The latest round of updates to Loops & Logic introduces new developer-friendly features and deeper integration with tools like Tailwind, ACF, and WP Grid Builder. We’ve also improved compatibility with PHP 8.4, enhanced the object caching system, and laid the groundwork for future features like content structure and form templates. Read on to find out what’s new.
The big picture
Here’s a highlight of the features we’re most excited about that have been released since version 4.2.0:
- Atomic CSS with Tailwind v4 compatibility (4.2.1)
- Dot syntax for nested subfields (4.2.1)
- ACF repeater sort/filter by field (4.2.3)
- Attachment loop fields for audio metadata (4.2.1)
- Enhanced object caching for inline templates (4.2.2)
Atomic CSS with Tailwind v4 compatibility
Version 4.2.1 introduces Atomic CSS utility classes and variables that are now compatible with Tailwind CSS v4. This makes it easier to create clean, utility-first templates using class names you’re already familiar with, without loading the full Tailwind framework. It’s a great way to add modern styling to your templates while keeping things lightweight and fast.
Dot syntax for nested subfields
The <Field> tag now supports dot notation for retrieving nested data from arrays, objects, or repeater fields. This enhancement makes it easier to access specific subfields in deeply structured data, especially when working with ACF flexible content or grouped fields. Instead of writing complex loops or intermediate variables, you can now use a single tag to target the exact value you need. It’s a small syntax change that leads to clearer, more concise templates.
ACF repeater sort and filter by field
Sorting and filtering repeater fields is now more accurate and powerful, thanks to improved handling of ACF’s internal keys. Loops & Logic now translates those internal field keys into readable field names, making it easier to apply logic to ACF repeater data. Value comparisons for date-based fields also now follow ACF’s actual formatting, such as “Y-m-d” for Date and “Y-m-d H:i:s” for DateTime. This gives developers more control when building layouts that depend on ordered or filtered repeater content. These refinements help make template logic more consistent and predictable when working with structured data.
Attachment loop fields for audio metadata
The Attachment loop type now includes new fields that unlock audio file metadata and file path information. Using the audio field, you can extract ID3 tags like title, artist, or album from supported audio files. A new filepath field also allows direct access to the server path of attachments, which can be useful for advanced integrations or conditional display logic. These fields open up new use cases for media-rich sites such as podcasts, learning libraries, or audio archives. If your site deals with audio, this update makes it easier to build smart, data-aware templates.
Enhanced object caching for inline templates
Object caching in Loops & Logic is now cleaner and more efficient thanks to improvements in how inline templates are stored. When caching is enabled, the plugin omits unnecessary metadata comments from the cached output, resulting in leaner and more readable HTML. This is especially helpful for dynamic sections that rely on inline templates. By cutting out unneeded overhead, this update makes cached content easier to manage during development.
Full changelog from version 4.2.0
Those are our top five standout features from this release cycle, but they’re far from the only changes worth noting. From performance enhancements and developer tooling to integration improvements and compatibility updates, there’s plenty more packed into versions 4.2.0 through 4.2.3. Here’s the full changelog for a complete look at everything that’s new:
4.2.3
Release Date: 2025-06-11
- ACF Repeater: Improve support for sort/filter by field
- Translate internal keys used by ACF to actual field names
- For field value comparison, ACF Date field is in format “Y-m-d” and DateTime field is “Y-m-d H:i:s”
4.2.2
Release Date: 2025-04-25
- Object cache: Support inline templates by not prepending metadata comment to cached content
4.2.1
Release Date: 2025-04-21
- Atomic CSS: Utility classes and variables compatible with Tailwind v4
- Attachment loop type
- Add field “audio” for audio file metadata from ID3 tags
- Add field “filepath” for path to file
- Editor: Improve passing language definition of closed tags to formatter
- Elandel (template language in TypeScript): Start Expression and Interactivity modules
- Enable by default new features that reached stability; Can be deactivated in settings page
- Elementor integration: Use new code editor based on CodeMirror 6
- Object cache for parsed and pre-processed templates
- Export page: Improve select template types for L&L and Blocks
- Field tag: Support “.” dot syntax for subfields (object/array/loop)
- Gutenberg integration: Improve enqueue editor assets in iframe
- Improve compatibility with PHP 8.4
- Improve development setup and tests for supported PHP versions with Docker and wp-env; end-to-end tests with Playwright; and running tests on plugin zip archive before publish
- Layout template type: Improve loading logic to pass through redirects
- REST API: Improve compatibility with Checkview
- Start new features: Content Structure and Form templates; ACF Extended integration; Tangible Fields integration
- WP Grid Builder facet integration with support for pagination; Thanks to @zackpyle!