Store field data in custom database tables | Voters

Store field data in custom database tables

Iain Poulson

Instead of storing field data in the post meta table, store the field values in a custom database table. This reduced performance issues and makes the data easier to query.

July 31, 2023

Laurent Gaulhiac

Really needed. I hope that it will be soon an option.

Deniz Özdemir

For me it's a bad idea because we can use WordPress default functions to get datas when they are stored on postmeta table.

Iain Poulson

Deniz Özdemir: You're right, but this wouldn't be a change to the default storage for new fields, the feature would be an opt-in setting for field groups which require this type of storage.

Vayu Robins

This would be especially useful with the repeater field

Chris Cooper

We have been using the Hookturn plugin ACF Database Tables which works great https://hookturn.io/downloads/acf-custom-database-tables/ and could be a good starting point.

Matt Neal

Chris Cooper: ACF Should just buy it out, honestly. Another amazing Aussie dev (like ACF was!) haha

Jonathan J

Ideally even make this a core part of ACF, always on, automatically making custom tables and moving everything there on plugin update for existing sites. I mean, everyone will want to store it in custom database if they know what it means.
Automatically creating and storing local JSON would be great too. With no setup. Always on.
However, both can have filters to be turned off though. If anyone ever wants that.

Chaplin89

This has been necessary for many years. I hope it will be adopted :-)