Wordpress: Using wp_insert_post() to fill custom post type fields

Question

I have created a custom post type wrestling and created its corresponding custom fields using Advanced Custom Fields. Now, I wanted the users to fill this custom form on the front end, so that on submission, the data would get automatically updated in the custom post type in the dashboard. For this purpose, I created a custom page and assigned a custom template to it which contained the required form. There are four HTML form fields that the users are supposed to fill, named name, venue, main_event and fee respectively.

The custom form fields that I created using Advanced Custom Fields are named as promotion_name, venue, main_event_ and price respectively. Now, in order to fill the data entered by the users on the front end onto the custom post type fields at the dashboard, I tried using the wp_insert_post() function as follows:

$post_information = array(
        'promotion_name' => $_POST['name'],
        'venue' => $_POST['venue'],
        'main_event_' => $_POST['main_event'],
        'price' => $_POST['fee'],
        'post_type' => 'wrestling',
    );

    wp_insert_post( $post_information );

However, after the user submits the form, a new entry (no_title) does appear in my custom post type, but the custom form fields are still empty (See images below:)

I'm sure this is because I'm not using the wp_insert_post() correctly for updating custom post types. I'd really appreciate some help here. Thanks.

PS: This is how I have defined my custom post type in functions.php:

<?php 
function wrestling_show_type()
{
    register_post_type('wrestling',
                    array('labels' => array('name' => 'Wrestling Shows', 'singular_name' => 'Wrestling Show'),
                        'public' => true,
                        'has_archive' => true,
                        'rewrite' => array('slug' => 'wrestling')));

    flush_rewrite_rules();
}
add_action('init', 'wrestling_show_type');
?>

Solution

If you have used ACF, you should use their API to interact with the fields. There's a method called update_field() that does exactly what you are looking for. This method takes 3 parameters:

update_field($field_key, $value, $post_id)

$field_key is an ID ACF gives to each field you create. This image, taken from their very own documentation, shows you how to get it:

Edit: $field_key Will also accept the field name.

$value and $post_id are pretty straight forward, they represent the value you want to set the field with, and the post you are updating.

In your case, you should do something to retrieve this $post_id. Fortunately, that's what wp_insert_post() returns. So, you can do something like this:

$post_information = array(
    //'promotion_name' => $_POST['name'],
    'post_type' => 'wrestling'
);

$postID = wp_insert_post( $post_information ); //here's the catch

With the ID, then things are easy, just call update_field() for each field you want to update.

update_field('whatever_field_key_for_venue_field', $_POST['venue'], $postID);
update_field('whatever_field_key_for_main_event_field', $_POST['main_event'], $postID);
update_field('whatever_field_key_for_fee_field', $_POST['fee'], $postID);

So basically what you're doing is creating the post first, and then updating it with the values.

I've done this kind of stuff in the functions.php file, and it worked fine. From what I've seen, I think you are using this routine in a template file of some sort. I think it's gonna work fine, you just gotta make sure the ACF plugin is activated.

EDIT:

I forgot the promotion_name field. I commented the line inside $post_information, as it's not going to work. You should use update_field() instead, just like the other 3.

update_field('whatever_field_key_for_promotion_name_field', $_POST['name'], $postID);

Comments

[Manas Chaturvedi]

I managed to update my form fields using the add_post_meta() function, which I think is exactly similar to the update_field() function, right?

[Caio Felipe Pereira]

I think it ultimately does that, but I'd stick with the plugin API, as its more consistent to a field created by the plugin. If you have different kinds of fields, such as WYSIWYG editors, or maybe subfields, using add_post_meta() can become quite tricky, so why not let the plugin do the job for you?

[Manas Chaturvedi]

Oh alright, I'll try to modify my code, this time using the update_field() method instead. Thanks.

[Caio Felipe Pereira]

yea lemme know if you find any trouble

[Jiro Matchonson]

Hi, but if you develop on localhost and then go publish to production, production will have different keys for the same fields ? So then 'update_field' would crash ?

[Caio Felipe Pereira]

Although this is pretty old and it may have changed since then, I think the keys would be the same. If not, you can update the database with whatever keys you want, or create production specific files to deal with the ID. Again, this answer is old and ACF probably has changed since them. I'd suggest some testing

[Caio Felipe Pereira]

And also, by the magic of reading what I wrote three years ago, I found out that $field_key also takes the Field Name, so you don't need to worry about keys change, since your names won't