---
title: "How to Create an Elementor Gallery with ACF Gallery?"
url: https://theplusaddons.com/docs/create-elementor-gallery-with-acf-gallery/
date: 2023-06-16
modified: 2026-09-28
lang: en
author: "Aditya Sharma"
description: "Do you need a different gallery on every post without building a different page each time? An ACF Gallery field stores images against the post itself, so one Elementor template..."
image: https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/How-to-Create-an-Elementor-Gallery-with-ACF-Gallery_-1024x536.jpg
word_count: 809
---

# How to Create an Elementor Gallery with ACF Gallery?

## 

- The Plus Addons for Elementor Gallery Listing widget reads an ACF Gallery field directly, so one Elementor template shows the images stored on each post.
- ACF Pro is required because the Gallery field type is a Pro feature, and The Plus Addons for Elementor Pro is also required for the ACF Gallery source.
- Gallery Field Name must match the ACF field name exactly, not the label, or the widget renders nothing with no error.
- The widget works only in a dynamic context, such as a single-post template or a listing loop, and it does not render on a normal static page.

Do you need a different gallery on every post without building a different page each time? An ACF Gallery field stores images against the post itself, so one Elementor template can show whatever that post holds.

The Gallery Listing widget in The Plus Addons for Elementor reads an ACF Gallery field directly — you name the field and the widget does the rest.

*To check the complete feature overview documentation of The Plus Addons for Elementor Gallery Listing widget, [click here](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/gallery-listing-widget-settings-overview/).*

***Requirement - This widget is a part of The Plus Addons for Elementor, make sure it's installed & activated to enjoy all its powers.***

[LIVE WIDGET LINK](https://theplusaddons.com/elementor-listing/?utm_source=tpae&utm_medium=docs&utm_campaign=text#image-gallery-wgts)

## Before You Start

- **Edition:** **Pro** — the ACF Gallery source is part of The Plus Addons for Elementor Pro. In the free plugin the option is visible but shows an upgrade notice instead of its settings.- **Also required:** **ACF Pro**, installed and activated. The Gallery field type is a Pro feature of ACF; the free version of ACF does not have it.- **Also required:** a post type whose posts already have images in that field — an empty field renders an empty gallery.- **Widget to enable:** Gallery Listing, switched on under **ThePlus Settings > Widgets**.

## How this fits together

| Piece | Does what |
| ----- | --------- |
| ACF Gallery field | Stores the images, per post |
| Elementor template | Lays out the post once |
| Gallery Listing widget | Reads the field by name and renders the images |

Because the images live on the post, adding a photo later means editing the post — not the template.

## Step 1: Create the ACF Gallery field

In the WordPress admin go to **ACF > Field Groups** and click **Add New**. Name the group, then add a field with **Field Type** set to **Gallery** and give it a **Field Label**. Leave **Return Format** and **Library** at their defaults.

> *You can add a Gallery field to an existing field group instead of creating a new one.*

## Step 2: Assign the group to a post type

In the group's **Settings**, set the location rule to the post type you want — for example *Post* to show the field on all blog posts. Save the group, and **copy the field name**; the widget needs it in step 4.

## Step 3: Add images to your posts

Open a post. The gallery field now appears on the edit screen — add the images that belong to that post. Do this for at least a couple of posts before moving on, otherwise there is nothing to see when you build the template.

## Step 4: Point the widget at the field

In your Elementor template, drag in the **Gallery Listing** widget, pick a layout in **Content > Layout**, then open **Content > Content** and set **Select Option** to **ACF Gallery**.

![Select Option set to ACF Gallery in Content > Content](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/tp-gallery-listout-select-option-wide-acf.webp)

## Step 5: Enter the field name

A **Gallery Field Name** box appears. Type the ACF field name you copied in step 2 — the field *name*, not its label. They are usually different: a label of *Project Photos* normally has the name `project_photos`.

![The Gallery Field Name text field in Content > Content](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/tp-gallery-listout-gallery-field-name-wide-acf.webp)

## What It Looks Like

## Settings Reference

| Setting | Where | Notes |
| ------- | ----- | ----- |
| Select Option | Content > Content | Normal, Repeater (Pro), ACF Gallery (Pro) |
| Gallery Field Name | Content > Content | The ACF field *name*, not its label |
| Layout | Content > Layout | All four layouts work with an ACF source |
| Display Image Size | Content > Extra Options | Same sizing controls as any other source |

## Limitations

- **ACF Pro is required.** The Gallery field type does not exist in free ACF.- **The ACF Gallery source is Pro in The Plus Addons too.** Both plugins need their paid version.- **The field name must match exactly.** There is no picker and no validation — a wrong name renders nothing, with no error.- **Name, not label.** This is the single most common mistake with this widget.- **It only works in a dynamic context.** On a static page there is no current post, so there is no field to read. Use it inside a single-post template or a listing loop.- **Per-image categories are not available.** The category filter needs the Repeater source; ACF supplies images only.

## Troubleshooting

### The gallery is empty

Work through these in order: the **Gallery Field Name** matches the ACF field name exactly; the field group's location rule covers this post type; and the post you are previewing actually has images in that field.

### It works on one post and not another

That post's gallery field is empty. The field is per post, so each one needs its own images.

### Nothing renders on a normal page

There is no current post for ACF to read from. The widget needs a dynamic context — a single-post template, or a loop item.

### I entered the field label and it did not work

Use the field **name**. In ACF the label is the human-readable text; the name is the lowercase, underscored key shown beneath it.

## Related Docs

- [Gallery Listing widget: settings overview](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/gallery-listing-widget-settings-overview/) — every control in the widget.- [Create an image gallery with repeater in Elementor](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/create-image-gallery-with-repeater-in-elementor/)- [Create a filterable image gallery in Elementor](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/create-filterable-image-gallery-in-elementor/)- [Create an image gallery in grid layout](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/create-image-gallery-in-grid-layout-in-elementor/)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What do I need before creating an Elementor gallery with an ACF Gallery field?**
A: The setup depends on three things: The Plus Addons for Elementor Pro, ACF Pro, and a post type that already has images saved in the gallery field. The Gallery Listing widget is also part of The Plus Addons for Elementor and must be switched on under ThePlus Settings > Widgets. If any of those pieces are missing, the gallery source cannot render because there is nothing dynamic for the widget to read.

**Q: How does an ACF Gallery field work with an Elementor template?**
A: The key idea is that the images live on the post, not in the template. ACF Gallery stores images per post, Elementor provides the layout once, and the Gallery Listing widget reads the field by name and renders whatever that post contains. That is why adding a photo later means editing the post itself. The Plus Addons for Elementor, The Plus Addons, Plus Addons for Elementor, POSIMYTH uses that per-post structure to keep one template reusable.

**Q: What is the best way to avoid the most common ACF Gallery setup mistake?**
A: Use the field name, not the field label. The page calls this out as the single most common mistake because ACF labels are human-readable text while the name is the lowercase key, often with underscores. For example, a label like Project Photos usually maps to a name like project_photos. The Gallery Listing widget needs that exact name or it renders nothing.

**Q: Why is my Elementor gallery empty when I use an ACF Gallery field?**
A: An empty gallery usually means one of three things: the field name does not match exactly, the field group location rule does not cover that post type, or the post you are previewing has no images in that field. Since there is no picker or validation, a wrong name fails silently. That makes exact naming and checking real post data more important than the widget settings themselves.

**Q: Can I use an ACF Gallery-based gallery on a normal WordPress page?**
A: A static page is a bad fit because there is no current post for ACF to read from. This setup needs a dynamic context such as a single-post template or a listing loop item. That matters because the gallery source is tied to post data, so without a current post there is nothing for The Plus Addons for Elementor Gallery Listing widget to pull into the layout.

**Q: Does this setup support per-image categories or filtering?**
A: Per-image categories are not available with ACF Gallery in this workflow. The page says the category filter needs the Repeater source, while ACF supplies images only. If filtering by image category matters, this approach will not cover it; it is built for showing images stored in an ACF Gallery field inside one post-specific gallery.