How to Fix Undefined Function get_the_author_meta() in WordPress

How to Fix It — Step by Step

1. Locate your WordPress root directory. This is the folder that contains wp-load.php, wp-config.php, and the wp-content/ folder. For this theme path (wp-content/themes/constructor/reports/), the root is exactly four directory levels up.

   You should see: wp-load.php listed when you browse to that directory via FTP or your host’s file manager.

2. Add wp-load.php — not wp-blog-header.php — at the very top of testreport.php, before any other code.

   <?php
   require_once('../../../../wp-load.php');
   
   // WordPress functions are now available
   $first_name = get_the_author_meta('user_firstname', $user_id);
   

   You should see: The page loads without a fatal error and your WordPress user data is returned correctly.

3. Verify the path segment count. Count directory levels from testreport.php up to WordPress root: reports/ → constructor/ → themes/ → wp-content/ → root. That is exactly four ../ steps.

   // File location:
   // /public_html/wp-content/themes/constructor/reports/testreport.php
   // wp-load.php location:
   // /public_html/wp-load.php
   // Correct require:
   require_once('../../../../wp-load.php');
   

   You should see: No “failed to open stream” warning, which confirms PHP found the file at that path.

4. Use an absolute path for long-term reliability (recommended). Relative paths break if the folder structure ever changes. Build the path dynamically using PHP’s __FILE__ constant instead.

   <?php
   // dirname(__FILE__, 5) climbs 4 levels above the file itself
   $wp_root = dirname(__FILE__, 5);
   require_once($wp_root . '/wp-load.php');
   

   You should see: The same successful load, now resilient to any future folder restructuring.

5. Add a capability check immediately after loading WordPress. Protect the file so only authorized users can generate reports.

   if (!current_user_can('read')) {
       wp_die('Access denied.');
   }
   

   You should see: Logged-out users or unauthorized roles are blocked with a WordPress error page instead of seeing report data.

6. Test the report end-to-end. Access the file URL directly in your browser and confirm the DOMPDF report generates without PHP errors or blank output.

   You should see: Your report rendered or downloaded correctly, populated with live WordPress user data.