Custom Field Command

Handing the keys over to a website, almost totally managed by a complicated page builder, to a non-technical client is a recipe for disaster.

If you want to learn how to build intuitive WordPress backends with just the right amount of flexibility that your clients love using, this is the course for you.

We’ll work through a real-life WordPress theme project, take a deep-dive into the free Advanced Custom Fields plugin, then start getting into Pro features (requires a separate purchase from ACF).

Course Outline

Skip ahead and demo the final result of this course, complete with the “page builder” custom-tailored to site’s needs.

Download and install free software (Windows, Mac, or Linux!) so you can follow along and run WordPress on your own computer without needing to buy a hosting account.

Install the four required plugins to get started, all available free on WordPress.org. IMPORTANT NOTE: Later on we’ll need to buy one premium plugin, costing $49.

Download and install the starter theme with functional WordPress menus, and static content that you will be “clientproofing” (i.e. developing a bespoke and structured CMS for said content).

Contrary to popular belief, custom fields are a core WordPress feature and you do not need a plugin to manage them. We’ll make a “job title” field in this example.

Time to start writing code. We’ll start slow by editing the theme files to add some placeholder code, that will be later used to house dynamic custom field data.

Custom field data is not necessarily going to display automatically on the frontend. We’ll write some code to start displaying it.

Sometimes CMS users will use the custom fields you set up in an uncommon way. It’s your job to make sure the theme displays any, all, or none of that data in a sensible way.

It is time to start using ACF to make fields! We’ll start with a simple one, a text field to store job title for each team member.

You have set up your first “advanced” custom field, although you still need to display it on the frontend. We’ll do that in this lesson.

WordPress core has a “Featured image” feature. However, what if you need two or more images associated with a single piece of content? You keep it simple with ACF.

We’ll take the two “featured” images we set in the previous lesson and display them properly on the frontend. Don’t forget about alternative text for accessibility.

With a twist. We won’t store the data like that in the backend. We’ll store a “start date” instead. This is an important concept that will save hours of maintenance time in the future.

At this point, we’re into the “Pro” (paid) ACF features. We’ll start by setting our “flexible” page template on our homepage, currently containing static components.

Not all layout fields need to be flexible. Before we begin with flexible layouts, we’ll make “hero” section that is always up top.

Say hello to your first flexible layout! This “featured left or right” layout will have fields for an image, a section heading, some text, a call to action link, and an option to align the image to the left or right.

This is the introduction to the ACF Pro “Repeater” field. This flexible layout will include a repeater that will allow your clients to input “unlimited” benefits.

This flexible layout will allow your clients to insert a bold call-to-action into their flexible landing pages. Buy now? Book a call? Whatever you want.

While this could easily be a repeater field, we’d like to store our testimonials in a more pragmatic way that could potentially be used elsewhere. Relationship fields to the rescue!

Sometimes it helps to have a consistent options page that can be utilized for “sitewide” options.

No business client wants to put “Powered by WordPress” in their footer. Let’s give them a way to customize that text easily.

While we could use WordPress’s built-in menu functionality for this, let’s let your client manage their social media menu from their options page.

Sometimes when building themes for your own personal use, it helps to have an easy-to-use “accent color” option alongside all your other ACF-powered options.

ACF Pro: Not Included!

Before you buy, I want to make very clear that Advanced Custom Fields Pro is not included in your purchase of this course.

At the time of this writing, pricing starts at $49/year. It’s an incredible value that is well-worth the price in my view.

While we may be “legally” able to distribute copies of GPL-licensed software, we won’t do it because we believe in supporting the incredible work of Advanced Custom Fields.

Tip: Consider not buying ACF Pro until reaching the “Flexible Homepage” section of the course, as that’s when we start to get into Pro-only features.

Before the “Flexible Homepage” section, we work through the basics with just the free version of ACF so you can get a feel for the course and with ACF.

That means if you find the course totally above your head, that’s one less refund (from ACF) to request!

Themetry has a unconditional 30-day money back guarantee, by the way. I like to keep things simple!

Simple Pricing

Perhaps to my detriment and against the advice of many experts in the realm of “revenue maximization” and “pricing optimization,” I believe in simple pricing.

That means no “packages” to decide which one best fits your needs. Just a simple one-time payment and you’ll be off learning the ins-and-outs of making easy-to-manage WordPress websites with Advanced Custom Fields.

Your one-time purchase includes:

Immediate access to all course lessons outlined above, so no waiting weeks or months for course content to “drip.”
Direct access to me via email for support on what is covered in the course, so I’m here for you to help clear any roadblocks in your way.
“Lifetime” access and updates to the Custom Field Command course, so no “one year of access” limitation that requires payment to extend.

Invest in Custom Field Command for $197 Temporarily open to the publicCovered by our unconditional 30-day money back guarantee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be a coding expert to get the most out of this course?

While I recommend some technical proficiency (making small code edits, setting up sites, installing plugins) with WordPress before starting this course, it is not something I believe you need to be a “coding expert” to get amazing value from.

If you feel otherwise after starting the course, please feel free to reach out for support and I’ll see what I can do.

If you feel there is no hope of getting through the course, please take advantage of our 30-day unconditional money-back guarantee.

Do I need a hosting account to get the most out of this course?

Nope, you can run through the course on your own personal computer without paying for a hosting account.

We have a free lesson on setting up your local development environment. We will be using Local, by the way.

I’d suggest setting that up prior to purchasing the course if you’re concerned you won’t be able to keep up because of computer-specific concerns.

Is the company behind Advanced Custom Fields paying you for this?

I receive no monetary compensation from Advanced Custom Fields. The only “compensation” I receive from them is their amazing product which I have a sincere affection for.

Do I get updates with my one-time payment, and how often is the course updated?

Sure. As part of our “simple pricing” policy, updates to the Custom Field Command course are provided at no additional charge. Just login and keep learning!

With that said, I don’t make any guarantees as to breadth and frequency of updates. If there’s something I feel is within the scope of the course and missing, I’ll add it.

Also note that the course is intended to get you up-to-speed with the power of ACF Pro, however I may create totally separate courses that may not be included with your course purchase.

These totally separate courses may be ACF-related and cover more advanced topics and complementary technologies like Timber and Gatsby.