ACF before_save_post action not firing

The before_save_post action in Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) allows you to perform custom actions before a post is saved in WordPress. However, there are a few common reasons why this action may not be firing. Let’s explore some possible solutions.

One reason could be that the ACF plugin is not installed or activated on your WordPress site. Make sure you have installed and activated the ACF plugin before using the before_save_post action.

Another reason could be that you are not using the correct hook to trigger the before_save_post action. In order for the action to fire, you need to use the acf/save_post hook. Here’s an example code snippet that demonstrates how to use this hook:

function wpsnippets_before_save_post_example( $post_id ) {
    // Perform custom actions here
}
add_action( 'acf/save_post', 'wpsnippets_before_save_post_example', 10, 1 );

In the code snippet above, we define a custom function wpsnippets_before_save_post_example that will be executed when the acf/save_post hook is triggered. The function accepts the $post_id parameter, which represents the ID of the post being saved. You can perform any custom actions within this function.

Remember to replace wpsnippets_before_save_post_example with a unique and descriptive function name of your choice. Also, feel free to modify the function’s code to suit your specific needs.

By using the acf/save_post hook correctly, you should be able to ensure that the before_save_post action is fired and your custom code is executed before a post is saved in WordPress.

Examples

Example #1: ACF before_save_post action not firing

This use case demonstrates how to troubleshoot and fix the issue of the ACF before_save_post action not firing when saving a post.

add_action( 'acf/save_post', 'wpsnippets_before_save_post', 10, 1 );
function wpsnippets_before_save_post( $post_id ) {
    // Your code here
}

In this code example, we are using the add_action function to hook into the ACF acf/save_post action. We define a custom function wpsnippets_before_save_post that will be executed when the action is triggered. You can add your own code within this function to perform any desired actions before saving the post.

Example #2: Check if ACF before_save_post action is registered

This use case demonstrates how to check if the ACF before_save_post action is properly registered and if any other code is preventing it from firing.

add_action( 'acf/save_post', 'wpsnippets_before_save_post', 10, 1 );
function wpsnippets_before_save_post( $post_id ) {
    // Your code here
}

add_action( 'admin_init', 'wpsnippets_check_acf_save_post_action' );
function wpsnippets_check_acf_save_post_action() {
    global $wp_filter;
    if ( isset( $wp_filter['acf/save_post'] ) ) {
        echo 'ACF before_save_post action is registered.';
    } else {
        echo 'ACF before_save_post action is not registered.';
    }
}

In this code example, we first define the wpsnippets_before_save_post function as in the previous example. Then, we add another action hook admin_init to check if the ACF acf/save_post action is registered. We use the global variable $wp_filter to access the registered actions and check if the acf/save_post action exists. Based on the result, we echo a message indicating whether the action is registered or not.

Example #3: Debugging ACF before_save_post action with error logging

This use case demonstrates how to debug the ACF before_save_post action by logging any errors that may be preventing it from firing.

add_action( 'acf/save_post', 'wpsnippets_before_save_post', 10, 1 );
function wpsnippets_before_save_post( $post_id ) {
    // Your code here
}

add_action( 'acf/save_post', 'wpsnippets_debug_before_save_post', 0 );
function wpsnippets_debug_before_save_post() {
    error_log( 'ACF before_save_post action triggered.' );
}

In this code example, we define the wpsnippets_before_save_post function as before. Additionally, we add another action hook acf/save_post with a lower priority of 0 to log a debug message using the error_log function. This allows us to check the error logs and see if the ACF before_save_post action is being triggered. If the action is not firing, you can inspect the error logs to identify any potential issues or conflicts that may be causing the problem.