Overwrite acf_add_local_field_group

• adejones

• January 16, 2024 at 10:05 am

Hi, I have a theme which has all my field groups in and this is used on many websites, but on one in particular I have a child theme and the client wants an additional image field adding to a group – is there a way of overwriting the function in the child themes functions.php or am I going to have to copy the parent file in to the child theme and amend it there?
I would much prefer using functions.php if possible.
Thanks.

• John Huebner

• January 16, 2024 at 2:07 pm

How are the field groups added? PHP? JSON? something else?

• adejones

• January 16, 2024 at 4:23 pm

Sorry John, it is PHP, in the parent theme there’s a file which is /acf-fields/team.php and in there is:

add_action( 'acf/include_fields', function() {
	if ( ! function_exists( 'acf_add_local_field_group' ) ) {
		return;
	}

	acf_add_local_field_group( array(
	'key' => 'group_652407356c71f',
	'title' => 'Practice Team',
	'fields' => array(
		-- ALL THE FIELDS HERE --
	),
	'location' => array(
		array(
			array(
				'param' => 'page',
				'operator' => '==',
				'value' => '247',
			),
		),
	),
	'menu_order' => 0,
	'position' => 'acf_after_title',
	'style' => 'seamless',
	'label_placement' => 'top',
	'instruction_placement' => 'label',
	'hide_on_screen' => array(
		0 => 'the_content',
	),
	'active' => true,
	'description' => '',
	'show_in_rest' => 0,
) );
} );

So this is on many sites but on this 1 particular site I need to be able to just add an additional image field to one of my repeaters, so was hoping to overwrite this function in the child themes functions.php without needing to copy the file.
Thanks.

• John Huebner

• January 16, 2024 at 5:27 pm

If it were me I would alter the function you posted to set up the field group args, then add a call to a filter to allow modification in the child themes functions.php file and then call acf_add_local_field_group();

function () {
  $args = array(/*field group settings*/);
  apply_filters('my-theme-name-my-field-group-name', $args);
  acf_add_local_field_group($args);
}

then in the child them you can add

add_filter('my-theme-name-my-field-group-name', 'child_theme_function', 10, 1);
function child_theme_function($args) {
   // modify args
   return $args;
}

• nicmare

• July 16, 2024 at 5:04 am

i have a very similar setup where i init the acf field groups and fields through a custom plugin with acf/include_fields and need to overwrite a field setting via child-theme. would be nice to see a build in filter in acf/include_fields hook or in acf_add_local_field_group function

• nicmare

• July 16, 2024 at 5:31 am

my case is simpler. i just want to hide the field group in the post editor for certain conditions. i can hide/disable the fields simply with acf/load_field hook but then i have an empty field group left.

• nicmare

• July 16, 2024 at 6:05 am

found a workaround in case someone needs similar code… i show/hide field groups based on another acf field value i use in an option page:

add_filter('acf/get_field_group', 'my_change_field_group_priceinfo');
function my_change_field_group_priceinfo($group) {
	if($group['title'] != 'Preisinfo') return $group;
	if(!get_field("priceinfo","options)){
		require_once ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/template.php';
		\remove_meta_box('acf-'.$group["key"], 'post', $group["position"]);
	}
	
	return $group;
}