ACF link field not working as expected

The ACF (Advanced Custom Fields) plugin provides a link field that allows users to add links to their WordPress content. However, sometimes the link field may not work as expected due to various reasons. One common issue is that the link field does not output the link URL properly.

To fix this issue, you can use the get_field() function provided by ACF to retrieve the link field value and then use the esc_url() function to sanitize and properly output the link URL.

Here’s an example code snippet that demonstrates how to retrieve and output the link field value using the get_field() and esc_url() functions:

$link = get_field('your_link_field');

if ($link) {
    echo '<a href="' . esc_url($link['url']) . '">' . esc_html($link['title']) . '</a>';
}

In the above code, replace 'your_link_field' with the actual name or key of your ACF link field. The get_field() function retrieves the link field value, and then we check if the link exists ($link) before outputting it. The esc_url() function sanitizes the link URL to ensure it is valid and secure, while the esc_html() function sanitizes the link title to prevent any potential HTML or script injection.

This code snippet can be useful when you want to output the value of an ACF link field in a secure and properly formatted way. It ensures that the link URL is valid and prevents any potential security vulnerabilities.

Examples

Example 1: Using the ACF link field to display a link on the front-end

This use case demonstrates how to use the ACF link field to store and display a link on the front-end of your WordPress website.

$link = get_field('link_field');
if ($link) {
    echo '<a href="' . esc_url($link['url']) . '">' . esc_html($link['title']) . '</a>';
}

In this code example, we retrieve the value of the ACF link field using the get_field() function. We then check if a link is available and if so, we output it as an HTML anchor element. The esc_url() and esc_html() functions are used to sanitize the link URL and title to prevent any potential security issues.

Example 2: Opening the ACF link in a new tab

This use case demonstrates how to modify the code from the previous example to open the ACF link in a new browser tab.

$link = get_field('link_field');
if ($link) {
    echo '<a href="' . esc_url($link['url']) . '" target="_blank">' . esc_html($link['title']) . '</a>';
}

In this code example, we add the target="_blank" attribute to the anchor element, which tells the browser to open the link in a new tab or window. This provides a better user experience when navigating away from the current page.

Example 3: Adding a CSS class to the ACF link

This use case demonstrates how to add a custom CSS class to the ACF link field output.

$link = get_field('link_field');
if ($link) {
    echo '<a href="' . esc_url($link['url']) . '" class="custom-link">' . esc_html($link['title']) . '</a>';
}

In this code example, we add the class="custom-link" attribute to the anchor element. This allows you to apply custom styling to the link using CSS. You can modify the class name to match your desired styling or use an existing CSS class from your theme or plugin.