ACF gallery field not loading images

The ACF (Advanced Custom Fields) gallery field is a popular feature in WordPress that allows users to easily add and manage image galleries on their website. However, there may be instances where the gallery field does not load the images properly. This can be caused by various factors such as incorrect field settings or conflicts with other plugins or themes.

To troubleshoot and resolve the issue of the ACF gallery field not loading images, you can follow these steps:

1. Verify ACF Field Settings: Ensure that the ACF gallery field is properly configured with the correct field name and settings. Double-check that the field is set to return an array of image IDs or objects.

2. Check Image IDs: Make sure that the image IDs stored in the ACF gallery field are valid and correspond to existing images in the media library. You can use the wp_get_attachment_image_src() function to retrieve the image URL based on the ID.

$gallery_images = get_field('gallery_field_name');
if ($gallery_images) {
    foreach ($gallery_images as $image_id) {
        $image_url = wp_get_attachment_image_src($image_id, 'full');
        echo '<img src="' . $image_url[0] . '" alt="Gallery Image">';
    }
}

3. Verify Theme Compatibility: Some themes may have their own custom gallery functionality that conflicts with the ACF gallery field. Temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-One) to see if the issue persists. If the gallery works with the default theme, you may need to consult the theme documentation or contact the theme developer for assistance.

4. Check for Plugin Conflicts: Deactivate other plugins one by one and test the ACF gallery field after each deactivation. If the images load correctly after deactivating a specific plugin, that plugin may be causing a conflict. You can then reach out to the plugin developer for further assistance or consider finding an alternative plugin.

5. Debugging: Enable WordPress debugging by adding the following code to your wp-config.php file:

define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);

This will log any errors or warnings to the debug.log file located in the wp-content directory. Check the log file for any relevant error messages that could help identify the cause of the issue.

By following these steps, you should be able to troubleshoot and resolve the issue of the ACF gallery field not loading images. Remember to always backup your site before making any changes and consult the ACF documentation or support forums for further assistance if needed.

Examples

Example 1: Troubleshooting ACF Gallery Field Not Loading Images

This example demonstrates how to troubleshoot and fix the issue of ACF (Advanced Custom Fields) gallery field not loading images in WordPress.

function wpsnippets_acf_gallery_field_not_loading_images() {
    add_filter( 'wp_prepare_attachment_for_js', 'wpsnippets_fix_acf_gallery_field', 10, 3 );
}

function wpsnippets_fix_acf_gallery_field( $response, $attachment, $meta ) {
    if ( isset( $response['sizes'] ) && empty( $response['sizes'] ) ) {
        $response['sizes'] = wp_get_attachment_metadata( $attachment->ID );
    }
    return $response;
}

This code example includes a custom PHP function wpsnippets_acf_gallery_field_not_loading_images() that hooks into the wp_prepare_attachment_for_js filter. Inside the function, we define another custom function wpsnippets_fix_acf_gallery_field() that fixes the issue by checking if the sizes array is empty and then populating it with the attachment metadata using wp_get_attachment_metadata(). This ensures that the gallery field loads the images correctly.

Example 2: Enqueuing JavaScript to Fix ACF Gallery Field Not Loading Images

This example demonstrates how to enqueue a JavaScript file to fix the issue of ACF gallery field not loading images in WordPress.

function wpsnippets_enqueue_acf_gallery_fix_script() {
    wp_enqueue_script( 'wpsnippets-acf-gallery-fix', get_stylesheet_directory_uri() . '/js/acf-gallery-fix.js', array( 'jquery' ), '1.0', true );
}
add_action( 'admin_enqueue_scripts', 'wpsnippets_enqueue_acf_gallery_fix_script' );

In this code example, we use the wp_enqueue_script() function to enqueue a custom JavaScript file named acf-gallery-fix.js. The script is enqueued on the admin side (admin_enqueue_scripts action) and depends on jQuery (array( 'jquery' )). The JavaScript file should contain the necessary code to fix the ACF gallery field not loading images issue.

Example 3: Clearing ACF Cache to Resolve Gallery Field Not Loading Images

This example demonstrates how to clear the ACF cache to resolve the issue of ACF gallery field not loading images in WordPress.

function wpsnippets_clear_acf_cache() {
    if ( function_exists( 'acf_clear_local_cache' ) ) {
        acf_clear_local_cache();
    }
}
add_action( 'acf/save_post', 'wpsnippets_clear_acf_cache' );

In this code example, we define a custom function wpsnippets_clear_acf_cache() that checks if the acf_clear_local_cache() function exists (provided by ACF). If it does, the function is called within the acf/save_post action hook. This action hook ensures that the ACF cache is cleared whenever a post is saved, which can help resolve the issue of the ACF gallery field not loading images.