Reusable block: How to Create, Save, Reuse, Edit and Manage

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Reusable Block functionality has lifted WordPress Block Editor or Gutenberg Editor to an honorable height. This is a new idea; frankly speaking, a revolution in WordPress posting system. Such functionality was no way possible by the old Classic Editor.

The name suggests what Reusable block means. The new WordPress Gutenberg Editor introduced the system to save any block- either Created or Collected or Edited as Reusable block and reuse it next time from Block Insertion Window.

On inclusion of Reusable block WordPress posting has turned simpler, time-saving, energy-saving and full of motion.

So, as the title suggests, in this tutorial, we’re going to represent the handy guide on how to Create, Save, Reuse, Edit and Manage Reusable Block in WordPress Block Editor.

Contextually we’ve contributed a bunch of articles regarding how to use Block Editor. Some links are here. To master the techniques of using Block Editor, you can study them out-

Why to use Reusable block

There are a few possible reasons why you can save a block and reuse it in next-time editing-

Learn to use Reusable block
  • You want to reuse the exact copy of a block with all structure, style and content.
  • You want to reuse the structure and style and replace the content.
  • You want to reuse the content with editing the style.
  • Using a group of blocks as a page Template.

Remember, if you don’t convert a Reusable block as the Regular block before start reusing, the change you make in it will affect all the same Reusable blocks in your site. However we’ll detail this points at the last stage in this tutorial.

Create or Save as Reusable block

Before we go in detail, let’s introduce the Reusable Block Management page.

You can enter Reusable Block Management page by following these paths-

  • In the Block Editor’s screen, click Three-dot menu on upper-right corner. Under Tools, click ‘Manage all Reusable Blocks’.
  • In the Block Insertion window, click Reusable menu. Scroll down to the bottom and Click ‘Manage all Reusable Blocks’.

You reach this page (screenshot- 1).

Reusable Block Management
Screenshot- 1

From here, you can Add, Edit and Manage, Remove, Import and Export all of your Reusable blocks. Your Created and Saved blocks will be shown listed.

Create

To Create or Add a new Reusable block, click Add New on upper-left of this page. A new page will appear for adding block (screenshot- 2). This page is something like New Post page.

Add New Reusable Block
Screenshot- 2

Give a suitable Title for your Reusable block. An empty block is pre-inserted below. You can use it as Paragraph block. Otherwise, click Insertion sign (+) to add desired block. Complete making the block by adding style and content.

When done, head over to upper-right menu and Publish or Save your block as Draft. Your Published or Drafted Reusable block will be shown listed on the Management page.

In this way, you can add a completely new Reusable block.

Save

While working in a post with Block Editor, you might want to save any of the blocks as Reusable. For this, you have to go through the following process-

Save as Reusable Block
Screenshot- 3
  • Click the block you like to Save as Reusable.
  • Click Three-dot menu on upper-right of the block toolbar.
  • From the menu list, click ‘Add to Reusable Blocks’. A window appears asking you to specify the title of the Reusable block (screenshot- 3).
  • Give a title to it. And hit Save. You block is saved as Reusable and added to the list on Management page.

Noted, don’t forget to convert the original block to Regular block by clicking ‘Convert to Regualar block’ option in the toolbar.

Edit and Manage your Reusable blocks

From the Reusable Block Management page (screenshot- 1), add new block as well as edit and manage prevailing blocks.

Below each listed block title, you find the following options-

  • Edit: To edit the block.
  • Trash: To remove the block.
  • Export as JSON: To save the block as .json file on your Hard Drive.

On upper-right of the page, you find the options-

  • Import from JSON: To upload .json file of any Reusable block- eighter exported or collected.
  • Add New: To create new block to reuse.

For details of how to Import and Export Reusable blocks, follow this link.

Reuse the Reusable blocks

All your Reusable blocks either created or saved or collected are listed in Management page as well as on the Block Insertion widow in Separate tab.

To reuse any Reusable block-

  • Open the post where you like to add reusable block.
  • Click the Insertion sign (+).
  • Click Browse all if needed.
  • On the Insertion Window, Click Reusable tab.
  • Find your desired block.
  • Click to select. Your Reusable block is inserted on definite position.

Now you can start using this Reusable block two ways- either by converting to Regular block or without converting. Follow the next step.

Reuse with or Without converting to Regular blocks

You can use Reusable block two ways- by converting it to Regular block and without converting. Let’s clarify.

Suppose you saved a Reusable block named ‘50% Bordered Paragraph‘ in which paragraph width is 50% and centered and its border is solid navy.

You inserted this reusable block 15 times in different points of your posts. Now if you use all of those without converting to Regular block, any change made in any copy of the block will influence all others. Suppose you change the border-color to orange, all the 15 copies will show orange border.

Again if you convert a Reusable inserted block to Regular, any change made in that will affects only itself not others. This is actually similar to using that block as a Block Template.

While you insert a Reusable block, you find the option ‘Convert to regular blocks‘ on top of the toolbar.

So, choice is yours- whatever way you wish to use a Reusable block.

Hope you’ve possess a brighter understanding of how to Create, Save, Reuse, Edit and Manage Reusable Block in WordPress.

Expecting your opinions.