wp-abilities-api
WordPress Abilities API registration, REST exposure, and client-side consumption for WordPress 6.9+.
- Register abilities and categories in PHP using
wp_register_ability()andwp_register_ability_category()with stable IDs, labels, and metadata - Expose abilities to clients via the
/wp-json/wp-abilities/v1/REST endpoints by settingmeta.show_in_rest: true - Consume abilities in JavaScript using the
@wordpress/abilitiespackage for client-side access and permission checks - Requires WordPress 6.9+ (PHP 7.2.24+) and works with WP core, plugins, and themes; some workflows need WP-CLI
WP Abilities API
When to use
Use this skill when the task involves:
- registering abilities or ability categories in PHP,
- exposing abilities to clients via REST (
wp-abilities/v1), - consuming abilities in JS (notably
@wordpress/abilities), - diagnosing “ability doesn’t show up” / “client can’t see ability” / “REST returns empty”.
Inputs required
- Repo root (run
wp-project-triagefirst if you haven’t). - Target WordPress version(s) and whether this is WP core or a plugin/theme.
- Where the change should live (plugin vs theme vs mu-plugin).
Procedure
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