Creating Reusable Page Sections with ACF Flexible Content

When building custom WordPress pages, flexibility is often a key requirement. Clients and content editors want the ability to build pages dynamically without relying on rigid templates. One of the most powerful tools for achieving this is ACF Flexible Content.

Flexible Content allows editors to assemble pages using predefined layout sections. Instead of a single static page template, users can choose from a set of modular blocks and arrange them in any order.

For example, a flexible layout might include sections like:

  • Hero

  • Two-column text

  • Image gallery

  • Testimonial slider

  • Feature grid

Each layout corresponds to a component in the theme.

The workflow starts with creating a Flexible Content field group in ACF. Within this field group, developers define the available layouts and the fields associated with each one.

For example, a testimonial section might include:

  • Quote text

  • Author name

  • Author image

  • Company name

Once the layouts are defined, the template loops through them to render the appropriate component.

A typical implementation looks like this:

while (have_rows(‘page_sections’)) {
the_row();if (get_row_layout() == ‘hero’) {
get_template_part(‘components/hero/hero’);
}

if (get_row_layout() == ‘testimonials’) {
get_template_part(‘components/testimonials/testimonials’);
}
}

Each layout simply loads its corresponding component template.

This architecture keeps code clean and easy to extend. Adding a new section only requires:

  1. Creating the layout in ACF

  2. Adding a component template

  3. Adding a conditional in the loop

Editors benefit from an intuitive page-building interface without the complexity of a full page builder plugin.

Another advantage is performance. Unlike many page builders, ACF Flexible Content generates clean markup without excessive JavaScript or nested wrappers.

The result is a highly flexible editing experience while maintaining complete control over the theme’s code and design system.