CMB2

CMB2 is one of the most powerful and user-friendly WordPress plugins. It's easy to use and provides a quick and effective way to create custom meta boxes and custom fields in WordPress.

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What We Think:

100%

Very highly recommended!

CMB2: A Comprehensive Review

CMB2 is a powerful and versatile plugin for WordPress developers to use when developing custom meta boxes on their websites. It serves as a modernized iteration of the Custom Meta Boxes 1 (CMB1) plugin and is supported and maintained by the WebDevStudios developers. CMB2 is extremely developer-friendly, featuring dozens of options, functions, and hooks that make the development process much easier instead of having to create custom fields and meta boxes from scratch. CMB2 provides complete control over the way custom meta boxes and fields are created, allowing developers to tailor them to precise specifications.

CMB2: Breakdown

CMB2 is a powerful and versatile plugin for WordPress developers that makes it easier to create custom meta boxes and custom fields than it was in the past. It includes dozens of options and functions ranging from the ability to create a drag-and-drop interface where developers can move meta boxes and fields around the WordPress dashboard. It also includes hooks and filters that allow developers to customize their meta boxes in even further detail.

CMB2 also provides features such as field types, including text, number, image, color picker, checkbox, select, radio, and post types, which provide additional options for customers beyond standard text and image fields. Additionally, CMB2 includes other options like repeatable fields, additional placeholder text and description notes, and support for custom taxonomies.

On the front end, CMB2 has a vast array of customizable hooks and filters for developers to work with, allowing developers to determine the way custom meta boxes and fields display. It also allows developers to control the order in which fields appear and supports custom value types like databases of specific posts or page, term or multiple term selection, and more. It also supports custom post types and custom taxonomies.

Lastly, CMB2 provides extensive documentation, with dozens of examples, to help developers get up and running quickly and make the most of the plugin. It includes detailed instructions for each field type, as well as tips and tricks for creating more complicated meta boxes.

Pros of Using CMB2

Custom Meta Boxes: CMB2 is a powerful and easy-to-use plugin that allows user to create custom meta boxes and custom fields in WordPress. It's simple, elegant, and modular; you can create any type of meta boxes and custom fields you need. It's highly customizable and has an extensive API, making it a great choice for developers. With CMB2, users can create extra form fields in the post editor, custom fields for taxonomies, and more. Additionally, they can also easily create custom database fields that can help store additional information for posts, terms, users, and comments, etc.

Easy to Use: CMB2 makes it easy to use custom fields to add extra data to posts, pages, and other post types. It is easy to use for creating and managing custom fields without needing to modify the existing WordPress code. With CMB2, users can quickly and easily set up a field element using the drag and drop interface. Users can also set the visibility of the fields and customize the way they are displayed. CMB2 provides supports for custom field types such as date and time, radio buttons, checkboxes, color pickers, and more.

Extensible: CMB2 is highly extensible and can be used to create new custom fields as part of a plugin or theme. It is also well supported, with numerous guides and tutorials available for developers who want to customize their own fields. It allows users to easily extend its functionality using WordPress hooks and filters. CMB2 also provides support for custom data sanitization and validation through its framework hooks. This helps users create more robust fields that follow WordPress’ coding standards.

Robust API: The CMB2 API is well designed and provides a number of concrete methods for working with custom fields and meta data. It is easy to use and provides a powerful API that allows developers to create custom fields with just a few lines of code.Additionally, CMB2 also provides a number of helpful utility functions and hooks for modifying the output of custom fields. This makes it easy for developers to create specialized fields and custom output for their clients without needing to write and maintain a lot of custom code.

Performance: The CMB2 plugin is lightweight and efficient, which helps improve the performance of your WordPress website. It uses AJAX for field updates, which prevents the page from reloading every time a field is modified. Additionally, CMB2 stores all data as serialized strings which helps improve the performance of complex queries by reducing load times. This makes CMB2 a great choice for power users who need to work with complex data fields.

Cons of Using CMB2

No Widgets: CMB2 does not offer any built-in widgets, which means you can’t create an animated drop-down menu or anything fancy out of the box. You will have to look for other plugins or custom coding to come up with creative ideas like this. This can be a bit of a limitation for those who want to create rich user experiences on their website.

No Shortcodes: Unlike some other plugins, CMB2 doesn’t offer any support for shortcodes. You are going to have to create each form on a template page or with a widget. This can make it difficult to manage things if your WordPress pages are already filled with other plugins.

No User Permissions: CMB2 doesn’t offer any support for user permissions. This means that everyone who has access to the WordPress admin area will be able to make changes to the forms. You won’t be able to limit the actions of certain users based on their roles.

No Global Options: CMB2 doesn’t offer any built-in global options. This means that you can’t specify certain options for all forms or create a default template. You will have to create each form individually and customize it by hand.

No Extensive Documentation: The documentation that’s available for CMB2 isn’t as extensive as some other plugins. This means you might have to resort to trial and error when figuring out how to use the plugin, which could be frustrating for some users.

100% Very highly recommended!

In conclusion

CMB2 is an excellent plugin for WordPress developers looking to create custom meta boxes and custom fields on their websites. It is extremely developer-friendly and provides a vast collection of options and functions to make the development process much simpler than ever before. It is fully customizable, allowing developers to control the way meta boxes and fields are created and displayed on the front end. CMB2 also features a wealth of documentation, making it easy to get up and running quickly. All in all, CMB2 is a powerful and versatile plugin that makes WordPress development easier and more efficient than ever.

Plugin Specifications

Version: 2.10.1
Last Updated: 3 years ago
Installs: 300,000+
WP Version: 3.8.0+
Tested Until: 5.9.8
PHP Version: 5.2 or higher

Use Case Examples

Integrating Custom Meta Boxes
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CMB2 is an invaluable WordPress plugin for developers looking to quickly and easily integrate custom meta boxes into their WordPress themes or plugins. It provides an API for creating custom forms, displaying custom fields, and saving custom field data to the WordPress database. Features such as custom capabilities, easy-to-use UI, and AJAX-powered form fields make CMB2 a great choice for those who need a customizable solution for their WordPress projects.
Creating Custom Post Types
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Integrating Custom Taxonomy
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Adding Data Validation
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Easy to Configure Fields
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