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Unleashing the Multilingual Power of ACF Advanced Custom Fields with WPML

In this article, we delve into the benefits and features of using WPML with ACF to achieve a robust multilingual setup.

We’ll explore how these plugins seamlessly integrate with one another, streamline the translation process for ACF fields, and enhance the overall user experience.

Whether you’re a developer, designer, or website owner, understanding the potential of this powerful combination can help you create a website that speaks to a global audience.

ACF Advanced Custom Fields with WPML
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What are Advanced Custom Fields ACF?

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Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) is a popular WordPress plugin that allows users to easily add custom fields to their WordPress websites. It provides a user-friendly interface for creating and managing custom fields, which can then be used to extend the functionality and content options of WordPress themes and plugins.

With ACF, you can create custom fields of various types, such as text inputs, select dropdowns, checkboxes, radio buttons, file uploads, date pickers, and more. These custom fields can be added to posts, pages, custom post types, or even user profiles, allowing you to capture and store specific data for each individual item.

ACF provides a flexible and intuitive interface for defining field groups, which are collections of custom fields that can be associated with different areas of your WordPress website. You can assign field groups to specific post types or templates, giving you control over where the custom fields are displayed and used.

Once the custom fields are set up, you can retrieve and display their values within your theme or plugin templates using simple PHP functions provided by ACF. This makes it easy to incorporate the custom field data into your website’s design and functionality.

ACF also offers additional features like conditional logic, which allows you to show or hide fields based on certain conditions, and repeater fields, which enable you to create sets of fields that can be repeated and grouped together.

Overall, Advanced Custom Fields is a powerful plugin that simplifies the process of adding and managing custom fields in WordPress. It provides a flexible solution for extending the content management capabilities of your website and is widely used by developers and designers to create highly customizable WordPress websites.

How to use WPML to have a Advanced Custom Fields Multilingual setup

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To set up multilingual support for Advanced Custom Fields Multilingual (ACF) using the WPML plugin in WordPress, follow these steps:

  • Install and activate the WPML Multilingual CMS plugin from the WordPress plugin repository.
  • Once WPML is activated, go to WPML -> Languages in your WordPress dashboard.
  • In the "Language URL format" section, choose a URL format that suits your website's language structure. You can choose between different options like domain per language, subdomain per language, or directory per language.
  • Scroll down to the "Custom posts" section and locate the "Custom fields translation" option. Ensure that it is enabled.
  • Go to WPML -> String Translation and click on the "Translate texts in admin screens" link.
  • Look for the "acf" text domain and click on the "Translate texts" link next to it.
  • On the translation page, you'll find a list of strings related to ACF. Translate the strings as per your desired language.
  • Now, navigate to the ACF field group you want to translate. Edit the field group and find the field you want to translate.
  • Enable the "Translate" option for the specific field. This will make the field translatable.
  • Repeat this process for all the ACF field groups and fields that need translation.
  • When creating or editing posts or pages, you'll now see language switchers provided by WPML. Use these language switchers to switch between different languages and fill in the translated content for the ACF fields.
  • To display the translated content, use WPML's functions or shortcodes provided by ACF and WPML to retrieve the field values based on the selected language.

By following these steps, you can set up WPML with ACF to create a multilingual website where ACF fields can be translated and displayed based on the selected language. It allows you to manage custom field translations and provide a localized experience for your users.

What are the benefits of using WordPress Translation Plugin WPML for ACF?

Using WPML (WordPress Multilingual Plugin) in conjunction with Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) offers several benefits for creating multilingual websites:

  • Seamless Integration: WPML is specifically designed for multilingual websites and provides seamless integration with ACF. It recognizes ACF's custom fields and allows you to translate them easily, ensuring consistent multilingual content across your site.
  • User-Friendly Translation Interface: WPML provides a user-friendly translation interface within the WordPress dashboard. You can easily translate ACF fields directly in the familiar WordPress environment, without needing to use external translation tools or plugins.
  • Efficient Content Translation: WPML allows you to efficiently translate ACF fields by providing options to translate specific fields or entire field groups. This flexibility enables you to control which fields need translation, saving time and effort.
  • Customizable Language Switchers: WPML provides customizable language switchers that can be easily added to your website's navigation menu, sidebar, or footer. These language switchers allow visitors to switch between different language versions of your site, including the translated ACF fields.
  • SEO-Friendly: WPML ensures that your multilingual content remains SEO-friendly. It handles language-specific URLs and generates appropriate hreflang tags, which are important for search engines to understand and index your multilingual content correctly.
  • Compatibility with ACF Add-ons: WPML is compatible with various ACF add-ons and extensions. This means that if you're using additional ACF extensions to enhance ACF's functionality, WPML will still be able to translate those fields, providing a comprehensive multilingual solution.
  • Technical Support: WPML offers technical support to help you with any issues or questions related to multilingual setup, including the translation of ACF fields. They have a dedicated support team that can assist you in setting up and troubleshooting any integration-related problems.

By using WPML with ACF, you can effectively manage and translate your custom fields, ensuring a consistent and localized experience for your multilingual audience. It simplifies the process of creating and maintaining multilingual websites while providing extensive support and compatibility with ACF and its add-ons.

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