The WordPress pattern directory finally opened its gates to the entire community today. Anyone with a WordPress.org account can log in, go to the pattern creator, and start designing. For some of us, this has felt like an unbearably long wait. In reality, it took the development team less than a year since the directory launch to put this together. …
How To Build a Two-Column Single Post Header with the WordPress Site Editor
One of the features I liked about Automattic’s Archeo theme that I reviewed earlier this week was its split-screen single post header. I loved that an author was doing a little something different with the Featured Image block, giving users some variety. The design was simple. It is a two-column section with an image on the right and the post …
The Archeo WordPress Theme Blends Mayan History With Magazine-Style Block Patterns
The day has finally arrived when a block theme does something interesting with the featured image on single post views. One of my biggest pet peeves is when themers simply dump it at the top of the content and call it a day. I nearly always bolt straight for the site editor to remove the single-post featured image upon installing …
WP Engine, Pantheon, and Others Drop Support for Russian Business Customers
WordPress managed hosting company WP Engine has joined Acquia, Fastly, Gatsby, Netlify, and Pantheon to begin booting Russian companies off their platforms. In addition to the joint protest, each organization has also pledged support to the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), a non-profit that documents internet censorship around the world. “As part of that effort to increase our support, …
How to Build a Single-Product Sales Page with Blocks
In today’s edition of our Building with Blocks series, we’re going to explore one example of building a single-product sales page. There is by no means one approach for building something like this. This particular example aims to demonstrate a fast way to start selling a single product online, while using free plugins and themes available on WordPress.org. Here’s what …
WordPress Community Team Reconsiders Guidelines for In-Person Regional WordCamps
The pandemic has dramatically slashed the number of in-person WordPress events that volunteers are organizing and events have been slow to start up again. This has caused the WordPress Community Team to reconsider the guidelines for hosting regional WordCamps. Historically, these guidelines have generated lengthy discussions, as many vocal opponents found them to be needlessly prohibitive. WordCamps began as local, …
How To Build a Recipe Card via the WordPress Block Editor
Last summer, I was on a pattern-creating bender. In two months, I had designed just shy of 100 block patterns. Outside of work and necessary household duties, I spent every waking moment building things with the block editor for fun. I had complete creative freedom, no need to roll out a commercial product, and no one to please but myself. …
Gutenberg 12.8 Launches the Web Fonts API, Improves Group Nesting, and Adds Keyboard Shortcut for Links
Gutenberg 12.8 landed in the WordPress plugin directory earlier today. I have been tinkering with many of the features as they were committed over the last couple of weeks. There are some things that I am excited about. The Web Fonts API is something I have patiently waited months for, but the ability to quickly nest Group blocks within other …
GiveWP Launches Standalone Donation Form Block for Stripe
GiveWP quietly released its new plugin, Donation Form Block for Stripe, in the WordPress directory last week. It is a standalone block that allows users to accept donations almost instantly. No complicated setup. Just install, activate, connect to Stripe, and play. I named the GiveWP plugin my favorite of 2019. The team behind the donation plugin has consistently produced top-tier …
The Dream of Exporting WordPress Block Themes from the Site Editor Is Close to Reality
I have said it before, but it bears repeating: the next generation of WordPress theme authors will design from the site editor. It seems that Gutenberg project contributors are making good on my promise. Earlier today, I exported a WordPress theme from the site editor. Exporting the Twenty Twenty-Two theme. The resulting ZIP file seemed to include all the necessary …







