Many people opened the block editor once, got confused by the empty space and the plus signs, and went back to the classic editor. But after a post or two, the block editor is faster than the old one, as long as you know a few main tools.
The block editor, also known as Gutenberg, is WordPress's default editor. It treats each piece of content, such as a paragraph, heading or image, as an independent block.
What areas does the block editor have?#
Four main areas: the writing canvas, the top toolbar, the settings sidebar and List View. Every task happens in one of these four places.
| Area | Where it is | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Writing canvas | Center of the screen | Write and arrange blocks |
| Top toolbar | Top of the screen | Add blocks, undo, preview and publish |
| Settings sidebar | Beside the canvas, with Post and Block tabs | Settings for the whole post or the selected block |
| List View | Its button in the top toolbar | See the structure and move blocks around |
The Post tab in the sidebar holds category, tags, featured image, excerpt and slug. The Block tab shows only the settings of the currently selected block, such as color, size or an image's alt text.
How do you write a post step by step?#
Write the title, press Enter to create paragraph blocks and use the slash command for every other type of block.
- Enter the post title at the top. This title is the page's main heading.
- Press Enter and start writing; each paragraph is one block.
- To add another block, type
/on an empty line and then the block name, such as "image" or "table". - For an image, after uploading it, write the alt text in the Block sidebar.
- In the Post tab, fill in category, tags, featured image and excerpt, and shorten the slug.
- Preview on both phone and desktop.
- Click Publish, or schedule the post by changing the publish date.
Which keyboard shortcuts really save time?#
The slash command and Markdown-style shortcuts have the biggest effect because they keep your hands on the keyboard. On a Mac, use Cmd instead of Ctrl.
| Shortcut | Result |
|---|---|
/ on an empty line | Search and add a block |
## and a space at the start of a line | Level-two heading |
- and a space | Bulleted list |
1. and a space | Numbered list |
> and a space | Quote |
Ctrl+K | Add a link to selected text |
Ctrl+Shift+D | Duplicate the selected block |
Shift+Alt+H | Show the list of all shortcuts |
What is a pattern, and how is a synced pattern different?#
A pattern is a ready-made set of blocks you insert with one click; a synced pattern is a version where a change applies on every page.
- An unsynced pattern is a starting point. After you insert it, you have an independent copy. It suits repeated structures like "product intro with image and button".
- A synced pattern is the same everywhere. It suits a signup call-to-action, contact details or a fixed notice at the end of posts.
To create a pattern, select the blocks, open the block options menu (three dots), choose Create pattern and decide whether it is synced. Themes usually include ready-made patterns too, which you can find in the Patterns section of the block inserter.
Which blocks should you use to build page layouts?#
Group, Columns and Cover. These three blocks cover most common layouts without a page builder.
- Group: keeps several blocks together so they share a background or spacing.
- Columns: places content side by side. Keep the option to stack columns on mobile turned on.
- Cover: an image or background color with text over it, for the top of pages.
Do not use empty paragraphs for spacing; use the block's own spacing settings or the Spacer block.
How do you bring in text from Word or Google Docs?#
Paste the text directly into the editor; headings and lists usually convert correctly. After pasting:
- Open List View and check that headings really became heading blocks, not bold paragraphs.
- Upload images separately to the media library.
- Remove any extra font color and size that came with the text.
Old content written in the classic editor opens in a Classic block, and from that block's menu you can convert it into separate blocks.
What mistakes are common in the block editor?#
The most common mistakes are in headings and images, not in the blocks themselves, and each hurts both the reader and SEO:
| Mistake | Why it is a problem |
|---|---|
| A level-one heading inside the text | The post title is already the level-one heading |
| Jumping from level two to level four | The structure becomes unclear to search engines and screen readers |
| An image without alt text | Screen reader users and search engines cannot understand the image |
| A multi-megabyte image | The page gets slow on phones |
| Three or four columns with no mobile version | Text gets narrow and unreadable on a phone |
For writing alt text for hundreds of old images, an AI assistant is a big help; the method is in AI in WordPress. Also keep your slug and URL structure consistent with WordPress technical SEO.
What is the Site Editor?#
The Site Editor is the same block editor, used for the header, footer and page templates. It is available only in block themes, under Appearance → Editor. If you have not chosen a theme yet, see criteria for choosing a WordPress theme.
Where is the block editor heading?#
The direction is clear: blocks have become the common language of every part of WordPress, from posts to headers and page templates, and work on real-time collaborative editing in WordPress itself continues. Plugins and themes ship blocks and patterns instead of shortcodes, and AI assistants have found a place in writing and editing inside this same editor.
To be ready:
- Write new content with standard blocks, not a specific plugin's shortcodes.
- Turn repeated sections into patterns so one change updates everywhere.
- Keep the heading structure correct from now on; it matters for readers, search engines and AI.
- If you use an assistant for drafts, follow the workflow in writing articles with AI.
Summary#
- The sidebar has two tabs: Post for the whole piece, Block for the selected part.
- The slash command and Markdown-style shortcuts are the fastest way to write.
- Turn repeated sections into synced patterns.
- Do not put a level-one heading in the text, and do not forget image alt text.
- After pasting text, check the structure in List View.
