WordPress Custom Fields

WordPress is a widely used open-source Content Management System (CMS) that powers millions of websites throughout the world. It has a wide range of customization options available for website owners and developers. One of the most powerful features that WordPress offers is custom fields.

Introduction to Custom Fields

Custom fields are a great way to add additional information to WordPress posts, pages and custom post types. WordPress has several built-in custom fields such as post title, content, excerpt and featured image. But, custom fields can be created to have additional information like author bio, product description, price, testimonials, ratings and so on. Custom fields are stored as key-value pairs in the WordPress database, with the name of the Custom Field being the key and the value is the information added. Custom Fields can be displayed on the front end using WordPress templates or plugins to display them in various formats such as tables, grids or sliders

Creating Custom Fields in WordPress

Creating Custom fields in WordPress can be done in various methods, including using WP-built-in functions, plugin or theme options, ACF or MetaBox plugins, or writing custom code. The most straightforward method is to use the built-in WordPress features. Custom fields on posts, pages or custom post types can be added by using the Custom Fields metabox in the WordPress editor. By enabling the Custom Fields option, new custom fields can be added by entering the name and value for each field. The field type could be Text, Textarea, Select or Checkbox. After adding the custom fields, the post or page can be saved, and WordPress will store the data in the database.

Displaying Custom Fields on the Front End

Once Custom Fields are created, the next step is to display them. Custom fields can be displayed by modifying the WordPress templates using functions like get_post_meta(), the_field() or get_field(). WordPress page builders like Elementor, Beaver Builder or Divi also offer custom field modules to visually display custom fields on the front end.

Using Plugins to Create Custom Fields

WordPress plugins such as Advanced Custom Fields, MetaBox, CMB2, and Pods allow you to create and manage custom fields with ease. These plugins have an intuitive interface for creating fields groups that can be assigned to any post type or taxonomy. These plugins also offer additional features such as repeater fields, conditional logic and more.

Using custom fields is a powerful way to add extra information to your website, and WordPress offers several ways to create and manage custom fields, making it easy to leverage this valuable feature.