The delete_post_thumbnail() WordPress PHP function removes the thumbnail (also known as the featured image) from a specific post.
Usage
Here’s a simple way to use the delete_post_thumbnail() function. Let’s say you want to remove the thumbnail from a post with the ID of 123. You’d use the function like this:
delete_post_thumbnail(123);
This would remove the thumbnail from the post with the ID of 123.
Parameters
- $post (int|WP_Post) – Required. This is the post ID or the post object from which the thumbnail should be removed.
More information
See WordPress Developer Resources: delete_post_thumbnail()
Examples
Removing a Thumbnail from a Specific Post
In this example, we’ll remove the thumbnail from the post with the ID of 123.
delete_post_thumbnail(123); // removes thumbnail from post 123
Removing a Thumbnail Inside a Loop
In a WordPress loop, you can use the delete_post_thumbnail() function to remove the thumbnail from each post in the loop.
while ( have_posts() ) : the_post();
delete_post_thumbnail( get_the_ID() ); // removes thumbnail from the current post in the loop
endwhile;
Removing a Thumbnail from a Post Object
If you have a post object, you can also use delete_post_thumbnail() to remove the thumbnail.
$post_object = get_post(123); delete_post_thumbnail($post_object); // removes thumbnail from post object
Checking if a Post has a Thumbnail Before Removing it
Before removing a thumbnail, it might be a good idea to check if the post has a thumbnail. You can use the has_post_thumbnail() function for this.
$post_id = 123;
if ( has_post_thumbnail($post_id) ) {
delete_post_thumbnail($post_id); // removes thumbnail if the post has one
}
Removing a Thumbnail and Displaying a Confirmation Message
In this example, we’ll remove a thumbnail and display a message confirming that the thumbnail was removed.
$post_id = 123; delete_post_thumbnail($post_id); echo 'The thumbnail was removed from post ' . $post_id; // displays a confirmation message