Content Blocks Builder

Description

Content Blocks Builder (CBB) is a tool that helps you create your own custom content blocks, variations, styles, and patterns directly in the Block Editor.
Unlike other page builders and block library plugins, CBB does not include a library of customized blocks or UI customizations. CBB uses core blocks and the native Block Editor and enhances them with custom layout blocks and style builder features.
With CBB, you don’t need a feature-rich theme, a massive block library or a meta-field framework with custom themes. You can build your website using any block theme directly in the Bock Editor without using a code editor.

Key Features

  • Create custom container blocks from any core or third-party blocks
  • Create repeater blocks like ACF repeater fields that support grid, carousel, accordion, and vertical stack layout
  • Create custom variations and styles for any blocks
  • Create custom patterns like writing a post
  • There is a library of pre-built blocks, variations, styles, and patterns
  • Create modal, off-canvas, toggle layouts
  • Add carousel and responsive grid layout to the core Query Loop block
  • Add advanced filters and sorting to the core Query Loop block
  • Build responsive style for width, height, spacing, border, radius, vertical, justify alignment
  • Build transform, box-shadow, visibility style
  • Add image, and video background and overlay
  • Add custom dataset attributes and CSS variables
  • Load Google Fonts easily with a few clicks
  • Import/export custom blocks, variations, and patterns from/to other sites

Why do we create this plugin and why will you need it?

The new WordPress with Gutenberg Editor is a powerful website builder, but it can be challenging for new users and traditional PHP developers to build sites with it. It also lacks some important features like responsive grid layouts, carousel layouts, accordion layouts, modal, off-canvas, toggle layouts, etc. This tool solves those problems.
Based on our experience in developing hundreds of client websites with the “classic” workflow using meta field frameworks and custom theme/plugin development, we created this plugin to help us transition to the new workflow with custom blocks, block themes, and full site editing.
This plugin will help you design your content directly on the Block Editor using custom layout blocks and style builder features. You don’t have to spend time with PHP/React/JS/CSS building custom blocks, custom themes, or plugins. Most of the tasks can be done just by using the default Editor. As a result, it will make the process of building websites simpler and more enjoyable.

Below is a video tutorial that demonstrates how you can use this plugin to design your site directly on the Editor:

How does it help?

Create custom layout

It allows you to group core or third-party blocks in custom layouts using its custom layout blocks. It includes five built-in layout blocks: Advanced Group, Grid, Carousel, Stack and Accordion. You also can easily create your custom blocks using those layouts.
We also provide a library of custom blocks for you to import into your site.

Please see the video tutorial to create a simple responsive grid layout:

Please see the video tutorial to create a banner slider:

Include responsive production-ready patterns

You don’t have to start your design from scratch. This plugin includes a library of responsive, production-ready, full-page design patterns for you to use or customize. Learn more about it from the “Design Library” section below.

Please see the video tutorial to use the pattern library:

Add style builder features to blocks

It provides a list of features to add style to custom blocks like responsive width, height, spacing, border, box-shadow, transform, alignments etc. And by wrapping around other blocks, you can add those features to other blocks as well.

Please see the video tutorial to create a grid or a carousel of posts using the core Query Loop block with additional features from this plugin:

How to create a banner slider using the Query Loop block.

Load external scripts and stylesheets (PRO)

You can enqueue external resources to custom blocks and add custom JS or CSS to build complex blocks without setting up a React project.

Please see some demo videos:

Create a custom block for the image zooming effect like Medium using an external script.

How to create an animated heading block.
How to create a Back To Top block.
How to create an image compare block.

Create a custom variation/style for the core button block.

Where is the demo?

Please check out the Design Library of templates/patterns created only by this plugin and the TwentyTwentyTwo theme without any custom code.

Which theme should I use with this plugin?

It is compatible with all Gutenberg-ready themes, but our recommended themes are default themes such as Twenty Twenty Three, Twenty Twenty Two, or Astra theme.

How does it work with other blocks/plugins?

This plugin works with all third-party blocks but we recommend using single-block plugins for lightweight and performance. We also develop several single block plugins, that work great with this plugin, please see them in the below section.

The details of the main features

Responsive grid layout

This feature allows you to create a responsive grid layout just with a few clicks. Users with knowledge of CSS Grid can create a powerful grid and customize it to work best on all screens.

Please see the video tutorial to build a custom grid block without coding.

Carousel layout

This feature is built on top of the most popular SwiperJS script. It supports almost all settings that allow you to create your complex custom carousels.

How to create a carousel of posts.

Accordion layout

This feature helps you to create an accordion layout easily, you can put any blocks in each accordion item.

How to create an accordion layout.

Toggle layout

This feature helps you to create content that can be shown/hidden by clicking on a button/link or other elements. It’s useful to create some common layouts like modal, off-canvas, search bar toggle, or main menu bar toggle on mobile.

How to create an off-canvas layout.

Patterns, variations management

This feature allows you to create/edit custom patterns and variations like writing posts on the default Editor, and you can import/export those from/to other sites.

How to create patterns without coding.
How to create variations without coding.

Google Fonts

This feature does a really simple job, it loads a font for headings text and another for the body text from more than 1000+ Google Fonts easily with a few clicks. If you are worried about GDPR compliance, there is an option to load fonts from Bunny Fonts instead of Google Fonts.

How to use Google Fonts and be GDPR compliant.

Design library

We have already included a library of block patterns for you to quickly use or customize to fit your design. There is a popup inserter in the block editor for you to find and insert patterns with a few clicks.
We’re still designing new patterns, more patterns/templates will be added weekly.

Browse the Design Library to see what the plugin can do for you.

Block and Variation library

Besides the pattern library, we have built an external library of content blocks and common block variations. All of the blocks/variations in this library have been created by CBB directly in the Block Editor. With a few clicks, you can easily import blocks or variations into your site. You use them directly or customize or learn from them.
Our goal is to make it easy for you to use CBB with this library.

Learn CBB

Watch all tutorials on Youtube.
We’re still recording video tutorials, so please subscribe to our youtube channel to get a notification when new videos are released.
Learn more about CBB at contentblocksbuilder.com.

Pro version

The professional version adds more ‘advanced’ features to your content such as:

  • Custom CSS Editor
  • Copy/Paste styles from one block to another across domains
  • Support multiple edit styles
  • Parallax and infinite scrolling effects for background image
  • Advanced features for the carousel layout like entrance animations, customized pagination, navigation…
  • Advanced features for the toggle content layout(modal, off-canvas) like custom entrance animations, delay time, and closed state saving.
  • Advanced features for the sticky content. Allows only getting sticky when scrolling up
  • Add custom JS, custom CSS and external scripts and stylesheets for blocks
  • Add custom CSS for custom variations
  • Reveal animation effects

Go premium to unlock advanced features with CBB Pro.

If this plugin is useful for you, please do a quick review and rate it on WordPress.org to help us spread the word. I would very much appreciate it.

Other plugins

Please check out my other plugins if you’re interested:

  • Meta Field Block – A block to display a meta field, custom field as a block on the front end, supporting ACF fields. It can also be used in the Query Loop block.
  • SVG Block – A block to insert inline SVG images easily and safely. It also bundles with more than 3000 icons and some common non-rectangular dividers.
  • Icon separator – A tiny block just like the core/separator block but with the ability to add an icon to it.
  • Breadcrumb Block – A simple breadcrumb trail block that supports JSON-LD structured data.
  • Block Enhancements – A plugin to add more useful features to blocks like icons, box-shadow, transform…
  • Counting Number Block – A block to display a number that has the number-counting effect.
  • Better Youtube Embed Block – Embed Youtube videos without slowing down your site.

The plugin is developed using @wordpress/scripts.

Installation

How to install it from wordpress.org

Please see the video tutorial to install it from your site dashboard:

How to install it manually

  1. Upload the plugin files to the /wp-content/plugins/content-blocks-builder directory, or install the plugin through the WordPress plugins screen directly.
  2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress

FAQ

Why do you need this plugin?

To change the way of creating sites with WordPress from the legacy Classic Editor to the new Gutenberg Block Editor.

Who needs this plugin?

This plugin is made for developers or designers but anyone familiar with the Block Editor can use it.

Is there a built-in design library?

Yes, there is a library of production-ready block patterns.

Is this another block library?

No. It’s like a tool to create custom layouts for core or third-party blocks without coding. However, it provides five custom block types: Grid, Carousel, Stack, Accordion and Advanced group.
Besides the five above block types, we have built an external library of content blocks and common block variations. You can easily import and use them in the plugin.

Which themes does it support?

It is compatible with all block-based themes and some popular classic themes like Astra, but our recommended themes are default themes such as Twenty Twenty-Three, Twenty Twenty-Two, and Astra theme. If you find it doesn’t work with your theme, please let us know. We’ll work on it.

Reviews

09 Mart 2023 1 reply
I've used this plugin multiple times to add sliders on sites. A fantastic way to loop posts/tags/categories into lists and sliders.I ran into a error, and support was on it in minutes to solve the issue and release a fix.
09 Noyabr 2022 1 reply
I've been using it for a few weeks and little by little I see the potential it has. It is very flexible. The developer is very attentive.
21 Oktyabr 2022 1 reply
From what I saw and tested so far this plugin seems really amazing! Apparently it's exactly what I needed for my projects. Keep up the good work and let's wait for good news.
12 Oktyabr 2022 1 reply
Really an excellent plugin, that provide grid, carousel, accordion, modal popup, canvas offset and more. But its not a block library, it giving just some very basic blocks to create any kind of custom blocks we want, plus the best part is that we can even create variations of the blocks, also for the default blocks like button and cover. One more thing, it providing library of pre-build patterns, to directly insert and modify as per your need In one word this is a kind of plugin, that anybody can have love at first sight.
09 May 2022 1 reply
It's 10-times better as BLOCKMEISTER Premium! Why? You can create Custom Block Pattern direct inside the Gutenberg Side Editor based on created Blocks on Side Template or Template Parts level - and not only on Post or Page level! That is really a unique feature of this free Block Pattern WP-PlugIn - no other Custom Block Pattern management PlugIns has this capability!! Really great feature design & programming work!!!
Read all 8 reviews

Contributors & Developers

“Content Blocks Builder” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Contributors

Changelog

2.4.2

Release Date – 25 September 2023

  • Added – Click to copy blocks, variations and patterns
  • Updated – Add CBB_BLOCK_API and CBB_BLOCK_STYLE as default handles for custom scripts and custom styles
  • Updated – Refactor the CSS editor
  • Updated – Update ‘Requires at least’ to 6.3 for new spacing sizes controls’ style
  • Updated – Exclude core blocks from exporting
  • Updated – Refactor settings. Rename the others tab to the general tab
  • Updated – Hide the phone’s breakpoint setting
  • Fixed – Add inline functions for getting spacing presets for WP < 6.3.
  • Fixed – Duotone is missing due to the new API in WP 6.3

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