WordPress custom fields: how you can edit your own site without breaking it
If you've ever been handed a website and told "just log in and change it", you'll know the worry. One wrong click and the layout breaks, a photo stretches, or half a page disappears. A lot of business owners end up leaving their site alone for years because they're afraid to touch it.
There's a better way to set a site up, and it's called custom fields.
What are custom fields?
Think of a website as having two parts: the design, and the content that goes into it. Custom fields keep those two apart.
Instead of editing a page in a big, open editor where you can accidentally move things around, you fill in a simple form. There's a box for your opening hours, a box for your phone number, a place to upload a photo, a list of prices you can add to. When you save, the site puts the information in the right place, in the right style, every time.
The tool I use for this is called Advanced Custom Fields, or ACF. It's widely used by professional WordPress developers.
What it looks like in practice
Say you're a caterer and you want to change this week's menu. With custom fields, you:
- Log in and open the Menu page
- See a form with a heading, a list of dishes and a price for each
- Change the text and press Update
That's it. You can't make the page look wrong, because the design isn't something you're editing.
What you can usually change yourself
Depending on your site, I can set it up so you can update:
- Opening hours and contact details
- Prices and service lists
- Photos and galleries
- Customer reviews and testimonials
- Project pages, such as new jobs you've finished
- Blog posts or news
Why it's better than a typical page builder
It's harder to break. The design is locked in, so you only change content.
It's quicker. A short form is faster than wrestling with a visual editor, especially on a phone.
It keeps your site consistent. Every project page, for example, looks the same, because they all use the same template.
It's easier to hand over. If a member of staff needs to update the site, there's very little to explain.
Do you need to be technical?
No. If you can fill in an online form, you can edit a site built this way. I'll show you how it works when the site goes live, and I'm still around if you get stuck.
What about updates and security?
WordPress, its plugins and ACF all need updating from time to time to stay secure and working properly. That's one of the things the optional monthly care plan covers, along with hosting and your domain name, so it doesn't land on your to-do list.
If you'd like a site that you can edit without the worry, get in touch and we can talk through what you'd want to be able to change.