Darshit Rajyaguru

TypeForge CPT and Meta Builder is a lightweight, performance-optimized WordPress admin interface for creating custom post types, taxonomies, and post meta configurations without writing code. Perfect for developers who want a faster alternative to page builders for content structure setup.
Why TypeForge? 
– Lightning-fast performance with minimal database overhead 
– Zero dependencies – works standalone without ACF or other plugins 
– Clean, developer-focused UI 
– Export PHP snippets for version control 
– Portable JSON configurations for multi-environment workflows 
– Full REST API support out of the box 
– SEO-friendly with proper WordPress integration
Key Features:
<ul>
<li>⚡ Performance-First Design – Lightweight codebase, optimized queries, lazy-loaded assets</li>
<li>🏗️ Custom Post Type Builder – Configure all standard CPT options with live validation</li>
<li>📂 Taxonomy Builder – Create hierarchical or flat taxonomies, assign to multiple post types</li>
<li>🏷️ Meta Field Builder – 13 field types including flexible content for repeatable data</li>
<li>📱 Mobile-Ready Forms – Responsive meta boxes that work on all devices</li>
<li>💾 Code Generation – Download ready-to-use PHP snippets with proper registration</li>
<li>📤 Portable Config – Export/import JSON for easy deployment across environments</li>
<li>🔌 REST API Ready – Built-in REST endpoint support, no additional setup needed</li>
<li>🎨 ACF Compatible – Generate ACF-compatible JSON when ACF is active</li>
<li>🔒 Secure by Default – Proper sanitization, nonce verification, capability checks</li>
<li>♿ Accessible – WCAG-compliant markup and keyboard navigation</li>
</ul>
The plugin does not bundle or require Advanced Custom Fields. ACF JSON export is a bonus when ACF is active.
<h3>Usage Guide</h3>
Getting Started in 5 Minutes:
<ol>
<li>Activate the plugin</li>
<li>Go to TypeForge CPT Builder in admin menu</li>
<li>Create your first custom post type (e.g., “Portfolio”)</li>
<li>Add a taxonomy (e.g., “Portfolio Category”)</li>
<li>Add custom meta fields (e.g., “Project URL”, “Client Name”)</li>
<li>View live meta box in post editor</li>
<li>Export PHP code for production use</li>
</ol>
<h4>Dashboard</h4>
The dashboard provides a quick overview of your content structures: 
– Post Types Count – All registered custom post types 
– Taxonomies Count – All registered taxonomies 
– Meta Fields Count – All configured meta fields 
– REST Enabled – Count of REST-enabled structures
Use quick action buttons to create new structures, generate code, or manage configurations.
<h4>Custom Post Types</h4>
Configuration Fields: 
– Singular Name – Grammatically correct singular label (e.g., “Portfolio Item”) 
– Plural Name – Plural form (e.g., “Portfolio Items”) 
– Slug – URL-safe identifier, no spaces or special chars (e.g., “portfolio”) 
– Menu Icon – Choose from 300+ Dashicons 
– Menu Position – Order in admin menu (5-100) 
– Description – Helpful text for admin users 
– Supports – Editor features (title, editor, thumbnail, etc.) 
– Public – Visible on frontend (affects archive, search, REST) 
– Hierarchical – Enable parent/child relationships 
– Archive – Show post type archive page 
– REST Support – Enable REST API endpoints
Tips: 
– Archives need “Hierarchical” off and “Archive” enabled 
– Public CPTs require “Show UI” and “Public” both enabled 
– Change slug-related settings before publishing content 
– REST support is recommended for headless/block editor usage
Example: Portfolio Post Type 
 <code>Singular: Portfolio Item 
Plural: Portfolio Items 
Slug: portfolio 
Menu Icon: dashicons-images-alt 
Supports: title, editor, thumbnail 
Public: Yes 
Archive: Yes 
REST: Yes</code>
<h4>Custom Taxonomies</h4>
Configuration Fields: 
– Name – Taxonomy display label (e.g., “Project Categories”) 
– Singular – Singular form (e.g., “Category”) 
– Slug – URL identifier (e.g., “portfolio-category”) 
– Hierarchical – Enable parent/child like categories (vs tags) 
– Post Types – Assign to one or more CPTs 
– Show in REST – Enable REST API support 
– Rewrite – Update URL structure after creation
Tips: 
– Hierarchical taxonomies work like categories (parent/child) 
– Flat taxonomies work like tags (no hierarchy) 
– Assign to multiple post types for shared taxonomy 
– Visit Settings > Permalinks after slug changes
Example: Portfolio Tags Taxonomy 
 <code>Name: Project Tags 
Singular: Tag 
Slug: portfolio-tag 
Hierarchical: No (flat like tags) 
Post Types: portfolio (check) 
Show in REST: Yes</code>
<h4>Meta Fields</h4>
Field Types Supported: 
– Text – Single-line text input 
– Textarea – Multi-line text editor 
– Number – Numeric input with validation 
– Email – Email field with validation 
– URL – URL field with validation 
– Checkbox – Boolean true/false 
– Radio – Single select from options 
– Select – Dropdown selector 
– Date – Date picker field 
– Time – Time picker field 
– Image – Media library image uploader 
– File – Media library file uploader 
– Flexible Content – Repeatable layout blocks (new!)
Configuration: 
– Post Type – Which CPT this field applies to 
– Label – User-friendly field name 
– Meta Key – Internal database key (underscore-prefixed recommended) 
– Type – Choose from 13 field types 
– Options – For select/radio (one per line) 
– Default Value – Pre-fill when creating posts 
– Placeholder – Example text in input 
– Description – Helper text below field 
– Required – Mark field as mandatory 
– Show in REST – Expose to API
Tips: 
– Use meta keys like <code>_portfolio_client</code> (underscore prefix hides from custom fields) 
– Required fields work with JavaScript validation 
– Flexible content is perfect for modular content blocks 
– REST-enabled fields auto-register with proper schema
Example: Portfolio Meta Fields 
 <code>1. Client Name (text) - _client_name - Required: Yes 
2. Project URL (url) - _project_url - Required: No 
3. Project Budget (number) - _project_budget - Show in REST: Yes 
4. Case Study (flexible_content) - _case_study</code>
<h4>Code Generator</h4>
The Code Generator creates production-ready PHP snippets. Perfect for: 
– Version control integration 
– Continuous deployment pipelines 
– Moving from staging to production 
– Sharing configurations across teams 
– Local development workflows
Generated Code Includes: 
– CPT registration with all options 
– Taxonomy registration with assignments 
– Meta field registration with schema 
– REST endpoint examples 
– Proper capability checks 
– Inline documentation
Quick Generate Feature: 
Simply enter a name and TypeForge auto-generates slug, singular/plural forms: 
– “Event” → slug: event, singular: Event, plural: Events 
– “Author” → slug: author, singular: Author, plural: Authors 
– “Testimonial” → slug: testimonial, singular: Testimonial, plural: Testimonials
Export Options: 
– Copy code to clipboard (Ctrl+C ready) 
– Download as .php file for version control 
– ACF-compatible JSON (when ACF is active)
<h4>Import / Export</h4>
Use Cases: 
– Backup configurations 
– Transfer between environments (local → staging → production) 
– Share configurations with team members 
– Version control content structures 
– Disaster recovery
Workflow: 
1. Go to Import/Export page 
2. Click “Export JSON” to download current configuration 
3. On another site, click “Import JSON” and select the file 
4. Review configuration preview 
5. Click “Import” to activate structures
JSON Format: 
The exported JSON includes all CPTs, taxonomies, meta fields, and settings. Keep backups in git for version history.
<h4>Troubleshooting</h4>
Post Type Not Appearing? 
– Check “Show UI” and “Public” are enabled 
– Visit Settings > Permalinks and save 
– Clear browser cache 
– Refresh WordPress admin
Meta Fields Not Showing? 
– Verify field is assigned to correct post type 
– Check post type has meta box support 
– Ensure meta field is not hidden (show_in_rest) 
– Clear admin bar cache
REST API Not Working? 
– Enable “Show in REST” on CPT and fields 
– Verify REST is not disabled in settings 
– Test with REST CLI or Postman 
– Check user capabilities allow API access
Import Failing? 
– Verify JSON file is valid (use online JSON validator) 
– Check file size is under 30MB 
– Ensure proper permissions 
– Try export/import on fresh installation first
Settings > Permalinks Not Saving? 
– Disable plugins temporarily to check conflicts 
– Verify .htaccess is writable 
– Try “Plain” permalinks then switch back 
– Check with hosting provider for rewrite rules
<h4>ACF Compatible JSON</h4>
TypeForge generates ACF-compatible JSON when Advanced Custom Fields is active. This allows: 
– Easy ACF integration for clients 
– Switching between ACF and TypeForge 
– Export structures for ACF field groups 
– Backup ACF fields in portable format
Note: TypeForge is fully independent and works without ACF. ACF compatibility is optional.
<h3>Support</h3>
Need Help? 
– Read the comprehensive FAQ section above 
– Check the Troubleshooting guide in Usage section 
– Visit WordPress.org support forums 
– Report bugs or suggest features via GitHub
For Developers: 
– Hooks: Use <code>typeforge_cpt_meta_builder_*</code> filters 
– Configuration: Modify via <code>typeforge_cpt_meta_builder_config_updated</code> action 
– Extend: Hook into registration functions 
– Version control: Export JSON and commit to git
<h3>Performance & Optimization</h3>
TypeForge is built for speed:
<ul>
<li>Lightweight Code – ~50KB of PHP, no heavyweight dependencies</li>
<li>Efficient Queries – Configuration cached per-request</li>
<li>Smart Asset Loading – CSS/JS only load on plugin pages</li>
<li>Database Optimization – Uses WordPress options API efficiently</li>
<li>REST API Ready – Automatic REST registration without extra overhead</li>
</ul>
<h3>Security & Compliance</h3>
TypeForge follows WordPress security standards:
<ul>
<li>✅ Proper input sanitization and escaping</li>
<li>✅ Nonce verification on all forms</li>
<li>✅ Capability checking (filterable <code>manage_options</code>)</li>
<li>✅ PHPCS WordPress-Core standard compliance</li>
<li>✅ No external API calls or tracking</li>
<li>✅ Privacy-focused (zero user data collection)</li>
<li>✅ Regular security audits</li>
</ul>
<h3>Contributing</h3>
TypeForge welcomes community contributions. To contribute:
<ol>
<li>Fork the repository</li>
<li>Create feature branch (<code>git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature</code>)</li>
<li>Commit changes (<code>git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'</code>)</li>
<li>Push to branch (<code>git push origin feature/amazing-feature</code>)</li>
<li>Open Pull Request</li>
</ol>
<h3>Rate & Review</h3>
If TypeForge helps your WordPress project, consider leaving a review on WordPress.org. Your feedback helps other developers find this tool.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Your review matters!

TypeForge CPT and Meta Builder

Lightweight, fast custom post type, taxonomy, and meta field builder for WordPress. Perfect for developers.

Barn2 Plugins

Easy Post Types and Fields makes it quick and easy to <a href="https://barn2.com/blog/custom-wordpress-post-types/?utm_source=wporg&utm_medium=freeplugin&utm_campaign=freepluginwporg&utm_content=ecpt-wporg" rel="nofollow ugc">add custom post types</a>, custom fields, and taxonomies to your WordPress website.
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There are lots of reasons why WordPress site owners need to add extra content types to the CMS:
<ul>
<li>
Create dedicated areas for each type of content within the WordPress admin (these are called ‘custom post types’). For example, if you’re adding ‘Resources’ to your site then it’s best to create a ‘Resources’ custom post type and manage the resources separately from your pages and posts.
</li>
<li>
Add extra fields (called ‘custom fields’) to your pages, posts, or any custom post type. These are useful for storing and displaying information in a structured way. For example, you might add a ‘Modified Date’ field to your Resources post type.
</li>
<li>
Create extra ways of categorizing and organizing your website content (these are called ‘custom taxonomies’). These are like categories and tags in WordPress, but the difference is that you can have as many as you like – for any post type. For example, you might create an ‘Industries’ taxonomy in order to group your Resources by industry.
</li>
</ul>
Developed by leading UK-based plugin company <a href="https://barn2.com/?utm_source=wporg&utm_medium=freeplugin&utm_campaign=freepluginwporg&utm_content=ecpt-wporg" rel="nofollow ugc">Barn2</a>, Easy Post Types and Fields is intentionally simpler and easier to use than other plugins. It has all the essential features that you need to create custom post types, custom fields, and custom taxonomies – without any unnecessary complexity.
<h4>How to add custom post types, fields, and taxonomies to WordPress</h4>
Simply create any type of content using a simple and intuitive wizard. You can create brand new custom post types, or add custom fields and taxonomies to existing post types. Either way, it’s incredibly straightforward.
Once you have created your custom post types, fields, and taxonomies, it’s easy to add the extra information to the WordPress CMS. Each custom post type has its own section on the left of the WordPress admin. Your custom fields and taxonomies appear on the ‘Add/Edit’ screen for each post.
View the full <a href="https://barn2.com/kb-categories/easy-post-types-fields-kb/?utm_source=wporg&utm_medium=freeplugin&utm_campaign=freepluginwporg&utm_content=ecpt-wporg" rel="nofollow ugc">plugin documentation</a> in our knowledge base.
<h4>Can I display the custom content on the front end of my website?</h4>
By default, your theme will display your custom post types using the same templates as the blog. This will list custom posts in the same way as blog posts, and won’t include your custom fields or taxonomies. This may not be the best way to present your custom content, so we recommend displaying it in a table using the <a href="https://barn2.com/wordpress-plugins/posts-table-pro/?utm_source=wporg&utm_medium=freeplugin&utm_campaign=freepluginwporg&utm_content=ecpt-wporg" rel="nofollow ugc">Posts Table Pro</a> plugin.
Posts Table Pro is a dynamic WordPress table plugin that lists any type of content from your website in a searchable table. As well as displaying any custom post type, you can choose which columns of information to show in the table – including your custom fields and custom taxonomies. See below for screenshots.
Your users will view the information in a table on the front end of your site. They can use the search box, sortable columns, and filter dropdowns to find exactly what they’re looking for.
This is how it displays the information from Easy Post Types and Fields:
<ul>
<li>
Create a table listing any or all of the posts from your custom post type. For example, you can list all the custom posts, or list posts with a specific ID, custom field value, custom taxonomy term, published date, etc.
</li>
<li>
Display each custom field as a separate column in the table. Users can sort the table by custom field.
</li>
<li>
Display each custom taxonomy as a separate column in the table. Users can sort by taxonomy terms, and also click on a term to filter the table. In addition, you can add each taxonomy as a filter dropdown above the table. That way, users can instantly find custom posts by taxonomy.
</li>
</ul>
<h4>This free WordPress custom post type plugin includes:</h4>
<ul>
<li>
Custom post types:
<ul>
<li>
Create an unlimited number of custom post types. Each custom post type has its own section in the WordPress admin, so you can manage your custom content separately from other WordPress post types.
</li>
<li>
Extend existing post types.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
Custom fields:
<ul>
<li>
Add custom fields to any WordPress post type – either the post types that are built into WordPress itself (pages, posts, media attachments, etc.), content types created using Easy Post Types and Fields, or any other custom post type (e.g. post types created using other plugins such as <a href="https://barn2.com/wordpress-plugins/document-library-pro/?utm_source=wporg&utm_medium=freeplugin&utm_campaign=freepluginwporg&utm_content=ecpt-wporg" rel="nofollow ugc">Document Library Pro</a> and <a href="https://barn2.com/wordpress-plugins/woocommerce-product-table/?utm_source=wporg&utm_medium=freeplugin&utm_campaign=freepluginwporg&utm_content=ecpt-wporg" rel="nofollow ugc">WooCommerce Product Table</a>.
</li>
<li>
2 custom field types: Plain text or WYSIWYG (Visual Editor).
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
Custom taxonomies:
<ul>
<li>
Add custom taxonomies to any post type.
</li>
<li>
Choose between hierarchical taxonomies (similar to WordPress categories) or non-hierarchical taxonomies (similar to WordPress tags).
</li>
<li>
Each taxonomy is unique to a specific post type, so you can manage the taxonomy terms separately from other categories and taxonomies.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h4>What doesn’t it include?</h4>
Easy Post Types and Fields includes the features that the majority of WordPress site owners use when they create custom post types, custom fields, and taxonomies. It intentionally does not include more advanced features that only a small proportion of users need, such as:
<ul>
<li>
Additional custom field types such as date picker, checkbox, and color picker fields (remember, you can add dates, numbers, images, etc. to a Visual Editor custom field in Easy Post Types and Fields).
</li>
<li>
Privacy options to restrict which user roles can see each field.
</li>
<li>
Relationship and repeater fields.
</li>
<li>
Advanced Content Types (ACTs) that get their own database tables.
</li>
</ul>
If you need these features then we recommend using a different custom post type plugin (e.g. Pods, Custom Post Type UI, or ACF). There are some excellent options available if you are happy with the added complexity.
<h4>Restrict access to custom post types and make them private</h4>
Some people want to control who can access some or all of their custom posts. You can do this by using Easy Post Types and Fields with our other plugin, <a href="https://barn2.com/wordpress-plugins/password-protected-categories/?utm_source=wporg&utm_medium=freeplugin&utm_campaign=freepluginwporg&utm_content=ecpt-wporg" rel="nofollow ugc">WordPress Password Protected Categories</a>. This adds privacy options to your hierarchical custom taxonomies.
Simply restrict each one to specific logged-in users or user roles, or to anyone with the password. All the posts/custom posts in that taxonomy will then be private and hidden from view.

Easy Post Types and Fields

Easy Post Types and Fields makes it quick and easy to add custom post types, custom fields, and taxonomies to your WordPress website.

TypeForge CPT and Meta Builder vs Easy Post Types and Fields