Getting started with Field Forge takes less than five minutes, and there is no complicated configuration wizard or multi-step onboarding process. This section walks you through everything from installation to confirming that fields appear correctly on a post. By the end, you will have a working field group on your site and a clear understanding of where everything lives in the WordPress admin.
Before You Install
Make sure your WordPress site meets these requirements:
| Requirement | Minimum |
|---|---|
| WordPress version | 5.8 or higher |
| PHP version | 7.4 or higher |
| MySQL version | 5.6 or higher (or MariaDB 10.1+) |
| Browser | Any modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) |
If you are unsure about your PHP or MySQL version, go to Tools > Site Health in your WordPress admin and click Info to check.
Step-by-Step Installation
- Log into your WordPress admin dashboard
- Go to Plugins > Add New in the left sidebar
- In the search box at the top right, type Field Forge
- Find “Field Forge” in the results (look for the Forge Suite branding with the rose-colored accent)
- Click Install Now — wait a few seconds for the installation to complete
- Click Activate — the button changes after installation
- You will see a new Field Forge menu item appear in the left sidebar, below your other plugin menus
- If you purchased the PRO version as a ZIP file, go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin instead, choose your ZIP file, click Install Now, then Activate
[Screenshot: the WordPress Plugins > Add New screen with “Field Forge” in the search results, showing the Install Now button]
Activating a PRO License
If you purchased Field Forge PRO, activate your license to unlock all premium features:
- Go to Field Forge > License in the sidebar
- Enter your license key (you received this in your purchase confirmation email)
- Click Activate License
- You will see a green success message confirming activation
- The license dashboard shows your plan tier (Personal, Professional, or Agency), the number of sites activated, and the expiration date
- PRO features like Repeater, Flexible Content, Options Pages, and AI Generation are now available throughout the plugin
> Important: If you skip license activation, the plugin works in free mode even if you installed the PRO ZIP file. Always activate your license after installation to get the features you paid for.
Check Setup & Health
Before creating production field groups or migrating from ACF, open Forge Suite > Setup & Health and click Run diagnostics. The panel checks active Forge plugins, Avakode Connect, AI credits readiness, the Avakode API, permalinks, and migration/integration source plugins including ACF and ACF Pro.
The diagnostics can recommend a next action, refresh permalink rules or credit balances, keep a short diagnostic history, and generate a redacted support package for Avakode support. They do not spend credits, import ACF data, create field groups, or change licenses. If ACF is detected, treat that as a reminder to review the migration plan before replacing or disabling ACF.
Your First Visit to the Field Forge Dashboard
- Click Field Forge > Field Groups — this is your home base where all field groups are listed
- On a brand-new installation, the list is empty with a friendly prompt to create your first field group
- Take note of the sidebar sub-menus: Field Groups, New Field Group, Import/Export, Migration (if ACF is detected), Settings, and License (PRO)
- Click Field Forge > Settings to see the global options — you do not need to change anything yet, but it is good to know where settings live
[Screenshot: the Field Forge Field Groups screen on a fresh installation, showing an empty list with the “Create Your First Field Group” prompt]
If You Are Migrating from ACF
If your site currently uses Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), do not create new field groups yet. Go to Field Forge > Migration first. The migration tool imports all your existing field groups, settings, and data so you do not have to recreate anything manually. See the full “Migrating from ACF Pro” section later in this guide for a detailed walkthrough. Migration should happen before you start building new field groups to avoid duplicate configurations.
Recommended First Steps After Installation
| Step | Why It Matters | How Long It Takes |
|---|---|---|
| Create one simple field group with 2-3 text fields | Gets you familiar with the field group editor before tackling complex setups | 3 minutes |
| Set a location rule and verify fields appear on a post | Confirms the plugin is working correctly on your site | 2 minutes |
| Try the keyboard shortcut Cmd+S (Mac) or Ctrl+S (Windows) to save | Saves time — you will use this shortcut constantly | 5 seconds |
| Browse the Settings page and read the descriptions | Helps you understand what is configurable before you need to change anything | 2 minutes |
| Check the free plan limits (3 field groups, 20 field types) | Sets expectations so you know when to upgrade | 1 minute |
| If migrating from ACF, run the migration before doing anything else | Prevents duplicate field groups and ensures a clean transition | 5-15 minutes |
Quick Verification Test
To confirm everything is working:
- Go to Field Forge > New Field Group
- Title it “Test Group”
- Click Add Field, select Text, label it “Test Field”
- Under Location Rules, set Post Type is equal to Post
- Click Save Field Group (or press Cmd+S / Ctrl+S)
- Go to Posts and open any existing post (or create a new one)
- Scroll below the content editor — you should see a “Test Group” metabox with your “Test Field” inside it
- Type something in the field and click Update to save the post
- Reopen the post — your data should still be there
- After confirming it works, you can delete the “Test Group” or keep it for experimentation
> Tip: On the free plan, you can create up to 3 field groups with 20 field types. This is enough to set up a small site with a team page, a hero section, and product details. Upgrade to PRO when you need repeaters, flexible content, options pages, or unlimited field groups.
> Common mistake: Some users install Field Forge but forget to activate it. If you do not see the Field Forge menu in your sidebar, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and make sure the “Activate” link has been clicked. The plugin must be active, not just installed.
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