Template redirect troubleshooting

if ( is_front_page() ) {
wp_redirect( home_url( '/dashboard/' ) );
die;
}

if ( is_page('contact') ) {
wp_redirect( home_url( '/new-contact/' ) );
die;
}

}
add_action( 'template_redirect', 'custom_redirects' );
template_redirect not working

1. **Check if the Function is Being Called**: Add a debug statement inside your `custom_redirects` function to see if it's being executed:

function custom_redirects() {
       error_log('custom_redirects called');

       if ( is_front_page() ) {
           wp_redirect( home_url( '/dashboard/' ) );
           die;
       }

       if ( is_page('contact') ) {
           wp_redirect( home_url( '/new-contact/' ) );
           die;
       }
   }
   add_action( 'template_redirect', 'custom_redirects' );

Check the debug.log file in your `/wp-content/` directory for the log message.

2. **Confirm That the Function is in the Right Place**: Make sure that the `custom_redirects` function is placed in your theme's `functions.php` file or a site-specific plugin.

3. **Check for Other Redirection Plugins**: If you have other redirection plugins or rules, they might be conflicting with your code. Disable them temporarily to see if that resolves the issue.

4. **Check for Caching**: If you are using a caching plugin, clear the cache to ensure that your changes are reflected.

5. **Test Conditions Separately**: Comment out one of the `if` conditions and test the other to ensure that both conditions work independently:

// Comment out one condition to test the other
   if ( is_front_page() ) {
       wp_redirect( home_url( '/dashboard/' ) );
       die;
   }

   // if ( is_page('contact') ) {
   //     wp_redirect( home_url( '/new-contact/' ) );
   //     die;
   // }

6. **Use `exit()` Instead of `die()`**: While `die()` works, using `exit()` is more common in this context:

if ( is_front_page() ) {
       wp_redirect( home_url( '/dashboard/' ) );
       exit;
   }

7. **Check for Output Before Redirection**: Ensure that there is no output (like whitespace or HTML) sent before the redirection occurs. Output should happen only after the `wp_redirect` call.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, please provide additional context about your setup or any error messages you might be encountering.

### Syntax
The basic syntax for `add_action` is:

add_action( 'hook_name', 'your_function_name', priority, accepted_args );

– **hook_name**: The name of the action hook you want to attach your function to (e.g., `template_redirect`).
– **your_function_name**: The name of your custom function that will be executed when the hook is called.
– **priority** (optional): Determines the order in which the functions associated with a particular action are executed. The default is `10`. Lower numbers correspond with earlier execution.
– **accepted_args** (optional): The number of arguments the function accepts. The default is `1`.

### Example with Your Custom Redirects
Given your function, the usage of `add_action` would look like this:

function custom_redirects() {
    // Redirect if on the front page
    if ( is_front_page() ) {
        wp_redirect( home_url( '/dashboard/' ) );
        exit; // Use exit instead of die
    }

    // Redirect if on the contact page
    if ( is_page('contact') ) {
        wp_redirect( home_url( '/new-contact/' ) );
        exit; // Use exit instead of die
    }
}

// Hook into the template_redirect action
add_action( 'template_redirect', 'custom_redirects' );

### Where to Place the Code
– **In `functions.php`**: This is the most common place to add custom functions and hooks. Make sure you add this code to the active theme's `functions.php` file.
– **In a Custom Plugin**: If you prefer to keep your functions separate from the theme (which is a good practice for maintainability), you can create a simple plugin and add this code there.

### Testing the Hook
After implementing the above code, visit your site's front page and the contact page to see if the redirection works as expected. Make sure to:
– Clear any caching plugins you might have enabled.
– Check your browser’s console for any potential errors or messages.

If the `template_redirect` hook is still not working, please provide additional context about your WordPress environment, any error messages, or potential conflicts with other code or plugins.

### Basic Syntax

add_action( 'hook_name', 'your_function_name', [priority], [accepted_args] );

– **`hook_name`**: The name of the action hook you want to use (e.g., `template_redirect`).
– **`your_function_name`**: The name of the function you want to run when the hook is triggered.
– **`priority`** (optional): The order in which the functions associated with a particular action are executed. The default is `10`. Lower numbers correspond to earlier execution.
– **`accepted_args`** (optional): The number of arguments the function accepts. The default is `1`.

### Example: Redirect on Template Redirect

Here's an example of using `add_action` with `template_redirect` to create custom redirects based on conditions:

function custom_redirects() {
    // Log to debug
    error_log('custom_redirects called');

    // Redirect to the dashboard if on the front page
    if ( is_front_page() ) {
        wp_redirect( home_url( '/dashboard/' ) );
        exit; // Use exit instead of die
    }

    // Redirect to new-contact page if on the contact page
    if ( is_page('contact') ) {
        wp_redirect( home_url( '/new-contact/' ) );
        exit;
    }
}

// Hook the custom_redirects function to the template_redirect action
add_action( 'template_redirect', 'custom_redirects' );

### Important Notes

1. **Placement**: Ensure that the `add_action` call is placed in your theme's `functions.php` file or a custom plugin. If you put it in a conditional block that doesn't execute, the hook won't be registered.

2. **No Output Before Redirection**: Ensure that there's no output (like whitespace or HTML) before your redirection code, as it can prevent headers from being sent.

3. **Debugging**: If your redirects aren't working, use `error_log()` to log messages to the debug log for troubleshooting.

4. **Caching**: Clear any caching if you're not seeing changes immediately after you update your code.

By following these guidelines, you should be able to successfully implement your redirects using `add_action` with `template_redirect`. If you have any specific issues or errors you're facing, please share, and I can help further!