The WordPress Block Editor, commonly known as Gutenberg, has completely changed how content is created in WordPress. Instead of relying on shortcodes, custom fields, or heavy page builders, Gutenberg introduces a block-based editing experience that is fast, flexible, and future-proof.

While WordPress ships with many default blocks, real-world projects often require something more specific—custom layouts, dynamic data, branded components, or advanced functionality. That’s where custom Gutenberg blocks come in.

In this detailed guide, you’ll learn how to build custom Gutenberg blocks from scratch, understand the tools involved, explore multiple development approaches, and follow best practices for performance, usability, and maintainability.

Whether you’re a WordPress developer, theme author, or plugin builder, mastering custom Gutenberg blocks is an essential skill.

What Are Gutenberg Blocks?

Gutenberg blocks are modular content components used in the WordPress editor. Each piece of content—paragraphs, images, buttons, galleries—is a block.

Blocks can be:

• Static (pure HTML output)
• Dynamic (rendered via PHP)
• Reusable
• Nested inside other blocks

Custom Gutenberg blocks allow you to define your own editor UI and frontend output, giving you full control over design and functionality.

Why Build Custom Gutenberg Blocks?

Building custom Gutenberg blocks offers several advantages:

Better Editor Experience

Clients and editors get intuitive controls instead of shortcodes.

Reusable Components

Create once, reuse across posts and pages.

Cleaner Content

Blocks store structured data instead of messy HTML.

Performance Friendly

Blocks are lighter than many page builders.

Future-Proof Development

Gutenberg is the future of WordPress editing.

Prerequisites for Building Custom Gutenberg Blocks

Before you start, you should have a basic understanding of:

• WordPress plugin development
• PHP fundamentals
• JavaScript (ES6+)
• React basics (JSX, components, props, state)
• Node.js and npm

You don’t need to be a React expert, but familiarity helps a lot.

Ways to Build Custom Gutenberg Blocks

There are multiple ways to build custom Gutenberg blocks in WordPress:

1. Using @wordpress/create-block (recommended)
2. Manual block registration
3. PHP-based dynamic blocks
4. Block builder plugins (for non-developers)

In this guide, we’ll focus on the modern and recommended approach.

Method 1: Build Custom Gutenberg Blocks Using @wordpress/create-block

This is the official and best-supported way to build blocks.

Step 1: Set Up Your Development Environment

Make sure you have:

• Node.js (LTS version)
• npm or yarn
• Local WordPress environment (XAMPP, Local, or Docker)

Verify Node installation:

node -v
npm -v

Step 2: Create a New Block Plugin

Navigate to your plugins directory and run:

npx @wordpress/create-block custom-block-example

This command:

• Creates a new plugin
• Sets up build tools
• Registers a sample block
• Configures scripts automatically

Activate the plugin from the WordPress dashboard.

Understanding the Plugin Structure

Key files you’ll work with:

• block.json – Block metadata
• index.js – Block registration
• edit.js – Editor UI
• save.js – Frontend output
• style.scss – Frontend styles
• editor.scss – Editor styles
• render.php (optional) – Dynamic rendering

block.json Explained

The block.json file defines how your block behaves.

Important fields:

• name
• title
• category
• icon
• attributes
• supports
• editorScript
• style

Using block.json improves performance and enables automatic asset loading.

Step 3: Define Block Attributes

Attributes store block data.

Example attributes:

• Text content
• Colors
• URLs
• Boolean settings
• Numbers

Attributes are defined in block.json and used in both editor and frontend output.

Step 4: Build the Editor UI (edit.js)

The edit.js file controls what users see in the editor.

Common components used:

• RichText
• InspectorControls
• PanelBody
• ColorPalette
• TextControl
• ToggleControl

This is where you create a user-friendly interface for content editors.

Step 5: Save the Block Output (save.js)

The save.js file defines how the block content is saved into the post.

Static blocks return JSX markup that becomes part of the post content.

If your block needs dynamic data, you’ll use PHP rendering instead.

Method 2: Build Dynamic Gutenberg Blocks with PHP

Dynamic blocks are rendered on the server using PHP.

When to Use Dynamic Blocks

• Display latest posts
• Show user-specific data
• Fetch database values
• Integrate APIs

How Dynamic Blocks Work

Instead of a save.js file:

• Use render.php
• Register block with render_callback
• Output content dynamically

This keeps content fresh without re-saving posts.

Styling Custom Gutenberg Blocks

You can style blocks using:

• style.scss for frontend
• editor.scss for editor-only styles
• Shared styles for consistency

Best practices:

• Scope styles to your block
• Avoid global CSS
• Keep editor and frontend styles aligned

Adding Inspector Controls

Inspector controls allow users to customize blocks from the sidebar.

Examples:

• Layout options
• Typography settings
• Spacing controls
• Toggle features

This greatly improves block flexibility and usability.

Block Supports and Features

You can enable built-in WordPress features like:

• Alignment
• Spacing
• Colors
• Typography
• Anchor links
• Custom class names

These are defined in block.json using the supports field.

Method 3: Build Custom Gutenberg Blocks Without JavaScript (Limited)

You can register blocks purely with PHP using register_block_type().

Pros:

• Easier for PHP developers
• No React required

Cons:

• Limited editor customization
• Not suitable for complex blocks

This approach works best for simple or dynamic content blocks.

Testing and Debugging Custom Gutenberg Blocks

Always test blocks thoroughly:

• Editor preview
• Frontend rendering
• Responsive behavior
• Accessibility
• Compatibility with themes
• PHP and JS errors

Use browser dev tools and WordPress debug mode.

Best Practices for Building Custom Gutenberg Blocks

• Keep blocks focused on one purpose
• Use meaningful attribute names
• Avoid hardcoded styles
• Make blocks responsive
• Ensure accessibility (ARIA, contrast, keyboard navigation)
• Follow WordPress coding standards
• Document your blocks clearly

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overloading a single block with too many options
• Ignoring mobile responsiveness
• Using inline styles excessively
• Breaking backward compatibility
• Not sanitizing dynamic output

When to Use Custom Blocks vs Page Builders

Custom Gutenberg blocks are ideal when:

• Performance matters
• You need reusable components
• You want long-term maintainability
• You’re building themes or plugins

Page builders may still suit non-technical users or quick layouts, but custom blocks offer cleaner architecture.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to build custom Gutenberg blocks is one of the most valuable skills for modern WordPress development. Blocks offer a perfect balance between flexibility, performance, and user experience.

By building your own custom blocks, you gain full control over how content is created and displayed—without relying on bloated plugins or complex shortcodes.

Whether you’re creating client websites, premium themes, or advanced plugins, custom Gutenberg blocks help you build better, faster, and future-ready WordPress solutions.

Take full control of the WordPress editor—build custom Gutenberg blocks today and create faster, cleaner, and more powerful WordPress websites.