Top 10 Most Useful ACF Field Types and Their Use Cases - with Examples

ACF (Advanced Custom Fields) offers a wide variety of field types that empower WordPress developers to create dynamic, customizable, and user-friendly websites without extensive coding.

This post highlights the top 10 most useful ACF field types—Text, Textarea, Image, Gallery, Repeater, Select, Relationship, Date Picker, True/False, and Google Maps—along with practical use cases and code examples. These fields enable developers to build features like custom galleries, FAQs, event schedules, toggles, location maps, and much more.

By leveraging these fields effectively, you can significantly enhance the functionality and flexibility of your WordPress sites, catering to diverse project needs.

1. Text Field

Use Case

Perfect for single-line inputs like titles, headings, or simple text information.

Example

A "Client Name" field for a testimonial custom post type.

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<!--php echo get_field('client_name'); ?-->

2. Textarea Field

Use Case

Great for longer text, such as product descriptions or user comments.

Example

A "Short Bio" field for author profiles.

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<!--php echo get_field('short_bio'); ?-->

3. Image Field

Use Case

Ideal for adding images, like a featured image for a custom post type.

Example

A "Team Member Photo" for a staff directory.

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<!--php
$image = get_field('team_member_photo');
if( $image ): ?-->
    <img alt="<?php echo esc_attr($image['alt']); ?>" src="<?php echo esc_url($image['url']); ?>">
<!--php endif; ?-->

4. Gallery Field

Use Case

Useful for showcasing multiple images, such as a portfolio or product gallery.

Example

A "Project Gallery" for displaying project images.

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<!--php
$images = get_field('project_gallery');
if( $images ):
    foreach( $images as $image ): ?-->
        <img alt="<?php echo esc_attr($image['alt']); ?>" src="<?php echo esc_url($image['url']); ?>">
    <!--php endforeach;
endif; ?-->

5. Repeater Field

Use Case

Allows for flexible, repeating sets of fields, like FAQs or timelines.

Example

A "FAQ Section" with questions and answers.

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<!--php
if( have_rows('faq') ):
    while( have_rows('faq') ): the_row(); ?-->
        <h4><!--php the_sub_field('question'); ?--></h4>
        <p><!--php the_sub_field('answer'); ?--></p>
    <!--php endwhile;
endif; ?-->

6. Select Field

Use Case

For predefined options, like categories or user roles.

Example

A "Service Type" dropdown for a services post type.

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<!--php echo get_field('service_type'); ?-->

7. Relationship Field

Use Case

Connect related content, such as linking blog posts to a specific author.

Example

A "Related Articles" section for a blog post.

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<!--php
$related_posts = get_field('related_articles');
if( $related_posts ):
    foreach( $related_posts as $post ):
        setup_postdata($post); ?-->
        <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><!--php the_title(); ?--></a>
    <!--php endforeach;
    wp_reset_postdata();
endif; ?-->

8. Date Picker Field

Use Case

Great for event scheduling or publishing dates.

Example

An "Event Date" field for an events custom post type.

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<!--php echo get_field('event_date'); ?-->

9. True/False Field

Use Case

For toggling settings or boolean values, like showing or hiding a section.

Example

A "Featured Post" toggle for blog posts.

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<!--php if( get_field('featured_post') ): ?-->
    <div class="featured">Featured Post</div>
<!--php endif; ?-->

10. Google Maps Field

Use Case

Perfect for adding location data.

Example

A "Store Location" map for a store locator feature.

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<!--php
$location = get_field('store_location');
if( $location ): ?-->
    <div class="acf-map">
        <div class="marker" data-lat="<?php echo esc_attr($location['lat']); ?>" data-lng="<?php echo esc_attr($location['lng']); ?>"></div>
    </div>
<!--php endif; ?-->

Summary

Summarize the versatility of ACF fields and encourage readers to explore these field types in their projects. Offer a downloadable code snippet or a demo project for added value.

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