Updating order issue

• Kyllian

• September 10, 2025 at 12:30 pm

Hi,

I managed to set up a percentage of completion of specific fields, everything works but one thing: I need to save the post 2 times for it to update the average of this percentage across every post.

I’ll start with the whole procedure:

1. I have a group of fields where I need to import files, I created a PHP snippet that detects if a file is inserted into the field and return a completion percentage. Coding is not my thing so there is probably a shorter way of doing it.


<?php
$values1 = get_field( 'cni' );
$values2 = get_field( 'rib' );
$values3 = get_field( 'justif' );
$values4 = get_field( 'lettre' );
$values5 = get_field( 'der' );
$values6 = get_field( 'situation' );

if(count(array_filter(array($values1,$values2,$values3,$values4,$values5,$values6)))==1){
//only 1 variable is not empty
echo '17';
}

elseif(count(array_filter(array($values1,$values2,$values3,$values4,$values5,$values6)))==2){
//only 1 variable is not empty
echo '33';

}

elseif(count(array_filter(array($values1,$values2,$values3,$values4,$values5,$values6)))==3){
//only 1 variable is not empty
echo '50';
}

elseif(count(array_filter(array($values1,$values2,$values3,$values4,$values5,$values6)))==4){
//only 1 variable is not empty
echo '67';
}

elseif(count(array_filter(array($values1,$values2,$values3,$values4,$values5,$values6)))==5){
//only 1 variable is not empty
echo '83';
}

elseif(count(array_filter(array($values1,$values2,$values3,$values4,$values5,$values6)))==6){
//only 1 variable is not empty
echo '100';
}
else {
echo '0%';
}?>


2. In hook-functions.php, I added this code that adds the percentage as a field so I can call it somewhere else (which works):

function my_acf_load_value11( $value, $post_id, $field )
{
// run the_content filter on all textarea values
$value = do_shortcode( '[xyz-ips snippet="test"]' );

return $value;
}

3. I can display the field just fine but then when I use this code, it doesn’t update right away, it keeps the last update which forces me to update the post 2 times for it to show the right number.

$args = array(
'posts_per_page' => -1,
'post_type' => 'post',
'meta_key' => 'sum',
'meta_value' => '100',
);

// The Query
$the_query = new WP_Query( $args );

// Counting the results
$the_count = count($the_query->posts);

//* Restore original Post Data
wp_reset_postdata();

echo $the_count;


I can’t find the problem, my suggestion would be the saving order of the post and the field but I don’t know how to solve it.

Thank you for the help, I tried my best to explain but it’s pretty complex to me.

• AunKhosa

• October 23, 2025 at 6:06 pm

Hi Kyllian,

You’ve actually diagnosed the problem perfectly – this is indeed a hook timing issue where the post meta is being saved before your calculated field updates. The acf/save_post hook fires at different priorities, and your calculation is likely running too late in the sequence.

Here’s a cleaner solution that should fix the two-save requirement:

1. Replace Your PHP Snippet with Efficient ACF Logic

Instead of using a separate shortcode, handle the calculation directly within your ACF setup. Add this to your functions.php:

php
function calculate_completion_percentage( $post_id ) {
// Define all your file fields
$file_fields = array(‘cni’, ‘rib’, ‘justif’, ‘lettre’, ‘der’, ‘situation’);
$filled_count = 0;

// Count how many fields have files
foreach( $file_fields as $field ) {
if( get_field($field, $post_id) ) {
$filled_count++;
}
}

// Calculate percentage
$percentages = array(0, 17, 33, 50, 67, 83, 100);
$completion = isset($percentages[$filled_count]) ? $percentages[$filled_count] : 0;

// Update the ACF field directly
update_field(‘sum’, $completion, $post_id);

return $completion;
}
2. Hook with Correct Priority

Now hook this function to run at the right time during save:

php
// Run after ACF has saved all fields but before post is fully committed
add_action(‘acf/save_post’, ‘update_completion_on_save’, 15);
function update_completion_on_save( $post_id ) {
// Only run for main posts (not revisions)
if( wp_is_post_revision($post_id) ) {
return;
}

calculate_completion_percentage( $post_id );
}
3. Update Your Query Code

Your query logic is fine, but just ensure you’re clearing any cache:

php
$args = array(
‘posts_per_page’ => -1,
‘post_type’ => ‘post’,
‘meta_key’ => ‘sum’,
‘meta_value’ => ‘100’,
‘cache_results’ => false, // Disable caching for real-time results
‘update_post_meta_cache’ => false
);

$the_query = new WP_Query( $args );
$the_count = $the_query->found_posts; // More efficient than counting posts
wp_reset_postdata();

echo $the_count;
Why This Works:

The priority 15 in acf/save_post ensures your calculation runs AFTER ACF has saved the file fields but BEFORE the post save process completes

Direct field updating with update_field() is more reliable than shortcode processing

Counting filled fields is more efficient than your array filtering approach

This should eliminate the two-save requirement and give you real-time completion percentages. The key is ensuring your calculation happens at the right moment in the save sequence.

Try this approach and let me know if it resolves the timing issue!