[Resolved] Gutenberg Widget Area

[Rylan Urban]

I’m currently using the Black Studio TinyMCE Widget plugin, which ads a visual editor as a widget. However, I’d prefer to use a block/gutenberg. I was reading that this now should be possible here. I thought gutenberg was default on all WP sites now, and I don’t need the plugin? I’m just confused why I can’t create a widget using the new blocks which have now appeared on my site pages? Thanks!

[Elvin]

Hi,

I thought gutenberg was default on all WP sites now, and I don’t need the plugin?

That’s right. Gutenberg editor is the default content editor now and its been this way a few months now(if not years). And no, you don’t need a plugin to use Gutenberg assuming you’re using the latest version of WordPress.

I’m just confused why I can’t create a widget using the new blocks which have now appeared on my site pages? Thanks!

I’m not exactly sure I understand what you mean by this. Can you explain a bit more?

If you mean to add known core widgets as content, Gutenberg editor has blocks for that.

[Rylan Urban]

I guess what I mean is that my widget area settings look like this, not like this. In other words – I don’t see the ability to edit widget with blocks, which I thought I should be able to do?

[David]

Hi there,

the Block Widget interface is part of the Gutenberg Plugin – it has yet to be enabled in WP core . I would not recommend using the Gutenberg plugin in a live site, although it adds future features like Block Widgets it also comes with bugs….

Instead you could use a Block Element to replace the Sidebar and build the entire sidebar in the Block Editor:

https://docs.generatepress.com/article/block-element-overview/

Combine this with the GenerateBlocks plugin and you can do almost anything you want:

https://wordpress.org/plugins/generateblocks/

In addition to this – this plugin allows you to add Widget Areas inside the Block editor:

https://wordpress.org/plugins/organic-widget-area-block/

This means you can create a sidebar using the Block editor and add areas inside it that can contain regular widgets added by the default widget interface in the dashboard/customizer.

As the Block Element also has Display Rules you can even create different sidebars for different pages / posts / archives etc.

[Rylan Urban]

Hi David – I think this is the part that was confusing me.

the Block Widget interface is part of the Gutenberg Plugin – it has yet to be enabled in WP core .

I disabled gutenberg for probably the first year, before transferring my page design over earlier this year. So I was mainly worried that I messed something up / disabled something when it comes to widgets.

During that transfer – I also added GenerateBlocks. Now I have a staging site set-up and am working on implementing flexbox.

Thanks for continuously making your theme and support better. I have a lighting fast site and I know you guys are to thank for that!

best,

[David]

You’re welcome – glad we can be of help!

[Author]

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