When WordPress introduced the Gutenberg editor in version 5.0 (December 2018), it replaced the text-based TinyMCE editor with a visual, drag-and-drop block system. The new editor made it easier for users to design layouts without touching code. While it was initially met with mixed reviews, today, Gutenberg WordPress has matured into a visual editor that lets users build complex layouts, insert dynamic content, and control site-wide design, often with cleaner code and faster load times than tools like Elementor or WPBakery.
In this article, we’ll explore what Gutenberg is, how it works, how it compares to the Classic Editor and third-party builders, the essential features of WordPress that enhance its power, and how you can start using Gutenberg step-by-step to build your website.
Table of Contents
What Is Gutenberg WordPress?
Gutenberg is the default WordPress block editor that replaced the older TinyMCE Classic Editor. It uses a visual, modular system where each content element, like text, image, button, or video, is a “block” that can be added, styled, and rearranged.
Blocks allow users to build multi-column layouts, embed media, style content sections, and rearrange elements without writing a single line of HTML or CSS.
Key Technologies Behind Gutenberg Site Builder:
- React: For building the editor UI
- REST API: For dynamic data handling
- JavaScript ES6+ and Webpack/Babel for modular development
You can find more technical details in the official documentation.
Why Gutenberg Is User-Friendly
1. WYSIWYG at Its Best
The editor mirrors your site’s front-end styling, including fonts, colors, and spacing, so you see exactly how your text, images, and layout will appear to visitors.
2. Intuitive Interface
Adding a block is as simple as clicking the “+” button. Blocks are organized by type (text, media, design, widgets, embeds) and can be found instantly using a search bar. Inline block controls appear only when needed, keeping the UI clean and focused.
3. Accessibility and Keyboard Support
Gutenberg supports screen readers and offers well-built keyboard navigation, ensuring that users with screen readers, visual impairments, or mobility limitations can navigate and interact with content efficiently.
4. Drag-and-Drop + Layout Flexibility
You can move blocks up and down with drag-and-drop or keyboard arrows. Advanced layout options like columns, spacers, and groups allow the creation of complex designs without coding.
5. Full Site Editing (FSE)
With FSE and block themes, users can now edit headers, footers, templates, and even archive pages visually, bringing a full no-code website-building experience to WordPress core.
Gutenberg vs. Classic Editor
The Classic Editor is a good do-to option for simple blog posts with basic formatting. Gutenberg site builder, on the other hand, allows full layout design and visual content creation without needing a page builder.
| Feature | Gutenberg (Block Editor) | Classic Editor |
| Editing Interface | Visual block-based layout | Text-area with toolbar (TinyMCE) |
| User Experience | Drag-and-drop, live editing | Minimal formatting options |
| Layout Control | Flexible layout with blocks and columns | Limited layout capabilities |
| Multimedia Handling | Embed and style media visually | Media inserted as static elements |
| Code Output | Semantic, cleaner HTML | Often outputs unstructured HTML or embeds functionality using shortcodes |
| Customization | Granular block styling, reusable blocks | Basic formatting, no reuse features |
| Extendability | Extendable with custom blocks/plugins | Limited to short codes and meta boxes |
| Full Site Editing Support | Yes (with block themes) | No |
| Performance | Better-optimized output | Depends on the theme/plugin structure |
Gutenberg vs. External Page Builders
While popular page builders like Elementor, WPBakery, Divi, and Beaver Builder have provided visual editing for years, Gutenberg has several important advantages:
| Feature | Gutenberg | External Page Builders |
| Performance | Lightweight, minimal extra code | Can be bloated with scripts and styles |
| Ease of Use | Simple, focused interface | Often complex, feature-heavy |
| Code Quality | Clean HTML, better for SEO | Heavily nested divs, shortcodes |
| Integration | Built-in, native WordPress | Separate plugin layer |
| Speed | Faster page loads | May require optimization work |
| Theme Compatibility | Designed to work with core themes | May need custom themes or templates |
| Learning Curve | Easier for beginners | Steeper curve for advanced features |
| Cost | Free, open-source | Often requires premium licenses |
Why Gutenberg Is a Better Long-Term Bet:
- Part of WordPress Core. It evolves in sync with WordPress, backed by the full resources of Automattic and the open-source community.
- No Vendor Lock-In. Content is stored in HTML in the database, and it’s portable and accessible without the plugin.
- Extensible and Modular. Developers can build custom blocks using standard web technologies like JavaScript and React.
Gutenberg Toolbox: Reusable Blocks, Patterns, and Page Templates
These Gutenberg’s three tools will help you save time and maintain consistency across your WordPress site: Reusable Blocks, Block Patterns, and Templates.
Reusable Blocks keep content synced across pages, Patterns speed up section layouts, and Templates define full-page structure, making them suited to different stages of site-building. Let’s talk about each of them in more detail.
Reusable blocks for centralized content control
Reusable blocks are individual or grouped Gutenberg blocks that can be saved and reused across multiple pages or posts. When you update the block in one place, it reflects the changes everywhere it’s used.
Why it matters:
They are good for content that needs to stay consistent site-wide, like disclaimers, CTAs, promo banners, or a branded newsletter signup.
How to create one:
- Select a block (or group of blocks)
- Click the 3-dot menu → “Add to Reusable blocks”
- Give it a name (e.g., “Footer CTA”)
- You can now insert it via the block inserter under “Reusable”
Use Cases:
- E-commerce Sites. Use reusable product guarantee badges or return policy text on multiple product pages.
- Multi-author Blogs. Insert a reusable “About the Author” block under each post, syncing author info across the site.
- Legal Sites. Include a synchronized privacy disclaimer or terms acknowledgment across forms and service pages.
Tip: Before editing a reusable block in-place, click “Convert to regular blocks” if you want to make a change that applies only to that specific instance.
Block patterns for layout efficiency at scale
Block patterns are predesigned block groupings that serve as layout blueprints. They’re inserted into a page and act as a starting point for design and content. Once inserted, they are independent, meaning you can fully customize them without affecting any other instances.
Why it matters:
Patterns let you create fast, visually consistent sections without rebuilding them from scratch. They are essential for scaling design consistency across dozens of pages.
How to insert one:
- Click the “+” button → “Patterns” tab
- Browse built-in options or ones provided by your theme or plugins
- Insert and customize freely
Use cases:
- Landing Pages. Build pages using stacked patterns like hero sections, testimonials, FAQs, and pricing tables.
- Agencies. Create a set of branded patterns for clients to reuse and maintain visual consistency even after handoff.
- Theme Developers. Register custom block patterns programmatically so that they appear in all installations of a theme.
Tip: You can create your own custom patterns via the Site Editor (Appearance → Editor → Patterns) or by registering them in code using register_block_pattern().
Templates: the backbone of block-based site architecture
Templates are layouts that define the structure of entire post types or page types (e.g., single posts, archives, pages, products). They allow you to control what elements appear where: headers, content areas, footers, sidebars, metadata, featured images, etc.
Where they live:
Templates are part of Full Site Editing (FSE), available only with block themes. They are edited in the Site Editor (Appearance → Editor).
Why it matters:
Templates allow for site-wide consistency and save massive amounts of time by automating layout rules.
Use cases:
- Blog Post Template. Automatically adds the post title, date, author, featured image, and content blocks.
- Custom Landing Page Template. Removes the header and footer to focus on conversions.
- E-commerce Product Page Template. Includes product gallery, price, add-to-cart, and related items blocks.
Tip: Combine templates with template parts (like header, footer, or sidebar) to modularize your site’s architecture and make updates globally.
When to use what
| Feature | Reusable Blocks | Block Patterns | Templates |
| Scope | Single block or grouped content | Section layout blueprint | Full page/post layout |
| Linked/Editable Globally | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (via Site Editor) |
| Where to Create | In the post/page editor | Editor or programmatically | Site Editor (block themes only) |
| Ideal Use | Consistent content across the site | Speedy layout building | Controlling global structure |
| Requires Block Theme? | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
How WordPress Block Editor Works
As it was said, Gutenberg site builder is developed on a concept called block-based editing. Here’s how it works:
1. Blocks for everything
Each piece of content is its own block:
- A paragraph is a Paragraph block
- An image is an Image block
- A list is a List block
- A video embed is a YouTube block
- Layout elements like columns, groups, and covers are also blocks
This modular approach lets you build each section, such as headers, testimonials, FAQs, and product features, independently and visually arrange them without writing layout code.
2. Drag, drop, customize
Blocks can be added, reordered, grouped, or nested. Each block includes sidebar controls for changing text size, background color, padding, alignment, and responsive settings, so you can match your branding without CSS.
3. Reusable & synced blocks
You can create Reusable Blocks or Synced Patterns to reuse the same content (like a call-to-action or disclaimer) across different posts or pages. When edited in one place, synced blocks update everywhere they’re used.
4. Extendable via plugins
Many plugins add new types of blocks like sliders, pricing tables, forms, or testimonials, giving you the functionality of a page builder within the native WordPress environment.
How Gutenberg Improves Website Performance
Website speed and performance are essential for SEO, user experience, and conversion rates. Gutenberg helps in multiple ways:
Cleaner, more semantic code output
The HTML output of Gutenberg blocks is cleaner and more semantic than many page builders. Instead of nested divs and bloated wrappers, Gutenberg uses minimal markup, which reduces page size and improves rendering speed.
No additional JavaScript or CSS bloat
External builders often load large CSS/JS files on every page, even if only a small widget is used. Gutenberg loads CSS and JavaScript only for the blocks used on a specific page, unlike most builders, which load global scripts sitewide, even when they’re not needed. It’s optimized to work with the WordPress environment. This reduces requests, saves bandwidth, and helps achieve better Core Web Vitals.
Smaller page size
Because of cleaner code and native WordPress functions, Gutenberg pages often result in smaller file sizes, are faster for visitors, and are better for SEO.
Optimized asset loading
WordPress loads only the block assets needed for the page, which improves Core Web Vitals metrics like FCP (First Contentful Paint) and LCP (Largest Contentful Paint).
Built-in optimization features
WordPress now lazy-loads offscreen images by default, defers iframe loading (like embedded YouTube videos), and selectively loads block assets, reducing load time and boosting Core Web Vitals scores.
Gutenberg’s SEO & Accessibility Benefits: More Than Just Pretty Pages
While Gutenberg shines as a user-friendly content editor, it’s also a feature-rich toolkit. Behind the scenes, it’s helping your site load faster, rank higher, and become more usable for everyone, including people with disabilities and search engines.
SEO benefits:
1. Semantic HTML for better indexing
Each Gutenberg block outputs structured, readable HTML. For example:
- Headings = <h2>, <h3> → Clear content hierarchy
- Images = <figure> + <figcaption> → Context-rich media
- Lists = <ul>, <li> → Accurate grouping of items
Search engines like Google can parse your content more easily, improving your chances of ranking for rich snippets and featured results.
2. Cleaner code means faster loads
Unlike many page builders that output complex, nested <div> structures or rely heavily on inline styles and shortcodes, Gutenberg keeps code lean:
- Less DOM complexity = faster browser rendering
- Smaller file sizes = reduced TTFB (Time To First Byte)
- Improved CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) = better Core Web Vitals
Result: Your site meets Google’s performance metrics without needing extra optimization plugins.
3. Built-in optimization features
Gutenberg and WordPress core come with several native enhancements:
- Lazy Loading: Images and iframes (like YouTube) are lazy-loaded to speed up page loads
- Deferred Scripts: JavaScript loads only when needed
- Block-level Asset Loading: Only loads styles/scripts for blocks used on the current page
4. Content structure helps SEO plugins work better
SEO tools like Yoast SEO, RankMath, and All in One SEO integrate seamlessly into the block editor and offer:
- Real-time SEO suggestions
- Readability analysis
- Rich Schema support (for reviews, FAQs, events)
This integration makes it easy to build content that’s not only well-written but technically optimized.
Accessibility: inclusive by default
Gutenberg includes screen reader labels, skip-link support, keyboard navigation, and ARIA roles, which makes the editor accessible to users who rely on assistive technology or keyboard input. Also, it’s built with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) in mind.
1. Screen reader compatibility
- Blocks are labeled with ARIA roles and descriptive labels
- Live regions help screen readers announce changes or errors
- Images require alt text by default
This ensures that screen reader users can understand your content structure clearly.
2. Keyboard navigation
- You can navigate between blocks, toolbars, and sidebars using keyboard arrows, Tab, and Esc.
- Shortcuts like ‘/’ to insert blocks or Ctrl+Option+O to open the block list help power users and accessibility tool users work more efficiently.
3. Contrast and typography controls
Block themes allow users to adjust:
- Text sizes and spacing (for better legibility)
- Background and font colors (with WCAG-safe defaults)
- Heading levels and spacing for logical flow
4. Accessibility checker plugins
Gutenberg is compatible with tools like:
- WP Accessibility. Adds skip links, removes title attributes, and highlights accessibility issues
- Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker. Scans block content for WCAG violations right inside the editor
Compatibility With Themes and Plugins
1. Block themes vs. classic themes
- Block Themes (like Twenty Twenty-Four). Fully support Full Site Editing and allow layout changes from the editor itself.
- Classic Themes: Still compatible with Gutenberg, but rely on traditional PHP templates and widget areas.
2. Plugin ecosystem
Thousands of plugins now offer Gutenberg block support, including:
- WooCommerce. Product grids, cart buttons, checkout blocks
- Yoast SEO. On-page SEO controls inside the block editor
- Jetpack. Social media, galleries, and contact forms as blocks
- Kadence Blocks, GenerateBlocks, Stackable. Advanced layout and design controls
Who Should Use Gutenberg?
For beginners:
- Easy to learn and use with drag-and-drop controls.
- Great for writing blog posts, creating landing pages, and managing simple sites.
For agencies:
- Faster development using block patterns and reusable templates.
- Easier handoff to clients who don’t need to know HTML or CSS.
For developers:
- Full control over custom blocks, themes, and APIs.
- Clean, sustainable codebase that avoids vendor lock-in.
The Future of Gutenberg: Full Site Editing (FSE)
Gutenberg is evolving into a site-wide design tool. With FSE:
- You can build entire themes using blocks
- Customize headers, footers, templates, and sidebars without code
- Use global styles to manage fonts, colors, and the layout site-wide
- Collaboration features (like Google Docs-style editing)
Thanks to block themes like Twenty Twenty-Four and the Site Editor, WordPress is getting closer to a true no-code experience, where you can build and manage your entire site, from headers to page layouts, right inside the block editor.
Final Thoughts
Gutenberg offers a fresh, modern way to build websites right inside WordPress. It’s fast, easy to use, and works great for both cases: just starting out or handling more complex projects.
Unlike the old Classic Editor or bulky page builders, Gutenberg gives you flexible tools that fit everything, from a simple blog to custom client sites or advanced website development, with clean code and quick load times, without unnecessary extras.
No matter if you’re a beginner launching your first blog, an agency delivering sites to clients, or a developer wanting more control, Gutenberg is definitely worth getting familiar with.
Want to see what Gutenberg can really do?
DeveloPress is a WordPress development agency, and Gutenberg is one of our favorite playgrounds. From custom block patterns and themes to performance tweaks that shave seconds off your load time, we’ve got the expertise to build exactly what you WordPress-envision.
Let’s chat about how we can translate your concept into a working site.
