Hooks

SimplifyGuide keeps its hook surface small on purpose. There are four filters and one action. Put examples in a small plugin or a must-use plugin, so they survive theme changes.

Hook	Type	Default	Controls
simplifyguide_author_capability	Filter	'edit_posts'	Who can record and create guides
simplifyguide_ai_capability	Filter	'publish_posts'	Who can use AI writing and transcription
simplifyguide_ai_rate_limit	Filter	60	AI requests per user per hour
simplifyguide_is_pro	Filter	false	Whether the Pro add-on is active
simplifyguide_help_sidebar	Action	—	Extra cards in the Help Center’s guide sidebar

simplifyguide_author_capability

The capability needed to record and create guides. It decides who sees Record a Guide, the Record guide toolbar button and the Overview screen, and who may create or import guides over the REST API.

Parameters: string $capability — default 'edit_posts'.

// Only Editors and Administrators may record guides.
add_filter( 'simplifyguide_author_capability', function () {
	return 'edit_others_posts';
} );

Editing an existing guide still follows WordPress’s own post permissions (edit_post on that guide), and uploading screenshots still needs upload_files.

simplifyguide_ai_capability

The capability needed to make requests to the site’s AI provider: describing and rewriting steps, and transcribing narration. AI calls cost the site owner money, so the default is stricter than recording.

Parameters: string $capability — default 'publish_posts' (Authors and above).

// Keep AI to Administrators.
add_filter( 'simplifyguide_ai_capability', function () {
	return 'manage_options';
} );

Users without it still record normally; their steps use rule-based text.

simplifyguide_ai_rate_limit

How many AI requests one user may make per rolling hour. Each rewrite, describe call or transcription counts as one. Zero or less disables the limit.

Parameters: int $limit — default 60.

// A tighter limit for everyone but Administrators.
add_filter( 'simplifyguide_ai_rate_limit', function ( $limit ) {
	return current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ? 0 : 20;
} );

The limit is tracked per user in a transient, so it resets an hour after that user’s first request in the window.

simplifyguide_is_pro

Whether SimplifyGuide Pro is active. The Pro add-on answers true through this filter; the free plugin uses it to hide the Pro card on the Overview screen.

Parameters: bool $is_pro — default false.

// Hide the Pro card on the Overview screen.
add_filter( 'simplifyguide_is_pro', '__return_true' );

Returning true unlocks nothing — the free plugin has no locked features. It only changes what the Overview screen shows.

simplifyguide_help_sidebar

Fires in the sidebar of a single guide in the Help Center, between the guide’s actions and the About this guide card. SimplifyGuide uses it itself to add the Download card.

Parameters: int $guide_id — the guide being viewed.

add_action( 'simplifyguide_help_sidebar', function ( $guide_id ) {
	printf(
		'<section class="sg-side-card"><h2>%s</h2><p><a href="%s">%s</a></p></section>',
		esc_html__( 'Need more help?', 'my-plugin' ),
		esc_url( 'https://example.com/support/' ),
		esc_html__( 'Contact the support team', 'my-plugin' )
	);
} );

The sg-side-card class gives your card the same look as the built-in ones.

Core filters that also apply

SimplifyGuide uses standard WordPress APIs, so a few core hooks reach it:

• shortcode_atts_simplifyguide — filters the attributes of the [simplifyguide] shortcode (id, layout, title) before a guide is rendered.
• render_block / render_block_simplifyguide/guide — filter the block’s HTML, like any block.

The guide post type is simplifyguide. It is private (public false, no front-end URLs) and uses the post capability type, so role editors and capability filters for posts apply to guides too.

There are no JavaScript hooks at present.