What is the Block Editor? #
The Block Editor, also known as the Gutenberg Editor, is the default content editor for WordPress pages and posts. It allows you to manage and structure your content using individual blocks, making it easier to create complex layouts without any coding knowledge. Each block is a self-contained unit, such as a paragraph, heading, image, or gallery, that can be rearranged and customised to fit the needs of your page or post.
The Block Editor provides users with a flexible, modular approach to content creation. It’s intuitive for beginners while offering powerful customisation for more advanced users. Whether you’re creating a simple blog post or designing an intricate landing page, the Block Editor helps streamline the process.
Key Features: #
- Content Blocks: Easily add and customise blocks such as text, images, lists, and galleries.
- Drag-and-Drop Interface: Quickly move and arrange your blocks to create a custom layout.
- Reusable Blocks: Save custom blocks to reuse on multiple pages, ensuring consistency across your site.
- Block Patterns: Use pre-designed block layouts to add sections like testimonials or image galleries with just a few clicks.
For a step-by-step introduction to working with blocks, check the official WordPress documentation.
How to use the block editor: #
Adding a Block #
To add a block, click the + icon in the Block Editor to open the Block Inserter. This lets you browse and select from a variety of available blocks.
- Search for blocks like Paragraph, Heading, or Image, or explore advanced blocks provided by the LSX Design Theme.
For example, if you want to add text, select the Paragraph Block. For a heading, select the Heading Block.
Customising a Block #
Each block in the LSX Design Theme comes with its own unique set of customisable settings, all easily accessible from the right-hand sidebar in the WordPress block editor. The sidebar is divided into two key sections: Block Settings and Block Styles, both of which offer a range of options for fine-tuning the appearance and functionality of each block.
Block Settings:
The Block Settings section contains controls specific to the content and functionality of the selected block. These settings vary depending on the block type and allow you to configure elements such as text, images, galleries, or layout options.
- Text Blocks: You can customise the font size, colour, line height, and alignment to ensure your typography fits within your brand’s guidelines.
- Image Blocks: Adjust image dimensions, alignment, and add captions. You can also set links for images, making them interactive or clickable.
- Gallery Blocks: Configure the number of columns, choose layout styles (e.g., grid or masonry), and enable lightbox functionality for an engaging, interactive image gallery experience.
- Product Grid Blocks: Adjust the number of products displayed, control pagination, and apply filters to determine which products are shown in the grid.
Block Styles:
The Block Styles section allows you to manage the visual appearance of your block beyond the core content settings. These styles are essential for customising the look and feel of individual blocks to align with the overall site design.
- Colours: Change background and text colours for individual blocks. This is especially useful for creating emphasis with headings or call-to-action buttons.
- Typography: Fine-tune the typography by adjusting the font family, size, weight, and style. This is key for maintaining consistency in text-heavy blocks like paragraphs, headings, or product descriptions.
- Spacing and Alignment: Manage padding and margin to control the spacing around each block. You can also adjust block alignment, such as setting a block to be full-width or aligned to the left or right within a page.
These examples represent just a few of the customisation options available in both Block Settings and Block Styles. Every block, whether it’s a product grid, button, or heading, has its own set of design and functionality options, giving you full control over how your WooCommerce store looks and feels.
For more detailed information, you can explore the WordPress documentation on working with blocks.
Rearranging Blocks #
You can easily rearrange blocks on the page:
- Use the up and down arrows on the block to move it vertically.
- Drag and drop blocks to new positions for quick adjustments to your page layout.
Saving and Reusing Blocks with Patterns #
To save time and maintain design consistency across your WordPress site, you can create and save Patterns. Patterns allow you to group multiple blocks into reusable sections, which can then be easily inserted into other pages or posts as needed. These patterns can be either synced (automatically updating across all instances) or unsynced (allowing for individual customisation), giving you flexibility depending on your site’s needs.
Creating and Saving Patterns:
- After designing a section or layout using blocks, select the group of blocks you’d like to save as a pattern.
- Click the three-dot menu in the block toolbar and choose Create Pattern.
- Name your pattern and save it for future use.
Once saved, you can easily insert this pattern into other pages or posts, ensuring consistency across commonly used elements such as CTAs, feature sections, hero banners, or any other standard design elements on your site.For more detailed customisation options and information on the advantages of syncing or unsyncing patterns, refer to the Patterns section of this documentation. Patterns are a powerful tool for streamlining your design process while maintaining flexibility and control, allowing you to build beautiful, cohesive layouts across your site.
Most Used Blocks #
WordPress includes several frequently used blocks to help create essential page elements. Below are some of the most popular blocks and their use cases, along with how LSX Design enhances them.
Paragraph Block:
The Paragraph Block allows you to add and format text. You can customise font size, colour, and alignment, making it ideal for blog posts or product descriptions.
- Use Case: Writing articles, adding body text to landing pages, or product descriptions.
- Learn more about it here.
Heading Block:
The Heading Block allows you to create headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) for structuring content and improving readability and SEO.
- Use Case: Adding section titles to blog posts, landing pages, or articles.
- Learn more about it here.
List Block:
The List Block is useful for creating ordered (numbered) or unordered (bulleted) lists. It’s great for tutorials, product features, or step-by-step instructions.
- Use Case: Writing instructions, listing features, or organising content.
- Learn more about it here.
Gallery Block:
The Gallery Block lets you display multiple images in a grid or gallery format. LSX Design enhances this block by offering additional layout and display options.
- Use Case: Showcasing product images, photography portfolios, or visual content.
- Learn more about it here.
Row Block:
The Row Block enables you to create horizontal sections with multiple blocks side by side. LSX Design adds more advanced controls to make it easier to create balanced, responsive layouts.
- Use Case: Creating side-by-side feature lists or calls-to-action in a horizontal format.
- Learn more about it here.
Columns Block:
The Columns Block lets you create multi-column layouts without the need for custom CSS. With LSX Design, these columns are optimised for responsive design, making it easier to build complex page structures.
- Use Case: Comparing products, adding multi-column feature sections, or designing structured landing pages.
- Learn more about it here.
Using LSX Design Theme Blocks #
The LSX Design Theme includes a variety of custom blocks designed to enhance the functionality, appearance, and user experience of your site. These blocks are fully integrated with WordPress’s Block Editor and Site Editor, allowing for seamless design and development workflows. Here are some of the standout features:
- Advanced Galleries: The LSX Design Theme offers flexible and customisable gallery layouts, including options for grid and masonry styles. These galleries can be enhanced with lightbox functionality, giving you more control over how images are displayed and interacted with by users.
- Call-to-Action (CTA) Blocks: Create impactful call-to-action sections with pre-built blocks that drive user engagement. These blocks are designed to grab attention and guide visitors toward important actions like signing up for newsletters, making purchases, or contacting your team.
- Sliders and Carousels: The LSX Design Theme comes with interactive sliders and carousels, perfect for showcasing featured content, products, or services. These blocks allow you to create dynamic, engaging sections that are fully responsive and customisable.
- List Block Styles: The List Block in LSX Design includes new styles like list ticks for both base and contrast backgrounds, providing a more visually engaging way to display bullet points or lists. This allows for improved presentation of content like features, instructions, or testimonials.
- Shadow Block Styles: With additional shadow effects for Group Blocks, you can now create more depth and contrast within your page layouts. These shadows enhance the overall visual hierarchy, making specific sections stand out.
- Full-Site Editing: LSX Design supports full-site editing, allowing for complete control over the structure of your site. Blocks such as headers, footers, and sidebars can be easily customised and reused across your website to maintain design consistency.
These custom blocks can be accessed directly from the Block Inserter when the LSX Design Theme is activated, providing users with a more flexible and efficient way to create professional-looking pages without needing custom code.
By leveraging the custom blocks within the LSX Design Theme, you can enhance your site’s functionality, ensuring a more visually engaging and user-friendly experience for your visitors.
Benefits of the Block Editor and Blocks #
The Block Editor and blocks provide a flexible and modular approach to building content in WordPress, making it easy for both beginners and advanced users to create visually engaging websites.
- Ease of Use: The Block Editor simplifies content creation by offering a visual, intuitive way to build pages and posts. You can design layouts without needing technical skills, making it accessible to all users, from beginners to professionals.
- Modular Content Creation: Blocks allow you to build your site piece by piece, giving you complete control over the structure and content. By combining various content elements like text, images, and galleries, you can create complex layouts that fit your vision.
- Reusable Patterns: Save time and ensure consistency across your site by creating patterns. These are pre-designed, reusable sections that can be inserted into multiple pages or posts, allowing you to maintain a unified design and avoid redundant work.
- Visual Editing: The Block Editor provides real-time visual editing, so you can see changes as you make them. This ensures that your content looks great before publishing, reducing the need for trial and error.
- Flexibility with a Modular System: The block-based system offers maximum flexibility, allowing you to design and customise your site’s layout without needing to write any code. You can easily rearrange blocks, tweak design elements, and adjust layouts on the fly, giving you full control over your site’s structure.
For more information on using the Block Editor, check the WordPress Block Editor documentation.
