action-links

name	action-links
description	Guides implementation of structured action links on log events. Use when adding get_action_links() to a logger or migrating from get_log_row_details_output().
allowed-tools	Read, Grep, Glob

Action Links

Structured navigational links rendered below log events. Added in 5.24.0.

UX Principle

Icons represent action type, not destination. Use a small, consistent icon vocabulary so users learn the pattern once. The label text describes where the link goes — the icon just reinforces what kind of action it is.

Action Types

Use only these five types. Do not invent new ones unless truly necessary.

Action	Icon	When to use
view	Eye (visibility)	Navigate to see/inspect something
edit	Pencil	Navigate to modify something
preview	Preview	View a draft or unpublished item
revisions	History clock	Compare versions or view change history
details	Info	Open the event details modal (auto-appended via Logger::event_has_more_details())

Most links are view. When in doubt, use view. Don't return details from get_action_links() directly — opt in via event_has_more_details() instead so the modal-link wiring stays consistent.

event_has_more_details() returns string|false: the label to render (e.g. __( 'Show error message', ... )), or false to skip. Pick a label that names the actual payload (Show error message, Show all 47 roles) rather than a generic Show details — the icon already signals "more info", the label should sell what's behind it.

Verify the payload exists before returning a label. A logger opted into this should still inspect $row->context and return false when the relevant keys are missing — otherwise older events without the payload would lead users to a modal with nothing extra. Match on both the message key and the presence of the data.

PHP: Adding Action Links to a Logger

Override get_action_links() in your logger class. Always check capabilities.

public function get_action_links( $row ) {
    if ( ! current_user_can( 'required_capability' ) ) {
        return [];
    }

    return [
        [
            'url'    => admin_url( 'page.php' ),
            'label'  => __( 'View thing', 'simple-history' ),
            'action' => 'view',
        ],
    ];
}

Required Keys

Each link must have all three keys:

• url — Full URL (use admin_url(), get_edit_post_link(), etc.)
• label — Translated, human-readable text
• action — One of: view, edit, preview, revisions

Multiple Links

Return multiple links when relevant. Order: edit first, then view, then others.

$action_links = [];

if ( current_user_can( 'edit_post', $post_id ) ) {
    $action_links[] = [
        'url'    => get_edit_post_link( $post_id, 'raw' ),
        'label'  => __( 'Edit post', 'simple-history' ),
        'action' => 'edit',
    ];
}

if ( get_post_status( $post_id ) === 'publish' ) {
    $action_links[] = [
        'url'    => get_permalink( $post_id ),
        'label'  => __( 'View post', 'simple-history' ),
        'action' => 'view',
    ];
}

return $action_links;

Migrating from Inline Links

When moving a link from get_log_row_details_output() to action links:

1. Add get_action_links() with the link
2. Remove the inline <a> HTML from get_log_row_details_output()
3. Migrate the remaining details HTML to the Event Details API (see logger-messages skill)
4. Keep capability checks in the new method

Common inline links to migrate: "View/Edit" comment links, "View plugin info" thickbox links, post edit links embedded in detail tables. These are all navigational — they belong here, not in Event Details.

Constraints

• Each action type may appear at most once per event (used as React key).
• Action links are gated behind experimental features (Helpers::experimental_features_is_enabled()).

Architecture

REST Controller (prepare_item_for_response)
  → Simple_History::get_action_links($row)
    → Logger::get_action_links($row)
    → filter: simple_history/get_action_links
      → REST response (action_links field)
        → EventActionLinks.jsx renders with icons

Key Files

File	Role
loggers/class-logger.php	Base class, default empty get_action_links()
inc/class-simple-history.php	Routes to logger, applies filter
inc/class-wp-rest-events-controller.php	REST schema and response
src/components/EventActionLinks.jsx	Frontend rendering with icons
css/styles.css	Icon mask-image rules for action links

Adding a New Action Type (Rare)

Only if the four standard types truly don't fit:

1. Add SVG to css/icons/ (Material Symbols, 48px, FILL0, wght400)
2. Add CSS mask rule in css/styles.css under the action links section
3. Add mapping in ACTION_ICONS in src/components/EventActionLinks.jsx
4. Update this skill document

Examples in Codebase

• Simple: loggers/class-site-health-logger.php — single view link
• Simple: loggers/class-available-updates-logger.php — single view link
• Complex: loggers/class-post-logger.php — edit, view, preview, revisions