Day 1: Introduction to Gutenberg

Welcome to Day 1 of your 30-day journey to mastering Gutenberg block development! In this article, we’ll start with the basics by introducing you to Gutenberg, also known as the WordPress Block Editor/WordPress Gutenberg. Understanding what Gutenberg is, why it was introduced, and how it differs from the Classic Editor will give you a solid foundation for the rest of this learning series.

What is Gutenberg?

Gutenberg is the new content editor introduced by WordPress in version 5.0, released in December 2018. It replaced the Classic Editor with a block-based approach to content creation, making it easier for users to design rich, dynamic content without needing to write any code. Gutenberg aims to modernize the WordPress editing experience by using “blocks” to structure posts and pages.

Each block represents a piece of content, such as a paragraph, image, heading, quote, or video. The beauty of Gutenberg is its flexibility — blocks can be rearranged, customized, and even saved as reusable templates, giving users far more control over the design and structure of their content.

Why Gutenberg Was Introduced

Before Gutenberg, WordPress relied on a single text editor (the Classic Editor) for managing content. This editor used shortcodes, widgets, and custom fields to extend functionality, which required developers to write code for more advanced layouts. While it worked, the experience was clunky and limited for users who wanted to design modern layouts.

Here’s why Gutenberg became necessary:

Modular System: Gutenberg’s block system is modular, which makes it easier to extend with custom blocks or third-party solutions.

Ease of Use: Gutenberg made it easier for non-technical users to build visually engaging pages by simply dragging and dropping blocks.

Consistency: With blocks, all elements in the editor have a standardized interface. This improves consistency and usability.

Modern Content Layouts: Gutenberg allows users to create complex layouts like multi-column designs, full-width sections, and background images without relying on external page builders or custom HTML/CSS.

Gutenberg vs. Classic Editor: What’s the Difference?

To better understand the significance of Gutenberg, let’s compare it with the old Classic Editor.

Classic Editor	Gutenberg (Block Editor)
Text-based: Focuses on content as text, requiring shortcodes or HTML for layout changes.	Block-based: Breaks down content into blocks like paragraphs, images, and videos, allowing for easier visual design.
Widgets and shortcodes: Users need to add functionality using widgets, shortcodes, or custom HTML.	Blocks: Offers built-in blocks for various media types, layout options, and formatting. No need for custom HTML for common features.
Limited layout control: Changing the layout of a post requires theme customization or additional page builders.	Drag-and-drop layout: Easily rearrange content with drag-and-drop functionality, and build more dynamic layouts out of the box.
Requires plugins for complex layouts: For columns, galleries, or advanced styling, users needed additional plugins.	Native support for layouts: Built-in support for multi-columns, media embedding, galleries, and more.
Not future-proof: As web design trends evolved, the Classic Editor lagged behind modern content experiences.	Future-focused: Gutenberg is designed to be the future of WordPress editing, with a modular system that is easy to extend and scale.

Key Features of Gutenberg

1. Blocks: Gutenberg introduces the concept of blocks, which are reusable units of content. Common blocks include:
   • Paragraphs for text.
   • Headings for titles and subheadings.
   • Images and Galleries for adding visual elements.
   • Quotes, Lists, Tables, and more.
   Each block can be customized with settings specific to that content type. For example, you can adjust font sizes, colors, alignment, and more with just a few clicks.
2. Drag-and-Drop Functionality: You can drag blocks around the editor to reorder them. This makes it easy to experiment with different layouts or rearrange content after it’s been added.
3. Reusable Blocks: Once you’ve created a block, you can save it as a reusable block and insert it into other posts or pages. This is great for repeating design elements, such as calls-to-action or specific content layouts.
4. Full-Site Editing (FSE): Gutenberg is evolving to offer Full-Site Editing, which means you can edit all parts of your website — from headers to footers — using the same block-based approach. This feature is still evolving but will be a key part of WordPress’s future.
5. Block Patterns: Block patterns are pre-designed, customizable layouts that combine several blocks to form a section. For example, a “Hero Section” might include a heading, subheading, image, and button. Block patterns save time and offer a cohesive design approach.

How to Access and Use Gutenberg

If you’re using WordPress 5.0 or above, Gutenberg is the default editor for posts and pages. Here’s how to get started:

1. Log into your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to Posts > Add New (or Pages > Add New if you want to create a page).
3. You’ll automatically be taken to the Gutenberg Block Editor.
4. Start typing your content in the default paragraph block, or click the “+” icon to add other types of blocks (like headings, images, galleries, etc.).

Creating Content with Gutenberg Blocks

Let’s walk through the process of creating a simple blog post using Gutenberg:

1. Adding a Heading

• Click the “+” icon and select the Heading block.
• Type your heading text and choose the heading level (H1, H2, H3, etc.).

2. Adding a Paragraph

• Gutenberg automatically adds a Paragraph block as soon as you start typing after the heading.
• You can adjust the text alignment, font size, and text color using the sidebar settings.

3. Inserting an Image

• To add an image, click the “+” icon, select the Image block, and upload an image from your media library or computer.
• You can adjust image alignment, size, and add alt text for accessibility.

4. Creating a List

• Click the “+” icon and choose the List block. Start typing your list items, and Gutenberg will format them automatically.

5. Saving as a Draft or Publishing

• Once you’ve added your content and customized it, you can either Save as Draft to continue later or hit Publish to make it live.

Why Learn Gutenberg Development?

Mastering Gutenberg opens up endless possibilities for WordPress development. By learning how to create custom blocks, you can:

• Enhance user experience: Create tailored content elements that are reusable and customizable for different clients or projects.
• Future-proof your skills: As WordPress continues to evolve with Full-Site Editing and other features, Gutenberg will remain central to site-building.
• Improve site performance: Custom blocks allow for clean, optimized content creation without relying on bulky third-party plugins.

Conclusion: Your Gutenberg Journey Starts Here

Gutenberg is a major shift in how content is created and managed in WordPress. Understanding the fundamentals of the Block Editor is essential for both users and developers as it shapes the future of WordPress. Over the next 30 days, you’ll not only learn how to use the Block Editor but also how to develop your own custom Gutenberg blocks from scratch.

Tomorrow, we’ll dive deeper into setting up your development environment so you’re ready to start building custom blocks.

Stay tuned!

Resources:

https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg

Official WordPress Gutenberg page