update_option()

update_option() — Updates the value of an option that was already added. You do not need to serialize values. If the value needs to be serialized, then it will be serialized before it is inserted into the database. Remember, resources cannot be serialized or added as an option. If the option does not exist, it will be created. This function is designed to work with or without a logged-in user. In terms of security, plugin developers should check the current user’s capabilities before updating any options.

Inputs: $option (string): Name of the option to update. Expected to not be SQL-escaped. $value (mixed): Option value. Must be serializable if non-scalar. Expected to not be SQL-escaped. $autoload (bool|null): Optional. Whether to load the option when WordPress starts up. Accepts a boolean, or null to stick with the initial value or, if no initial value is set, to leave the decision up to default heuristics in WordPress. For existing options, $autoload can only be updated using update_option() if $value is also changed. For backward compatibility ‘yes’ and ‘no’ are also accepted, though using these values is deprecated. Autoloading too many options can lead to performance problems, especially if the options are not frequently used. For options which are accessed across several places in the frontend, it is recommended to autoload them, by using true.

Returns bool: True if the value was updated, false otherwise.