Flexible Content basics

Flexible Content is a special type of field in SCF (Secure Custom Fields) and ACF Pro. It lets you build pages by choosing from different types of content sections. It's the foundation of how Divi Handoff works.

What is Flexible Content?

Flexible Content is like a container that holds different types of content sections. Each section type (called a "layout") has its own form fields. When editing a page, content editors can choose which sections to add, remove them, or change their order to build the page they want.

Think of it like building with Divi's structure:

• Flexible Content field = A container for different types of sections
• Layout = A type of section (e.g., "Hero Section," "Team Member," "Testimonial")
• Sub-fields = The form fields within each layout (e.g., title, description, image)

Each layout you create in Flexible Content becomes a Section in your Divi Handoff Layout, which you can design with Rows and Modules just like any Divi page.

How It's Organized

Here's how everything fits together on a page:

Page
└── Flexible Content Field
    ├── Layout Row 1 (e.g., Hero Section)
    │   ├── Sub-field: Title
    │   ├── Sub-field: Description
    │   └── Sub-field: Background Image
    ├── Layout Row 2 (e.g., Team Member)
    │   ├── Sub-field: Photo
    │   ├── Sub-field: Name
    │   ├── Sub-field: Job Title
    │   └── Sub-field: Bio
    └── Layout Row 3 (e.g., Call to Action)
        ├── Sub-field: Heading
        ├── Sub-field: Button Text
        └── Sub-field: Button Link

In simple terms: A page has one Flexible Content field, which can contain multiple layout rows (sections), and each layout row has its own sub-fields (form fields) for content.

Layouts vs. Layout Rows

Here's the difference:

Term	What It Means
Layout	A template you create once that defines a type of content section (like "Testimonial" or "Hero Section")
Layout Row	An actual section added to a page using that layout template

For example:

• You create a "Testimonial" layout once in your field group (this is the template)
• Content editors can add multiple "Testimonial" layout rows to any page (these are the actual sections)
• Each layout row has its own content (different testimonial text, author, etc.) but uses the same structure

Sub-Fields

Sub-fields are the individual form fields within each layout. These are the boxes where editors enter their content. Common field types include:

Field Type	Use Case
Text	Headings, titles, short text
Textarea	Descriptions, paragraphs
Rich Text Editor	Text with formatting (bold, italic, lists, etc.)
Image	Photos, graphics, icons
File	Documents, downloadable files
URL	Links to external pages
Link	Internal or external links with text
True/False	Toggle options (show/hide elements)
Select	Dropdown choices
Repeater	Lists of items

Using Repeaters Inside Layouts

Repeaters are special fields that let you create lists of items. Each item in the list has the same fields. They're useful for:

• Team member lists
• Feature lists
• Gallery items
• FAQ items

Layout: Services Section
├── Sub-field: Section Title (Text)
├── Sub-field: Section Description (Textarea)
└── Sub-field: Services (Repeater)
    ├── Repeater Row 1
    │   ├── Icon (Image)
    │   ├── Service Name (Text)
    │   └── Description (Textarea)
    ├── Repeater Row 2
    │   └── ...
    └── Repeater Row 3
        └── ...

Repeater vs. Flexible Content

It's easy to confuse Repeater and Flexible Content since they both let you add multiple items. Here's the key difference:

Repeater is for lists of the same thing:

• All items have the exact same fields
• Used inside a layout (as a sub-field)
• Example: A list of team members where each member has the same fields (photo, name, job title)

Flexible Content is for different types of page sections:

• Each layout can have completely different fields
• Used at the page level (not inside another field)
• Example: A page with a Hero section, then a Team section, then a Testimonial section—each with different fields

Think of it this way:

• Repeater = "I need 5 team members, all with the same info"
• Flexible Content = "I need a Hero section, then a Services section, then a Contact form—each completely different"

Why Divi Handoff Needs Flexible Content

With regular page builders, you have to design each page separately. This causes problems:

• Content and design are mixed together
• Changing the design means editing every single page
• Non-technical users can accidentally break the design
• It's hard to keep pages looking consistent

Flexible Content fixes this by:

1. Keeping content and design separate - Editors just fill in forms, they don't touch the design
2. Making everything consistent - All pages use the same field structure
3. Letting you reuse designs - You design once, use it everywhere

Divi Handoff takes this a step further by automatically displaying your Flexible Content using beautiful Divi designs.

SCF vs. ACF Pro

Divi Handoff works with both field plugins:

Plugin	Flexible Content	Cost	Notes
SCF (Secure Custom Fields)	✅ Included	Free	Free version that includes all the features you need
ACF Pro	✅ Included	Paid	The original paid plugin
ACF (Free)	❌ Not included	Free	Does not include Flexible Content

Important

The free version of ACF does not include Flexible Content. You need either SCF (free) or ACF Pro (paid) to use Divi Handoff.

Creating Flexible Content Fields

To create Flexible Content fields for use with Divi Handoff:

1. Go to SCF → Field Groups or ACF → Field Groups
2. Create a new field group
3. Add a Flexible Content field
4. Create layouts within the Flexible Content field
5. Add sub-fields to each layout
6. Set location rules (choose which pages or posts use this field group)
7. Publish the field group

For step-by-step setup instructions, see:

• Creating SCF Field Groups
• Creating ACF Pro Field Groups

What's Next

• Layout Mapping System - See how to connect your Flexible Content layouts to Divi Handoff Layouts
• Getting Content Into Your Design - Learn how content from fields appears in your modules
• Quick Start Guide - Build your first Divi Handoff page