How to Get Notified when Your Client Installs/Uninstalls a WordPress Plugin

After a WordPress site is done you give access to the client and the client takes it from here.

Sometimes the client will install plugins that will break the site. Then you'll need to go and troubleshoot to see what happened.
You can use the following code and install it as a mu-plugin (always run) to get notified when when a plugin is installed and uninstalled.

<?php /** * This file will send you alerts when your clients install/uninstall plugins * Usage: Save this as wp-content/mu-plugins/my-spy.php * * License: GPL * @author orbisius.com * Use it at your own risk. You may have to disclose this in your terms of service. * Check with a laywer first. */ define('SPY_MANAGE_PLUGINS_TO', 'you@yoursite.com'); define('SPY_MANAGE_PLUGINS_FROM', 'Manage Plugins <spy@%host%>'); // use %host% to let the plugin determine the host add_action('activated_plugin', 'orbisius_my_spy_manage_plugins', 10, 2); add_action('deactivated_plugin', 'orbisius_my_spy_manage_plugins', 10, 2); /** * This functon is triggered when a plugin is activated or deactivated. * It saves the event: activate_plugin, deactivate_plugins. * The information is sent to an email defined by SPY_MANAGE_PLUGINS_TO const. * * @param string $plugin e.g. plugin-dir/plugin.php * @param bool $network_deactivating * @return void nothing */ function orbisius_my_spy_manage_plugins($plugin, $network_act_deactivating) { $site = site_url(); // the last item from the array contains the event: activate_plugins/deactivate_plugins $callers = debug_backtrace(); $caller = array_pop($callers); $ip = empty($_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR']) ? '0.0.0.0' : $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR']; // command line scripts won't have IP set. $network_act_deactivating = $network_act_deactivating ? 'Y' : 'N'; $buff = ''; $buff .= "Site: $site | "; $buff .= "Plugin: $plugin | "; $buff .= "Method: {$caller['function']} | "; $buff .= "network act/deactivating: $network_act_deactivating | "; $buff .= "IP: $ip | "; $current_user = wp_get_current_user(); if (!empty($current_user->ID)) { $buff .= 'Username: ' . $current_user->user_login . ' | '; $buff .= 'User email: ' . $current_user->user_email . ' | '; $buff .= 'User first name: ' . $current_user->user_firstname . ' | '; $buff .= 'User last name: ' . $current_user->user_lastname . ' | '; $buff .= 'User display name: ' . $current_user->display_name . ' | '; $buff .= 'User ID: ' . $current_user->ID . ' | '; } $buff .= "Date: " . date('r'); $buff .= "\n"; $headers = 'From: ' . SPY_MANAGE_PLUGINS_FROM . "\r\n"; $host = $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']; $headers = preg_replace('#[\%\{]+host[\%}]+#si', $host, $headers); // Bon Voyage Email! wp_mail(SPY_MANAGE_PLUGINS_TO, 'Manage Plugin: ' . $host, $buff, $headers); }

This plugin won't be useful to you if ...

if you're no longer maintaining the site
You hate receiving/checking emails because after some time the emails can become too much if your client is trying new things in that case logging might be the way to.
I will leave the last one to you as an exercise.

P.S. Why did I write this post? Today, I watched one of James Bond movies so I felt inspired to write something spyish :)

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Disclaimer: The content in this post is for educational purposes only. Always remember to take a backup before doing any of the suggested steps just to be on the safe side.

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How to Get Notified when Your Client Installs/Uninstalls a WordPress Plugin

About The Author

Slavi Marinov

How to Get Notified when Your Client Installs/Uninstalls a WordPress Plugin

About The Author

Slavi Marinov

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