get_user_meta( int $user_id, string $key = '', bool $single = false )

Retrieve user meta field for a user.

Parameters

$user_id

(int) (Required) User ID.

$key

(string) (Optional) The meta key to retrieve. By default, returns data for all keys.

Default value: ''

$single

(bool) (Optional) Whether to return a single value. This parameter has no effect if $key is not specified.

Default value: false

Return

(mixed) An array of values if $single is false. The value of meta data field if $single is true. False for an invalid $user_id (non-numeric, zero, or negative value). An empty string if a valid but non-existing user ID is passed.

More Information

Please note that if the meta value exists but is empty, it will return an empty string (or array) as if the meta value didn’t exist. This might cause unexpected behaviors in your code when you empty the user meta, your code can try to use add_user_meta instead of update_user_meta thinking the user does not have meta created yet.

Source

File: wp-includes/user.php 

function get_user_meta( $user_id, $key = '', $single = false ) {
	return get_metadata( 'user', $user_id, $key, $single );
}

Uses

Uses Description
wp-includes/meta.php: get_metadata()

Retrieves the value of a metadata field for the specified object type and ID.

Used By

Used By Description
wp-includes/class-wp-application-passwords.php: WP_Application_Passwords::get_user_application_passwords()

Gets a user’s application passwords.
wp-includes/ms-site.php: wp_initialize_site()

Runs the initialization routine for a given site.
wp-admin/includes/post.php: the_block_editor_meta_boxes()

Renders the meta boxes forms.
wp-admin/includes/meta-boxes.php: register_and_do_post_meta_boxes()

Registers the default post meta boxes, and runs the do_meta_boxes actions.
wp-includes/user.php: wp_user_personal_data_exporter()

Finds and exports personal data associated with an email address from the user and user_meta table.
wp-includes/class-wp-user.php: WP_User::get_caps_data()

Gets the available user capabilities data.
wp-includes/widgets/class-wp-widget-text.php: WP_Widget_Text::render_control_template_scripts()

Render form template scripts.
wp-admin/includes/class-wp-screen.php: WP_Screen::render_meta_boxes_preferences()

Render the meta boxes preferences.
wp-includes/class-wp-user-meta-session-tokens.php: WP_User_Meta_Session_Tokens::get_sessions()

Retrieves all sessions of the user.
wp-admin/includes/ms.php: choose_primary_blog()

Handles the display of choosing a user’s primary site.
wp-includes/user.php: new_user_email_admin_notice()

Adds an admin notice alerting the user to check for confirmation request email after email address change.
wp-admin/includes/class-wp-internal-pointers.php: WP_Internal_Pointers::enqueue_scripts()

Initializes the new feature pointers.
wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php: wp_ajax_save_user_color_scheme()

Ajax handler for auto-saving the selected color scheme for a user’s own profile.
wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php: wp_ajax_dismiss_wp_pointer()

Ajax handler for dismissing a WordPress pointer.
wp-includes/class-wp-user.php: WP_User::__get()

Magic method for accessing custom fields.
wp-includes/user.php: wp_update_user()

Update a user in the database.
wp-includes/user.php: get_blogs_of_user()

Get the sites a user belongs to.
wp-includes/user.php: is_user_member_of_blog()

Find out whether a user is a member of a given blog.
wp-includes/ms-functions.php: get_active_blog_for_user()

Get one of a user’s active blogs
wp-includes/ms-functions.php: add_user_to_blog()

Adds a user to a blog, along with specifying the user’s role.
wp-includes/ms-functions.php: remove_user_from_blog()

Remove a user from a blog.

Changelog

Version Description
3.0.0 Introduced.

© 2003–2021 WordPress Foundation
Licensed under the GNU GPLv2+ License.
https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_user_meta