Custom Field Finder WordPress Plugin – Features & Review | WPWizzy

If no fields are showing, the post genuinely may not have any post meta stored yet. This is common for newly created posts that have not had custom fields saved to them. Save the post with some custom field values through ACF or whichever field plugin you use, then reload the edit screen. The meta box should then show the stored values. Also verify the plugin is active and the meta box is not hidden — check Screen Options in the top right of the edit screen.

Complex field types like repeater fields, flexible content, and relationship fields are stored as serialised PHP arrays in the database. Custom Field Finder shows the raw serialised string, which is not human-readable. For these field types, use var_dump() with get_field() in a development template to see the unserialised structure, or use Query Monitor which can display post meta in a more readable format.

Keys starting with an underscore are internal meta used by ACF and other plugins to store field configuration references, not the actual field values. The actual value is stored under the key without the underscore prefix. For example, _field_name stores the ACF field key reference, while field_name stores the value. Use get_post_meta() with the key without the underscore to retrieve the actual stored value.

During a WP All Import setup, Custom Field Finder is useful for verifying that import mappings are working correctly. After running a test import on one or two posts, open one of the imported posts in the editor and check the Custom Field Finder meta box. You will see all the meta keys that the import created, confirming which fields were populated and what values they contain. This helps you verify your import template before running the full import.

It can be used briefly on production for diagnostic purposes, but it should not be left permanently active. The plugin adds a meta box to every post editing screen for all admin users, which adds a small amount of overhead and exposes field structure to any user with post editing access. Activate it when you need to inspect fields, do your diagnostic work, then deactivate it. For ongoing field inspection needs, Query Monitor is a better permanent tool as it has access control features.

The default WordPress Custom Fields meta box only shows meta keys that do not start with an underscore. Keys starting with underscore are treated as private and hidden from the standard meta box. Custom Field Finder shows all meta keys including private ones, which is why it is useful for seeing everything that ACF and other plugins store — those plugins use underscore-prefixed keys for internal data.

Custom Field Finder is focused on post meta. It shows fields stored in the wp_postmeta table for posts, pages, and custom post types. It does not display user meta (wp_usermeta) or term meta (wp_termmeta). For those, you would need to query the database directly or use a different tool like phpMyAdmin or a database admin plugin.

Yes. All three of these plugins store their field values in the standard WordPress post meta table, which is what Custom Field Finder reads. You will see ACF fields, JetEngine meta fields, and Pods fields listed alongside any other post meta. The field keys and raw values are shown regardless of which plugin created them.

Query Monitor is a more comprehensive developer tool that includes post meta inspection alongside database queries, hooks, and performance data. It also has access controls to restrict who can see developer data. For simple post meta inspection, Custom Field Finder is faster to set up. For ongoing development work, Query Monitor is the more capable choice and is worth using alongside or instead of Custom Field Finder.