Advanced Custom Fields Automations
How to Update an ACF Field on a Post When a Comment Is Approved
An approved comment can be a signal — a first review, a customer testimonial, an answer to a question. Zapify can record that on the post itself by writing an ACF field when a comment is approved, with the A comment is approved trigger and the Update a field on a post action.
What this automation does
The automation is one trigger plus one action:
- Trigger: A comment is approved (
WP_COMMENT_APPROVED, WordPress) - Action: Update a field on a post (
ACF_UPDATE_POST_FIELD, Advanced Custom Fields)
When a comment is approved, Zapify sets the ACF field you choose on the post the comment belongs to.
Before you start
- Advanced Custom Fields installed and active, with a field on the post type you want to update, such as a true/false field called Has reviews.
PRO feature
The Update a field on a post action is part of the Advanced Custom Fields PRO integration and needs an active Zapify PRO licence. The comment trigger is free.
How to build the automation
Step 1: Create a new automation
- In the WordPress admin, go to Zapify → Automations.
- Click Add New to open the builder.
- Name it clearly, such as Flag posts that have an approved review.
Step 2: Add the "A comment is approved" trigger
- Click Add Trigger.
- Choose WordPress as the app.
- Select A comment is approved.
Step 3: Add the "Update a field on a post" action
- Click Add Action.
- Choose Advanced Custom Fields as the app.
- Select Update a field on a post.
Step 4: Configure the action
| Field | Required | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Post type | No | Only narrows the list of fields below. Leave it on Any post type to list every field. |
| Post ID | Yes | Insert the trigger's Post ID token, so the post the comment belongs to is the one updated. |
| Field | Yes | The ACF field to write. |
| Value | Yes | What to store, for example 1 or Yes for a true/false field. |
Step 5: Set the steps Live and save
Each trigger and action has its own Live / Off / Draft switch. A new automation starts as a Draft and does nothing until its steps are Live.
- Set the trigger and every action to Live.
- Click Save.
Step 6: Test it
Approve a comment on a test post, then open the post and check the field. Zapify → Logs shows what was written.
Tokens you can use
The action makes three tokens available to later actions: Post ID, Field name and Value.
Conclusion
With the A comment is approved trigger and the Update a field on a post action, community activity is recorded on the content it belongs to. To only be told about approved comments, see sending an email when a comment is approved.
FAQs
Is this free in Zapify?
The comment trigger is free. The ACF action needs an active Zapify PRO licence.
Why does it need the Post ID token?
The action cannot guess which post you mean, so Post ID is required. Using the trigger's token makes it the post the comment is on.
Can I count approved comments instead of setting a flag?
Not with this action, which writes the value you give it. Setting a flag or a date, such as the date of the latest approved comment, works well.
Will saving the field fire an ACF trigger?
No. Zapify's own writes do not start the ACF triggers, so this cannot loop.
Do I need to write any code?
No. Everything is configured in the Zapify visual builder.