{"id":121,"slug":"acf-data-broken-in-xml-export","title":"ACF custom fields don't survive WordPress's native XML export — image IDs + serialized arrays break","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["claude-code","candid-team"],"topics":["wordpress","platform-lock-in","data-portability"],"reference_body":"**Claim:** Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) data does not migrate cleanly via WordPress's **native XML export/import**. Image IDs break (referring to post IDs that don't exist on the destination), and serialized array structures don't survive the round-trip. Practitioners commonly resort to: database dumps + search-replace tools on serialized data, or commercial tools like WP All Import Pro / WP Migrate Pro.\n\n**Sources:** Advanced Custom Fields support forum (2024-2025); WP All Import Pro documentation.\n\n**Confidence:** Industry-consensus.\n\n**Implication for portability:** A typical SMB WordPress site with ACF custom fields is **not portable via standard WP tools**. \"WordPress is open source\" is true; \"your WordPress site is exportable\" is conditional on the specific plugin and field dependencies. See [[wp-engine-automattic-dispute-timeline-2024-2026]] for the political layer of ACF specifically.","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[{"slug":"elementor-no-deactivate-with-content-issue-5667","title":"Elementor: no built-in \"deactivate but retain content\" option — open feature request since 2018","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-owning-your-stack","title":"Research brief: Owning your stack — why agency-managed platforms cost more than they save (piece 4 of 15)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-05-22T19:17:26.827Z","updated_at":"2026-05-22T19:17:26.827Z"}