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Theme Code Pro: Generate Theme Snippets for ACF with Ease

Theme Code Pro is a powerful companion plugin for Advanced Custom Fields (ACF). It automatically generates the exact PHP code you need to display your custom fields in your theme templates, saving time, reducing errors, and streamlining your development workflow.

If you often forget the exact syntax to retrieve an ACF field, this plugin is a lifesaver. It’s perfect for custom WordPress theme developers who want to streamline their workflow and reduce errors.

What Is Theme Code Pro?

Theme Code Pro is a premium plugin developed by the ACF team. It extends the ACF UI by adding a new “Theme Code” section to each field group, showing you ready-to-copy code snippets to use in your WordPress theme or plugin development.

This makes it ideal for developers who want to save time and avoid mistakes when working with ACF fields.

Key Features

Theme Code Pro enhances your ACF development experience by providing clear, ready-to-use code examples directly within the WordPress admin. Instead of digging through documentation or writing boilerplate manually, you’ll get instantly usable snippets tailored to each field and context.

  • Code Snippets for Fields: Automatically generates PHP code for each field within your field group.
  • Support for All Field Types: Works with all ACF field types, including complex ones like Repeater, Flexible Content, and Relationships.
  • Multiple Contexts: Generates theme code for post, term, user, option, and block contexts.
  • Improved Workflow: Helps you avoid common mistakes like incorrect field names, typos, or forgetting the correct context.

How It Works

Once you install and activate Theme Code Pro, visit any ACF Field Group. You’ll see a new tab or metabox labeled “Theme Code”. Here you’ll find example PHP snippets for using the fields in different template contexts.

// Example for a text field in a post context
$value = get_field('custom_text');
if ($value) {
  echo esc_html($value);
}

For more complex fields like Repeaters, it even gives you full loops:

// Example for a repeater field
if (have_rows('features')) :
  while (have_rows('features')) : the_row();
    the_sub_field('feature_title');
  endwhile;
endif;

This is particularly helpful for beginners or teams working with designers who aren’t deeply familiar with ACF syntax.

So here’s an example. My ACF fields looks like this:

ACF Fields

And here’s the code that Theme Code Pro provides:

Theme Code Pro For ACF

Supported Contexts

Theme Code Pro generates context-specific code based on where the ACF field group is assigned. Each context in ACF represents a different type of data or object in WordPress, and using the right function or parameters for each is essential to ensure your fields display correctly.

The plugin helps you avoid confusion by automatically showing the correct snippet for each of the following contexts:

  • Post – for regular post types
  • Term – for taxonomy term meta
  • User – for user meta
  • Option – for options pages
  • Block – for ACF Blocks

Installation & Licensing

Theme Code Pro is a premium add-on for ACF, available for purchase from Hookturn, not from the official ACF website.

  1. Download the plugin from the Hookturn website after purchase.
  2. Upload it to your wp-content/plugins directory or install it via the admin dashboard.
  3. Activate the plugin.
  4. Visit any ACF field group to start using the new Theme Code tab.

As of writing, a Single license costs $39 and a Developer license costs $59. Both include support and updates.

Use Cases

Theme Code Pro is helpful in a variety of real-world scenarios. Whether you’re working solo or within a team, this plugin can drastically improve your efficiency and reduce code-related errors. Here are some common use cases where it shines:

  • Freelancers and Agencies: Quickly grab the right code while building client themes.
  • Teams: Avoid repetitive explanations or documentation, developers get ready-to-go code.
  • New Developers: Learn best practices for retrieving and outputting ACF fields.

Limitations

While Theme Code Pro is a huge productivity booster, it doesn’t generate HTML structure or visual previews. You’re still responsible for styling and markup. It’s a code assistant, not a page builder.

Final Thoughts

Theme Code Pro is one of those small tools that makes a big difference, especially in complex WordPress projects where dozens of ACF fields are in use. It reduces human error, saves development time, and helps teams stay consistent.

If you use ACF frequently in your custom WordPress themes, Theme Code Pro is a no-brainer investment.

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