Understanding WordPress Block Patterns: What They Are and How to Use Them

Tired of spending hours on web design? What if there was a shortcut?

Solution: WordPress Block Patterns.

Block Patterns are simply pre-designed block collections that can be easily inserted into your posts or pages. For example, a block pattern could be a pre-designed contact form with fields for name, email, and message.

In this guide, I’ll explain everything about WordPress Block Patterns, including how to use them, where to find new ones, and how to create your own.

Let’s start by understanding what WordPress Block Patterns are and how they work.

What Are WordPress Block Patterns?

WordPress block patterns are reusable groups of blocks. They are a great way to quickly add pre-designed layouts and content to your posts and pages.

Block patterns can be used for different functions, such as creating headers, footers, hero sections, etc.

There are two types of block patterns: core block patterns and custom block patterns.

• Core block patterns are included with WordPress by default.
• Custom block patterns can be created by you or downloaded from third-party sources.

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Benefits of Using WordPress Block Patterns

There are many reasons to use WordPress block patterns. First, Block Patterns save you time and effort. Rather than creating a layout from scratch, you can simply reuse a block pattern and customize it according to your requirements.

Block patterns help you create a more consistent look throughout your website. the same block patterns consistently help you create a more attractive look throughout your site.

Block patterns are a great way to add creativity and interest to your website. There are a number of block patterns available, so you can find one that suits your style and content.

WordPress Block Pattern Types

WordPress block patterns are organized into categories to make them easier to find and use. There are five main categories of block patterns

1. Headers

Headers are used to add content and provide structure to your website. WordPress block patterns for headers include pre-designed layouts with different typography, colors, and backgrounds.

2. Text

Text blocks display plain text content. WordPress block patterns for text can include layouts for paragraphs, lists, quotes, and code blocks.

3. Call to action

Call-to-action blocks prompt visitors to perform a specific action, such as signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase.

WordPress block patterns for call-to-action blocks include pre-designed buttons with different colors, styles, and sizes.

4. Gallery

Gallery blocks are used to display images or videos in a grid or slideshow format. WordPress block patterns for gallery blocks include layouts with different column counts, spacing, and lightbox effects.

5. Posts

Posts blocks display individual blog posts or other types of content. WordPress block patterns for posts include layouts for the post title, featured image, broadcasts, and content. They also include options to display categories or related posts.

Block Patterns vs Synced Patterns

Block Patterns and Synced Patterns are both features of WordPress designed to streamline the page-building process, but they serve different purposes and offer distinct functionalities.

Feature	Block Patterns	Synced Patterns
Definition	Reusable groups of blocks within a WordPress site	Reusable groups of blocks shared across multiple WordPress sites
Scope	Local to the site where they are created	Shared across multiple sites connected to the same pattern library
Creation	Created directly in the WordPress editor	Created in a central pattern library and synced to connected sites
Editing	Edited directly in the WordPress editor	Edited in the pattern library and synced to connected sites
Sharing	Shared within the same site	Shared across multiple sites
Version Control	Limited version control within the site	Advanced version control in the pattern library
Collaboration	Collaboration within the same site	Collaboration across multiple sites
Central Management	No central management	Central management in the pattern library
Performance	Can impact performance if not optimized	Can improve performance by reducing duplicate content
Use Cases	Creating consistent layouts and content within a single site	Creating consistent layouts and content across multiple sites

Hopefully, the table above made it slightly easier to understand the difference between them.

How to Use Block Patterns in WordPress?

To use block patterns, start by editing the WordPress post or page where you want to add one.

• On the post edit screen, click the Add Block [+] button to open the block inserter.

• Then, click on the “Patterns“. You’ll see different patterns that you can choose from.
• Drag and drop the pattern you want to work with, and it will appear in the editor.

• The pattern you select will contain placeholder text which you can easily edit and replace with your own content.

How to Find More Block Patterns to Use on Your Website?

To find more block patterns for your website, explore the WordPress pattern directory.

This directory offers a wide range of pre-designed patterns that can be easily added to your site.

• To use a block pattern, simply click to view the pattern and then select the ‘Copy pattern‘ button.

• Open the WordPress editor where you want to insert the block pattern.
• In the editor, right-click where you want the pattern, and select ‘Paste’ from the browser menu or press CTRL+V (on Windows) or CMD+V (on Mac).

• You can further customize the pattern according to your website theme and needs.

How to Create Patterns in Block Editor?

Working with reusable layouts can help you maintain design consistency across your site while speeding up the workflow.

• While editing a post or page, select the blocks you want to include in your pattern and click ‘Create Pattern.’

• Add a name for your pattern and choose a category.

• Click on the ‘Add’ button to save your pattern.

The next time you want to use that pattern, simply search for its name or category in the block inserter.

How to Create Patterns in Site Editor?

If you’re using a block theme with full site editor support, you can also create patterns within the site editor.

• To access it, go to Appearance > Editor.

• This will take you to the site editor interface.

• Click on ‘Patterns’ in the left sidebar to proceed.
• Here, you’ll find all the available patterns and their categories.
• To create a new pattern, click the ‘+’ button and choose ‘Create Pattern.’

• WordPress will create a blank canvas for you to create your pattern.
• From here, you can add blocks to design your pattern, For example, I am creating a comparison table.

• Click on the ‘Save’ button to save your pattern.

How to Create WordPress Block Patterns Manually

• To create your own patterns in the post or page editor, switch to Code Editor mode by clicking the ellipsis icon in the top-right corner of the editor.

• Copy all the code from the Code Editor and paste it into a plain text editor like Notepad. This is a useful backup method — if your theme ever breaks down, you can reuse the old code to rebuild your website.

• You can also access the code directly by going to your WordPress dashboard, then navigating to Appearance → Theme File Editor, and selecting the functions.php file.

Note: Depending on your WordPress setup, you may also find the Theme Editor option under the Tools section in your dashboard.

• After copying and saving the original code as a backup, create a new PHP file for your block pattern:
  • Navigate to your theme’s directory. You can find this under wp-content/themes/your-theme-name/.
  • Create a new PHP file, for example, my-block-pattern.php.

• Inside this file, add the following header and pattern code:

<?php
/**
 * Title: My awesome pattern
 * Slug: twentytwentythree/my-block-pattern
 * Post Types: post
 * Categories: featured, banner
 * Viewport Width: 800
 * Keywords: Call to action, Cloudways
 * Block Types: core/buttons
 */
?>

• Below this header, you can add custom block pattern HTML code. For example:

<!-- wp:column -->
<div class="wp-block-column">
    <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"style":{"color":{"text":"#5831f6"}}} -->
    <h4 class="wp-block-heading has-text-color" style="color:#5831f6">Your New Home for Modern Web Apps and Sites</h4>
    <!-- /wp:heading -->

    <!-- wp:paragraph -->
    <p>Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that simplifies server management for businesses, offering scalability, performance, and security without the need for technical expertise.</p>
    <!-- /wp:paragraph -->
</div>
<!-- /wp:column -->

<!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex"}} -->
<div class="wp-block-buttons">
    <!-- wp:button {"textAlign":"center","textColor":"base","width":100,"style":{"color":{"background":"#5831f6"},"typography":{"fontSize":"1.36rem"},"border":{"radius":{"topLeft":"0px","topRight":"0px","bottomLeft":"16px","bottomRight":"16px"}}},"fontFamily":"inter"} -->
    <div class="wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 has-custom-font-size has-inter-font-family" style="font-size:1.36rem">
        <a class="wp-block-button__link has-base-color has-text-color has-background has-text-align-center wp-element-button" style="border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:16px;border-bottom-right-radius:16px;background-color:#5831f6">
            <strong><?php echo __( 'View plans', 'text-domain' ); ?></strong>
        </a>
    </div>
    <!-- /wp:button -->
</div>
<!-- /wp:buttons -->

• Now that you have created your block pattern, it’s time to make sure WordPress recognizes it. You will need to tell WordPress to load this new file.
• Open your functions.php file again.
• At the bottom of this file, add the following line of code to include the new block pattern file: require get_template_directory() . ‘/my-block-pattern.php’;

This line ensures that WordPress loads the new block pattern along with the rest of your theme.

• Save the changes to your functions.php file.
• Go to your WordPress dashboard and open the post or page editor.
• When you click to add a new block pattern, the custom block pattern you created (titled “My awesome pattern”) should now appear under the categories you specified (e.g., “featured” or “banner“). Like so:

• To access your saved pattern next time you wanna use it, go to your website and click Edit site.

• Click on Patterns.

• Finally, click on My patterns to view your saved pattern. Like so:

How to Export and Import Block Patterns?

• To export a custom pattern, go to the pattern library in the Site Editor by clicking the WordPress or website icon in the top left corner and selecting Patterns.

• Select the pattern you want to export, click the ellipsis icon under the pattern thumbnail to open the drop-down menu, and choose Export as JSON.

• Your browser will display a download prompt to save the JSON file to your computer. Once you have the JSON files for your patterns, you can import them to other WordPress sites.
• To do this, open the pattern library and click the Add New Pattern button at the top right of the page.
• Then, select Import Pattern from JSON, which will prompt you to choose a JSON file from your computer. Select the pattern’s JSON file and upload it.

How to Remove a Block Pattern in WordPress?

You can also remove or delete a block pattern you’ve registered.

• Select the pattern you want to export, click the ellipsis icon under the pattern thumbnail to open the drop-down menu, and choose delete.

• Confirm that you want to delete your pattern, and that’s it.

Troubleshooting Block Patterns

When working with block patterns in WordPress, you may encounter some common issues. Here are a few tips to help you troubleshoot effectively:

Block Validation Errors

Block validation errors occur when a block is modified outside of the block editor, causing a mismatch between the saved content and the block’s expected output.

Solution

• Go to Users > Profile in your WordPress dashboard. Disable the visual editor when writing.

• Inspect the HTML markup for any differences between the actual content and the expected block structure.

Template Issues

If your block pattern or theme has issues with templates not rendering correctly, this could be due to incorrect template hierarchy or missing templates in your theme.

Solution

• Check Template Hierarchy: Ensure your theme follows the WordPress template hierarchy. Refer to the WordPress Template Hierarchy for guidance.

• Verify Template Parts: If using a block-based theme, ensure template parts are correctly defined. Add template parts like this in your theme files (e.g., header.php): <!– wp:template-part {“slug”:”header”} →

For instance, in the Twenty Twenty-Four theme, make sure essential templates (like the header) are present and correctly linked.

• Theme Customization: If using a different theme, ensure your functions.php file includes any necessary functions or features to integrate properly with the theme.

Missing Template Parts

Missing template parts often occur when the theme cannot locate the referenced template part, either due to incorrect naming or the file being missing from the theme.

Solution

• Check Template Part Names: Ensure that the names used in your block patterns match the actual template files in your theme directory. For instance, if your block pattern references a header and footer, they should be named correctly in your theme files. Here’s how to include them:

<!-- wp:template-part {"slug":"header"} -->
<!-- wp:template-part {"slug":"footer"} -->

• File Structure: Make sure you have the corresponding template files (like header.php and footer.php) in your theme directory. If these files are missing or named differently, you’ll encounter a “Missing Template Parts” error.

1. Correct Naming Convention: Always use consistent naming conventions. For example, if your header file is named custom-header.php, your block pattern should reference it correctly:

<!-- wp:template-part {"slug":"custom-header"} -->

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Conclusion

Block patterns not only simplify the design process but also make website management more efficient. Features like reusable blocks and synced patterns help you update content across multiple pages simultaneously, improving workflow.

The flexibility of block patterns lets you create more dynamic and engaging pages. You can easily make your own or tweak existing ones, giving you countless ways to customize your site just the way you want.