options autoload = auto?
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Hi!
I’ve noticed in my WordPress options table that some options have the autoload value set to auto. I couldn’t find any information about this in the Codex or online. I’d like to ask what this particular autoload value means.
Thanks!
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Hi @threadi, and thanks for your reply.
I’m familiar with that page, but my question is specifically about the value ‘auto’ which I’m seeing in my wp_options table for the autoload column.
The documentation you linked, as well as the Developer Reference for update_option(), clearly states that the $autoload parameter is a boolean, which is stored in the database as either true or false.
Since I’m seeing ‘auto’, I’m wondering if this is perhaps a new, undocumented syntax or simply a non-standard value.
My main technical question is how the WordPress core interprets it. I assume that during the wp_load_alloptions() process, any value other than the exact string ‘yes’ would cause the option not to be autoloaded, effectively treating it as ‘no’.
Could you confirm if this assumption is correct? It would help me understand if this setting is a valid (though undocumented) option or simply an anomaly with no functional impact on autoloading.
Thanks again for your time!
Hi @threadi,
Thank you so much! This is an helpful and clear explanation. Pointing directly to the source code on GitHub was exactly what I needed to understand this recent change.
Your answer also highlights an important point, the official Developer Reference page for update_option() appears to be out of sync with the core’s current behavior.
https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/update_option/
For the benefit of all the WordPress developers community I think it’s crucial that this page be updated, as of today (July 20, 2025), it still describes the $autoload parameter as a boolean value and legacy strings, while completely omitting the new ‘on’/’off’ standard and other valid values like ‘auto’.
Thanks again for shedding light on this. It’s a very valuable clarification!
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