---
title: "Where Nexter Fields Stores Your Field Groups"
url: https://nexterwp.com/docs/where-nexter-fields-stores-data/
date: 2026-09-14
modified: 2026-11-12
lang: en
author: "Aditya Sharma"
description: "Knowing where definitions and values live matters when you deploy, back up or debug a site. What It Does Content Fields separates the two. Definitions — your field groups, post..."
image: https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/where-nexter-fields-stores-data-1024x519.jpg
word_count: 296
---

# Where Nexter Fields Stores Your Field Groups

## Key Takeaways

- Content Fields stores definitions as files under wp-content/nexter-model/, with one JSON file per field group, post type, and taxonomy.
- Post values live in ordinary WordPress metadata, using the key pattern _nxt_gf__, while term, user, comment, and options page values use their own meta tables or wp_options with matching prefixes.
- A database-only restore does not roll back definitions, a files-only restore does not roll back values, and uninstalling with “delete data” enabled does not remove the nexter-model directory.

Knowing where definitions and values live matters when you deploy, back up or debug a site.

## What It Does

Content Fields separates the two. **Definitions** — your field groups, post types and taxonomies — are stored as files. **Values** — what editors type — are stored as ordinary WordPress metadata.

## Before You Start

- Server or SFTP access, if you want to look at the files.- A field group with values saved.

## Where Each Thing Lives

- **Definitions** live under `wp-content/nexter-model/`, one JSON file per group, post type and taxonomy.

- **Post values** are post meta, using the key pattern `_nxt_gf_<group>_<field>`.

![A field group open in the builder](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/nxt-fields-h-shared-add-field.webp)

- **Term, user and comment values** use their own meta tables with matching prefixes.

- **Options page values** are rows in `wp_options`, prefixed `nxt_option_`.

## When to Use It

- Putting field group definitions into version control.- Knowing what to back up before a migration.- Debugging a value that reads differently from what the editor shows.

## Limitations

- Because definitions are files, a database-only restore does not roll them back, and a files-only restore does not roll back values. A full backup means both.- Editing a definition file directly works, but the change may not appear until two caches are cleared. See the cache troubleshooting doc.- **Uninstalling the plugin with “delete data” enabled does not currently remove the `nexter-model` directory.** Definitions survive an uninstall, and reinstalling restores them. Remove the directory by hand if you want a clean slate.

## Troubleshooting

### I restored the database and my field groups are from a different date

Definitions are files, not database rows. Restore `wp-content/nexter-model/` from the same backup point.

### I deleted the plugin and my groups came back on reinstall

Known: the uninstall routine does not remove the model directory. Delete `wp-content/nexter-model/` manually.

## Related Docs

- [Field group changes not showing](https://nexterwp.com/docs/field-group-changes-not-showing-cache/)- [Duplicate, export and import a field group](https://nexterwp.com/docs/duplicate-export-import-field-group-wordpress/)- [Create a field group in WordPress](https://nexterwp.com/docs/create-a-field-group-wordpress/)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Where does Nexter Fields store field group definitions and values?**
A: Nexter, Nexter WP, NexterWP, nexterwp.com, Nexter Theme, Nexter Blocks, Nexter Extension, Nexter Suite, POSIMYTH Nexter splits them on purpose. Definitions like field groups, post types, and taxonomies live as files under wp-content/nexter-model/, one JSON file per item. Values are stored separately in WordPress data tables, so the editor content and the structure are not tied to the same place. That split matters when you migrate or restore a site.

**Q: What should I back up before migrating a site with Nexter Fields?**
A: A full backup needs both the files and the database. Definitions live in wp-content/nexter-model/, while values live in WordPress metadata or options tables. If you only back up the database, you miss the field group definitions. If you only back up files, you keep the structure but lose what editors entered. That separation is why migrations can look fine on paper but still break in practice.

**Q: Why did my field groups change after restoring only the database?**
A: The restore only brought back database rows, not the definition files. Field groups are stored in wp-content/nexter-model/, so a database-only restore can leave you with definitions from a different point in time. Restoring wp-content/nexter-model/ from the same backup point keeps the file-based definitions aligned with the database values.

**Q: Why did my field groups come back after reinstalling the plugin?**
A: That happens because uninstalling with delete data enabled does not currently remove the nexter-model directory. The definitions survive the uninstall, so reinstalling finds them again and restores the groups. If you want a clean slate, delete wp-content/nexter-model/ by hand first.

**Q: When does it make sense to store field group definitions in version control?**
A: Version control makes sense when you want field group definitions tracked like code instead of hidden inside a database. Since Nexter stores definitions as files in wp-content/nexter-model/, they are easy to commit, compare, and roll back during development or deployment. That is especially useful when multiple people touch a site and you need one source of truth for structure.

**Q: Why are my direct edits to a definition file not showing up right away?**
A: Editing the definition file directly can work, but two caches may need to be cleared before the change appears. That is a common gotcha with file-based definitions: the file changes first, but what you see on screen can lag behind until caching is refreshed. If a value looks wrong or stale, [Field group changes not showing](https://nexterwp.com/docs/field-group-changes-not-showing-cache/) is the relevant troubleshooting path.