JetEngine Custom Content Types (CCT)

Integrate with registered CCT factories rather than treating CCT rows as posts. Each CCT has a dedicated custom table, its own field schema, service columns, handler lifecycle, query layer, and optional REST/single-post projection.

When to use this skill

• Read, create, update, or delete items in an existing CCT.
• React to CCT lifecycle hooks from a companion plugin.
• Query CCT fields through PHP or Query Builder.
• Map a CCT item to its optional related single post.
• Enable or consume jet-cct REST routes.
• Audit capabilities, ownership, deletion effects, or direct database calls.

Module timing and factory lookup

CCT module construction starts on jet-engine/init; its manager registers saved CCT instances on WordPress init priority 10. Resolve a factory after that point and fail closed when the module/type is absent.

add_action('init', static function(): void {
    if (! class_exists(
        'Jet_Engine\\Modules\\Custom_Content_Types\\Module'
    )) {
        return;
    }

    $module  = \Jet_Engine\Modules\Custom_Content_Types\Module::instance();
    $factory = $module->manager
        ? $module->manager->get_content_types('my_records')
        : false;

    if (! $factory) {
        return;
    }

    // Register integration services that depend on this CCT.
}, 20);

Use get_content_types() with no slug to enumerate factories, but never select a factory from untrusted input without an allowlist.

Data model

CCT records are not WP_Post objects. A table contains _ID, cct_status, cct_author_id, cct_created, cct_modified, optional cct_single_post_id, and configured fields. Use:

$db      = $factory->get_db();
$fields  = $factory->get_formatted_fields();
$item    = $db->get_item($item_id);
$handler = $factory->get_item_handler();

Validate the current item and field schema; CCT administrators can rename or remove fields. Multi-value field types are safely decoded only for known array-backed fields in 3.8.14. Never apply raw unserialize() to CCT values.

Canonical create and update

Use Item_Handler::update_item() for normal mutations. Without _ID it creates; with _ID it updates and merges the existing row before sanitation.

$result = $handler->update_item(array(
    '_ID'        => $existing_id, // omit for create
    'title'      => sanitize_text_field($input['title'] ?? ''),
    'score'      => (int) ($input['score'] ?? 0),
    'cct_status' => 'publish',
));

if (is_wp_error($result)) {
    return $result;
}
if (! $result) {
    return new WP_Error('cct_write_failed', 'CCT write failed.');
}

The handler applies field-type sanitation, timestamps, status allowlisting, related-single processing, and lifecycle hooks. Validate business rules, authorization, required fields, allowed transitions, and foreign IDs before calling it. On create, supply required/default-sensitive fields explicitly; do not assume every configured UI default is inserted by programmatic calls.

The factory DB's output format is mutable and shared within the request. CCT Query Builder sets it to OBJECT, while Item_Handler paths assume array rows. If the same request queried object rows before mutating, normalize and restore:

$db              = $factory->get_db();
$previous_format = $db->get_format_flag();
$db->set_format_flag(\ARRAY_A);
$db->reset_found_items_cache();

try {
    $result = $factory->get_item_handler()->update_item($payload);
} finally {
    $db->reset_found_items_cache();
    $db->set_format_flag($previous_format);
}

Hook only the target slug:

jet-engine/custom-content-types/create-item/{slug}
jet-engine/custom-content-types/created-item/{slug}
jet-engine/custom-content-types/update-item/{slug}
jet-engine/custom-content-types/updated-item/{slug}
jet-engine/custom-content-types/delete-item/{slug}

updated-item/{slug} also fires after creation with an empty previous-item array. Use created-item/{slug} when creation-only behavior is required. These after hooks fire before update_item() performs its final DB-error/result branch, and delete does not verify the low-level delete result before its hook. They are lifecycle notifications, not transaction-commit guarantees. Require a positive item ID, make side effects idempotent, and re-read/queue critical external work after the mutation has been confirmed.

Deletion is a privileged operation

delete_item() enforces the CCT's broad admin capability but can redirect or terminate. raw_delete_item() is the programmatic primitive and performs no access check. Authorize the actor and item before calling it.

if (! current_user_can('delete_others_posts')) {
    return new WP_Error('forbidden', 'Not allowed.');
}

$item = $factory->get_db()->get_item($item_id);
if (! $item || ! my_plugin_user_may_delete_cct($item)) {
    return new WP_Error('forbidden_item', 'Not allowed for this item.');
}

$factory->get_item_handler()->raw_delete_item($item_id);

Raw deletion also permanently deletes cct_single_post_id when present. If delete_item_on_single_delete is enabled, permanently deleting the related single post deletes the CCT row too. Design cleanup hooks for both directions and guard against recursive side effects. In 3.8.14, the low-level delete path does not reset the DB object's in-request _found_items cache. A prior get_item($id) can therefore remain visible on the same instance after the row is gone. When same-request read-after-delete matters, call $factory->get_db()->reset_found_items_cache() after deletion. Also normalize the DB format to ARRAY_A before raw deletion when an earlier CCT query may have selected object output; otherwise the handler can fail before deleting.

Queries

Prefer the CCT DB API or Query Builder type custom-content-type; do not build SQL with table/field/operator request values. Pass filter rows through $factory->prepare_query_args() before $db->query()/count().

$rows = $factory->get_db()->query(
    $factory->prepare_query_args(array(
        array(
            'field'    => 'score',
            'operator' => '>=',
            'value'    => 10,
            'type'     => 'integer',
        ),
    )),
    25,
    0,
    array(array('orderby' => 'score', 'order' => 'DESC', 'type' => 'integer')),
    'AND'
);

Apply explicit limits. Query Builder supports nested groups, search, status, offset/number/order, and returns row objects. Smart Filters may call set_filtered_prop(); protected restrictions must narrow rather than disappear.

REST security boundary

Enabled CCT routes use namespace jet-cct:

GET    /jet-cct/{slug}
GET    /jet-cct/{slug}/{_ID}
POST   /jet-cct/{slug}
POST|PUT|PATCH /jet-cct/{slug}/{_ID}
DELETE /jet-cct/{slug}/{_ID}

An empty capability or literal public makes that operation public. The defaults are public GET and edit_posts for create/update/delete, but only when the corresponding route is enabled. Capability checks are global; they do not enforce item ownership. Add separate object-level policy in your integration when users may only access their own records. Never enable public mutation for private, billable, licensed, or trusted workflow state.

Read cct-query-rest-hooks.md for exact REST parameters, hook signatures, service columns, and query shapes.

Verification

Test create, partial update, invalid status, missing/removed field, array-backed field, create-versus-update hooks, handler error, unauthorized delete, linked single deletion in both directions, zero-result/count queries, paging, public and authenticated REST, per-item ownership, and response-field exposure.

References

• Official CCT guide: https://crocoblock.com/knowledge-base/articles/jetengine-how-to-create-a-custom-content-type/
• Verified source paths:
  • wp-content/plugins/jet-engine/includes/modules/custom-content-types/inc/module.php
  • wp-content/plugins/jet-engine/includes/modules/custom-content-types/inc/manager.php
  • wp-content/plugins/jet-engine/includes/modules/custom-content-types/inc/factory.php
  • wp-content/plugins/jet-engine/includes/modules/custom-content-types/inc/item-handler.php
  • wp-content/plugins/jet-engine/includes/modules/custom-content-types/inc/db.php
  • wp-content/plugins/jet-engine/includes/modules/custom-content-types/inc/query-builder/query.php
  • wp-content/plugins/jet-engine/includes/modules/custom-content-types/inc/rest-api/public-controller.php