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Troubleshooting Common ACF Image Field Display Issues

13 threads Sep 10, 2025 Plugin → Advanced custom fields (acf®)

Content

Displaying images from Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) is a common task, but it can be surprisingly tricky. Users often find their images don't show up, display the wrong size, or return unexpected data. This guide will walk you through the most common reasons why ACF image fields fail to display correctly and how to fix them.

Why This Happens

The root cause of most ACF image display problems is a mismatch between the field's Return Format setting and the PHP code used to retrieve it. ACF offers different return formats (Array, Image URL, or Image ID), and each requires a specific approach in your template code. Using the wrong function or array key for the selected format is the most frequent culprit.

Common Solutions

1. Check Your Field's Return Format

The first step is always to verify the return format set in your field group's settings. This determines what the get_field() function returns.

  • Array: Returns an associative array with details like url, alt, title, and sizes.
  • Image URL: Returns a simple string containing the URL to the image.
  • Image ID: Returns the attachment ID (a number) of the image from the Media Library.

Using code meant for one format with another will cause failures. For example, trying to access $image['url'] when the return format is set to 'Image URL' will not work, as the variable is a string, not an array.

2. Use the Correct Code for Your Return Format

If Return Format is 'Array':

$image = get_field('your_image_field');
if( $image ) {
    // Use array keys to access image data
    echo '<img src="' . esc_url($image['url']) . '" alt="' . esc_attr($image['alt']) . '">';
}

If Return Format is 'Image URL':

$image_url = get_field('your_image_field');
if( $image_url ) {
    // The variable is already the URL string
    echo '<img src="' . esc_url($image_url) . '">';
}

If Return Format is 'Image ID':

$image_id = get_field('your_image_field');
if( $image_id ) {
    // Use WordPress functions to handle the ID
    echo wp_get_attachment_image( $image_id, 'large' );
    // OR to get a specific size URL
    $image_url = wp_get_attachment_image_url( $image_id, 'large' );
    echo '<img src="' . esc_url($image_url) . '">';
}

3. Fetching Images for Users and Taxonomies

When displaying an image field assigned to a user profile or a taxonomy term, you must specify the context in the get_field() function. Omitting this is a common mistake.

For User Fields:

$user_id = get_current_user_id();
// Pass the user ID prefixed with 'user_'
$image = get_field('user_image_field', 'user_' . $user_id);

For Taxonomy Term Fields:

$term = get_queried_object();
// Pass the term ID prefixed with the taxonomy name and an underscore
$image = get_field('term_image_field', $term->taxonomy . '_' . $term->term_id);

4. Generating Responsive Images (srcset)

If you need responsive images with srcset and sizes attributes, the most reliable method is to set your field to return the Image ID. You can then use the built-in WordPress function wp_get_attachment_image(), which automatically generates the correct srcset for all available image sizes.

$image_id = get_field('your_image_field'); // Must return ID
if( $image_id ) {
    echo wp_get_attachment_image( $image_id, 'large' );
}

Conclusion

Most ACF image display issues can be resolved by double-checking the return format in your field group settings and ensuring your template code matches it. Remember to use the correct context (e.g., 'user_' . $id) when fetching images for objects other than posts. For advanced use cases like responsive images, returning the Image ID and using standard WordPress functions is often the most powerful and maintainable solution.

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