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Troubleshooting ACF Field Data Not Saving or Updating

38 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Advanced custom fields (acf®)

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Experiencing issues where your Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) data won't save, disappears after an update, or reverts to old values is a common and frustrating problem for WordPress users. This guide compiles the most frequent causes and their solutions, based on community reports and troubleshooting patterns.

Why Does This Happen?

ACF field data is stored in your WordPress database's wp_postmeta or wp_termmeta tables. When this data doesn't save or appears incorrectly, it's typically due to a conflict that interrupts the communication between the ACF form, WordPress core, and the database. Common culprits include other plugins, theme functions, caching, and user permissions.

Common Solutions for ACF Data Issues

1. Perform a Conflict Check

This is the most critical first step. A plugin or theme conflict is the leading cause of erratic ACF behavior.

  • Deactivate Plugins: Temporarily deactivate all plugins except Advanced Custom Fields. Try to save your ACF field data again. If it works, reactivate your plugins one-by-one, testing after each, to identify the culprit. Common conflicting plugins include other custom field managers, WPML, security plugins, and page builders.
  • Switch Themes: Temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four. If the problem is resolved, the issue lies within your theme's functions.php file or its template files.

2. Clear All Caching

Caching can cause you to see old data even after an update has been successfully saved to the database.

  • Clear your browser cache and perform a "hard reload" (Ctrl+F5 on Windows, Cmd+Shift+R on Mac).
  • Clear any server-side, object, or page caching provided by your hosting company or a caching plugin like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache.
  • Clear your CDN cache (e.g., Cloudflare).

3. Check User Roles and Permissions

If the issue only affects certain users (e.g., Editors, Authors) but works for Administrators, it's likely a capabilities problem.

  • Ensure the user role has the edit_posts and edit_others_posts capabilities (or their equivalents for custom post types).
  • Check that the ACF field group itself is configured to show for that user role. In the field group's settings, under "Show this field group if," ensure the "User Role" rule is set correctly or removed to show for all roles.

4. Investigate Database and Import Issues

Problems can arise from how data is handled during imports or within the database itself.

  • Bulk Edit vs. Standard Edit: The WordPress bulk edit function does not trigger the standard save hooks that ACF uses. Data must be updated on each post individually for ACF to process it correctly.
  • Data Import: When importing posts via CSV or tools like WP All Import, ensure the import is correctly mapping to and updating the ACF field keys (e.g., field_1234567890abc), not just the field names. Incorrect mapping can cause data to appear to "stick" to wrong posts or not save at all.
  • Database Corruption: In rare cases, try repairing your WordPress database tables through your hosting provider's phpMyAdmin or admin panel.

5. Review Custom Code

Custom code in your theme's functions.php file or a custom plugin can sometimes prevent saves.

  • Look for functions that might be hooking into save_post or other save-related actions and interfering with the process.
  • If you have code that changes how field values are saved (e.g., "Save as unix timestamp"), remember that this typically only applies to new saves and will not automatically update existing post values.

Conclusion

Data saving issues in ACF are almost always resolvable by systematically working through these common causes. Start with a conflict check, as it is the most likely solution. For persistent and complex issues, the community on the Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®) support forums can be a valuable resource for finding specific solutions shared by other users.

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