Integrations troubleshooting

I registered a group and nothing happened

The sync runs on an admin request of a user who can manage_options, on WP-CLI, or in a background job (Action Scheduler, needs WP-Cron or a real cron). Open any WPM Fields page, or run wp wpmcf code sync.

wpmcf_register_field_group() returned false

The definition has no key, or fields is not a list.

The group appears, but nowhere in the edit screens

The definition has no location, or the rules do not match.

Red notice Some field groups registered in PHP could not be created or updated

Read the lines under it. The usual causes are below. It is retried on every admin page load; fix the code and reload.

...: a field group with this key was created in the editor; rename one of them.

A group with that key already exists and was not made by code. Rename the key in the code, or delete the editor group. The editor group is not touched.

Field "x": the field type "y" does not exist.

A misspelled type, or a Pro type on a plan that does not include it (the message then says the type is not included in your plan).

Field key "sub-title" must start with a letter and contain only lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores (max 63 chars).

Fix the key. Dashes, capitals and leading digits are refused, and reserved SQL words (when).

Unknown location parameter "x".

Use a parameter from Location rules. Order rules (wc_order, wc_order_status) exist only with Pro and WooCommerce.

It keeps re-syncing

The registered set differs between requests (conditional registration, registration after init priority 99, a timestamp or random value in the definition). Make the definition identical on every request.

The CLI says 0 created, N updated

Normal: a sync replaces every registered group, and an admin or WP-CLI request already created them.

I edited a registered group in the editor and it will not save

By design (HTTP 409 wpmcf_managed_by_code). Change the code.

get_post_meta() returns an empty string

The field has no value for that post (and no real post meta either); or the bridge is off for the group; or the group is inactive; or the post type is not covered by the group's location.

update_post_meta() returned false for a bridged key

The previous-value argument did not match, or the field type refused the value ('abc' for a Number field, a bad email, a string for a Checkbox field). The stored value is untouched. Pass a value the type accepts, and arrays for multi-value fields.

A second add_post_meta() value is in wp_postmeta but not returned

A field holds one value; extra values stay in post meta and get_post_meta() returns only the field's. Use a Checkbox, Repeater or Relationship field for several values.

delete_post_meta_by_key() did not clear fields

It is not bridged (it works on rows, not on posts). Loop over posts with delete_post_meta() or use wpmcf_update_field( ..., null ).

An old value shows after a delete

A delete without a value, or with the matching value, clears the field and the matching post meta rows. A delete with a different value clears nothing.

Writes for a post do not reach the field

The group is not located on that post (any location rule that does not match, such as post status or template), the object is not a post (user, term), the group has no table, or ACF owns the key (its _{key} reference starts with field_).

ACF's values are not used by the bridge

By design: for keys ACF owns (_{key} = field_...) reads and writes stay in post meta; see ACF's own keys.

Another plugin reads the wrong value

Turn Bridge get_post_meta() and update_post_meta() off for that group, or rename the field key.

An importer fills nothing

It writes SQL directly rather than calling update_post_meta(); the field key does not match the custom field name; or the post type is not in the group's rules.

No wpmcf in the REST response

Show in the REST API is off, the group is inactive, or it has no Post type is equal to rule for that type. Details: REST API.

wpmcf_rest_unknown_group on write

The group is not exposed for that post, or its location rules do not match that post.

The field is missing from the GraphQL schema

See the table in REST API and WPGraphQL.

A repeater is a JSON string in GraphQL

By design.

No box on the order

Pro (or higher) plan not expired, WooCommerce active, group active with an Order or Order status rule, and the status matches the order's current status.

wpmcf_get_order_field() fatals ("undefined function")

The Pro build is not active; wrap calls in function_exists().

Values vanished after the license ended

They did not: reading still works. The boxes return with the license.

I need to set order values from code

Not possible with the plugin's API in this version: the values are written from the order screen only.

WooCommerce lists the plugin as incompatible with HPOS

The plugin declares custom_order_tables compatibility on before_woocommerce_init; make sure the plugin is up to date and active.

The In translations select is missing

Business or Agency plan, and WPML or Polylang active.

A translation keeps resetting a field

The field is in Copy mode.

A new translation is empty

It already has a saved row, or the post has no original (Polylang: no default-language post).

PHP groups

A sync always reports updated for every registered group, even without changes.

Meta bridge

A second non-unique add_post_meta() value is stored in post meta but is not readable through the bridge (a field holds one value).

WooCommerce

No function writes order values from code; they are saved from the order screen only.