Philip Newcomer

This plugin makes all custom fields (post meta) visible in the “Custom Fields” meta box on post edit screens.

Show Hidden Post Meta

As a plugin developer, I create hidden post meta all the time and sometimes I need to see it to debug it. This does what it says it does, and well. Its simple and hasn't been updated for a while, but I'm glad it exists!

PS: If you need someone to take this one over, let me know. I'll keep it tested and updated if you're unable to.

Still works on 5.5

Makes hidden post meta visible on post edit screens

vivekkumarsahu0

wpwebguru

PostMeta Viewer is an essential utility for WordPress developers who work with custom fields and post meta. Whether you’re using Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), Pods, Toolset, or custom-coded meta fields, this plugin provides a clean and developer-friendly interface to explore, search, and analyze post meta data across your site.
It is designed strictly as a read-only inspection tool, making it safe for production environments.
<h4>Key Features</h4>
<ul>
<li>
Complete Post Meta Overview 
Browse all posts with total custom field counts.
</li>
<li>
Detailed Meta Inspection 
View all meta keys and values for any individual post.
</li>
<li>
Powerful Search & Filtering 
– Search across post titles, content, meta keys, and meta values 
– Filter by post type, post status, and date range 
– Filter by specific meta key existence 
– Filter by meta value type (string, array, JSON, numeric, empty)
</li>
<li>
Post Edit Screen Meta Box 
View custom fields directly inside the post edit screen.
</li>
<li>
Developer-Friendly Data Display 
Proper formatting for serialized, array, and JSON meta values.
</li>
<li>
Post Statistics 
Quick insights into total posts and filtered results.
</li>
<li>
Responsive Admin UI 
Works smoothly across all screen sizes.
</li>
</ul>
<h4>Ideal For</h4>
<ul>
<li>ACF Developers – Debug and verify stored ACF field data </li>
<li>Plugin Developers – Inspect custom meta added by plugins </li>
<li>Theme Developers – Validate custom field implementations </li>
<li>Site Debugging – Identify and resolve metadata issues </li>
<li>Migration Projects – Analyze existing meta structures </li>
<li>Learning WordPress – Understand how post meta works internally</li>
</ul>
<h3>Usage</h3>
<h4>Getting Started</h4>
<ol>
<li>After activation, go to PostMeta Viewer (top-level menu)</li>
<li>View a list of all posts along with their custom field counts</li>
<li>Use search and filter options to narrow results</li>
<li>Click View Details to inspect meta for a specific post</li>
</ol>
<h4>Using Search & Filters</h4>
<ol>
<li>Search Box – Search across post titles, content, meta keys, and values </li>
<li>Post Type Filter – Filter posts, pages, or custom post types </li>
<li>Meta Key Filter – Filter by existing meta keys </li>
<li>Date Range – Filter posts by creation date </li>
<li>Post Status – Published, draft, pending, etc. </li>
<li>Value Type Filter – String, array, JSON, numeric, or empty </li>
<li>Click Apply Filters to update results</li>
</ol>
<h4>Viewing Meta Details</h4>
<ol>
<li>Click View Details from the main list</li>
<li>View a table of all meta keys and values</li>
<li>Serialized and complex data is displayed in readable format</li>
<li>Use Back to List to return</li>
</ol>
<h4>Post Edit Screen Meta Box</h4>
<ol>
<li>Edit any post or page</li>
<li>Locate the Custom Fields Inspector meta box</li>
<li>Instantly view all custom fields for that post</li>
<li>Ideal for quick debugging during content editing</li>
</ol>
<h3>License</h3>
This plugin is licensed under the GPL v2 or later.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or any later version.
This program is distributed without any warranty; without even the implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

PostMeta Viewer – Custom Fields Inspector

A powerful debugging tool for WordPress developers to inspect and analyze post meta (custom fields) across posts, pages, and custom post types.

Show Hidden Post Meta vs PostMeta Viewer – Custom Fields Inspector