Every field group so far attaches to a post — it needs a specific post to belong to. Some data genuinely doesn't: a company phone number, a default social sharing image, a footer disclaimer. The Customizer lesson covered a lightweight way to handle a couple of values like that; an options page is the fuller version, built for a whole settings screen with as many fields as a site needs.
<?php
if ( function_exists( 'acf_add_options_page' ) ) {
acf_add_options_page( [
'page_title' => 'Theme Settings',
'menu_title' => 'Theme Settings',
'menu_slug' => 'theme-settings',
'capability' => 'manage_options',
] );
}
Despite the function name still starting with acf_ — a holdover from before the ACF/SCF split, kept for compatibility — this call works exactly the same way under Secure Custom Fields. It adds a new top-level admin menu item; nothing shows up in it until a field group is pointed at it.
Same field group screen as always (Custom Fields → Add New), just with a different location rule:
Show this field group if
Options Page is equal to Theme SettingsAdd whatever fields the settings screen needs — a phone number, an address, a default Open Graph image — the same field types covered throughout this section, just not attached to any particular post.
The one real difference from every other field read so far: pass 'option' as a second argument, since there's no current post to default to:
<?php $phone = get_field( 'phone_number', 'option' ); ?>
<?php if ( $phone ) : ?>
<a href="tel:<?php echo esc_attr( $phone ); ?>"><?php echo esc_html( $phone ); ?></a>
<?php endif; ?>Customizer vs. options page, settled
This is the practical answer to the question the Customizer lesson raised: a handful of simple values → the Customizer, with its live preview. A real settings screen, with structured or repeatable fields → an SCF options page. Most real theme builds end up using both, for different things.
That closes out the custom fields part of this section — post-level fields, repeaters, and now site-wide settings, all read the same consistent way. From here, the section moves into finishing touches every real theme needs before it's ready to hand off.