S
Shane Muirhead
When ACF Local JSON is enabled, it is possible for an admin/developer to open and update a field group in the WordPress admin while that field group has a pending JSON sync.
This can create confusion and risk overwriting newer field-group changes from Local JSON, especially on team projects where ACF field groups are committed to Git and synced between environments.
Suggested native behaviour:
  • Detect when a non-private Local JSON field group is missing from the database or has a newer modified timestamp than the database version.
  • Show a clear admin notice linking to the ACF sync screen.
  • Disable or warn against saving the field group until the pending sync has been resolved.
  • Ideally block the save server-side as well, so the protection does not rely only on UI state.
I built a small proof-of-concept plugin that handles this currently:
https://wordpress.org/plugins/fieldlock-sync-guard-for-acf/
The plugin:
  • Detects pending ACF Local JSON syncs.
  • Shows an admin notice.
  • Disables the Update button on ACF field-group edit screens.
  • Blocks normal field-group saves server-side while a sync is pending.
  • Ignores private Local JSON files.
This feels like something that would benefit ACF users directly in core/ACF Pro, because it protects field-group changes in Git-based and multi-developer workflows without requiring an additional plugin.
I’d love to see this considered as a native ACF feature, or at least as an official option/filterable safeguard for Local JSON workflows.