To stop WordPress from emailing the password-reset link, add add_filter( 'send_retrieve_password_email', '__return_false' ); in a site-specific plugin or must-use plugin. This core filter is available in WordPress 6.0.0 and later. It suppresses the email for every password-reset request, so users will not receive the standard recovery link.
Disable the password-reset email for all users
WordPress provides the send_retrieve_password_email filter to control whether it sends the retrieve-password email. Returning false prevents WordPress from sending that message.
- Choose a persistent location for the code. Add it to a site-specific plugin or a must-use plugin so the behavior is not tied to the active theme.
- Add the filter. Put this PHP code in the plugin file:
add_filter( 'send_retrieve_password_email', '__return_false' );The hook was introduced in WordPress 6.0.0. If the site runs an older release, do not assume this filter is available; check that installation’s code before relying on it.
What happens when someone requests a reset
WordPress applies this filter before generating a password-reset key or composing the email. When the filter returns false, the reset function returns true at that point. As a result, the form may report that the request succeeded even though no email was sent. Users cannot complete the ordinary email-based recovery flow while the filter is active.
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Limit the rule to selected accounts or conditions
The one-line callback disables the email globally. For a narrower rule, use a callback that receives the username and WP_User object and returns a boolean decision. For example, this illustrates the callback shape; replace the condition with one appropriate to the site:
add_filter( 'send_retrieve_password_email', function ( $send, $user_login, $user ) {
if ( $user instanceof WP_User && $user->has_cap( 'manage_options' ) ) {
return false;
}
return $send;
}, 10, 3 );This example suppresses the reset email for users with the manage_options capability and leaves the existing send decision unchanged for others. Verify the condition against the site’s roles and authentication flow before deploying it.
Check which password-related email you mean
Password-reset link sent to the user
The send_retrieve_password_email filter controls whether WordPress sends the retrieve-password message to the person requesting a reset. Use it when the goal is to stop delivery of the reset link.
Contents of the reset email
retrieve_password_notification_email filters the email arguments, including recipient, subject, message, and headers. It is intended for changing the message, not as the documented switch for disabling delivery.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsPassword-change notification sent to the administrator
WordPress has a separate administrator notification associated with a user’s password being reset. The wp_password_change_notification() function concerns that administrator notice; it is not the reset link email sent to the user. Disabling the user’s retrieve-password email with the filter above does not, by itself, disable this separate notification.
What users can do instead
WordPress’s usual recovery process starts at the “Lost your password?” link and uses an email message to deliver the reset link. If you suppress that message, provide users with another supported recovery route before enabling the filter; otherwise, they may be unable to regain access through the standard flow.
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