Reply To: update_field is not working in action hook

• zethzethdk

• March 3, 2021 at 10:29 pm

I think I’m having this problem as well. It’s really wierd.

I’m building a custom WooCommerce-action that does a bunch of stuff for the given order. I initiate the action, by adding this to the functions.php-file:

function custom_add_order_action( $actions ){
  global $theorder;
  $actions['custom_thing'] = 'My own custom action';
  return $actions;
}
add_action( 'woocommerce_order_actions', 'custom_add_order_action' );

add_action( 'woocommerce_order_action_custom_thing', 'custom_action_content' );
function custom_action_content( $order ){
  $my_class = new WcActionCustomActionClass( $order );
}

… and inside WcActionCustomActionClass a bunch of things happen.

One of which should be to update the ACF-fields for the WooCommerce order. Let’s say that the order_id is 12345.

Regardless of what I do, then I can’t get it to update _any_ of the fields, when I run update_field() inside my class, _unless_ if I write die()' afterwards(?!).

So if I do this:

update_field( 'test', 'some value', 12345 );

and run the action, then the value of the test-field hasn’t changed.

But if do this:

update_field( 'test', 'some value', 12345 );
die();

… and then check it in another browser-window, then the value _does_ change. Really wierd!

————–

### Solution attempts

**1. New field**

I tried creating a new field and trying to update that. Exactly the same bug as described above.

**2. Updating the field elsewhere**

I tried updating the field in the init-hook, ensuring that my code actually works:

function test_init(){
  update_field( 'test', 'another test value', 12345 );
}
add_action( 'init', 'test_init' );

This updates the field (as it should).

**3. Updating the field before my class is initialized**

I tried changing my code, so it looks like this instead:

...
function custom_action_content( $order ){
  update_field( 'test', 'another another test value', 12345 );
  $my_class = new WcActionCustomActionClass( $order );
}

**4. Using the field_key**

I tried using the field key, like this:

...
function custom_action_content( $order ){
  update_field( 'field_603f667437ba9', 'another another another test value', 12345 );
  $my_class = new WcActionCustomActionClass( $order );
}

… Same thing. No change.

And again. If I do this:

...
function custom_action_content( $order ){
  update_field( 'field_603f667437ba9', 'another another another test value', 12345 );
  die();
  $my_class = new WcActionCustomActionClass( $order );
}

… and open the order in a new window, then the value updates(?!). Omg…

**5. get_the_object**

Inside my class, I tried getting the field object, ensuring that it was accessible. So I did this:

$field = get_field_object( 'field_603f667437ba9' );
vardump( $field );
die();

and it returns an array of the field:

array (
  "ID" => 48617
  "key" => "field_603f667437ba9"
  "label" => "Test"
  "name" => "test"
  "prefix" => "acf"
  "type" => "text"
...

So it _is_ accessible! Hmm…

**6. Moving the function up to fire earlier**

I figured, that maybe something ‘got in the way’ of the ACF-function firing, so by moving it up to be the first thing that runs during that action, then maybe that could make a change.

… But it was the same result: No change, unless I made it die() just after.

**7. Moving the function, making it fire later**

So that means doing this:

...
function custom_action_content( $order ){
  $my_class = new WcActionCustomActionClass( $order );
  update_field( 'field_603f667437ba9', 'another another another test value', 12345 );
}

… Same thing. Doesn’t change, unless I write die(); after.

**8. Clear cache and restart Apache/Nginx**

Didn’t change anything.

**9. Try using update_post_meta() instead**

Same result.

This doesn’t change anything:

update_post_meta( 12345, 'test', 'Another another another... value' );

This make the value change:

update_post_meta( 12345, 'test', 'Another another another... value' );
die();