Title: get_user_meta($user_id); returns serialized values in second level array
Last modified: August 20, 2016

---

# get_user_meta($user_id); returns serialized values in second level array

 *  [Stephane Boisvert](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sboisvert/)
 * (@sboisvert)
 * [13 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/get_user_metauser_id-returns-serialized-values-in-second-level-array/)
 * I’m using get_user_meta(); And it returns something in the style of
 *     ```
       [user_meta]
           [metakey]
               [0] => "Serialized value here"
       ```
   
 * Now from my feeble understanding this seems to be intended behavior since in 
   get_metadata
    there is these lines:
 *     ```
       if ( !$meta_key )
       		return $meta_cache;
       ```
   
 * that are right before the maybe_unserialize:
 *     ```
       if ( isset($meta_cache[$meta_key]) ) {
       		if ( $single )
       			return maybe_unserialize( $meta_cache[$meta_key][0] );
       		else
       			return array_map('maybe_unserialize', $meta_cache[$meta_key]);
       	}
       ```
   
 * So depending on if a key is specified, get_metadata will return (possibly)serialized
   or unserialized values.
    Is there a reason for this that I’m not catching?

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

 *  [s_ha_dum](https://wordpress.org/support/users/apljdi/)
 * (@apljdi)
 * [13 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/get_user_metauser_id-returns-serialized-values-in-second-level-array/#post-3051559)
 * Put use `print_r()` to output your usermeta data and post that output or to the
   [pastebin](http://pastebin.com/) if it is more than ten lines. Obfuscate anything
   potentially sensitive– login name, that kind of thing.
 *  Thread Starter [Stephane Boisvert](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sboisvert/)
 * (@sboisvert)
 * [13 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/get_user_metauser_id-returns-serialized-values-in-second-level-array/#post-3051643)
 * Hi s_ha_dum,
 * Here is a shortened version of the array that shows the problem:
 * [http://pastebin.com/Bk6BWNE6](http://pastebin.com/Bk6BWNE6)
 * you’ll notice the key wp_1_capabilities
    it is still serialized. Now if I were
   to call the function get_metadata(‘user’,1,’wp_1_capabilities’) instead of get_metadata(‘
   user’,1) I would get that value unserialized.
 * I’m just wondering if I’m missing a logical reason for why this is the way it
   is or if it would be something that people would be open to changing the logic
   so that all the meta comes back unserialized all the time.
 *  Moderator [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/)
 * (@bcworkz)
 * [13 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/get_user_metauser_id-returns-serialized-values-in-second-level-array/#post-3051654)
 * I think the reasoning is just to provide different options for programmers. Same
   reasoning as providing an output type argument for many functions. I prefer unserialized,
   but some one may prefer serial data. That person may be unhappy if their option
   were removed. Not to mention existing implementations would break if the format
   were changed. Since it’s trivial to change between the formats, I can’t see any
   good reason to change.
 *  [s_ha_dum](https://wordpress.org/support/users/apljdi/)
 * (@apljdi)
 * [13 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/get_user_metauser_id-returns-serialized-values-in-second-level-array/#post-3051656)
 * You would add significant overhead if you tried to `maybe_unserialize(...)` all
   of `get_usermeta(...)`. That can be a sizeable chunk of data. If you are only
   pulling one part, as in `get_metadata('user',1,'wp_1_capabilities')` the overhead
   is minimal. I imagine that is the logic. There may well be other reasons, and
   legacy reasons as well, as bcworkz suggested.
 *  Thread Starter [Stephane Boisvert](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sboisvert/)
 * (@sboisvert)
 * [13 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/get_user_metauser_id-returns-serialized-values-in-second-level-array/#post-3051681)
 * Thank you to both for your comments. I guess what I am trying to say is why is
   it not already in an unserialized format by this point. I completely agree and
   have noticed that maybe_unserialize adds great amounts of overhead.
    I guess 
   what I am trying to say is shouldn’t wp_cache_get() return an already unserialized
   array so that the unserialization only happens once?
 *  Thread Starter [Stephane Boisvert](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sboisvert/)
 * (@sboisvert)
 * [13 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/get_user_metauser_id-returns-serialized-values-in-second-level-array/#post-3051682)
 * I guess I should also note that from my understanding, if we pass these values
   unserialized to apc and xcache they will come back unserialized. Of course Thinking
   about it, perhaps this falls under the purview of the role of the object caching
   plugins job?
 *  [s_ha_dum](https://wordpress.org/support/users/apljdi/)
 * (@apljdi)
 * [13 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/get_user_metauser_id-returns-serialized-values-in-second-level-array/#post-3051688)
 * [`wp_cache_get()`](http://codex.wordpress.org/Class_Reference/WP_Object_Cache)
   does not, by default, create a persistent cache. The unserialization would have
   to be done at least once per page load. That could still be unnecessary overhead.
   [Persistent caching](http://codex.wordpress.org/Class_Reference/WP_Object_Cache#Persistent_Caching)
   requires a plugin.
 * > …if we pass these values unserialized to apc and xcache…
 * These are not installed on all servers. WordPress cannot count on having them
   available.

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

The topic ‘get_user_meta($user_id); returns serialized values in second level array’
is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [metadata](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/metadata/)
 * [usermeta](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/usermeta/)

 * In: [Hacks](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/plugins-and-hacks/hacks/)
 * 7 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [s_ha_dum](https://wordpress.org/support/users/apljdi/)
 * Last activity: [13 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/get_user_metauser_id-returns-serialized-values-in-second-level-array/#post-3051688)
 * Status: not resolved

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