I built four block plugins last week. It was not something I had set out to do. I did not wake up one day and declare, “I think I will build a suite of custom block types over the next few days.” It just happened. The first plugin I built was to address an old ticket for Gutenberg that had …
A Pared Back Web Fonts API May Land in WordPress 6.0 or Not at All
Anyone who has been watching or participating in the development of the web fonts API can attest that it has been an emotional rollercoaster. At one point, it seemed to be a shoo-in for WordPress 5.9. Then, it was punted to the next release. Sure that it was landing once again, we find ourselves looking down the track, wondering just …
Phi Phan Launches a Separator Block With an Icon Option
Less than a week after launching Block Enhancements, Phi Phan has released another project: Icon Separator. It is a block plugin for creating custom dividers with an SVG icon. “I’ve tried to support icons in the core/separator,” Phan said when we last spoke about adding icons to core blocks. “But it requires changing the markup. So I may create a …
WooCommerce Plans to Bring Full-Site Editing Support to Single Product Templates
WooCommerce is moving closer to closing the gap on its full-site editing support with the latest features announced on the Q1/Q2 roadmap. While the e-commerce platform already has support for nearly two-dozen core blocks, it’s not yet possible to use full-site editing for customizing every aspect of a store. The concept of “Store Editing” is still in the early stages …
How to Align a Nested, Partial-Width Group Block via the WordPress Editor
I was slightly frustrated last week when sharing a tutorial on a hero-style post header. I had planned to create a layout with a left-aligned Group with a maximum width, as shown in the following screenshot: This would allow the focal point of the background image to shine through on the right. However, neither of the two known techniques seemed …
Gutenberg 13.0 Adds Text Selection Across Multiple Blocks, New Stack Group Variation, and Featured Cover Blocks
Gutenberg 13.0 landed earlier today in the WordPress plugin directory. It is one of the heftier releases lately, containing the final features that should ship with WordPress 6.0. The more prominent features include multi-block partial text selection, Cover blocks with featured images, a Stack variation for Groups, and pattern-based page creation. And there is much more to dig through. I …
WordPress 6.0 Might Ship a Feature for Picking a Block Pattern on Page Creation
I once said that full-page patterns were the missing link for block theme development. Theme authors have been able to include such layouts since the patterns feature was rolled out in WordPress 5.5 last year. However, core WordPress has never provided an experience built around them. This may be changing when WordPress 6.0 ships next month. There is a bit …
Phi Phan Launches Block Enhancements WordPress Plugin
WordPress developer Phi Phan has been making small splashes lately, but in a sea of 1,000s of plugins, it is increasingly tough to make a wave. Over the weekend, he released the Block Enhancements plugin, the first pass on a project that he plans to iterate on with new ideas. Adding icons to buttons with Block Enhancements. However, this is …
How To Build a Timeline Page With Blocks
Up next in our Building with Blocks series is a quick tutorial on how to build a timeline page. Timelines give brands and organizations a visual way to introduce themselves and feature highlights from their histories. The block editor makes creating a timeline easier than it ever was with legacy plugins. For this example, I selected the Timeline Block For …
Making an Impression: How To Build a Post Hero Header With Blocks
I have been obsessed with art direction on the web for as long as I can remember. The term is often used to describe the act of designing individual pages around the content itself. This is the opposite of how most users typically operate when writing posts. The template or design is disconnected from the written word. Jason Santa Maria’s …









