Why are you using add_action for shortcode?

Question

I would like to create shortcodes, some tutorials write about to use add_action

add_action( 'init', 'register_shortcodes');

but I read tutorials where the author didn't use it, only put

add_shortcode('recent-posts', 'recent_posts_function');

to functions.php. Which is the best method, and why to use add_action?

Answer 1

If you take a look at the Codex page about add_shortcode() you won't see anything about the need of an add_action() before you can use add_shortcode().

So, you can just put your add_shortcode() directly into your functions.php. This is what I do too.

See this article - WordPress Shortcodes: A Complete Guide about the use of shortcodes and best practices.