This section is written for content managers — the people who enter data into custom fields on posts and pages every day. You do not need to know how the fields were set up or how the data appears on the website. You just need to know how to find your fields, fill them in correctly, and save your work.
If you are the person who creates field groups (the administrator), this section is useful for writing instructions that you hand off to your content team. You can link them directly to this page.
Finding Your Fields on a Post
When you open a post or page in the WordPress editor, custom fields do not appear in the main content area. They appear below it (or sometimes to the side, depending on how your administrator configured them). Here is how to find them:
- Open any post or page in the WordPress editor by clicking its title in the post list
- Scroll down below the main content area — below the block editor or classic editor
- Look for one or more bordered boxes with titles like “Hero Section,” “Product Details,” or “Team Member Profile” — these are your metaboxes
- Each metabox contains the custom fields you need to fill in
- If you see multiple metaboxes, each one is a separate field group. Fill in all of them.
- If you do not see any metaboxes at all, the post may not match any field group’s location rules — check with your site administrator
[Screenshot: a WordPress post editor with two metaboxes visible below the content area — “Hero Section” and “SEO Settings” — each containing several fields]
How to Fill in Each Field Type
Different field types have different interfaces. Here is a complete reference:
| Field Type | What You Do | What to Watch For |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Click the field and type | Respect any character limit shown below the field |
| Textarea | Click the field and type — press Enter for new lines | Plain text only — no bold, italic, or links |
| Number | Type a number, or click the up/down arrows | Stays within the min/max range set by your admin |
| Range | Drag the slider left or right | The current value shows as a number next to the slider |
| Type an email address | Must be a valid format ([email protected]) or it will not save | |
| URL | Paste or type a full URL including https:// | Must start with http:// or https:// |
| Image | Click “Select Image,” pick from Media Library or upload new | Check the instructions for recommended dimensions |
| File | Click “Select File,” choose or upload a document | Note any file type restrictions in the instructions |
| Select | Click the dropdown, scroll or type to search, click an option | Only one option can be selected |
| Checkbox | Tick one or more boxes | You can select multiple options |
| Radio / Button Group | Click one option — it highlights to show selection | Only one option can be active at a time |
| True/False | Click the toggle switch on or off | Blue/colored = on, gray = off |
| Date Picker | Click the field, a calendar pops up, click a date | The date format is set by your admin |
| Time Picker | Click the field, select hours and minutes | Uses 12-hour or 24-hour format depending on settings |
| Color Picker | Click the swatch to open the color wheel, or type a hex code | Use the hex code if you have a specific brand color |
| WYSIWYG | A mini editor with a toolbar — use it like the WordPress editor | Supports bold, italic, links, lists, and media |
| Relationship | Search for posts by typing a title, click to add, drag to reorder | Look for the search box at the top of the field |
| Gallery | Click “Add to Gallery,” select multiple images, drag to reorder | Hold Shift or Ctrl/Cmd to select multiple images at once |
| oEmbed | Paste a URL (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) and wait for the preview | A preview of the embedded content appears below the URL |
Working with Tabs
If a field group uses Tab fields, you will see tab buttons along the top of the metabox (they look like browser tabs or folder tabs). Here is how they work:
- When the metabox loads, the first tab is active and its fields are visible
- Click a different tab name to switch to that group of fields
- Only one tab is visible at a time — the others are hidden but not lost
- Data you entered in other tabs is preserved when you switch — nothing is erased
- Required fields on hidden tabs still count — if you try to save with a required field empty on a tab you are not currently viewing, you will get an error pointing you to that tab
Working with Accordions
Accordion fields show collapsible sections with clickable headers:
- Click a header to expand that section and reveal its fields
- Click the same header again to collapse it
- Multiple sections can be open at the same time (unlike tabs)
- Use accordions to keep your screen focused — expand only the section you are currently working on
Working with Repeater Rows
If you see an “Add Row” button at the bottom of a field section, that is a Repeater:
- Click Add Row to create a new entry
- Fill in the fields for that entry
- Click Add Row again for additional entries
- Drag rows by their handle (the grip icon on the left) to reorder
- Click the X on a row to remove it (the data is lost after saving)
- Some repeaters have minimum or maximum row limits — you will see a message if you hit the limit
Saving Your Work
After filling in all the fields:
- Click Publish (for new posts) or Update (for existing posts) at the top of the editor
- Field Forge data saves with the same button as regular post content — there is no separate save step
- Wait for the page to reload with the “Post updated” confirmation message
- Your field data is now saved in the database and available on the frontend
Side-by-Side Fields
Your administrator may have configured some fields to display next to each other rather than stacked vertically. For example, “First Name” and “Last Name” might appear on the same row, or “City,” “State,” and “ZIP” might share a row. This is purely a visual layout choice — you fill them in exactly the same way as vertically stacked fields.
What the Required Indicator Means
Fields marked as required show a small red asterisk next to their label. If you try to save the post without filling in a required field:
- A red border appears around the empty required field
- An error message appears telling you which field needs attention
- If the required field is on a hidden tab, the error message tells you which tab to switch to
- Fill in the field and click Update/Publish again
> Tip: If you are editing a post and do not see the fields you expect, check with your site administrator. The most common reason is that the post does not match the field group’s location rules — for example, the fields might be configured to appear only on a specific page template that the current page is not using.
> Good to know: Fields save their data to the database when you click Publish or Update. If you navigate away from the page without saving, your changes are lost. WordPress may show a browser warning (“Changes you made may not be saved”) if you try to leave with unsaved work — pay attention to that warning.
> Common mistake: Editors sometimes confuse the main content editor with custom fields. The main content area (the block editor or classic editor) is for the post body text. Custom fields are in separate metaboxes below it. Both need to be filled in and both save when you click Update.
—