{"id":146321,"date":"2023-09-13T13:04:26","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T18:04:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/?p=146321"},"modified":"2025-05-14T13:31:38","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T18:31:38","slug":"insights-from-the-first-ever-acf-annual-survey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/case-studies\/insights-from-the-first-ever-acf-annual-survey\/","title":{"rendered":"Insights From the First-Ever ACF Annual Survey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world, WordPress<\/a> serves as the creative springboard for web developers and creative professionals to craft websites of all shapes and sizes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many WordPress Builders<\/a> rely on the Advanced Custom Fields<\/a> (ACF) plugin to help create superb digital experiences, and easily create new fields, custom post types, and taxonomies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With ACF installed on over 4.5 million WordPress sites, its users are often at the forefront of WordPress development. Their insights offer a window into best practices and beneficial tips you can incorporate into your own site-building efforts.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recently conducted (and first of its kind) Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) Annual Survey<\/a> reveals these insights, compiling responses from more than 2,000 respondents. The survey results showcase their preferred ways of working with WordPress and ACF, as well as the plugins, themes, and additional builder tools they use for mission-critical sites.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the following sections, we’ll break down the survey findings as well as the trends and development practices they illuminate. Let\u2019s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Survey Demographics:
Who are ACF Users?  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we dive further into the survey results, let\u2019s take a closer look at who exactly \u201cACF users\u201d encompass, per the 2023 survey results.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of the survey\u2019s 2,031 total respondents, 81% described themselves as developers. Of those, 46% work at an agency, while 38% work as freelancers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But ACF users aren\u2019t limited to purely technical roles. Business owners and designers each made up roughly 7% of the sample, while editors, marketers, and a smattering of “other” roles rounded it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonetheless, it\u2019s fair to say the bulk of ACF users are technically savvy and often involved in the business of building WordPress sites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to the size and scope of these users\u2019 teams and responsibilities, just over 11% identified as solo developers, more than half (52%) represented small teams (of 1-3 devs), nearly 25% were from mid-sized teams (4-10 devs), and close to 5% were from larger teams (11-20 devs). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly, that percentage went back up slightly (6%) with regard to teams of more than 20 developers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of website management, more than 35% handle 0-10 client sites monthly, nearly 43% manage 11-50 sites, 18% oversee 51-200 sites, just over 2% tackle 201-500 sites, and less than 1% are responsible for managing more than 500 sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ACF: The Backbone of WordPress Projects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Imagine having a secret weapon in your WordPress arsenal that makes your sites stand out. For just over 70% of respondents, ACF is that secret weapon. They use it for every single one of their WordPress projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The remaining 29% opt for a more selective approach, reserving ACF for some of their sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to the way these websites are built, the survey revealed an interesting tapestry of approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While a surprisingly large segment (56%) of developers are still using the traditional WordPress route (complete with PHP templates and the block editor disabled), nearly 34% also favor the block-based future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A slightly larger percentage (38%) takes a balanced path, incorporating aspects of Full Site Editing,<\/a> block editing, and traditional WordPress development into their workflow.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Devotees of page builders and those exploring headless WordPress<\/a> were also represented in the results. It should be noted that users could choose more than one answer, so the different approaches aren\u2019t exclusive. For example, many developers create traditional WordPress sites, block-themed sites, and headless WordPress sites, depending on the needs of the situation and the desires of the client. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Block Editing: The Art of Building<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since the introduction of the Gutenberg<\/a> (Block) Editor in WordPress 5.0, block editing has become one of the transformative features of WordPress, as it allows for wide customization and enables developers to create blocks specific to their unique needs.
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The survey shows that more than 55% of respondents use ACF Blocks<\/a> for this purpose, harnessing the power of ACF within the (still relatively new) WordPress block editor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A smaller fraction (~4%) opts for React<\/a> to craft custom blocks. Meanwhile, 28% stick with WordPress native blocks<\/a>, while the “Other” category hints at the diverse ways developers are wielding their block-editing tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Preferred ACF Plugins and Fields<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

WordPress development wouldn’t be complete without a treasure trove of plugins, and the survey unearthed a list of commonly used third-party ACF plugins developers use to enhance their WordPress workflows. That list includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n