Outputting ACF Form from a shortcode in WYSIWYG editor

• ZC Web

• May 7, 2018 at 3:01 am

I am trying to output acf_form() from a shortcode.

function zUpdate( $atts, $content = null ) {
	
	$current_id = get_current_user_id();
	$user_id = 'user_' . $current_id;	
	
	$options = array(
	    'post_id' => $user_id,
	    /* my field group grabs unit, home phone, and cell phone acf */
	    'field_groups' => array('3307', ),
	    'submit_value' => 'Update' 
	);
	$form = acf_form( $options );
	return $form;	

}

when I do this it adds it above or outside the WYSIWYG editor on front end. Should I not return $form and do this some other way. For example I put the shortcode in the WYSIWYG editor in a section tag. it never showed up inside the section but above it. this might be me fundamentally not understanding how shortcodes work if so I apologize.

• John Huebner

• May 7, 2018 at 9:32 pm

The problem is that ACF outputs the form when the shortcode is run and what you need it to do is return the value. To do this you use a PHP output buffer

// before you generate form
ob_start();
	
	$current_id = get_current_user_id();
	$user_id = 'user_' . $current_id;	
	
	$options = array(
	    'post_id' => $user_id,
	    /* my field group grabs unit, home phone, and cell phone acf */
	    'field_groups' => array('3307', ),
	    'submit_value' => 'Update' 
	);
	acf_form( $options );

// after your code
$form = ob_get_clean();
return $form;