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Inline field tags

Use inline field tags when you want a short custom-field value inside plain module text without opening Insert Dynamic Content on every text node. Tags are a lightweight shortcut. Prefer Insert Dynamic Content (and Machine modules such as Custom Field Item) for maps, media, dates, and structured layouts—see Native modules and dynamic content.

Enable inline tags

  1. Go to Divi Engine → Divi Machine → Settings → General.
  2. Under Divi 5 inline tags, turn on Enable inline dynamic field tags.
  3. Save settings.

When the option is off, visitors see the raw {dm:…} text (if present). Leave it off only when you intentionally need to display the tag string.

Tag syntax

Tags are case-sensitive and must stay inside braces with no spaces. Grammar:

{prefix:field_name[:object:id][:fallback:text]}

  • Field name: letters, digits, _, ., or -
  • If you use both an object scope and a fallback, put the object segment before the fallback
  • Resolved values are not scanned again for nested tags

Provider prefixes

TagMeaning
{dm:field_name}Active custom field provider (auto)
{dm_acf:field_name}Force Advanced Custom Fields
{dm_scf:field_name}Force Secure Custom Fields
{dm_pods:field_name}Force Pods
{dm_mb:field_name}Force Meta Box
{dm_ts:field_name}Force Toolset Types
{dm_acpt:field_name}Force ACPT

Use an explicit prefix when more than one field stack is active and auto-resolution is ambiguous. See Custom fields and providers.

Object scope and fallbacks

TagMeaning
{dm:price}Field on the current context post
{dm:price:post:123}Field on post ID 123
{dm:bio:user:1}Field on user ID 1
{dm:label:term:5}Field on term ID 5
{dm:price:fallback:N/A}Show N/A when the field is empty
{dm:price:post:123:fallback:N/A}Scoped post plus fallback

Where tags resolve

When enabled, Machine replaces tags on the front end in layout content (including Divi-rendered layouts). Default post context order:

  1. Current Archive Loop / loop card post (when present)
  2. Main query post
  3. Singular queried object
  4. get_the_ID() / global $post

Inside custom loop layouts and Archive Loop cards, tags therefore read the card’s post, not the Theme Builder layout post.

When to use tags vs other tools

NeedPrefer
Short text in a Text / Blurb / button labelInline {dm:…} tags
One typed field with label, icon, visibilityCustom Field Item
Map, gallery, countdown, video, countersInsert Dynamic Content on the native module
Repeater rows, tables, tabsRepeater + Custom Field Item

Debug logging

If a tag does not replace as expected:

  1. Confirm Enable inline dynamic field tags is on.
  2. Confirm the field key matches your provider and that the post/user/term has a saved value.
  3. Temporarily add to wp-config.php:
wp-config.php
define( 'DMACH_DEBUG_INLINE_VARIABLES', true );
  1. Load the front end once and check wp-content/debug.log for lines starting with [DMACH inline].
  2. Remove or set the constant to false after you finish debugging.

Pitfalls and limits

  • Tags only run on the front end (not in admin or REST responses).
  • Wrong field keys print empty (or your fallback)—they do not throw visible builder errors.
  • Do not put complex HTML structures inside a single tag; keep tags for simple scalar values.
  • Nested tags inside a resolved value are ignored.

What's Next