I created a custom user meat value and want to add a new key/value to this array. But somehow I can't get it to work correctly, I always get a new array in side the array so that I always have e new dimension. But I want to keep just one dimension and add the new key/value pair. I know this is nothing complicated but somehow I can't get it to work. I would appreciate any help. my entry script: $invoice_meta = get_user_meta( $_GET['id'], 'invoices'); $random = substr(number_format(time() * rand(),0,'',''),0,5); if(empty($invoice_meta)) { $invoice_array = array(); $invoice_array[date('d.m.Y').'_'.$random] = $pdf_save_path.$pdf_name; add_user_meta( $_GET['id'], 'invoices', $invoice_array); } else { $invoice_array = $invoice_meta; $invoice_array[date('d.m.Y').'_'.$random] = $pdf_save_path.$pdf_name; update_user_meta( $_GET['id'], 'invoices', $invoice_array ); } The first entry var_dump looks like this: array(1) { [0]=> array(1) { ["07.05.2013_51584"]=> string(69) "user-data/26/rechnung/tierportal-d_07-05-2013_587543369Y48693K_26.pdf" } } after second one it looks like this: array(1) { [0]=> array(2) { [0]=> array(1) { ["07.05.2013_51584"]=> string(69) "user-data/26/rechnung/tierportal-d_07-05-2013_5875448693K_26.pdf" } ["07.05.2013_37016"]=> string(69) "user-data/26/rechnung/tierportal-d_07-05-2013_58754348693K_26.pdf" } } But I want to look it like this array(1) { [0]=> array(2) { ["07.05.2013_51584"]=> string(69) "user-data/26/rechnung/tierportal-d_07-05-2013_587543369Y48693K_26.pdf", ["07.05.2013_51534"]=> string(69) "user-data/26/rechnung/tierportal-d_07-05-2013_587543367Y48693K_26.pdf" } }