Advanced Custom Fields Plugin for WordPress: Purpose and Benefits

Advanced Custom Fields Plugin for WordPress: Purpose and Benefits

The popular plugin for developers Advanced Custom Fields for WordPress allows you to add the necessary meta fields and display their values in the right places on the site. It gives you full control over edit screens and custom field data. After installing the constructor, you can add fields on request throughout the "engine". The developers offer the program in a free version and a paid PRO version with advanced functionality and many ready theme templates.

What is this software product

Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) has gained popularity among users of web resources on the WordPress engine, as evidenced by over 1 million installations. The ACF constructor gives developers unlimited possibilities to create a rich interface.

Random (custom) fields have more than two dozen varieties of presets, which simplifies and speeds up the process. The presets include different field formats:

• digital – Number (with min/max values, which are not required);
• for specifying mail – Email (including validation);
• text - Text (1 line), Text Area (2 or more lines);
• to enter a password with masking – Password.

The constructor has a WordPress editor with media insertion files, image uploads, checkboxes, dropdown menus. With Advanced Custom Fields for WordPress, you can set a basic True/False selector, customize element selection, single or multi-user selection, and collect fields into multiple tabs. The plugin menu has functions for returning URLs, post and page objects, taxonomy IDs, and other important options.

Developers can use extensions to create rules for displaying custom fields in desired post categories. The Repeater Field option allows you to create complex layouts, Gallery Field - to manage a photo gallery, Nav Menu Field - to organize navigation, etc.

For what purposes is it used

This WordPress plugin contains over 30 different types of custom fields. Their use allows you to use the calendar, checkboxes, navigation, maps and other administrative elements. Fields can be added in different places of the site - comments, messages, taxonomies, posts, options pages. Why a developer needs the Advanced Custom Fields plugin:

• storage of important data in one place;
• use of the same data many times;
• changing the style of displaying information in the constructor, and not on a separate page;
• organization of events with a large number of pages that are displayed in the same style;
• managing custom fields in the admin panel.

The free version of Advance plugin provides access to almost all tools. But using the paid option gives more options: checking fields and groups in posts, simplified data entry and visualization, designing pages through layouts, loading several images into one field.

Benefits

According to statistics, in more than a million sites, developers use ACF. Custom fields help create a functional interface for work. Benefits of setting Advanced Custom Fields:

• simple and intuitive process;
• over 30 custom fields;
• an extensive database of tools and documents;
• consistency of information presented in a single format;
• easy entry and updating of data.

Plugin ACF simplifies the process of entering and editing information as much as possible. It helps form a simple and functional interface for adding, managing and displaying meta fields on pages.

Easy plugin setup

According to the developers, setting up Advanced Custom Fields does not cause any difficulties. In the WP engine, you need to find the plugins section “Add New” category and select the custom fields constructor. It remains to click the "Install" button and activate the plugin. Alternatively, you can download it from the WordPress directory and then install it on your website from FTP.

More difficult work is customizing - setting up the program, that is, creating custom fields. Let's consider an example of how the customization operation should be carried out to place data about webinars. In this case, the development of a WordPress site will include several fields:

• name;
• picture;
• description;
• start date;
• button with active link.

In the plugin settings you need to find the "Field groups" menu and select the "Add" button. Custom fields will be different, but still refer to the same information. In the "Properties" list, it remains to select options such as label and field type, and repeat the steps to customize (customise) each of them.

Examples of use with the WooCommerce plugin

WooCommerce for WordPress allows you to create an online store based on CMS. Applications can be used together. With the help of such programs it is easy to set up different sites. Advanced Custom Fields WooCommerce Examples:

• Real Estate - add information about the type of real estate, lease, terms of sale, footage, etc.
• Cinema pictures - information about the director, studio, film genre, actors.
• Client site - you can display a slider with several lines of text and make changes to it at the request of the customer.

The great potential of the plugin shows why it has become so popular among developers. The program allows you to organize the most simple, convenient and functional site administration interface.