Looking to create custom fields on your WordPress site? Pods is one of the plugins that you can use. In this article, we will show you how to create WordPress custom fields using Pods and display the values (data) of the custom fields you created. Pods itself is a free plugin. It supports 18 field types. In addition to custom fields, you can also use Pods to create custom post types. By the way, what is a custom field?
Technically, your WordPress site is constructed of fields. When creating a new post, for instance, you add such data as an excerpt, featured image, and so on according to the post you create. In this case, excerpt and featured image are called fields. WordPress itself has lots of default fields. Post date and author info are other examples of fields.
A field is used to store certain metadata as we have mentioned. If you want to add custom metadata, you can create a custom field. WooCommerce is the best example of how custom fields are implemented. When adding a new product in WooCommerce, you normally add product price, product size, product image, and so on. In this case, product price, product size, and product image are the examples of custom metadata in which each metadata is submitted via a custom field.
If you are a web developer who creates websites for clients, understanding the concept of custom field is crucial enough as you can add certain features and functionalities to the website you are creating with only a single plugin (the custom field plugin like Pods). It can also cut off the production cost which is great to lift your profit.
How to Create WordPress Custom Fields Using Pods
We have said it. Pods is a plugin that you can use to create custom fields in WordPress. The plugin is released as a free plugin meaning you don’t need to spend a dime to use it. Pods is available on the WordPress plugin directory so that you can install it directly from the plugins manager on your WordPress dashboard. New to WordPress? Read our previous article to learn how to install a WordPress plugin.
Pods allows you to add the following field types:
- Plain Text
- Website
- Phone
- Password
- Plain Paragraph Text
- QYSIWYG Editor
- Code
- Date/Time
- Date
- Time
- Plain Number
- Currency
- File
- oEmbed
- Relationshop
- Yes/No
- Color Picker
To start creating custom fields using Pods, go to Pods Admin -> Add New on your WordPress dashboard. Select where you want to assign the custom fields. If you want to assign the custom fields to a custom post type, you can select the Create New option to create a new custom post type.
If you want to assign the custom fields to an existing content type, you can select the Extend Existing option. We choose the second option in this example.
Select a content type on the Content Type dropdown menu and the post type on the Post Type dropdown menu. If you want to assign the custom fields to blog posts, you can select the Posts option on the Post Type dropdown menu. Click the Next Step button to continue.
Click the Add Field button to add a new custom field. Add the field label, field name, field description, and select the field type. If you want to set a field as a required field, simply tick the Required option. Click the Save Field button.
Repeat the steps above to add more custom fields. Once done adding the custom fields, you can click the Save Pod button on the right sidebar.
That’s it. Your custom fields are now ready to use. From now on, you should see a new set of fields under the WordPress editor every time you write a new blog post (assuming you assigned the custom fields to blog posts).
How to Display Custom Fields
You have just created the custom fields. The next question is, how to display the data of the custom fields?
Unless you have PHP knowledge, you can use a WordPress page builder plugin to display the data of the custom fields you have just created. Pods is compatible with popular page builder plugins such as Elementor and Brizy.
You can display the custom fields anywhere you want. From single post template (you need to create a custom single post template to do so), homepage, header, footer, landing page. Literally anywhere. In this example, we will show to how to display the custom fields using Brizy.
The Brizy feature to add dynamic content is only available on the pro version so you need to upgrade your Brizy to the pro version in case you haven’t done so.
On the Brizy editor, add the Text element to the canvas area.
Highlight or delete the default text content and press the hash key (the ‘#’ symbol) on your keyboard. This will display the list of the dynamic fields you can add to your design. Normally, the custom fields you created with Pods (and other custom field plugins) appear at the top section.
You can then style up the custom fields just like when you are styling up the regular static text.
