What a Gutenberg block is
A Gutenberg block is a single piece of content the editor stores on its own. A paragraph is one block. A heading, an image, a list, and a button are other blocks. You stack them to build the page. WordPress has edited posts and pages this way since version 5.0. People still call that screen the Gutenberg editor.
The block is not the theme, and it is not the host. WordPress hosting only needs a current WordPress install. Paragraph, Heading, Image, List, and Buttons ship with WordPress. You do not add a plugin to get them.
- Each block has its own toolbar and its own settings in the sidebar.
- Moving or deleting one block leaves the other blocks in place.
- The public page is the HTML those blocks save, styled by the active theme.
How to add a block in the Gutenberg editor
Open the page you want to change. In wp-admin, go to Posts or Pages, then Add New, or open an existing item and choose Edit. The Gutenberg editor is the screen with the plus button and the right-hand sidebar.
- Click the title field and type the page title. Press Enter. WordPress places an empty paragraph under the title.
- Click the plus button at the top left, or the plus inside the empty block. Or type a slash and the block name, such as /heading or /image, and press Enter.
- Fill in the block. The toolbar sits just above it. The right sidebar has a Block tab for this block and a Post or Page tab for the whole document.
- Open Preview, then view the public page. It worked when that URL shows the heading, image, or button you added, including in a logged-out window.
If the screen is one large text box, the Classic Editor plugin is active. Deactivate it under Plugins and reload. The plus button comes back. Do not install a second editor to force blocks on.
Which core blocks to use on a page
Use a block from the group that matches the job. A simple page is a heading, two paragraphs, one image, a columns row, and a button. A blog post is mostly paragraphs, headings, and a list.
| Group | Use it for | Open these first |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Copy the reader reads | Paragraph, Heading, List, Quote |
| Media | Pictures and files | Image, Gallery, Cover, File |
| Design | Layout on the page | Columns, Group, Buttons, Spacer |
| Widgets | Older or extra interface | Shortcode, Custom HTML, Social Icons |
| Embed | A video or post from another site | Paste the URL on its own line |
| Theme | Site-wide parts in the Site Editor | Navigation, Site Logo, Query Loop |
A data table is its own block. Borders and a stacked layout on a phone are in the Gutenberg table block guide. Theme blocks such as Navigation and Site Logo belong in a template, not in the middle of a post.
Writing a custom block in JavaScript is a developer job. This guide uses the blocks WordPress already ships.
Block SemrushBot is a robots.txt rule for a crawler. It is not a block in the inserter, and nothing here changes crawler access.
How to move, group, and style a block
Select the block. Drag the six dots on the toolbar, or use the up and down arrows, to change its order. List view, the icon of three stacked lines at the top, shows every block as a tree. Some versions label that icon Outline. Click a name there when a nested block is hard to grab.
To move several blocks as one unit, select them, open the three-dot menu, and choose Group. The group can take a background and a content width. Color, type size, and spacing are on the Block tab. If a control is missing, the theme turned it off.
Older sidebars used widgets. The widgets versus blocks note explains that change. Inside a post, pick a block when a block and a shortcode would do the same job.
How to save a pattern you will reuse
A pattern is a saved group of blocks. Select the blocks, open the three-dot menu, and choose Create pattern. Give it a name, then choose synced or not synced.
- Synced: one master copy. An edit updates every page that inserts it. Use this for a banner you repeat.
- Not synced: a starting copy only. Later edits stay on that one page.
- Insert it again from the plus button, under Patterns, using the name you saved.
WordPress used to label the synced kind a reusable block. The menu now says pattern. It worked when a second page shows the same banner, and a synced edit appears on the first page after you update.
What to check before you publish
On the Post or Page tab, set the featured image and the categories, then press Publish or Update. Preview at a phone width first. Open the public URL in a private window. The heading, the image alt text, and the button link should match the editor.
A block theme lets you edit the header and footer under Appearance, then Editor. A classic theme keeps those in the Customizer or in the theme files. Saving a post does not change the header. If the live body is still old, confirm the item is published and not left as a draft.
Core blocks are enough for a normal page. A page-builder plugin is a separate product, with its own markup. Stay in the Gutenberg editor unless a control you need is missing and the theme cannot add it.
If the plus button is missing on a site we host, email support@webji.services and include the page URL. The mailbox is staffed 24/7 in Hindi and English. The office phone is not the support line.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Gutenberg block in WordPress?
A Gutenberg block is one piece of a page or post, such as a paragraph, heading, image, list, or button. The Gutenberg editor stacks those blocks. WordPress saves each one on its own, so you can move or delete it without rewriting the rest.
How do I add a block without using the mouse?
Click an empty paragraph and type a slash, then the block name, such as /image or /heading. Press Enter. The block is inserted. The same names appear when you open the plus button.
What is the difference between a pattern and a synced pattern?
A pattern is a saved set of blocks you can insert again. A synced pattern is the master copy: edit it once and every page that uses it updates. An unsynced pattern is only a starting copy, so later edits stay on that page.
Can I edit the header and footer with Gutenberg?
Only on a block theme. Open Appearance, then Editor, and change the header or footer template part. On a classic theme the post editor still uses blocks, but the header and footer stay in the Customizer or the theme. Publishing a post does not change the header.
Do Gutenberg blocks need an extra plugin?
No. Paragraph, Heading, Image, List, Columns, Group, and Buttons ship with WordPress. Deactivate the Classic Editor plugin if the screen is one old text box. Add a plugin only when you need a block WordPress does not include.
How do I know the block published correctly?
Open the public URL in a private window while logged out. It worked when that page shows the same heading, image, and button as the editor. A draft, or a view that is still inside wp-admin, is not the test.