# Header redirect not working in wp

**URL:** <https://www.phphelp.com/t/header-redirect-not-working-in-wp/34379>\
**Category:** Help with WordPress\
**Created:** [December 25, 2021, 4:03am UTC](https://www.phphelp.com/t/header-redirect-not-working-in-wp/34379 "2021-12-25T04:03:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hotspringsrus](https://www.phphelp.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Hotspringsrus](https://www.phphelp.com/u/Hotspringsrus)\
**Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 4:03am UTC](https://www.phphelp.com/t/header-redirect-not-working-in-wp/34379/1 "2021-12-25T04:03:48Z")

</div>

I am inserting a snippet at the top of my WordPress page to test whether a user has logged in. I want to redirect the user if the user has not logged in. I created the following snippet. I can call it from the editor so it appears to function. I get no errors but do not get a redirection or an error when not logged in. I presume I am not seeing the error due to being in Wordpress and am guessing I cannot do this as parts of the page have already been written and I am not redirecting at the top of the code before anything has been written. Does anyone have a workaround for redirecting the user? Or maybe I just need to find a plugin to test for login?

```auto
<?php
if(isset($_SESSION['sessionId'])) {
echo "you are logged in";

} else {

header ("location: index.php?error=Mustlogin");
}

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![phdr](https://www.phphelp.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@phdr](https://www.phphelp.com/u/phdr)\
**Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 4:00pm UTC](https://www.phphelp.com/t/header-redirect-not-working-in-wp/34379/2 "2021-12-25T16:00:00Z")

</div>

The html document is not the place to be executing a redirect. The html document is for producing the content that the visitor sees. What content should a logged in visitor see - an indication of being logged in and how about a log out link? What content should a non-logged in visitor see - how about a login link AND a registration link?

BTW - every header() redirect needs an **exit;** statement after it to stop php code execution. If this redirect is for security purposes, to prevent access to a page, all the php code on the rest of the page is still executed while the browser is preforming the redirect.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hotspringsrus](https://www.phphelp.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Hotspringsrus](https://www.phphelp.com/u/Hotspringsrus)\
**Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 7:32pm UTC](https://www.phphelp.com/t/header-redirect-not-working-in-wp/34379/3 "2021-12-25T19:32:51Z")

</div>

I was just trying to get this piece to work. I guess I could put it in the header but didn’t want all pages to require being logged in. If I can figure out how to get the page name, I can just make exceptions for login, registration and the few pages that don’t require login.

I wasn’t aware I needed an exit after the redirect. I thought that was the exit. I will have to add that to a number of my pages. Thank you.