Daniel Bachhuber

Chris Reynolds

Pantheon Systems

John Spellman

Andrew Taylor

mpvanwinkle77

Josh Koenig

rwagner00

stovak

<a href="https://travis-ci.org/pantheon-systems/wp-native-php-sessions" rel="nofollow ugc"></a> <a href="https://circleci.com/gh/pantheon-systems/wp-native-php-sessions/tree/master" rel="nofollow ugc"></a>
WordPress core does not use PHP sessions, but sometimes they are required by your use-case, a plugin or theme.
This plugin implements PHP’s native session handlers, backed by the WordPress database. This allows plugins, themes, and custom code to safely use PHP <code>$_SESSION</code>s in a distributed environment where PHP’s default tempfile storage just won’t work.
Note that primary development is on GitHub if you would like to contribute:
https://github.com/pantheon-systems/wp-native-php-sessions
<h3>Configuration</h3>
By default the session lifetime is set to 0, which is until the browser is closed.
To override this use the <code>pantheon_session_expiration</code> filter before the Native PHP Sessions plugin is loaded. For example a small Must-use plugin (a.k.a. mu-plugin) could contain:
<pre><code><?php
function my_session_expiration_override() {
 return 60*60*4; // 4 hours
}
add_filter( 'pantheon_session_expiration', 'my_session_expiration_override' );<h3>CLI Commands</h3>
</code></pre>
wp pantheon session add-index
Added in 1.4.0. This command should be run if your installation of the plugin occurred before the addition of the primary ID key to the session table in version 1.2.2. You will be automatically notified when you visit any admin page if this is the case. If there’s no message, your version is good to go. Note that this command is non-destructive, a new table will be created and the existing one preserved in a backup state until you have verified that the upgrade is functioning as expected.
wp pantheon session primary-key-finalize
Added in 1.4.0. If you have run the <code>add-index</code> command and have verified that the new table is functioning correctly, running the <code>primary-key-finalize</code> command will perform a database cleanup and remove the backup table.
wp pantheon session primary-key-revert
Added in 1.4.0. If you have run the <code>add-index</code> command and something unexpected has occurred, just run the <code>primary-key-revert</code> command and the backup table will immediately be returned to being the active table.
<h4>WordPress Multisite</h4>
As of 1.4.2 the <code>add-index</code>, <code>primary-key-add</code> and <code>primary-key-revert</code> commands are fully multisite compatible.
<h3>Contributing</h3>
See <a href="https://github.com/pantheon-systems/wp-native-php-sessions/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md" rel="nofollow ugc">CONTRIBUTING.md</a> for information on contributing.
<h3>Troubleshooting</h3>
If you see an error like “Fatal error: session_start(): Failed to initialize storage module:” or “Warning: ini_set(): A session is active.”, then you likely have a plugin that is starting a session before WP Native PHP Sessions is loading.
To fix, create a new file at <code>wp-content/mu-plugins/000-loader.php</code> and include the following:
<pre><code><?php
if (file_exists(WP_PLUGIN_DIR . '/wp-native-php-sessions/pantheon-sessions.php')) {
 require_once WP_PLUGIN_DIR . '/wp-native-php-sessions/pantheon-sessions.php';
}
</code></pre>
This mu-plugin will load WP Native PHP Sessions before all other plugins, while letting you still use the WordPress plugin updater to keep the plugin up-to-date.

Native PHP Sessions

I did not have high hopes for this, looking for plugins to resolve the issue my site was having in Site Health and figured I might as well try  this after running across it on Google. I installed it, and it fixed loopback requests and API issues in Site Health. I am very impressed! 

Wow! This plugin works great!

Use native PHP sessions and stay horizontally scalable. Better living through superior technology.

Duna Paul

Selling sessions but losing track of attendance?
Attendra helps you manage clients, sessions, and attendance directly inside WordPress, without spreadsheets or expensive SaaS tools.
If you run a gym, studio, tutoring center, therapy practice, or any service-based business, you already know the pain: 
– Who still has sessions left? 
– Who showed up last week? 
– Which clients expired or ran out?
Attendra gives you a clean, structured workflow built for real-world use.
No monthly fees. No external platforms. Your data stays yours.
<h4>Who is this for?</h4>
<ul>
<li>Personal trainers and fitness studios</li>
<li>Tutors and learning centers</li>
<li>Therapists and wellness coaches</li>
<li>Sports clubs and after-school programs</li>
<li>Any business that sells services in sessions or packages</li>
</ul>
<h4>What you can do</h4>
Track attendance without spreadsheets 
Log sessions in seconds and always know how many entries each client has left.
Manage clients and services in one place 
Assign services, track allowances, and keep everything organized inside WordPress.
Give clients their own portal 
Clients can log in and see their remaining sessions, services, and full attendance history.
Let staff mark attendance without wp-admin 
Staff users get a clean frontend interface to mark attendance quickly and safely.
Display your schedule publicly 
Use a shortcode to show your services and schedule on your website.
<h3>Developer Notes</h3>
To regenerate translation template: 
 wp i18n make-pot . languages/attendra.pot –exclude=assets,vendor,node_modules –slug=attendra

Attendra – Client Attendance Manager

Track client attendance, manage session allowances, and give clients their own portal, all inside WordPress. No SaaS fees.

Native PHP Sessions vs Attendra – Client Attendance Manager