Available Field Types | Field Forge - Custom Fields, Built for Speed

Field Forge provides a comprehensive library of field types to capture every kind of data your website needs. The free plan includes 20 field types that cover the most common scenarios — text inputs, images, selections, dates, and layout helpers. PRO unlocks 12 additional types for advanced use cases like repeating rows of data, relationships between posts, page-building layouts, and rich media embeds.

This section is your complete reference for every field type. Use it to decide which type fits your content needs, and refer back to it when setting up new field groups.

Text and Number Fields (Free)

These are the workhorses of any site. Nearly every field group includes at least one text or number field.

Type	Editor Experience	Best Use Cases	Settings You Should Know
Text	A single-line text input	Titles, names, short phrases, button labels, slugs, SKUs	Character Limit, Placeholder, Default Value, Prepend/Append text
Textarea	A multi-line text box (no formatting toolbar)	Descriptions, bios, summaries, addresses, longer plain text	Rows (height), Character Limit, Placeholder, New Lines setting (br vs paragraph)
Number	A number input with optional up/down arrows	Prices, quantities, ratings, counts, dimensions, weights	Minimum Value, Maximum Value, Step (increment), Prepend ($), Append (kg)
Range	A horizontal slider with a number readout	Percentages, skill levels, budget ranges, visual scales	Minimum, Maximum, Step, Prepend, Append
Email	A text input that validates email format	Contact emails, notification addresses	Placeholder, Default Value — the browser prevents saving invalid formats
URL	A text input that validates URL format	Website links, social profiles, external resources, CTA destinations	Placeholder, Default Value
Password	A text input that masks characters (shows dots)	API keys, secret codes, anything that should not be visible while typing	Placeholder — note that the value is stored in plain text in the database, so this is for visual privacy only

When to use Text vs Textarea: Use Text for single-line content (a title, a name). Use Textarea when the content might span multiple lines (a bio, a description, an address). If you need formatting (bold, links, lists), use WYSIWYG instead of either.

Media Fields (Free and PRO)

Media fields let editors attach images, files, and rich content to their posts without touching the Media Library directly.

Type	Plan	Editor Experience	Best Use Cases
Image	Free	Click to open the Media Library, select or upload an image, see a preview thumbnail	Photos, logos, thumbnails, hero backgrounds, author avatars, icons
File	Free	Click to open the Media Library, select or upload any file type	PDFs, downloadable documents, spreadsheets, ZIP files, audio files
WYSIWYG	Free	A mini WordPress editor with a formatting toolbar (bold, italic, links, lists, media)	Rich text content that needs formatting — section descriptions, long-form copy, styled content blocks
oEmbed	PRO	Paste a URL from YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter, Spotify, etc. and see an instant preview	Embedded videos, social media posts, audio players, any oEmbed-compatible content
Gallery	PRO	Select multiple images, drag to reorder, bulk upload, add captions	Image galleries, product photo collections, portfolio grids, before/after sets

Real-world example for Gallery: Imagine you run a real estate agency. Each property listing needs 10-30 photos showing rooms, the exterior, the neighborhood, and floor plans. A Gallery field lets the agent upload all photos at once, drag them into the preferred order, and add captions like “Master Bedroom” or “View from Balcony.” On the frontend, your developer renders these as a swipeable gallery.

Choice Fields (Free)

Choice fields let editors pick from predefined options that you set up when creating the field group.

Type	Editor Experience	Best Use Cases	Key Difference
Select	A dropdown menu — click to open, type to search, pick one option	Status (Active/Inactive), Country, Category override, Page layout choice	Takes up minimal space; good when there are many options
Checkbox	A list of checkboxes — tick as many as needed	Tags, features, amenities, capabilities, multi-select categories	Allows multiple selections; all options visible at once
Radio	A list of radio buttons — pick exactly one	Gender, priority level, simple either/or choices	Single selection; all options visible (unlike Select which hides them in a dropdown)
True/False	A toggle switch — on or off	Show/hide a section, enable a feature, “Is Featured” flag, “On Sale” toggle	Binary choice; the simplest possible field
Button Group	Styled buttons in a row — pick one	Alignment (Left/Center/Right), size (S/M/L), layout choice	Same as Radio but visually more compact and modern-looking

When to use Select vs Radio vs Button Group: All three let the user pick one option. Use Select when you have more than 5-6 options (the dropdown keeps the screen clean). Use Radio when you have 2-4 options and want them all visible. Use Button Group for 2-4 visual choices like alignment or size where the compact button style looks more intuitive.

Relation Fields (PRO)

Relation fields create connections between different pieces of content. They turn your WordPress site from a collection of isolated posts into an interconnected content system.

Type	Editor Experience	Best Use Cases	Returns
Relationship	Search for posts by title, click to add, drag to reorder — select multiple	“Related Articles” on a blog post, “Associated Products” on a category page	An array of post objects
Post Object	A dropdown or search to select a single post	“Featured Product” on the homepage, “Parent Course” on a lesson	A single post object
Page Link	Pick an internal page URL from a dropdown	“CTA Button destination,” “Read More link target”	A URL string
Taxonomy	Select categories, tags, or custom taxonomy terms	“Highlighted Categories” for a sidebar, “Featured Tags” for a homepage section	Term objects
User	Pick a WordPress user from a dropdown	“Post Author” override, “Team Lead” assignment, “Account Manager”	A user object

Real-world example for Relationship: Imagine you run an online learning platform. Each “Lesson” post needs to link to related lessons that students might want to take next. You add a Relationship field called “Related Lessons” that lets editors search for other Lesson posts and select 3-5 related ones. On the frontend, these appear as “You might also like…” cards at the bottom of each lesson page.

Date, Time, and Color (Free/PRO)

Type	Plan	Editor Experience	Best Use Cases
Date Picker	Free	Click the field to open a calendar popup, click a date	Event dates, deadlines, publication dates, milestones, birthdays
Time Picker	PRO	Click to open a time selector with hours and minutes	Appointment times, business hours, event start/end times
Color Picker	Free	Click the swatch to open a color wheel, or type a hex code	Brand colors, section backgrounds, accent customization, text colors

Layout Fields (Free) — No Data, Just Organization

Layout fields do not store any data. They organize the editing experience for your content managers by adding visual structure to large field groups.

Type	Editor Experience	Best Use Cases
Tab	Clickable tab buttons at the top of the metabox — click to switch between groups of fields	Splitting a large field group into sections: Content, Settings, SEO, Advanced
Accordion	Collapsible sections with clickable headers — expand to see fields, collapse to hide	When editors need to scan section headings and open only what they need
Message	A block of non-editable text displayed among the fields	Instructions (“Upload images at 1920×1080”), warnings (“Changing this affects all pages”), or context notes

Real-world example for Tabs: Imagine a “Product” field group with 15 fields. Without tabs, editors face a long vertical scroll of fields. With tabs, you split them into three tabs: “Basic Info” (name, price, SKU, description), “Media” (main image, gallery, video), and “Shipping” (weight, dimensions, handling time). Editors click the tab they need instead of scrolling through everything.

Compound Fields (PRO) — Fields Inside Fields

These are the power tools. Compound fields contain other fields (sub-fields) inside them, enabling complex data structures.

Type	What It Does	Think of It As
Repeater	A list of rows where each row has the same set of sub-fields. Editors add as many rows as needed.	A spreadsheet — you define the columns, editors add rows
Group	A single set of related sub-fields bundled together. Always exactly one instance.	A bordered card that groups related fields visually and in data structure
Flexible Content	A set of layout templates that editors mix-and-match to build unique page structures	A page builder with predefined section types
Clone	Reuses fields defined in another field group without duplicating them	A shortcut or alias — edit the original, and all clones update

Each compound field type has its own detailed section later in this guide.

> Good to know: On the free plan, PRO field types appear in the field type picker with a clear PRO badge. You can see what is available before upgrading, so there are no surprises about what requires a paid license.

> Tip: When choosing a field type, start with the simplest option that meets your needs. A Text field is almost always better than a Textarea if the content will be short. A Select is better than a Relationship if editors are just picking from a short list of predefined options. Simpler fields mean a faster, less confusing editing experience for your content team.

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