Table of Contents

• An Introduction to WordPress Block Themes
  • Terminology & Jargon
    • Guttenberg
    • Full Site Editing (FSE)
    • Site Editor
    • Block Themes
    • Block Editor
  • Practice with WordPress Playground
  • Finding your way around a WordPress Block Theme
    • Posts
    • Demo Heading
    • Pages
    • Editing
    • Appearance
    • Navagation
    • Styles
    • Pages
    • Templates
    • Patterns
  • Website Benefits
    • Less reliance on external tools
    • Loading times and performance
    • Cleaner, calmer, more productive
    • More engaging content
    • Easy to customise access to blocks
    • In line with the future of WordPress
    • If it’s good enough for enterprise…
  • WordPress Block Themes Conclusion

This introductory guide will take you through everything you need to know about WordPress block themes. Additionally, we’ll discuss updating your site with the block editor. I’ll cover finding your way around, editing content and the benefits of working with WordPress’ built-in tools.

Following an 11-year stint working on the Clearcut Derby website, I was recently consumed by an overwhelming urge to streamline my entire process. The Gutenberg Changelog podcast (highly recommended) may have influenced this decision a teeny little bit.

As a result, I’ve reverted back to building more with less. This is where the default WordPress theme comes into play. Although I’ve previously gone all in (and then all out again), this time around, things feel a lot more stable.

Whether I’m working on a website for you or you’re simply looking to learn more about block themes, this article explains how to get started with the basics.

An Introduction to WordPress Block Themes

The pre-installed default WordPress theme is known as a block theme. A new version is released each year, and it’s one of 1224 currently available options on WordPress.org.

Frankly, except for the default theme, Ollie and a few others, most of them are terrible—many more than anyone would ever need, with a focus on quantity over quality. Even the default theme, other than the 2024 release, isn’t much to look at right out of the box.

Don’t let that put you off, though. What we can do with this little beauty is nothing short of miraculous. Therefore, my first tip is to stick with the default theme whenever possible. This website doubles up as a demo of what can be achieved with it.

Terminology & Jargon

WordPress does two things exceptionally well.

1. Provides an incredible way to build websites and blogs that appeal to a wide range of abilities.
2. Overcomplicates everything.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the terminology you may come across when researching WordPress block themes.

Guttenberg

Gutenberg is the project name that encompasses all the following WordPress developments. On the demo page, it’s referred to as The WordPress Editor. Could have just left it at that, really. But here are all of the other names for it.

Full Site Editing (FSE)

Full site editing relates to the recent shift in how websites are built with WordPress. It’s an editor that allows us to, you guessed it, edit the whole site.

Site Editor

Exactly the same as the above.

Block Themes

Block themes were introduced in January of 2022. In comparison to older classic themes, they’re designed to work seamlessly with the site/block editor.

A new default theme is released each year. We’re currently on Twenty Twenty-Five (which this site is using), next year will be Twenty Twenty-Six, etc.

Block Editor

The WordPress block editor also called the block editor, WordPress editor or Gutenberg editor is the new way of publishing content in WordPress.

Following the launch of WordPress 5.0 in December 2018, the WordPress block editor was set as the default editor and replaced the classic editor.

The WordPress block editor offers an array of blocks that can be used to create media-rich pages and posts.

WordPress.org

As you can see, the block editor alone has four names. For the sake of simplicity, if we work together, we’ll usually just refer to all of the above as WordPress and the editor. Straightforward and uncomplicated, just how I like it.

Practice with WordPress Playground

Fancy following along as you read the rest of this post? You got it! WordPress playground allows anyone to access a fresh install of WordPress without actually having to install WordPress.

This is a really useful way to find your feet and explore how everything works, without it affecting a live site. Go forth and experiment.

• WordPress Playground

Once you’re there, navigate to the black menu bar at the top and click My WordPress Website on the left to get to the dashboard.

Finding your way around a WordPress Block Theme

As you first log in to WordPress, you’ll be greeted with the dashboard. From here, you can publish and edit blog posts and pages and a whole lot more. All of the settings we need are located on the left-hand side menu.

When your web designer/developer first hands your website over to you, they should ideally show you how everything works. However, chances are, you mainly need to publish and edit content. With this purpose in mind, let’s explore Posts and Pages.

Posts

As you click on Posts, you’ll see a list of any of your websites’ live or draft articles. Additionally, a demo post titled ‘Hello world!’ is included when you first install WordPress. Don’t see any posts yet? Let’s go ahead and add one.

With the Posts tab/menu open, you can ‘Add Post’ from the sub-menu on the left, or the button at the top of the page. Here’s your first look at the block editor, which is how we’ll add and edit our blog post.

As you get used to the tools available, I suggest clicking the little + icon and then ‘Browse all’. This will then bring up the left-hand options shown in the image above.

Each of the separate options here are your blocks. Some work on their own, others work as a parent block that you can then add items (children) to. For example, here’s a Group block with a background colour and Heading, Paragraph, and Button blocks inside it. Ideal for building your CTA sections.

To keep things simple, try adding a title and some paragraph text to your post. Over on the right, you can toggle between the settings of the post and the block you’ve got selected. From the post settings, you can add your featured image and set a category for your article.

As you’re exploring and experimenting with the block editor and posts, you may want to see how your article will look when published. If so, head to the little laptop icon over on the right of the top menu. Click it, then select preview in new tab.

When you’re happy with everything, you can hit publish (top right) and your post will be live on your site. If you ever need to go back and edit anything, there are two easy ways to do this:

1. Head back to your dashboard. Click on posts again, underneath the title of the post you want to update, click edit.
2. Alternatively, if you’re viewing the front end of your site while logged in, click on your blog post, then at the top, you’ll see ‘Edit Post’.

Pages

You can add, edit and delete pages quickly and easily with WordPress block themes and the block editor. From your dashboard, navigate to Pages in the left-hand menu.

Here you’ll see any current live or draft pages on your website. Otherwise, if you’re using WordPress Playground or viewing a fresh WordPress install, you’ll see a couple of demo pages.

Similarly to adding a new post, you’ll see a button at the top of the page to ‘Add Page’. Now the fun part. You’ll be presented with a set of pre-designed layouts to use as a starting point. In WordPress, these are called patterns.

While you’re figuring out how block themes work, patterns are an ideal way to see how layouts are built. Admittedly, the set that comes with the default WordPress theme is somewhat limited. However, as mentioned, they’re a decent starting point and perfect for learning how to build your own page sections.

Choose a pattern that you want to practice with, and it will automatically be added to your draft page. Give your page a title and have a play around with editing the content.

Again, your block options will be available on the left, and page/block settings on the right. In much the same way as Posts, you can hit publish (top right) when you want your page to go live.

Editing

When you’re planning to edit either your posts or pages, simply head to edit post/edit page and click in the block you want to update. This will then allow you to type or paste your new text in and move any blocks up or down.

Hit save, job done. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Bonus tip: As you edit a page or post, access the list view by clicking the 3 horizontal lines towards the top left of the page. This opens a handy new list of all the blocks on your page.

From here you can select them, move them around, delete them, rename them and duplicate them. Super-useful, as soon as your page starts filling up with. content.

Appearance

On a slightly more advanced level, if you need to edit how your site looks, head to ‘Appearance’ from the left-hand menu in your dashboard. Alternatively, from the front end of your site (as long as you’re logged in), just head to ‘Edit Site’ at the top.

Pre warning: This bit can get a little confusing to start with. Initially, I recommend exploring how everything works on WordPress Playground or a site that isn’t live yet.

With that said, once you’ve got used to what does what, it’s plain sailing and a really rather fun set of tools to work with.

Navagation

Firstly in the appearance settings, you’ll see navigation. This is where you can set your main, footer, mobile, and other navigation options you require on your site. Any published pages or custom links can be added.

Styles

From the styles menu, you can set your Typography (including uploading your own fonts), colours, background image, shadows and layout (page widths).

What’s more, you can dive into specific settings for your individual blocks if needed, as well as adding any CSS.

Pages

Wait, what? Why’s this here? It appears you can now also edit your pages from here. Additionally, you can rename them, reorder them, set any of them as the homepage and delete any you no longer need.

Templates

The templates menu is where you can set the layout for individual pages—for example, your blog posts, your blog archive, your main pages and your 404 page.

Patterns

The Patterns menu is where you’ll find all your pre-designed layouts and any additional layouts you’ve saved.

This is also where you access your header and footer settings.

Bonus tip: Google Gemini is an invaluable recourse when it comes to customising your theme. It knows pretty much all there is to know about block themes and the block editor, including any CSS code you may need.

Website Benefits

Lastly, let’s take a look at the benefits to both your website and your business when using WordPress block themes.

Less reliance on external tools

First up, one of the primary benefits of using a WordPress block theme is less reliance on as many plugins. Furthermore, it completely eliminates the need for a page builder like Elementor, Divi, or Beaver Builder.

Loading times and performance

With the slow and clunky page builder out of the way, we can instantly improve the loading times and overall performance of your website.

Block themes are lightweight, fast, and load almost instantly, right out of the box.

Cleaner, calmer, more productive

As long as additional plugins are kept to a minimum, working with block themes and the block editor is a wonderful, distraction-free experience.

Let’s put an end to normalising chaotic, notification-filled dashboards that will undoubtedly haunt your dreams. This only ever leads to putting you off ever wanting to log in to your website.

A cleaner, calmer content publishing environment for increased productivity (and zen vibes). Yes please!

More engaging content

When you write a blog post, you’ve got the same set of tools available that we’d use to build the main pages of your website. This means you can include all sorts of exciting and engaging sections.

From CTA’s and columns to galleries and social icons. It’s all right at your fingertips.

Easy to customise access to blocks

Worried you might break something on your site? Block themes and the block editor give complete control over what you have access to. Let your web designer/developer know exactly what you need, and they can then lock everything else.

In line with the future of WordPress

This way of working with block themes and the block editor is as close as we can get to working purely with WordPress. It’s certainly not the only way to use it, but it does provide a simple, future-proof solution.

If it’s good enough for enterprise…

Did you know that enterprise WordPress sites use everything I’ve gone through in this article? Admittedly, they’re a lot more customised and technical, but at the heart of it all is the wonderful world of blocks.

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WordPress Block Themes Conclusion

To conclude this introduction to WordPress block themes and the block editor, I’m 100% back on board. My initial stint last year was a decent practice run. Now, with a little more experience under my belt, I can confidently say there isn’t anything I can’t achieve with a WordPress block theme that I could with my other theme, Kadence.

A refined building process, combined with a new understanding of how to drastically reduce page sizes, means these sites are both nippy and sustainable.

Block themes take a little getting used to and aren’t without their quirks. However, with a little perseverance and persistence, the results you can achieve with them are phenomenal.

As the Chemical Brothers 1997 hit states, ‘back with another one of those block rockin’ WordPress websites’.