ACF update_field() not updating data

The update_field() function in Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) is used to update the value of a specific field for a given post or user. However, there are cases where the update_field() function may not update the data as expected. Here’s a code snippet that demonstrates how to troubleshoot and fix the issue when update_field() is not updating the data:

// Get the current value of the field
$current_value = get_field('your_field_name', $post_id);

// Update the field value using update_post_meta() function
update_post_meta($post_id, 'your_field_name', 'new_value');

// Get the updated value of the field
$updated_value = get_field('your_field_name', $post_id);

// Check if the update was successful
if ($updated_value === 'new_value') {
    // Success! The field value has been updated.
} else {
    // Oops! The field value was not updated.
    // You can try using the update_field() function directly instead.
    update_field('your_field_name', 'new_value', $post_id);
}

In this code snippet, we first retrieve the current value of the field using the get_field() function. Then, we update the field value using the update_post_meta() function, which is a lower-level function for updating post meta data in WordPress. After updating the field, we retrieve the updated value using get_field() again and compare it with the expected new value.

If the updated value matches the new value, it means the update was successful. However, if the updated value does not match, we can try using the update_field() function directly as a fallback option.

This code snippet can be useful when you encounter issues with the update_field() function not updating the data as expected. By using update_post_meta() as an alternative, you can ensure that the field value is updated correctly.