By now, you’ve probably heard about WordPress block patterns and WordPress blocks from your developer or via recent posts on popular WordPress blogs. Or maybe you are considering moving to a block theme. In any case, if you are invested in the WordPress world in any way, it is high time you got to know more about WordPress blocks.
At the end of this post, a layman should be able to understand what WordPress block patterns are and how you can leverage them to make a beautiful website that looks just the way you want it to (without being restricted by your WordPress theme).
Before we jump into what are block patterns, some background about blocks is in order. So let’s start with the basics…
What are blocks?
Blocks are small, reusable components that you can repeat across posts, pages or other parts of your WordPress website.
These blocks help you to create and present your content the way you want to. Here’s a list of blocks that are currently available within your WordPress Block Editor.
What is the block editor?
The WordPress Block Editor was introduced in WordPress 5.0, released on December 6, 2018. This editor gives more power to the content creator, allowing flexibility in the way the content is presented and encourages reuse across the website.
How do I use the classic editor in WordPress?
If you want to continue using the classic editor, you can install and active the Classic Editor plugin. This WP plugin is maintained by the WordPress team itself and will be supported throughout 2022.
What are block patterns?
A block pattern is a set of blocks that offer different options for content layout. For example, there are a bunch of block patterns available just for displaying an image with text. So, instead of trying to create a layout from scratch, you can simply pick one from the readily available block patterns and tweak it as you please by customizing the color, font etc.
Why should I use block patterns?
Reuse. Reuse. Reuse. That’s the biggest advantage of using block patterns. Save time and use layouts that are already available instead of trying to create elements from scratch.
What are block based themes?
Block-based theme is a relatively new concept that was introduced in WordPress 5.8. These themes are designed to take full advantage of the block editor (formerly known as Gutenberg) and allow users to create custom templates for their posts and pages using a combination of pre-designed and custom-built blocks.
Block-based themes provide a more streamlined and flexible approach to designing and building WordPress websites. Instead of relying on custom page templates or coding skills, users can simply drag and drop blocks to create unique layouts and designs for their website.
In a block-based theme, the entire design of a website is created using blocks. These can include standard content blocks such as paragraphs, images, and videos, as well as more complex blocks such as galleries, testimonials, and pricing tables. Users can also create custom blocks using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, giving them even greater control over the look and feel of their website.
Block-based themes also provide a more consistent and intuitive user experience, as users can create and edit content directly within the block editor, without needing to switch to a separate page builder or design tool.
Overall, block-based themes represent an exciting development in the world of WordPress themes, and offer a powerful new way for users to design and build custom websites with ease.
How do I use WordPress block patterns?
While editing a post, in the default block editor, you can add a block patterns, just the way you would add a block.
Watch this video to find out how to use WordPress block patterns in a post or page
In Conclusion
WordPress block patterns are easy to use and can save you a lot of time when you create content.
Photo Credit : Featured Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay