Blocks: Reusable Content Shortcodes for WordPress

Blocks is a plugin that lets you create reusable WordPress content blocks and embed them anywhere on your site with a shortcode. In other words, you write a piece of content once — a call to action, a disclaimer, a promotional banner, or a support notice — and paste its shortcode into any page, post, or widget area where you want that content to appear.

Additionally, when you update the block content in one place, every shortcode instance on your site updates automatically. As a result, you never have to hunt down and manually edit the same text across dozens of pages.

Furthermore, the plugin is available on WordPress.org and works with any WordPress theme.

What Are WordPress Content Blocks?

WordPress content blocks (in the context of this plugin) are reusable pieces of content stored as custom post types. Specifically, each block has its own editor page where you write the content, and the plugin generates a unique shortcode for that block. You then paste the shortcode wherever you need the content to appear.

Moreover, this is different from Gutenberg blocks. Gutenberg blocks are the building blocks of the WordPress block editor — they structure individual pages. The Blocks plugin, on the other hand, creates reusable content snippets that live independently and can be embedded anywhere via shortcode.

Why Use Reusable Content Blocks?

Without reusable content blocks, maintaining consistent content across your site becomes a manual process. However, with the Blocks plugin, you solve several common problems:

• Consistent messaging — your call to action or disclaimer is identical everywhere it appears. In fact, you eliminate the risk of outdated or inconsistent versions on different pages.
• Single point of editing — update once, update everywhere. Consequently, changing a phone number, a pricing detail, or a legal disclaimer takes seconds instead of hours.
• Non-technical management — anyone who can edit a WordPress post can create and update blocks. No code, no theme editing, no page builder knowledge required.
• Widget-area content — place blocks in sidebars, footers, and other widget areas using a text widget with the shortcode.

In short, the Blocks plugin turns any piece of content into a centrally managed, reusable asset.

How the Blocks Plugin Works

The workflow is straightforward:

1. Create a new block — go to Blocks > Add New in your WordPress admin.
2. Write the content — use the standard WordPress editor. You can include text, HTML, images, and even other shortcodes.
3. Copy the shortcode — the plugin generates a shortcode like that you can find on the block’s edit page.
4. Paste the shortcode — add it to any page, post, or widget area.
5. The content renders — WordPress replaces the shortcode with your block content when the page loads.

As a result, the block content is centrally stored and centrally edited, but displayed across your entire site.

Use Cases

The Blocks plugin is ideal for these scenarios:

• Legal disclaimers — place your disclaimer on every product page and update it once when your terms change.
• Calls to action — maintain consistent CTAs across landing pages, blog posts, and sidebar widgets.
• Contact information — embed your address, phone, and hours in multiple locations. When you move offices, update one block.
• Promotional banners — run a site-wide promotion by embedding a block in your header or sidebar widget area.
• Support notices — display maintenance windows, holiday hours, or service alerts across your site.
• Reusable form embeds — wrap a Contact Form 7 shortcode inside a block so you can swap forms site-wide from one place.

Moreover, blocks support full HTML. Consequently, you can include styled content, images, videos, and even JavaScript if needed.

Blocks vs WordPress Reusable Blocks

WordPress introduced “Reusable Blocks” (now called “Patterns”) in the Gutenberg block editor. However, the Blocks plugin works differently and has distinct advantages in certain scenarios:

Feature	Blocks Plugin	WordPress Patterns
Works in Classic Editor	Yes	No
Works in widgets	Yes (shortcode)	Limited
Works in theme files	Yes (do_shortcode)	No
Update once, update everywhere	Yes	Synced patterns only
Shortcode embed	Yes	No
Requires Gutenberg	No	Yes

Specifically, if you use the Classic Editor, widget areas, or need to embed content in theme template files via do_shortcode(), the Blocks plugin is the more flexible option.

Common Questions

Can I use HTML in blocks?

Yes. The block editor supports full HTML. In fact, you can write any HTML, CSS, or JavaScript inside a block. The content is rendered exactly as you wrote it.

Can I nest shortcodes inside a block?

Yes. You can place other plugin shortcodes inside a block. For example, you can embed a Contact Form 7 form shortcode, a gallery shortcode, or any other plugin’s shortcode. WordPress processes nested shortcodes when the page renders.

Does the plugin work with page builders?

Yes. Any page builder that supports WordPress shortcodes — Elementor, Beaver Builder, Divi, WPBakery — can render Blocks plugin shortcodes. Similarly, just paste the shortcode into a text or shortcode module.

How many blocks can I create?

There is no limit. You can create as many blocks as you need. Each block is stored as a custom post type in your WordPress database.

Getting Started

The Blocks plugin gives you a simple way to manage reusable content across your WordPress site. Write once, paste everywhere, edit in one place.

Additionally, check out these other open source contributions and WordPress plugins:

• CF7 Mailchimp Extension — connect contact forms to Mailchimp.
• Quick Maps — embed Google Maps without an API key.
• Arc — VS Code Terminal Bridge for AI coding agents.

If you need help with the Blocks plugin or want to report an issue, contact us directly.