Custom Blocks for WordPress: Enhance Your Gutenberg Experience

One of the most promising aspects of the Gutenberg block editor is the ability to add your own custom blocks. They can consist of just about any type of formatted content or functionality you can imagine.

And while you can certainly build your own custom blocks, sometimes that’s a bit like reinventing the wheel. This is especially the case when you want to add a common element such as a testimonial, post listing, or timeline. Most likely, these blocks already exist and can be easily added to your website.

Since Gutenberg’s inclusion in WordPress core, the developer community has released a number of different block plugins. Most tend to include a collection of blocks that could come in handy while building your site.

Today, we’ll introduce you to some of the top custom block collections available for WordPress. Let’s get started!

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Best Custom Block Plugins for Gutenberg

1. Ultimate Addons for Gutenberg

Ultimate Addons for Gutenberg includes 20+ custom blocks that cover a wide range of use cases. When it comes to layout, the Advanced Columns block lets you create a highly customized multicolumn row.

There are also blocks for adding Google Maps, icons, CTAs, post carousels, and more. That’s just scratching the surface of what this free plugin can do.

2. CoBlocks

Backed by GoDaddy, CoBlocks is a free WordPress plugin that supercharges Gutenberg. While it offers a number of handy custom blocks (accordion, alert, hero, logos, masonry gallery, pricing table, etc.), its big selling point is in page layout.

Offering a more page builder-like experience, rows and columns can be dragged to size and customized for responsive layouts. Typography is also highly tweakable as well.

3. EditorsKit

EditorsKit is a bit different than the other plugins in this collection, as it’s more about extending the blocks already included in Gutenberg. The rich text formatting features allow you to further style your content or wipe out all custom styles with a single click. You can also control the visibility of blocks based on device, login state, or even custom field values.

In addition, there are a ton of productivity tweaks, like support for markdown, code editor syntax highlighting, and the ability to import or export specific blocks. With so many goodies, it may just make Gutenberg feel like a completely different experience.

4. Kadence Blocks

Kadence Blocks offers a dozen custom blocks that cover common needs. Included are row layouts, advanced galleries, tabs, info boxes, and testimonials – among others.

It also aims to solve one of the more frustrating issues with Gutenberg – the editor’s width on the back end. The plugin contains preset widths that enable content creators to get a better representation of what pages will look like on the front end.

5. Gutenberg Blocks and Template Library

With an aim to both speed up content creation and add different content types, Gutenberg Blocks and Template Library is a compelling option. Much like Atomic Blocks above, the included Section block offers a number of pre-designed templates and layouts.

There are also several customizable elements such as Google Maps, post grids, author info, and a block for Font Awesome icons.

6. Advanced Gutenberg

Sure, Advanced Gutenberg comes packed with several custom blocks (post sliders, WooCommerce products, advanced tables, advanced lists, etc.). Those are all nice and handy. But the really interesting feature here is the ability to create “edition” profiles, which allow you to turn blocks on or off for specific users or user roles.

For example, if you only want administrators to have access to the Column Manager block, you can easily set it up. This helps to ensure that lower-level users don’t wreak havoc on your designs.

Get Some New Building Blocks

The default blocks that come with Gutenberg are useful and are constantly being refined. But to create a true page-building experience, you’ll want to add some custom elements.

That’s where the plugins above can help take your website to greater heights. Not only can you add different types of functionality and content, but you can also take greater charge of the editor as a whole.

The bottom line is that if you’re going to use Gutenberg for complex page layouts, you might as well go all in. These plugins will help you do just that.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Gutenberg block editor in WordPress?

The Gutenberg block editor is a content creation tool that allows users to build posts and pages using blocks of content—such as text, images, and other media—making it easier to create complex layouts.

2. Are custom blocks difficult to create?

Not necessarily. While you can create custom blocks from scratch, there are plenty of block plugins available that provide pre-designed blocks, making it easier for anyone to enhance their website.

3. Can these plugins slow down my WordPress site?

Using multiple plugins can impact performance. However, reputable block plugins are optimized for performance. It’s best to review each plugin’s reviews and performance metrics before installation.

4. Are all the plugins mentioned free?

Most of the plugins listed offer a free version with many useful features. Some might have premium versions that provide additional functionalities.

5. Can I disable or hide blocks for certain users?

Yes, plugins like Advanced Gutenberg allow you to create profiles where you can control which blocks are visible to specific user roles, ensuring a tailored editing experience.