Mapping fields from form to custom fields

• kkri

• August 28, 2018 at 9:32 pm

Hello.
I’d like to create a system where users can fill a form with some custom fields built with ACF, after my approval the relative fields will automatically populate posts fields and I will style them through Elementor templates and widgets. Tools: Contact Form 7+ ACF Pro + Elementor Pro. I read a lot of info, and video tutorials and so, I use Elementor Pro since a year, know Contact Form 7 enough, never used ACF but know about custom fields and think ACF is what I need to buy.
So, I’m asking you:

1) if I buy the ACF v.5 I need only to install it and I have all the tools available or some next operation is needed?

2) with ACF v.5 is already active the option to map fields from a form to post custom fields? I read it was necessary to add many lines of code to reach it in previous versions, but I’m not so advanced and need to activate options with a button, can’t manage code easily. Could you point me to this? This is the most important feature for me;

3) does Contact Form integrate easily with ACF to map fields from form to custom fields? How to do it?

4) I have to build a book library, and have to load 400 books: could I create an xls or csv or some other file to bulk add the books all at once? If so, what is necessary to do it?

Thank you

• John Huebner

• August 28, 2018 at 10:01 pm

1) You will need to do a lot of coding of filters make this work.

2) There isn’t any way to automatically map fields from other plugins to ACF

3) See the above

4) ACF does not allow importing. You need to look at an importing plugin like http://www.wpallimport.com/, the pro version includes an ACF add on.

Outside of your questions, there isn’t a reason to use CF7 for your forms. With ACF you can build front end forms and using the acf/pre_save_post filter https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/resources/acf-pre_save_post/ you can set new posts as drafts that need to be approved.

Using another form plugin, the filters involved would be too complicated to go into here and would need to be filters that work for the form plugin you’re using and also save the data in a way that ACF will understand using calls to ACF functions. Is what you want to do possible? Yes, but any way you look at it there will be complex coding involved.

• kkri

• August 28, 2018 at 11:21 pm

Hello.
Maybe I was not too clear, not my native language, sorry. For some of my requests I was almost sure were possible, so I was asking how to do them easily as I can’t manage too much code, but if you point me to those, maybe I can do it.

1) I meant if all the ACF are now activated by default as I see in previous versions there were add-ons to activate when needed;

2-3) i will MANUALLY map form fields–> custom post type fields but I can do it if a settings page or so exists in ACF plugin where I can do it. A connecting feature where I can assign the CPT and its fields have to be transferred coming from front end submitted data through a form. Is there an option, a feature like this? I saw it in another plugin.

4) I will try with an external importer plugin. If ACF allows it, I’m ok.

CF 7: I will be very happy if I don’t need it, but is there a section in ACF to do it’ is there a tutorial where I can see how it works?

Thank you so much for your patience but I’m planning to buy several licenses when I will be able to build correctly this “complete system”, so I can use it for books, jobs, films, real estates … directory sites.

• John Huebner

• August 29, 2018 at 5:09 am

1) ACF 5 Pro includes all add-ons, so there is nothing else to install. The add-ons are only need to be installed separately if you are using the free version.

2&3) No, there is not feature that will do this in ACF.

4) I use WP All Import for all imports because the pro version of that plugin has an add on that works with ACF.

You can add forms to the front end of the site using the acf_form() function. Details for using this are here https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/resources/acf_form/ with additional information here https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/resources/acf-pre_save_post/ and a tutorial here https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/resources/create-a-front-end-form/