The Geeky Guide to WordPress – Gutenberg in 10 Steps

As I’ve been doing this blogging thing a little while now and it seemed a good idea to pass on a few of the things that I’ve learned over the five years that I’ve been doing this. In easy and often geeky steps you’ll be taken through the steps and point out the pitfalls of taking your blog seed and growing it into something really amazing.

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The Gutenberg post editor has arrived and as with all change there’s something else to learn and a few ruffled feathers. I’m just coming to grips with it myself so I thought I would be helpful and give you my bloggies a few pointers.

1. Blocks

The first thing you need to know is the Gutenberg editor is built around blocks. For those of you that don’t know Gutenberg was the father of modern printing – he transformed the world with his innovative use of blocked letters to produce pages of print that took books to the masses.

This gives a clue on the thinking with this Gutenberg editor. Everything on your posts and pages is now a block.

So, if you want some text in your post – it’s a block, picture, a block, a seperator even… is a block.

2. Adding Blocks

This is where I found I got a little unstuck at first, I think it’s improved over the last couple of months.

As you’re creating your page or post the block is highlighted in blue. When this is visible a + is seen at the top or at the bottom of the block, prompting to add a block either above or below the block you’re in.

Another way to add a block is to use the + button at the top left of the screen!

3. Changing a Block

Editing a block or deleting it is also pretty straight forward. Look for the button with three vertical dots, click on it and some options come up, from here the block can be justified, or deleted.

Also look to the left, the up down arrows change the block order or click the dots in the middle and drag the block to where you want it.

4. Block Colours

This is one of the coolest new features the Gutenberg gives the post and page maker – text and background colours. As you’re writing in the block on the right are block settings, in there is the colour settings, drop the arrow down and…

Within the block the background and text colours can be changed… just like in this block.

5. Gutenberg Tool Bar

As said before on the top left is a + to add a post but there’s more there too.

So the + in a circle is add block (important that) as we know.
There’s the arrows for undo and redo.
The little i in a circle give you this kind of information:

With the button on the right is a drop down for post navigation.

6. Post Copy

This annoyed me at first – there was not copy option for posts, it now exists, in My Blogs, go to blog posts. Find the post you want to copy, click the three dots on the right and hey presto! There’s your copy post option.

7. Text on Image

This is another cute feature I hope they’re going to do more with… Go to Add > Common Blocks > Cover.
Add the image you want.
Write in text.
I can’t yet see a way to increase the text size… that’s why I hope they’re going to work on this tool.

Aston Martin

8. The Read More Block

It may shock you to know that the read more text is now… a block! So add a block go to layout elements click on More.
Done. Simples.

9. The Drop Cap

I can make the first letter in a block big in the block settings (on the right). Click the drop cap button and Ping!

10. Reusable Blocks

This is almost the coolest part, great for making a post / site header or footer template. Create the whatever you want to create, with words pictures etc. Select it all and on your three vertical lines add it to re-usable blocks.

Give it a name

It will now appear at the bottom on your block lists. The best part about this, is if you change a reusable block, it will change it on whatever posts or pages it’s been used!

Ultimate and easy updating!

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Now you know 10 things about the Gutenberg post editor, will you give it a go?
What else have you found that’s given you trouble? I know the learning curve on this is quite steep and daunting – but I can see the benefits and how this can really make your work stand out.

If you haven’t already… give it a go!

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