Complete Guide to WordPress Reusable Blocks

Tired of recreating the same content block over and over again? WordPress reusable blocks is the feature that you might be missing out on. It lets you create a reusable block in WordPress that can be used multiple times in your site’s posts and pages.

Reusable blocks help you maintain consistency and make the WordPress development workflow efficient. Additionally, you can also import and export the reusable block, which lets you share it with the team members.

In this blog, we’ll dive into how you can simply create one reusable block and how to use it. Further, we’ll discuss how WordPress developers manage and edit them for effective use. So, with that, let’s begin!

What are WordPress Reusable Blocks?

A reusable block in WordPress is a block (or group of blocks) that you can design and save for later use throughout your website. Once you create a reusable block, you can insert it into any post or page. They ensure that the process of making changes is simple, as you only have to update the reusable block itself.

When you change the reusable block, the update will be reflected everywhere the block is used, saving you time and effort. For example, if you have a specific call-to-action or any other content snippet that you want to appear consistently across your website, you can save it as a reusable block.

Key Features of WordPress Reusable Blocks

Reusable blocks in WordPress offer several key features that make them a valuable tool for efficient development. Here are some of its core features:

• Save and Reuse: The fundamental feature is the ability to save any collection of blocks and reuse them across multiple pages and posts.
• Global Updates: You can manage all your reusable blocks from a centralized location in the Block Editor, which simplifies the process of content updation.
• Organization: Reusable blocks can be stored in a dedicated library within the Block Editor. That makes it easy to find, edit, or delete them as needed.
• Conversion: While reusable blocks can be edited centrally, individual instances can also be customized by converting them to regular blocks if needed.
• Import/Export: Reusable blocks can be imported and exported for sharing or transferring between websites. It helps developers streamline the content creation process and reduce the likelihood of errors or inconsistencies.

By effectively utilizing reusable blocks, WordPress development experts can build your site effectively and efficiently. Now that we know its features, let’s dive into the benefits these features result in.

Benefits of Using WordPress Reusable Block

Using reusable blocks in WordPress has several benefits. One of the most significant of them is it saves time. WordPress reusable blocks eliminate the need to create a new block from scratch every time. You can just add it by inserting them in a post or page wherever you need it. 

So, if you need to reuse the same block repeatedly, using reusable blocks is a go-to-way for you. Here are the other benefits that may compel you to use them:

Consistency

One of the significant benefits of using reusable blocks is that they help maintain consistency across your WordPress site. By creating a block once and reusing it across multiple pages or posts, you ensure that the content appears uniform throughout your site.

Plus, if you need to update the content, you only have to edit the reusable block once, and the changes will automatically reflect everywhere it is used. That ensures your information is always up-to-date and consistent across all your pages and posts.

Manage Content Efficiently

Reusable Blocks allow for more efficient content management. Instead of recreating the same block content for different pages or posts, you can directly use a reusable block. This saves time and reduces the chance of errors that might occur when manually duplicating content.

Additionally, if you need to make bulk changes, you can do so from a central location by editing the reusable block itself. It significantly simplifies the process of content updates, especially if you have a large number of pages and posts on your site.

Import and Export

Another powerful feature of WordPress reusable blocks is their ability to be imported and exported between different sites. This feature is particularly beneficial for developers or content managers working on multiple sites.

By exporting a reusable block from one site and importing it into another, you can maintain a consistent style and structure across various projects. It is especially useful to maintain the same quality and design if you are building a new site based on your existing one.

These benefits make it clear how valuable reusable blocks are. They not only make the WordPress development workflow efficient but also more effective. That is one of the reasons professional WordPress development services leverage them for building sites quickly.

How to Create a Reusable Block in WordPress?

Reusable blocks, also known as patterns, is a feature that allows you to save and reuse pre-designed content blocks across your website. Here’s a detailed guide on how to create one:

Step 1: Access the Gutenberg Editor and open a new post or page in your WordPress dashboard.

Step 2: After you have done that, click the ‘Add Block’ (+) button in the top left corner of the screen. It will open the block menu, allowing you to add a block you want to reuse across posts and pages.

Step 3: Suppose you want to create a paragraph block for a CTA in your blog post, you just need to select the block type “Paragraph”.

Step 4: If you want to customize your block you have various options in the block toolbar located at the top or the block panel on the right. That will let you add links to your social media profiles, customize color, and change font size of the content.

Step 5: After you have made the necessary customizations, click on the three-dot menu button in the block toolbar. That will open a dropdown menu where you will find the “Create Pattern” option.

Step 6: A dialog box will pop up, prompting you to enter a name to be used for the reusable block. Also choose the category of the block you want to give. Once done, click on the “Create” button to save the changes.

Now, you will be able to reuse the block the newly created reusable block that you have created.

By following the above steps, you will be able to create reusable blocks efficiently, saving time and maintaining consistency. If you need any help building a site with such effective tools, consider hiring WordPress developers.

How to Use WordPress Reusable Blocks?

We have gone through the process of creating reusable blocks in WordPress. Now, let’s dive into how you can insert it on posts and pages, manage them, and import/export them.

Inserting Reusable Blocks into Posts and Pages

As we discussed above, reusable blocks can be directly inserted into any posts or pages. Here is a simplified way that you can use to do so:

Step 1: Navigate to the WordPress dashboard and select the post or page where you want to insert a reusable block.

Step 2: Click on the “+” icon to add a block to your post or page. This opens the block inserter panel.

Step 3: In the search bar of the block inserter, type the name of your reusable block. The block should appear in the search results.

Step 4: Click on the reusable block that you want to insert on your page, and it will be added.

Step 5: If you want to edit the reusable block, you can use the “Edit Original” option, which is located in the block toolbar. It will direct you to a new screen within the block editor, where you can edit and make changes to the pattern content. You can also add other blocks to customize the pattern.

Once you have customized the changes, click on the “Update” button at the top right corner of the screen. 

Note: If you change the reusable block (pattern), then the change will be reflected at all the locations you have inserted it.

Managing Reusable Blocks in WordPress Editor

We have seen how you can create and add reusable blocks (patterns) in WordPress. Now let’s understand how you can manage them:

Step 1: If you are using the block theme, you can manage all your reusable blocks by navigating to the Appearance > Editor page. It will be located in the WordPress admin sidebar.

Step 2: Once you have clicked, you will be redirected to the site editor, there you may click on the “Patterns” tab to expand it.

Step 3: At the button of that tab, you will find a link to “Manage Reusable Blocks”. Click on it.

Step 4: After you have clicked on “Manage Reusable Blocks”, you will be redirected to the “Patterns” page. There, you will be able to edit, delete, and add a new reusable block (pattern).

That’s how you can manage the reusable blocks in your WordPress. Now, let’s understand the process of importing and exporting reusable blocks in the next section.

Import/Export Reusable Blocks

As we have discussed in the key features of reusable blocks, they can also be shared with others. Now let’s see how you can do it:

Step 1: Go to the “Manage all reusable blocks” section in your WordPress admin dashboard.

Step 2:  Select the block you wish to export, click the “Export as JSON” option, and download the JSON file. This file can be imported into another WordPress site.

Step 3: Now, to import the downloaded JSON file, go to the “Manage All Reusable Blocks” page on the website where you want to import the block.

Step 4: Click on the “Import from JSON” button and upload the JSON file that you previously exported.

Now, you will be able to use the newly imported reusable blocks on your other WordPress site.

These are the ways you can add, manage, and import/export your WordPress reusable blocks. To build a site that is effectively built with methods like this, we recommend getting help from a WordPress development company.

FAQs About Using WordPress Reusable Blocks

Can I delete a WordPress reusable block?

Yes, you can delete reusable blocks. To do this:

• Go to the Block Library: Click on the "Reusable" tab in the block inserter.
• Select the Block: Hover over the block you want to delete, click the three dots (More options), and select "Delete".

Can I add custom CSS to a reusable block?

Yes, you can add custom CSS to a reusable block. You can do this by adding CSS classes to the block and then styling those classes in your theme’s custom CSS section or a custom stylesheet.

Are reusable blocks available only in the WordPress block editor?

Yes, reusable blocks are a feature of the WordPress block editor (Gutenberg). If you are using the classic editor, you won't have access to reusable blocks.

Conclusion

Utilizing WordPress reusable blocks allows the content creation process to be done with no unnecessary repetition. You can just create a reusable block and then use it directly in your posts or pages.

The block can be a CTA, a form, or any other recurring content. It will save you a significant amount of time and also help you maintain consistency across the site. You can add and manage the reusable block directly using the block editor interface.

Plus, if you want to use the same block on another site, you can simply export and then import it. That will let you create another site more quickly, maintaining the same quality and style. If you are looking to build a site that aligns with your brand and performs well, too, hire WordPress developers.