If Custom Fields is missing from the WordPress editor, the fix depends on which editor you use. In the Block Editor, save the post, open the three-dot Options menu, choose Preferences, open General and Advanced, enable Custom fields, then reload the editor. In the Classic Editor, open Screen Options and check Custom Fields. If a registered field is still absent, check REST API exposure, post-type support, meta-box compatibility, and possible plugin or theme conflicts.
First identify what is missing
“Custom fields are not showing” can describe several different problems. Identify the symptom before changing code or disabling plugins:
- The entire Custom Fields panel is missing from the editor.
- The panel is visible, but one registered field is absent.
- A value appears to save but disappears when the post is reopened.
- The value is visible in the editor but not on the public page.
These cases use different fixes. Editor visibility, metadata registration, saving, and front-end display are separate parts of WordPress.
Quick comparison: Block Editor and Classic Editor
| Editor | Where to enable Custom Fields | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Block Editor | Save the post, then Options (three dots) > Preferences > General > Advanced > Custom fields | Enable the setting and use the reload control; the panel appears at the bottom of the editor. |
| Classic Editor | Screen Options at the top of the editing screen | Check Custom Fields to show the meta box. |
Show Custom Fields in the Block Editor
The built-in panel may simply be hidden. WordPress hides this area by default on sites where custom fields have not been used before.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems- Open the post or page and save it first.
- Click the three-dot Options button in the upper-right corner.
- Choose Preferences.
- In the General section, expand Advanced.
- Turn on Custom fields.
- Select the reload control when WordPress asks to reload the editor.
- Scroll below the content area. The Custom Fields section should now be available for adding or editing metadata.
Saving before changing the preference matters because the editor reloads. If the panel does not appear after the reload, continue with the registration and conflict checks below.
Show Custom Fields in the Classic Editor
- Open the post-editing screen.
- Click Screen Options near the top-right of the page.
- Enable the Custom Fields checkbox.
- Close the Screen Options drawer and look below the main editor for the meta box.
This setting is independent of the Block Editor preference. Enabling the panel in one editor does not change the other editor’s screen settings.
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When a registered field is missing in the Block Editor
Turning on the built-in panel does not guarantee that every custom field registered by a theme or plugin will be available in the Block Editor. The Block Editor loads and saves registered metadata through the WordPress REST API.
Check REST API exposure
The metadata registration must expose the field with show_in_rest enabled. A registration that keeps this value disabled may work in other contexts but will not integrate normally with the Block Editor.
register_post_meta( 'book', 'subtitle', array(
'show_in_rest' => true,
'single' => true,
'type' => 'string',
) );The exact post type, key name, data type, and sanitization rules must match your site. Treat the snippet as a pattern, not a drop-in replacement for a plugin’s registration code.
Check post-type support
The relevant post type must support custom-fields. For a custom post type, that support is normally declared in its registration configuration. If the support is absent, the editor may not provide the expected metadata interface even when the field is otherwise registered.
Check the meta box’s Block Editor compatibility
Some plugins and themes add traditional meta boxes rather than REST-enabled registered metadata. WordPress can withhold a meta box that declares itself incompatible with the Block Editor, and the editor may display an incompatibility message. Review the code or plugin settings for the box’s compatibility declaration and whether it has a Block Editor-compatible implementation. The plugin or theme author may need to update it.
When the box is visible but values do not save
First confirm that you are editing the expected post, using the expected field key, and clicking Update or Publish after changing the value. Then look for interference introduced by a recent plugin or theme change.
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Use a controlled conflict test
- Record which plugins and the active theme are currently enabled.
- Make a backup or test on a staging site.
- Temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme and deactivate non-essential plugins.
- Check whether the field now appears and persists after saving.
- Reactivate components one at a time until the behavior returns.
Support discussions have reported plugins or themes removing, replacing, or interfering with the normal Custom Fields panel. Those reports are useful diagnostic leads, not proof that the same component is responsible on every site. Avoid leaving a production site with security, commerce, or essential functionality disabled; use staging whenever possible.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When the value is missing only from the public page
The editor’s Custom Fields panel stores post metadata; it does not automatically print that metadata in a theme. Your theme or site template must read the value and place it in the page output.
WordPress documentation describes metadata template functions such as get_post_meta() and the_meta(). A theme or block-template implementation must use an appropriate function or block, escape output for its context, and account for an empty or missing value.
$subtitle = get_post_meta( get_the_ID(), 'subtitle', true );
if ( $subtitle ) {
echo '<p class="book-subtitle">' . esc_html( $subtitle ) . '</p>';
}The meta key in the template must exactly match the key used when registering or saving the field. If the value exists in the editor but not on the site, inspect the template that renders the relevant post type rather than changing editor preferences.
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- Decide whether the missing item is the panel, a registered field, a saved value, or front-end output.
- Use the correct visibility control for your editor: Preferences in the Block Editor or Screen Options in the Classic Editor.
- For a registered Block Editor field, verify
show_in_restandcustom-fieldssupport on the post type. - For a traditional meta box, check its declared compatibility with the Block Editor.
- If values vanish or controls behave unexpectedly, run a staged plugin and theme conflict test.
- If the editor is correct but the public page is not, inspect the theme or template’s metadata output.
If all six checks pass and the problem remains, a WordPress developer can inspect registration callbacks, REST responses, save hooks, permissions, and template code on a staging copy of the site.
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