Embed Threads in a WordPress Post

functions.php

<?php
/**
 * Thread Embed
 *
 * @package           threads-embed
 * @author            David Artiss
 * @license           GPL-2.0-or-later
 *
 * Plugin Name:       Threads Embed
 * Plugin URI:        https://gist.github.com/dartiss/97b7da945b9de709dba8fed5a7f23ede
 * Description:       Add Threads embedding to a WordPress post
 * Version:           0.4
 * Requires at least: 4.6
 * Requires PHP:      8.0
 * Author:            David Artiss
 * Author URI:        https://artiss.blog
 * Text Domain:       threads-embed
 * License:           GPL v2 or later
 * License URI:       http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.txt
 *
 * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU
 * General Public License version 2, as published by the Free Software Foundation. You may NOT assume
 * that you can use any other version of the GPL.
 *
 * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without
 * even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
 */

/**
 * Threads embed
 *
 * Add a shortcode that will generate Threads embed code from a provided link.
 *
 * @param  string $paras     Shortcode parameters.
 * @param  string $content   Shortcode content.
 * @return string            Threads embed code.
 */
function threads_embed( $paras = '', $content = '' ) {

	return generate_threads_embed( $paras[0] );

}

add_shortcode( 'threads', 'threads_embed' );

/**
 * Register Threads URL Handler.
 */
function register_threads_embed_handler() {
	wp_embed_register_handler(
		'threads',                          // Unique identifier for this handler.
		'#https://www\.threads\.net/.*#i',  // The regex for URLs you want to embed.
		'threads_embed_handler'             // The callback function to run when a match is found.
	);
}

add_action( 'init', 'register_threads_embed_handler' );

/**
 * Threads Embed Handler
 *
 * This is the callback function that will generate the Threads embed HTML.
 *
 * @param  array  $matches   An array containing any regex matches.
 * @param  array  $attr      An array containing the embed attributes.
 * @param  string $url       The URL that was matched.
 * @param  array  $rawattr   An array containing the raw (unfiltered) embed attributes.
 * @return string            Threads embed code.
 */
function threads_embed_handler( $matches, $attr, $url, $rawattr ) {

	return generate_threads_embed( $url );
}

/**
 * Generate embed code
 *
 * Using a passed Threads URL, generate the embed code.
 *
 * @param  string $threads_url   The Threads URL to be embedded.
 * @return string                Threads embed code.
 */
function generate_threads_embed( $threads_url ) {

	$url = false;

	// Divide out the link, based on forward slashes. The 4th party should be the ID for the Threads post.
	$split = explode( '/', $threads_url );
	if ( 't' == $split[3] ) {
		$url = $split[4];
	} else {
		// If not the format I was expecting, look further along the array.
		if ( 'post' == $split[4] ) {
			$split2 = explode( '?', $split[5] );
			$url    = $split2[0];
		}
	}

	// Now generated the embed code - this is the code currently provided by Threads and is presented as-is.
	if ( ! $url ) {
		$embed = '<p>Error: Threads URL format not recognised.</p>';
	} else {
		$embed = '<blockquote class="text-post-media" data-text-post-permalink="https://www.threads.net/t/' . $url . '" data-text-post-version="0" id="ig-tp-' . $url . '" style=" background:#FFF; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: #00000026; border-radius: 16px; max-width:540px; margin: 1px; min-width:270px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <a href="https://www.threads.net/t/' . $url . '" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;" target="_blank"> <div style=" padding: 40px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"><div style=" display:block; height:32px; width:32px; padding-bottom:20px;"> <svg aria-label="Threads" height="32px" role="img" viewBox="0 0 192 192" width="32px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M141.537 88.9883C140.71 88.5919 139.87 88.2104 139.019 87.8451C137.537 60.5382 122.616 44.905 97.5619 44.745C97.4484 44.7443 97.3355 44.7443 97.222 44.7443C82.2364 44.7443 69.7731 51.1409 62.102 62.7807L75.881 72.2328C81.6116 63.5383 90.6052 61.6848 97.2286 61.6848C97.3051 61.6848 97.3819 61.6848 97.4576 61.6855C105.707 61.7381 111.932 64.1366 115.961 68.814C118.893 72.2193 120.854 76.925 121.825 82.8638C114.511 81.6207 106.601 81.2385 98.145 81.7233C74.3247 83.0954 59.0111 96.9879 60.0396 116.292C60.5615 126.084 65.4397 134.508 73.775 140.011C80.8224 144.663 89.899 146.938 99.3323 146.423C111.79 145.74 121.563 140.987 128.381 132.296C133.559 125.696 136.834 117.143 138.28 106.366C144.217 109.949 148.617 114.664 151.047 120.332C155.179 129.967 155.42 145.8 142.501 158.708C131.182 170.016 117.576 174.908 97.0135 175.059C74.2042 174.89 56.9538 167.575 45.7381 153.317C35.2355 139.966 29.8077 120.682 29.6052 96C29.8077 71.3178 35.2355 52.0336 45.7381 38.6827C56.9538 24.4249 74.2039 17.11 97.0132 16.9405C119.988 17.1113 137.539 24.4614 149.184 38.788C154.894 45.8136 159.199 54.6488 162.037 64.9503L178.184 60.6422C174.744 47.9622 169.331 37.0357 161.965 27.974C147.036 9.60668 125.202 0.195148 97.0695 0H96.9569C68.8816 0.19447 47.2921 9.6418 32.7883 28.0793C19.8819 44.4864 13.2244 67.3157 13.0007 95.9325L13 96L13.0007 96.0675C13.2244 124.684 19.8819 147.514 32.7883 163.921C47.2921 182.358 68.8816 191.806 96.9569 192H97.0695C122.03 191.827 139.624 185.292 154.118 170.811C173.081 151.866 172.51 128.119 166.26 113.541C161.776 103.087 153.227 94.5962 141.537 88.9883ZM98.4405 129.507C88.0005 130.095 77.1544 125.409 76.6196 115.372C76.2232 107.93 81.9158 99.626 99.0812 98.6368C101.047 98.5234 102.976 98.468 104.871 98.468C111.106 98.468 116.939 99.0737 122.242 100.233C120.264 124.935 108.662 128.946 98.4405 129.507Z" /></svg></div> <div style=" font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; color: #999999; font-weight: 400; padding-bottom: 4px; "> Cannot embed</div> <div style=" font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; color: #000000; font-weight: 600; "> View on Threads</div></div></a></blockquote><script async src="https://www.threads.net/embed.js"></script>';
	}

	return $embed;
}

Embed Threads in WordPress

A newer version of the above code (albeit without shortcode functionality) is now available as a fully-blown plugin over on Github

As I write this, Threads has not published an API for embedding conversations. Right now, we're limited to some code that they provide which is, more than likely, going to change (hence why an API is a much better solution).

For WordPress users I therefore present this Gist, which will add Threads embedding using that aforementioned code from Meta.

By default, just adding a Thread URL into your post should add an embed. But, as a backup, I've also added a shortcode too.

Instructions for use

Whichever version you use...

1. Head to your Thread conversation and click on the share option under it
2. Select "Copy link"

Now, you should be able to paste that link straight into a post and it will be modified to an embed. But, if that doesn't work, you can use the shortcode...

1. In your post, add the shortcode of [threads {url}], where you replace {url} with the link that you just grabbed
2. If you use the shortcodes block in the block editor then you'll type the same, but without the square brackets

Please note, when using the shortcode, that a preview of what it will look like will NOT show in the editor.

There are no additional parameters - if you wish to change the format then you will need to tweak Meta's code in the function code (right now, I'm using their code as-is, without any deviation).

Thanks

Thanks to @emrikol for his help, as well as ChatGPT for kinda helping.

Version history

0.1 - Original release
0.2 - Added dynamic embedding, alongside shortcode
0.3 - Simplified the embed code
0.4 - Reversed 0.3, as this was the fallback output for when the embed can't be shown