Title: Saving Multiple Custom Meta Boxes
Last modified: August 22, 2016

---

# Saving Multiple Custom Meta Boxes

 *  Resolved [Erin Bell](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ebellempire/)
 * (@ebellempire)
 * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/saving-multiple-custom-meta-boxes/)
 * Hi, I’m creating a simple plugin to handle all the CMS stuff (custom post types,
   taxonomies, metaboxes, etc) on a site redesign. For the sake of simplifying future
   maintenance, I’m keeping all the custom data configurations in a series of simple
   arrays. For example…
 *     ```
       function custom_metaboxes_array(){
       	return array(
       		array(
       			'name'=>'post_subtitle',
       			'label'=>'Subtitle',
       			'description'=>'A subtitle for the post',
       			'post_type'=>'post',
       			'type'=>'text',
       		),
       		array(
       			'name'=>'post_lede',
       			'label'=>'Lede',
       			'description'=>'A short paragraph of teaser text',
       			'post_type'=>'post',
       			'type'=>'text',
       		),
       		// etc...
       	);
       }
       ```
   
 * Most everything is displaying and working fine, but I’m unable to save the custom
   meta boxes. Here’s the code I’m working with, based on the [WP documentation](http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/add_meta_box)…
 *     ```
       <?php
       // Helpers
       function as_nonce($str){
       	return $str.'_nonce';
       }
   
       function as_fieldname($str){
       	return $str.'-meta';
       }
   
       function as_key($str){
       	return '_'.$str;
       }
   
       // Register the Metaboxes
       function custom_metaboxes() {
   
       	$metaboxes=custom_metaboxes_array();
       	foreach($metaboxes as $m){
       		$context= ($m['type']=='checkbox') ? 'side' : 'normal';
       		$priority= ($m['type']=='checkbox') ? 'default' : 'high';
       		add_meta_box(
       			as_fieldname($m['name']),
       			__( $m['label'], 'eb_plugin_textdomain' ),
       			'custom_metaboxes_callback',
       			$m['post_type'],
       			$context,
       			$priority,
       			array('metadata'=>$m)
       		);
       	}
   
       }
       add_action( 'add_meta_boxes', 'custom_metaboxes' );
   
       // Build the Metabox Forms
       function custom_metaboxes_callback( $post, $metabox ) {
   
       	$m=$metabox['args']['metadata'];
       	$nonce_name=as_nonce($m['name']);
       	$fieldname=as_fieldname($m['name']);
       	$description=$m['description'];
       	$label=$m['label'];
       	$box_type=$m['type'];
       	$key=as_key($m['name']);
   
       	wp_nonce_field( 'eb_plugin_meta_box', $nonce_name );
   
       	$value = get_post_meta( $post->ID, $key , true );
   
           // Text
           if($box_type=='text'){
       	    ?>
       	    <div class="custom-metabox">
       	        <label for="<?php echo $fieldname;?>" class="meta-row-title hidden"><?php _e( $label , 'eb_plugin_textdomain' )?></label>
       	        <input style="min-width:20em;" type="text" name="<?php echo $fieldname;?>" id="<?php echo $fieldname;?>" value="<?php esc_attr($value);?>" />
       	        <div class="description <?php echo $fieldname;?>"><em><?php echo $description?></em></div>
       	    </div>
       	    <?php
       	// Textarea
       	}elseif($box_type=='textarea'){
       		?>
       		<div class="custom-metabox">
       		    <label for="<?php echo $fieldname;?>" class="hidden"><?php _e( $label , 'eb_plugin_textdomain' )?></label>
       		    <textarea style="width:98%;min-height:4em;" name="<?php echo $fieldname;?>" id="<?php echo $fieldname;?>"> <?php esc_attr($value);?> </textarea>
       		    <div class="description <?php echo $fieldname;?>"><em><?php echo $description;?></em></div>
       		</div>
       		<?php
       	// Checkbox
       	}elseif($box_type=='checkbox'){
       		?>
       		<div class="custom-metabox">
       		    <span class="hidden"><?php _e( $label , 'eb_plugin_textdomain' )?></span>
       		    <div class="row-content">
       		        <label for="<?php echo $fieldname;?>">
       		            <input type="checkbox" name="<?php echo $fieldname;?>" id="<?php echo $fieldname;?>" value="1" <?php checked( $value, '1' ); ?> />
       		            <?php _e( $label , 'eb_plugin_textdomain' )?>
       		        </label>
       		    </div>
       		    <div style="margin-top:.75em;" class="description <?php echo $fieldname;?>"><em><?php echo $description;?></em></div>
       		</div>
       		<?php
   
       	}else{
       		echo 'Oops! Something went wrong. Make sure the type listed in custom_metaboxes_array() is valid (text, texarea, checkbox, radio, select).';
       	}
       }
   
       function custom_metaboxes_save( $post_id ) {
   
       	global $post;
   
       	$post_id=$post_id ? $post_id : $post->ID;
   
       	$metaboxes=custom_metaboxes_array();
       	foreach($metaboxes as $m){
   
       		$nonce_name=as_nonce($m['name']);
       		$fieldname=as_fieldname($m['name']);
       		$description=$m['description'];
       		$label=$m['label'];
       		$box_type=$m['type'];
       		$key=as_key($m['name']);
   
       		// Check if our nonce is set.
       		if ( ! isset( $_POST[$nonce_name] ) ) {
       			return;
       		}
   
       		// Verify that the nonce is valid.
       		if ( ! wp_verify_nonce( $_POST[$nonce_name], 'eb_plugin_meta_box' ) ) {
       			return;
       		}
   
       		// If this is an autosave, our form has not been submitted, so we don't want to do anything.
       		if ( defined( 'DOING_AUTOSAVE' ) && DOING_AUTOSAVE ) {
       			return;
       		}
   
       		// Check the user's permissions.
       		if ( isset( $_POST['post_type'] ) && 'page' == $_POST['post_type'] ) {
   
       			if ( ! current_user_can( 'edit_page', $post_id ) ) {
       				return;
       			}
   
       		} else {
   
       			if ( ! current_user_can( 'edit_post', $post_id ) ) {
       				return;
       			}
       		}
   
       		/* OK, it's safe for us to save the data now. */
   
       		// Make sure that it is set.
       		if ( ! isset( $_POST[$fieldname] ) ) {
       			return;
       		}
   
       		// Sanitize user input.
       		$sanitized = sanitize_text_field( $_POST[$fieldname] );
   
       		// Update the meta field in the database.
       		update_post_meta( $post_id, $key , $sanitized );		
   
       	}
   
       }
       add_action( 'save_post', 'custom_metaboxes_save' );
       ```
   
 * Not sure what I’m missing but any help would be greatly appreciated.
 * Cheers — Erin

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

 *  Thread Starter [Erin Bell](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ebellempire/)
 * (@ebellempire)
 * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/saving-multiple-custom-meta-boxes/#post-5792904)
 * UPDATE: I notice that my custom meta _does_ save for default post types, just
   not the custom ones.
 *  Thread Starter [Erin Bell](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ebellempire/)
 * (@ebellempire)
 * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/saving-multiple-custom-meta-boxes/#post-5792909)
 * FYI, I did some tooling around and found that this is what worked best. For what
   it’s worth, I think it was only saving when an auto-save has been instantiated
   first. Not sure what that’s about.
 *     ```
       <?php
       // Helpers
       function as_nonce($str){
       	return $str.'_nonce';
       }
   
       function as_fieldname($str){
       	return $str.'_meta';
       }
   
       /* Fire our meta box setup function on the post editor screen. */
       add_action( 'load-post.php', 'eb_post_meta_boxes_setup' );
       add_action( 'load-post-new.php', 'eb_post_meta_boxes_setup' );
   
       /* Meta box setup function. */
       function eb_post_meta_boxes_setup() {
   
         /* Add meta boxes on the 'add_meta_boxes' hook. */
         add_action( 'add_meta_boxes', 'custom_metaboxes' );
   
         /* Save post meta on the 'save_post' hook. */
         add_action( 'save_post', 'custom_metaboxes_save', 10, 2 );
   
       }
   
       // Register the Metaboxes
       function custom_metaboxes() {
   
       	$metaboxes=custom_metaboxes_array();
       	foreach($metaboxes as $m){
       		$context= ($m['type']=='checkbox') ? 'side' : 'normal';
       		$priority= ($m['type']=='checkbox') ? 'default' : 'high';
       		add_meta_box(
       			as_fieldname($m['name']),
       			__( $m['label'], 'ccms_plugin_textdomain' ),
       			'custom_metaboxes_callback',
       			$m['post_type'],
       			$context,
       			$priority,
       			array('metadata'=>$m)
       		);
       	}
   
       }
   
       // Build the Metabox Forms
       function custom_metaboxes_callback( $post, $metabox ) {
   
       	$m=$metabox['args']['metadata'];
       	$nonce_name=as_nonce($m['name']);
       	$fieldname=as_fieldname($m['name']);
       	$description=$m['description'];
       	$label=$m['label'];
       	$box_type=$m['type'];
   
       	$post_id=$post->ID;
   
       	wp_nonce_field( basename( __FILE__ ), $nonce_name );
   
       	$value = get_post_custom( $post->ID );
   
           // Text
           if($box_type=='text'){
       	    ?>
       	    <div class="custom-metabox">
       	        <label for="<?php echo $fieldname;?>" class="hidden">
       	        	<?php echo $label; ?>
       	        </label>
   
       	        <input style="min-width:20em;" type="text" name="<?php echo $fieldname;?>" id="<?php echo $fieldname;?>" value="<?php echo isset($value[$fieldname][0]) ? esc_attr($value[$fieldname][0]) : '';?>" />
   
       	        <div class="description <?php echo $fieldname;?>">
       		        <em><?php echo $description?></em>
       		    </div>
       	    </div>
       	    <?php
       	// Textarea
       	}elseif($box_type=='textarea'){
       		?>
       		<div class="custom-metabox">
       		    <label for="<?php echo $fieldname;?>" class="hidden">
       		    	<?php echo $label; ?>
       		    </label>
   
       		    <textarea style="width:98%;min-height:4em;" name="<?php echo $fieldname;?>" id="<?php echo $fieldname;?>">
       		    	<?php echo isset($value[$fieldname][0]) ? esc_attr($value[$fieldname][0]) : '';?>
       		    </textarea>
   
       		    <div class="description <?php echo $fieldname;?>">
       			    <em><?php echo $description;?></em>
       			</div>
       		</div>
       		<?php
       	}else{
       		echo 'Oops! Something went wrong. Make sure the type listed in custom_metaboxes_array() is valid (currently only text and textarea are supported).';
       	}
       }
   
       function custom_metaboxes_save( $post_id ) {
   
       	$metaboxes=custom_metaboxes_array();
       	foreach($metaboxes as $m){	
   
       		$nonce_name=as_nonce($m['name']);
       		$fieldname=as_fieldname($m['name']);
   
       	    // Checks save status
       	    $is_autosave = wp_is_post_autosave( $post_id );
       	    $is_revision = wp_is_post_revision( $post_id );
       	    $is_valid_nonce = ( isset( $_POST[ $nonce_name ] ) && wp_verify_nonce( $_POST[ $nonce_name ], basename( __FILE__ ) ) ) ? 'true' : 'false';
   
       	    // Exits script depending on save status
       	    if ( $is_autosave || $is_revision || !$is_valid_nonce ) {
       	        return;
       	    }
   
       	    // Checks for input and sanitizes/saves if needed
       	    if( isset( $_POST[ $fieldname ] ) ) {
       	        update_post_meta( $post_id, $fieldname, sanitize_text_field( $_POST[ $fieldname ] ) );
       	    }
   
       	}
   
       }
       ```
   

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

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## Tags

 * [add_action](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/add_action/)
 * [custom](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/custom/)
 * [metaboxes](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/metaboxes/)
 * [save](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/save/)
 * [save_post](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/save_post/)

 * 2 replies
 * 1 participant
 * Last reply from: [Erin Bell](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ebellempire/)
 * Last activity: [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/saving-multiple-custom-meta-boxes/#post-5792909)
 * Status: resolved

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