Update Submission is a WordPress ability from Ninja Forms — usable via Easy MCP AI, which connects Claude, ChatGPT, and any AI assistant to your site.
Install Free Plugin →Update Submission
WriteUpdate field values in an existing submission, without re-triggering the form's actions.
Requires the Ninja Forms plugin on WordPress 6.9+ for the Abilities API (all 32 abilities are registered only when the wp_register_ability() function exists, via NF_Abilities_Integration::load_abilities_api() running on plugins_loaded). Every ability is gated by the same ninja_forms_ability_can_manage_forms() permission callback, requiring the caller to hold WordPress's manage_options capability or Ninja Forms' own nf_edit_forms capability.
What it does
This ability changes the stored field values of an existing submission via a field_values object of field key/ID to value pairs. Crucially, it does not re-run the form's actions — no confirmation email or webhook fires as a side effect of this correction. It's the ability for fixing a typo or updating a status field on an already-submitted record. This ability's MCP tool exposure defaults to non-public (the ninjaforms_mcp_public_update_submission filter defaults to false), meaning a site must opt in before it's surfaced as an MCP tool even though it remains registered as an Abilities API ability.
See it in action
You ask your AI assistant
"On submission 305, correct the Email field to john.smith@example.com."
Inputs
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| submission_id | integer | Yes | The numeric ID of the submission. |
| field_values | object | Yes | Field key/ID to new value pairs. |
Returns
An object with a 'success' boolean, the 'submission_id', 'form_id', an 'updated' count, and a 'message'.
Permission
The current user must have WordPress's 'manage_options' capability or Ninja Forms' own 'nf_edit_forms' capability (checked via the shared ninja_forms_ability_can_manage_forms() permission callback).
More Ninja Forms abilities
Add Action
Add a post-submission action to a form — email, redirect, success message, or save.
Add Calculation
Add a calculator formula to a form for use in calc fields and conditional logic.
Add Field
Add a single field to an existing form, to be called once per field when building out a form.
Create Form
Create a new Ninja Forms form, optionally with fields, actions, and calculations, in a single call.
Delete Action
Permanently delete an action from a form.
Delete Calculation
Permanently delete a calculation from a form.