Using Gutenberg & WordPress Blocks Resource Guide

by | Blog, Course Materials, Resources, Wordpress

Using Gutenberg & WordPress Blocks Resource Guide

Rather than re-invent the wheel and create a new series of WordPress tutorials, I’m creating a list of links to some recommended resources to help you begin using blocks in the new Gutenberg Editor for WordPress, available with release 5.0. It is a significant mental shift from the old WordPress editor but offers the kind of customization folks have wanted without the coding.

Check out that fact that you can directly embed most social media as well as Youtube videos and much more, plus you can directly include tables without the custom CSS and widgets like Recent Posts without a sidebar. Just, please, don’t go crazy with all of the color settings and design options available for each block. Keep It Simple, Sweetie!

WPBeginner.com: A clear step-by-step beginner’s guide to using WordPress blocks with clear screen images and explanations. WPBeginnger.com is also a great resource for most beginner questions about WordPress.

For those preferring video, here are some introductory guides and some information on going beyond the basic blocks.

A very simple, clear, and brief introduction to Gutenberg blocks — with a lovely Australian accent. Ignore the information at the beginning about updating your WordPress installation and plugins if your website was created after 2018. This is my recommended starting point.
A good intro to Gutenberg Editor for new users and those transitioning from the old editor — explained with a lovely European accent! A bit more detail on styling elements as well as updating old WordPress installations.
In case you are wanting to know the difference between a Page Builder and WordPress with Gutenberg blocks, or you are considering a Page Builder add-on to WordPress, this is a pretty good round-up. (FYI, I use Divi by Elegant Themes (affiliate links in the sidebar.)
A brief, soothing overview of the new default WP TwentyTwenty theme using the 5.3 release (and higher when it arrives) of WordPress
While this is promoting the Divi Builder plug-in, it gives you a good idea of how the Divi Theme works as well. I’ve been using Elegant Themes since before Divi to produce professional, quick results. Since Divi was released, I have used Divi for all my commercial sites. There is a larger learning curve because you can do style it in practically any fashion without custom coding. However, if you aren’t planning to do more than one website and you don’t want to spend your time developing and maintaining your website’s backend, you may want something like Squarespace or Wix and use a default theme.