publish_post called too early

Question

i have a meta box for some email address and i save value in save_post hook

add_action( 'save_post', 'sm12_save_post' );
function sm12_save_post( $postid ){
    update_post_meta( $postid, '_some_email_address', $_POST['some_email_address'] );
}

Now i want to send email to this email address only when this post is published. So i use

add_action( 'publish_post', 'sm12_publish_post' );
function sm12_publish_post( $postid ){
$email = get_post_meta( $postid, '_some_email_address', true );

if( ! $email )
    return;

$sub = 'test subject';
$mgs = 'test message';

wp_mail( $email, $sub, $mgs );
}

if post is saved in any other status other than 'publish' then it sends email when publish, but if post is directly publish it can not send email, because 'publish_post' is called before 'save_post' and meta is not yet available there. how to send email only when published in my case? should not call wp_transition_post_status() last of everything during save?

Answer 1

Try this workaround of this issue without using publish_post hook (using save_post)

add_action( 'save_post', 'wpse228941_save_post' );
function wpse228941_save_post( $post_id ) {
    if( defined('DOING_AUTOSAVE') && DOING_AUTOSAVE ) return;

    if ( "publish" == get_post_status( $post_id ) && ! get_post_meta( $post_id, "se_228941_mailed", 1 ) ) {
        do_action( "sm12_publish_post", $post_id );
        update_post_meta( $post_id, "se_228941_mailed", time() );
    }

}

add_action( 'sm12_publish_post', 'sm12_publish_post' );
function sm12_publish_post( $postid ){
    $email = get_post_meta( $postid, '_some_email_address', true );

    if( ! $email )
        return;

    $sub = 'test subject';
    $mgs = 'test message';

    wp_mail( $email, $sub, $mgs );
}

Hope it helps.

Answer 2

I am posting my answer if somebody need this.

First save meta value

add_action( 'save_post', 'sm12_save_post' );
function sm12_save_post( $postid ){
/** some checks */
update_post_meta( $postid, '_some_email_address', $_POST['some_email_address'] );
}

then hook both in save_post and publish_post hook

add_action( 'publish_post', 'sm12_send_email' );
add_action( 'save_post', 'sm12_send_email', 20 ); //After save meta value
function sm12_publish_post( $postid ){

/** some checks */

if( "publish" != get_post_status( $postid ) )
return;

$email = get_post_meta( $postid, '_some_email_address', true );

if( ! $email )
    return;

if( get_post_meta( $postid, '_sm12_email_sent', true ) )
  return;

$sub = 'test subject';
$mgs = 'test message';

if( wp_mail( $email, $sub, $mgs )) {
 update_post_meta( $postid, '_sm12_email_sent', time() );
 }
}