Title: WordPress admin_post not working
Last modified: September 1, 2016

---

# WordPress admin_post not working

 *  [shivampaw](https://wordpress.org/support/users/shivampaw/)
 * (@shivampaw)
 * [9 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-admin_post-not-working/)
 * Hi
 * I have the following code for my plugin. However it works as it should when I
   am logged in but when I am not logged in submitting the form takes me to a WP
   admin “Not Available” screen.
 * How come and what can I do to fix this?
 *     ```
       <?php
           /*
           Plugin Name: Subscriber Check
           Version: 1.0
           Author: Shivam Paw
           Author URI: http://www.shivampaw.com
           Text Domain: subscriber-check
           Domain Path: /languages
           Description: Plugin that means a viewer must enter the email address for mailpoet to see content.
           */
   
           if (!session_id()) {
               session_start();
           }
           function subscriber_check_shortcode( $atts, $content = null ) {
           	if($_SESSION["subscriber_check"] == true){
           		return $content;
           	}else{
           		$message = "<p>Please enter the email you used when subscribing to our site to view this page. Once verified you will be able to access this page until you close your browser.</p>";
   
           		$error = "";
           		if( basename($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']) == "?error"){
           			$error .= "<p style='color:red;'>The email you entered was not found. Please make sure you have confirmed your subscription. You must enter the email address you used when subscribing. If you can't remember the email then please re-subscribe.</p>";
           		}
   
           		$form = '
           		<form method="post" action="'.get_admin_url().'admin-post.php" id="subscriber_check_form">
           			<p>
           				<input type="hidden" name="action" value="submit-form-subscriber">
           				<input type="email" name="subscriber_check_email" id="subscriber_check_email" placeholder="Enter Your Email">
           				<input type="submit" name="subscriber_check_submit" id="subscriber_check_submit" value="Verify">
           			</p>
           		</form>
           		';
           		return $message.$error.$form;
           	}
           }
           add_shortcode( 'subscriber_check', 'subscriber_check_shortcode' );
   
           add_action('admin_post_submit-form-subscriber', '_handle_form_action'); // If the user is logged in
           add_action('admin_post_nopriv_submit-form-subscriber', '_handle_form_action'); // If the user in not logged in
   
           function _handle_form_action(){
           	if($_POST["subscriber_check_email"]){
           		global $wpdb;
           		$sql = $wpdb->prepare( "SELECT * FROM 2proiTFuxs_wysija_user WHERE email=%s AND confirmed_at IS NOT NULL",$_POST["subscriber_check_email"]);
           		$results = $wpdb->get_results( $sql);
           		$rows = $wpdb->num_rows;
           		if($rows != 0){
           			$_SESSION["subscriber_check"] = true;
           			header('Location: /free-downloads');
           		}else{
           			header('Location: /free-downloads/?error');
           		}
           	}
           }
       ```
   

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

 *  Moderator [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/)
 * (@bcworkz)
 * [9 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-admin_post-not-working/#post-7567039)
 * It sounds to me like a security plugin is intervening. Or maybe server level 
   security like mod-security? I’ve not had trouble with accessing admin-post.php
   when not logged in, but I have no additional security installed. Check file permissions
   too.
 * The security either needs to be disabled or an exception added if possible.
 *  [NuEngine Technologies](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nuengine-technologies/)
 * (@nuengine-technologies)
 * [9 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-admin_post-not-working/#post-8191588)
 * Use admin_post while submitting a form in wp-admin area;
 * `admin_post_*` works well when user is logged in and has admin access, `admin_post_nopriv_*`
   is for guest users.
 * But when you want to submit form in front end (for logged or non logged in users)
 * You should use `wp_ajax_*` and `wp_ajax_nopriv_*` hooks, It works exactly same
   as `admin_post`.
 * You will also need to change your form action to `admin_url('admin-ajax.php')`
   which is `/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php` wp_ajax is used for ajax form submission 
   but you can also use it for normal form submissions.
 * While doing normal form submission please also remember to redirect page at the
   end of your function. Avoid using PHP `header` function use `wp_redirect` instead.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

The topic ‘WordPress admin_post not working’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

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

 * In: [Hacks](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/plugins-and-hacks/hacks/)
 * 2 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [NuEngine Technologies](https://wordpress.org/support/users/nuengine-technologies/)
 * Last activity: [9 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-admin_post-not-working/#post-8191588)
 * Status: not resolved

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