_field`	Filter	Free	Modify field data before rendering.
`elzo_forms_form_data_attributes`	Filter	Free	Add custom HTML data attributes to the rendered form element.
`elzo_forms/templates/*`	Action / Filter	Free	Customize template loading, template arguments, and before/after template output.
`elzo_forms/modules/register`	Action	Free	Register a custom module with the module manager.
`elzo_forms_pro_automation_actions`	Filter	Pro	Register custom automation action classes.
`elzo_forms_pro_automation_conditions`	Filter	Pro	Register custom automation condition classes.
`elzo_forms_pro_automation_before_action`	Action	Pro	Run logic immediately before an automation action executes.
`elzo_forms_pro_automation_after_action`	Action	Pro	Inspect or react to an automation action result.

Submission hooks

`elzo_forms_validate_submission`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Runs: after the form object and timing checks are prepared, before submitted fields are processed.
Use this to: block a submission with custom server-side validation.

Signature:

add_filter( 'elzo_forms_validate_submission', function( $result, $form, $context ) {
    return $result;
}, 10, 3 );

Parameters:

$result — default validation result. Usually true.
$form — current \ElzoForms\Form\Form instance.
$context — array with request timing data, including submission_time and form_load_time.

Return: return the current result to continue, or return a WP_Error to stop the submission and show an error message.

Example: block submissions outside business hours.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_validate_submission', function( $result, $form, $context ) {
    $hour = (int) current_time( 'G' );

    if ( $hour < 9 || $hour >= 18 ) {
        return new WP_Error(
            'elzo_forms_closed',
            __( 'This form is available only during business hours.', 'my-plugin' )
        );
    }

    return $result;
}, 10, 3 );

Note: do not return false expecting the submission to stop. To block processing, return a WP_Error.

`elzo_forms_detect_spam`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Runs: before submitted fields are processed and before the submission is saved.
Use this to: mark a submission as spam based on custom rules.

Signature:

add_filter( 'elzo_forms_detect_spam', function( $is_spam, $form, $context ) {
    return $is_spam;
}, 10, 3 );

Parameters:

$is_spam — current spam status as boolean.
$form — current \ElzoForms\Form\Form instance.
$context — array with timing data.

Return: boolean. Return true to mark the submission as spam.

Example: mark submissions from a suspicious query string as spam.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_detect_spam', function( $is_spam, $form, $context ) {
    if ( isset( $_GET['traffic_source'] ) && $_GET['traffic_source'] === 'bad-campaign' ) {
        return true;
    }

    return $is_spam;
}, 10, 3 );

`elzo_forms_is_field_value_empty`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Runs: when Elzo Forms checks whether a visible required field is empty.
Use this to: customize empty-value detection for special field values.

Signature:

add_filter( 'elzo_forms_is_field_value_empty', function( $is_empty, $value, $field, $form ) {
    return $is_empty;
}, 10, 4 );

Parameters:

$is_empty — current empty check result.
$value — submitted field value.
$field — current field object.
$form — current form object.

Return: boolean. Return true when the value should be treated as empty.

Example: treat a placeholder option value as empty.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_is_field_value_empty', function( $is_empty, $value, $field, $form ) {
    if ( $value === 'please-select' ) {
        return true;
    }

    return $is_empty;
}, 10, 4 );

`elzo_forms_after_submission_saved`

Type: Action
Scope: Free
Runs: after a valid non-spam submission is saved, before built-in email settings are applied and before the final response is sent.
Use this to: send data to external services, create posts, update metadata, or trigger custom business logic after a successful submission.

Signature:

add_action( 'elzo_forms_after_submission_saved', function( $form, $submission, $submission_post_id ) {
    // Your logic here.
}, 10, 3 );

Parameters:

$form — current \ElzoForms\Form\Form instance.
$submission — current \ElzoForms\Submission\Submission instance.
$submission_post_id — saved submission post ID.

Example: store a custom meta flag on every saved submission.

<?php
add_action( 'elzo_forms_after_submission_saved', function( $form, $submission, $submission_post_id ) {
    update_post_meta( $submission_post_id, '_sent_to_custom_integration', 'no' );
}, 10, 3 );

Example: read submitted fields.

<?php
add_action( 'elzo_forms_after_submission_saved', function( $form, $submission, $submission_post_id ) {
    $fields = $submission->get_fields();

    foreach ( $fields as $field ) {
        $field_id = $field['id'] ?? '';
        $value    = $field['value'] ?? '';

        // Use $field_id and $value here.
    }
}, 10, 3 );

`elzo_forms_submission_email_settings`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Runs: before the built-in email notification is sent.
Use this to: enable, disable, or change built-in notification recipients at runtime.

Signature:

add_filter( 'elzo_forms_submission_email_settings', function( $email_settings, $form, $submission, $submission_post_id ) {
    return $email_settings;
}, 10, 4 );

Parameters:

$email_settings — array of email notification settings.
$form — current form object.
$submission — current submission object.
$submission_post_id — saved submission post ID.

Return: modified email settings array.

Common keys:

email_notifications — yes or no.
email_notification_recipients — comma-separated string, newline-separated string, or array of email addresses.

Example: send notifications for a specific form to a different recipient.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_submission_email_settings', function( $email_settings, $form, $submission, $submission_post_id ) {
    if ( method_exists( $form, 'get_slug' ) && $form->get_slug() === 'partner-request' ) {
        $email_settings['email_notifications'] = 'yes';
        $email_settings['email_notification_recipients'] = 'partners@example.com';
    }

    return $email_settings;
}, 10, 4 );

`elzo_forms_submission_response`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Runs: after submission processing, before the AJAX success response is returned.
Use this to: add custom response data, adjust redirects, or pass custom data to frontend scripts.

Signature:

add_filter( 'elzo_forms_submission_response', function( $response, $submission, $form ) {
    return $response;
}, 10, 3 );

Parameters:

$response — response array.
$submission — current submission object.
$form — current form object.

Default response keys:

message
redirect_url
redirect_delay
submission_post_id

Example: add a custom tracking value to the AJAX response.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_submission_response', function( $response, $submission, $form ) {
    $response['tracking_event'] = 'elzo_form_submission';
    $response['form_id'] = method_exists( $form, 'get_id' ) ? $form->get_id() : null;

    return $response;
}, 10, 3 );

Field and form rendering hooks

`elzo_forms_field_types`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Runs: when Elzo Forms builds the list of available field types.
Use this to: add or modify field type definitions.

Signature:

add_filter( 'elzo_forms_field_types', function( $types ) {
    return $types;
} );

Return: array of field type definitions. Each field type should include a human-readable label and a PHP class name in class.

Example: register a custom field type.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_field_types', function( $types ) {
    $types['rating'] = [
        'label' => __( 'Rating', 'my-plugin' ),
        'class' => \MyPlugin\ElzoForms\Fields\Rating_Field::class,
    ];

    return $types;
} );

`elzo_forms_field_text_subtypes`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Use this to: add or modify subtypes for the Text field.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_field_text_subtypes', function( $subtypes ) {
    $subtypes['url'] = __( 'URL', 'my-plugin' );

    return $subtypes;
} );

`elzo_forms_field_widths`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Use this to: add or modify field width options in the admin UI.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_field_widths', function( $widths ) {
    $widths['2/3'] = __( 'Two thirds (2/3)', 'my-plugin' );

    return $widths;
} );

`elzo_forms_field`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Runs: when field data is prepared from a field object.
Use this to: modify field data before rendering.

Signature:

add_filter( 'elzo_forms_field', function( $field_data, $field ) {
    return $field_data;
}, 10, 2 );

Example: add a custom class to a specific field key.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_field', function( $field_data, $field ) {
    if ( isset( $field_data['field_key'] ) && $field_data['field_key'] === 'company_email' ) {
        $field_data['custom_class'] = trim( ( $field_data['custom_class'] ?? '' ) . ' is-company-email' );
    }

    return $field_data;
}, 10, 2 );

`elzo_forms_form_data_attributes`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Runs: when the form HTML attributes are prepared.
Use this to: add custom data-* attributes to the form wrapper.

Signature:

add_filter( 'elzo_forms_form_data_attributes', function( $attributes, $form_id ) {
    return $attributes;
}, 10, 2 );

Example: expose a custom integration flag to frontend scripts.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_form_data_attributes', function( $attributes, $form_id ) {
    $attributes['data-my-integration-enabled'] = '1';

    return $attributes;
}, 10, 2 );

`elzo_forms_handle_phone_field`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Runs: when a telephone text field is sanitized.
Use this to: normalize telephone values before they are stored.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_handle_phone_field', function( $phone, $field_data ) {
    return preg_replace( '/[^\d+]/', '', $phone );
}, 10, 2 );

Settings and saved form data hooks

`elzo_forms_default_settings`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Use this to: add or modify default form settings.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_default_settings', function( $settings ) {
    $settings['my_custom_setting'] = '';

    return $settings;
} );

`elzo_forms_form_settings`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Runs: after global, default, and form-specific settings are merged.
Use this to: modify runtime form settings.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_form_settings', function( $settings, $form_post ) {
    if ( $form_post instanceof WP_Post && $form_post->post_name === 'contact-us' ) {
        $settings['min_submission_delay'] = 3;
    }

    return $settings;
}, 10, 2 );

`elzo_forms_form_styles`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Use this to: modify runtime form style settings.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_form_styles', function( $styles, $form_post ) {
    $styles['primary_color'] = '#1d4ed8';

    return $styles;
}, 10, 2 );

`elzo_forms_form_texts`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Use this to: modify runtime form text values.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_form_texts', function( $texts, $form_post ) {
    $texts['success_submit_message'] = __( 'Thank you. We received your message.', 'my-plugin' );

    return $texts;
}, 10, 2 );

`elzo_forms_form_data_before_save`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free / Pro
Runs: before the form builder JSON data is saved to the form post content.
Use this to: add extension data to the saved form JSON payload.

Signature:

add_filter( 'elzo_forms_form_data_before_save', function( $data, $post_id, $raw_post ) {
    return $data;
}, 10, 3 );

Example: persist custom builder data.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_form_data_before_save', function( $data, $post_id, $raw_post ) {
    if ( isset( $raw_post['my_plugin_form_meta'] ) ) {
        $data['my_plugin'] = [
            'meta' => sanitize_text_field( wp_unslash( $raw_post['my_plugin_form_meta'] ) ),
        ];
    }

    return $data;
}, 10, 3 );

Important: only store data you own under a unique top-level key to avoid conflicts with Elzo Forms core data.

Admin save filters

These filters are useful when extending the form builder or normalizing saved form configuration.

Hook	Type	Arguments	Use it to
`elzo_forms_field_before_save`	Filter	`$field`	Modify a field array before it is stored.
`elzo_forms_step_before_save`	Filter	`$step`	Modify a step array before it is stored.
`elzo_forms_form_settings_value_before_save`	Filter	`$value, $key`	Modify any form setting value before saving.
`elzo_forms_form_settings_{$key}_before_save`	Filter	`$value`	Modify one specific form setting before saving.
`elzo_forms_form_texts_value_before_save`	Filter	`$value, $key`	Modify any form text value before saving.
`elzo_forms_form_texts_{$key}_before_save`	Filter	`$value`	Modify one specific form text before saving.
`elzo_forms_json_encoding_error`	Action	`$exception, $post_id`	Handle JSON encoding failures while saving a form.

Template hooks

Elzo Forms supports WooCommerce-style template overrides and template-loading hooks.

`elzo_forms/templates/theme_dir`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Use this to: change the theme directory where Elzo Forms looks for overridden templates.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms/templates/theme_dir', function( $dir ) {
    return 'my-theme/elzo-forms';
} );

`elzo_forms/templates/locate_template`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Use this to: override the located template path programmatically.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms/templates/locate_template', function( $template, $template_name, $template_path, $args ) {
    if ( $template_name === 'form.php' ) {
        $custom_template = plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) . 'templates/elzo-form.php';

        if ( file_exists( $custom_template ) ) {
            return $custom_template;
        }
    }

    return $template;
}, 10, 4 );

`elzo_forms/templates/template_args`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Use this to: add or modify variables available inside frontend templates.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms/templates/template_args', function( $args, $template_name, $template ) {
    if ( $template_name === 'form.php' ) {
        $args['my_custom_value'] = 'Example value';
    }

    return $args;
}, 10, 3 );

`elzo_forms/templates/before_template` and `elzo_forms/templates/after_template`

Type: Action
Scope: Free
Use this to: output or run logic before or after a frontend template is loaded.

<?php
add_action( 'elzo_forms/templates/before_template', function( $template_name, $template_path, $template, $args ) {
    if ( $template_name === 'form.php' ) {
        echo '<div class="my-elzo-form-wrapper">';
    }
}, 10, 4 );

add_action( 'elzo_forms/templates/after_template', function( $template_name, $template_path, $template, $args ) {
    if ( $template_name === 'form.php' ) {
        echo '</div>';
    }
}, 10, 4 );

Module hooks

`elzo_forms/modules/register`

Type: Action
Scope: Free
Runs: after the core module manager is created and the core modules are registered.
Use this to: register custom modules.

Signature:

add_action( 'elzo_forms/modules/register', function( $manager ) {
    // $manager->register( new Your_Module() );
} );

Example:

<?php
add_action( 'elzo_forms/modules/register', function( $manager ) {
    if ( class_exists( \MyPlugin\ElzoForms\Modules\My_Module::class ) ) {
        $manager->register( new \MyPlugin\ElzoForms\Modules\My_Module() );
    }
} );

`elzo_forms/modules/enabled`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Use this to: modify the list of enabled modules for a specific form.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms/modules/enabled', function( $enabled, $form_id ) {
    if ( (int) $form_id === 123 ) {
        $enabled[] = 'my_module';
    }

    return array_values( array_unique( $enabled ) );
}, 10, 2 );

`elzo_forms/module/{$id}/settings`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Use this to: modify a specific module settings array for one form.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms/module/my_module/settings', function( $settings, $form_id ) {
    $settings['enabled_for_custom_flow'] = true;

    return $settings;
}, 10, 2 );

JSON storage hooks

Use these hooks when integrating with JSON-based form sync, deployment workflows, or custom import/export tools.

Hook	Type	Arguments	Use it to
`elzo_forms/json_storage/init`	Action	None	Run logic when JSON storage is initialized.
`elzo_forms/load_form_data`	Filter	`$data, $post`	Modify loaded form data, including JSON-file-backed data.
`elzo_forms/json_storage/prepare_data`	Filter	`$form_data, $post`	Modify form data before JSON export.
`elzo_forms/json_storage/import_form_payload`	Filter	`$payload, $form_data, $filepath`	Sanitize or modify imported form payload data.

Example: remove environment-specific data from JSON export.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms/json_storage/prepare_data', function( $form_data, $post ) {
    if ( isset( $form_data['data']['my_plugin']['local_secret'] ) ) {
        unset( $form_data['data']['my_plugin']['local_secret'] );
    }

    return $form_data;
}, 10, 2 );

Submission admin table hooks

These hooks customize the WordPress admin submission list table.

Hook	Type	Arguments	Use it to
`elzo_forms_submission_table_field_labels`	Filter	`$field_labels, $submission_fields`	Modify dynamic field column labels.
`elzo_forms_submission_table_field`	Filter	`$field, $column, $submission_data`	Modify the value used for a submission table field column.
`elzo_forms_submission_table_form_title`	Filter	`$form_title, $form_id`	Modify the displayed form title in the submissions table.
`elzo_forms_submission_table_form_edit_url`	Filter	`$form_edit_url, $form_id`	Modify the form edit URL in the submissions table.
`elzo_forms_submission_form_dropdown_options`	Filter	`$forms`	Modify form options in the submission filter dropdown.

Email template hooks

`elzo_forms_admin_email_field`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Runs: while preparing fields for the built-in admin email template.
Use this to: modify how a submitted field appears in the admin notification email.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_admin_email_field', function( $field ) {
    if ( isset( $field['value'] ) && is_array( $field['value'] ) ) {
        $field['value'] = implode( ', ', $field['value'] );
    }

    return $field;
} );

File upload hooks

`elzo_forms_dangerous_extensions`

Type: Filter
Scope: Free
Runs: during upload validation.
Use this to: add more extensions to the blocked file extension list.

Default blocked extensions include: php, php3, php4, php5, phtml, and phar.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_dangerous_extensions', function( $extensions ) {
    $extensions[] = 'sh';
    $extensions[] = 'exe';

    return array_values( array_unique( $extensions ) );
} );

Security note: do not remove PHP-related extensions from this list on public websites.

Pro automation hooks

The following hooks are available in Elzo Forms Pro and are designed for extending automation workflows.

`elzo_forms_pro_automation_actions`

Type: Filter
Scope: Pro
Runs: when the PRO automation action registry is built.
Use this to: register custom automation action classes.

Each class must implement \ElzoFormsPro\Automation\Actions\ActionInterface.

Signature:

add_filter( 'elzo_forms_pro_automation_actions', function( $action_classes ) {
    return $action_classes;
} );

Example: register a custom automation action.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_pro_automation_actions', function( $action_classes ) {
    $action_classes[] = \MyPlugin\ElzoForms\Automation\Actions\CreateLeadAction::class;

    return $action_classes;
} );

Action class contract:

<?php
namespace MyPlugin\ElzoForms\Automation\Actions;

use ElzoFormsPro\Automation\Actions\ActionInterface;

class CreateLeadAction implements ActionInterface {
    public function get_type(): string {
        return 'my_create_lead';
    }

    public function get_label(): string {
        return __( 'Create lead', 'my-plugin' );
    }

    public function get_settings_schema(): array {
        return [
            'api_key' => [ 'type' => 'text' ],
        ];
    }

    public function execute( array $settings, array $context ): array {
        // Use $context['fields_by_key'], $context['form'], $context['submission'], etc.

        return [
            'success' => true,
            'message' => __( 'Lead created.', 'my-plugin' ),
        ];
    }
}

`elzo_forms_pro_automation_conditions`

Type: Filter
Scope: Pro
Runs: when the PRO automation condition registry is built.
Use this to: register custom automation condition classes.

Each class must implement \ElzoFormsPro\Automation\Conditions\ConditionInterface.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_pro_automation_conditions', function( $condition_classes ) {
    $condition_classes[] = \MyPlugin\ElzoForms\Automation\Conditions\BusinessHoursCondition::class;

    return $condition_classes;
} );

Condition class contract:

<?php
namespace MyPlugin\ElzoForms\Automation\Conditions;

use ElzoFormsPro\Automation\Conditions\ConditionInterface;

class BusinessHoursCondition implements ConditionInterface {
    public function get_type(): string {
        return 'business_hours';
    }

    public function get_label(): string {
        return __( 'Business hours', 'my-plugin' );
    }

    public function get_operators(): array {
        return [ 'is', 'is_not' ];
    }

    public function evaluate( array $condition, array $context ): bool {
        $hour = (int) current_time( 'G' );
        $is_open = $hour >= 9 && $hour < 18;

        $operator = $condition['operator'] ?? 'is';

        return $operator === 'is_not' ? ! $is_open : $is_open;
    }
}

Automation lifecycle actions

Hook	Type	Arguments	Runs
`elzo_forms_pro_automation_before_rule`	Action	`$rule, $context`	Before an automation rule is evaluated.
`elzo_forms_pro_automation_after_rule`	Action	`$rule, $context, $rule_result`	After a rule is evaluated and its actions have run if matched.
`elzo_forms_pro_automation_before_action`	Action	`$rule, $action_payload, $context`	Immediately before an enabled automation action executes.
`elzo_forms_pro_automation_after_action`	Action	`$rule, $action_payload, $context, $action_result`	Immediately after an automation action executes.

Example: log failed automation actions to PHP error log.

<?php
add_action( 'elzo_forms_pro_automation_after_action', function( $rule, $action_payload, $context, $action_result ) {
    $success = $action_result['success'] ?? null;
    $status  = $action_result['status'] ?? null;

    if ( $success === false || $status === 'failed' ) {
        error_log( 'Elzo Forms automation action failed: ' . wp_json_encode( [
            'rule'   => $rule['title'] ?? '',
            'action' => $action_payload['type'] ?? '',
            'result' => $action_result,
        ] ) );
    }
}, 10, 4 );

Automation context

Custom automation actions and conditions receive a $context array. The most important keys are:

Context key	Type	Description
`form`	`\ElzoForms\Form\Form`	Current form object.
`submission`	`\ElzoForms\Submission\Submission`	Current submission object.
`fields_by_id`	array	Submitted field values keyed by field ID.
`fields_by_key`	array	Submitted field values keyed by field key when available.
`field_items`	array	Full submitted field item arrays.
`request`	array	Request data.
`server`	array	Server data.
`cookies`	array	Cookie data.
`user`	`WP_User`	Current WordPress user.
`current_url`	string	Detected current URL.
`current_page_id`	int\|null	Current queried page ID when available.
`current_post_type`	string\|null	Current post type when available.
`extra`	array	Extra runtime context, such as `submission_post_id`.

Custom automation actions may return context_patch to update the context for later actions, or response_patch to modify the final frontend response.

<?php
return [
    'success' => true,
    'message' => __( 'Action complete.', 'my-plugin' ),
    'context_patch' => [
        'fields_by_id' => [
            'lead_status' => 'qualified',
        ],
    ],
    'response_patch' => [
        'redirect_url' => home_url( '/thank-you/' ),
    ],
];

Automation log filters

Use these filters to control what is stored in automation logs.

Hook	Type	Arguments	Use it to
`elzo_forms_pro_automation_log_filter_details`	Filter	`$details, $action_type`	Modify action log details before sensitive-field masking is applied.
`elzo_forms_pro_automation_log_sensitive_fields`	Filter	`$sensitive_fields, $action_type`	Customize which action result fields are redacted in logs.

Example: redact an API token from a custom action log.

<?php
add_filter( 'elzo_forms_pro_automation_log_sensitive_fields', function( $sensitive_fields, $action_type ) {
    $sensitive_fields['my_create_lead'][] = 'api_token';

    return $sensitive_fields;
}, 10, 2 );

Advanced admin hooks

These hooks are mostly useful for admin integrations, custom dashboards, or site-specific tooling.

Hook	Type	Use it to
`elzo_forms_settings_sanitization_rules`	Filter	Modify sanitization rules for an option.
`elzo_forms_settings_sanitization_rules_{$option_name}`	Filter	Modify sanitization rules for one specific option.
`elzo_forms_settings_default_sanitization_rule`	Filter	Change the fallback sanitization rule.
`elzo_forms_get_update_metadata`	Filter	Provide update metadata in custom update flows.
`elzo_forms_logic_label_max_length`	Filter	Change the maximum displayed logic label length in the admin UI.
`elzo_forms_custom_form_label`	Filter	Display a label for custom or non-numeric form references.
`elzo_forms_custom_form_edit_url`	Filter	Display an edit URL for custom or non-numeric form references.
`elzo_forms_admin_submission_field`	Filter	Modify fields shown in the admin submission view.
`elzo_forms_admin_field`	Filter	Modify admin field data before rendering in the builder.
`elzo_forms_admin_field_tabs`	Filter	Add or modify field settings tabs in the admin UI.
`elzo_forms_alert_types`	Filter	Add or modify available alert types.

Security guidelines

When using Elzo Forms hooks, follow standard WordPress security practices:

Sanitize all data coming from $_POST, $_GET, $_REQUEST, cookies, headers, and external APIs.
Escape all output with the correct escaping function, such as esc_html(), esc_attr(), or esc_url().
Use current_user_can() before changing admin-only data or privileged settings.
Do not store API keys, passwords, access tokens, or secrets inside public form data.
Do not remove dangerous upload extensions unless you fully control the upload environment.
Use WP_Error for validation failures that should be shown to the user.
Keep custom automation logs free of sensitive data.

Choosing the right hook

Goal	Recommended hook
Block a submission with a custom error message	`elzo_forms_validate_submission`
Mark a submission as spam	`elzo_forms_detect_spam`
Run logic after a valid submission is saved	`elzo_forms_after_submission_saved`
Change notification recipients dynamically	`elzo_forms_submission_email_settings`
Change the frontend success response	`elzo_forms_submission_response`
Add a custom field type	`elzo_forms_field_types`
Override template arguments	`elzo_forms/templates/template_args`
Register a custom module	`elzo_forms/modules/register`
Register a custom PRO automation action	`elzo_forms_pro_automation_actions`
Register a custom PRO automation condition	`elzo_forms_pro_automation_conditions`

Developer Overview
JavaScript Events API
Template Overrides
Building a Custom Automation Action
Building a Custom Automation Condition
Module Development
Security Best Practices

PHP Hooks and Filters Reference

How Elzo Forms processes a submission

Quick reference

Submission hooks

elzo_forms_validate_submission

elzo_forms_detect_spam

elzo_forms_is_field_value_empty

elzo_forms_after_submission_saved

elzo_forms_submission_email_settings

elzo_forms_submission_response

Field and form rendering hooks

elzo_forms_field_types

elzo_forms_field_text_subtypes

elzo_forms_field_widths

elzo_forms_field

elzo_forms_form_data_attributes

elzo_forms_handle_phone_field

Settings and saved form data hooks

elzo_forms_default_settings

elzo_forms_form_settings

elzo_forms_form_styles

elzo_forms_form_texts

elzo_forms_form_data_before_save

Admin save filters

Template hooks

elzo_forms/templates/theme_dir

elzo_forms/templates/locate_template

elzo_forms/templates/template_args

elzo_forms/templates/before_template and elzo_forms/templates/after_template

Module hooks

elzo_forms/modules/register

elzo_forms/modules/enabled

elzo_forms/module/{$id}/settings

JSON storage hooks

Submission admin table hooks

Email template hooks

elzo_forms_admin_email_field

File upload hooks

elzo_forms_dangerous_extensions

Pro automation hooks

elzo_forms_pro_automation_actions

elzo_forms_pro_automation_conditions

Automation lifecycle actions

Automation context

Automation log filters

Advanced admin hooks

Security guidelines

Choosing the right hook

Related developer guides

`elzo_forms_validate_submission`

`elzo_forms_detect_spam`

`elzo_forms_is_field_value_empty`

`elzo_forms_after_submission_saved`

`elzo_forms_submission_email_settings`

`elzo_forms_submission_response`

`elzo_forms_field_types`

`elzo_forms_field_text_subtypes`

`elzo_forms_field_widths`

`elzo_forms_field`

`elzo_forms_form_data_attributes`

`elzo_forms_handle_phone_field`

`elzo_forms_default_settings`

`elzo_forms_form_settings`

`elzo_forms_form_styles`

`elzo_forms_form_texts`

`elzo_forms_form_data_before_save`

`elzo_forms/templates/theme_dir`

`elzo_forms/templates/locate_template`

`elzo_forms/templates/template_args`

`elzo_forms/templates/before_template` and `elzo_forms/templates/after_template`

`elzo_forms/modules/register`

`elzo_forms/modules/enabled`

`elzo_forms/module/{$id}/settings`

`elzo_forms_admin_email_field`

`elzo_forms_dangerous_extensions`

`elzo_forms_pro_automation_actions`

`elzo_forms_pro_automation_conditions`