Zen Custom Fields
The plugin converts regular HTML tables, embedded in your page, into arrays of values that you can use in your templates to output the data. Custom fields can hold text and any HTML code (except for tables). Array of…
Consider an alternative
Zen Custom Fields shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 7 years ago, and scores 23/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 7 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 5.2 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Zen Custom Fields stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| custom fields | >100 |
| custom keys | >100 |
| custom templates | >100 |
| custom values | >100 |
| post meta | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About Zen Custom Fields
From the official readme · v1.16Description
The plugin converts regular HTML tables, embedded in your page, into arrays of values that you can use in your templates to output the data.
Custom fields can hold text and any HTML code (except for tables). Array of values can be simple index based or more complex key value pairs.
You can embed many tables with values on your page with various data.
Usage
- Place the table with values you want to use on your page between ‘[zen-fields] … [/zen-fields]’ short-tags
- In your template use ‘zen_field()’ function to output values from above table
If your would like to use multiple tables with values you should name ech table and use table name as the last parameter of zen_field() function
…
Iteration over values in tables
It is possible to iterate over values from your tables. The variable ‘$zen_fields->tables’ holds the array with values from all the tables on the page.
Escaping output
By default output is not escaped which allows you to use links, images and another HTML content in your custom fields. If you would like to escape the output use ‘zen_field_esc()’ function instead of ‘zen_field()’.
For more details check ‘Screenshots’ section
Installation
- Download zen-custom-fields.zip and unzip its content to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory in your WordPress installation folder
- Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
Changelog
1.16
- Fix issues with
<br>tags in new version of WordPress
1.15
- Fix get variables outside of post loop
1.14
- Fix critical bug
1.13
- Prevent from showing errors when no custom fields are defined
1.12
- Improve data iteration
- Fix problem with plugin initalization
- Add parse image source function
1.11
- Fix critical bug
Screenshots
For developers
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Best Zen Custom Fields alternatives
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FAQ
Zen Custom Fields: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 12, 2026
Is Zen Custom Fields free?
Yes. Zen Custom Fields is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Zen Custom Fields safe to use in 2026?
Zen Custom Fields shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 7 years ago, and scores 23/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Zen Custom Fields?
Zen Custom Fields is active on 10+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 2,325 times since it launched in October 2015. It was downloaded 65 times in the last 30 days.
Does Zen Custom Fields work with WordPress 7.1?
Zen Custom Fields is officially tested up to WordPress 5.2.29, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Zen Custom Fields last updated?
The latest version, 1.16, was released on May 9, 2019 (7 years ago).
Who makes Zen Custom Fields?
Zen Custom Fields is developed and maintained by Grzegorz Sarzy?ski.
What are the best alternatives to Zen Custom Fields?
The most popular alternatives to Zen Custom Fields are Advanced Custom Fields (ACF… (2M+ installs), Meta Box (500K+ installs) and Checkout Field Editor (Chec… (400K+ installs).
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