The Block Manager is a powerful feature in DigiBlocks that allows you to selectively enable or disable blocks throughout your WordPress site. This gives you complete control over which blocks appear in the Gutenberg block inserter, helping you create a customized editing experience tailored to your specific needs.
Understanding the Block Manager
The Block Manager operates on a simple principle: by default, all DigiBlocks are available for use. However, you can disable any blocks you don’t need, which will remove them from the block inserter and prevent them from being used on your site. This approach helps keep your block library clean and focused on the tools you actually use.
When you disable a block through the Block Manager, it affects the entire site – the block will not appear in the block inserter for any user, regardless of their role or permissions.
Accessing the Block Manager
To access the Block Manager:
- Navigate to your WordPress admin dashboard
- Go to DigiBlocks in the main menu
- Click on Dashboard (this is the default page)
The Block Manager is prominently displayed on the main DigiBlocks dashboard page, making it easily accessible whenever you need to modify your block configuration.
Block Manager Interface
The Block Manager presents all available DigiBlocks in a clean, organized grid layout. Each block is represented by a card that contains:
Block Information
- Block Icon: A visual representation of the block’s function
- Block Title: The name of the block as it appears in the editor
- Block Description: A brief explanation of what the block does
Toggle Control
Each block card features a toggle switch on the right side that allows you to enable or disable the block. The toggle provides immediate visual feedback:
- Enabled: Toggle is blue/active, block card has an “is-active” appearance
- Disabled: Toggle is gray/inactive, block card appears dimmed
Managing Individual Blocks
Enabling a Block
To enable a block that’s currently disabled:
- Locate the block in the Block Manager grid
- Click the toggle switch to move it to the “on” position
- The block card will change appearance to show it’s active
Disabling a Block
To disable a block that’s currently enabled:
- Find the block you want to disable
- Click the toggle switch to move it to the “off” position
- The block card will become dimmed to indicate it’s inactive
Available Blocks in Block Manager
The Block Manager displays all DigiBlocks organized by category:
Core Content Blocks
- Container: Layout foundation for organizing content
- Heading: Advanced heading with styling options
- Text: Rich text with enhanced formatting
- Image: Enhanced image block with advanced features
- Separator: Visual dividers with customization options
- Spacer: Vertical spacing control
Interactive Elements
- Buttons: Customizable call-to-action buttons
- Call To Action: Complete CTA sections
- Forms: Contact and custom forms
- Newsletter: Email subscription forms
- Accordion: Collapsible content sections
- FAQ: Question and answer sections
Media and Visual
- Icon: Individual icons with styling
- Icon Box: Icons with text descriptions
- Icon List: Lists with custom icons
- Social Icons: Social media link collections
- Lottie Animation: Animated Lottie files
- Google Map: Interactive maps
- Countdown: Timer displays
- Counter: Animated number counters
Content Display
- Posts: Blog post listings
- Team: Team member showcases
- Testimonials: Customer testimonial displays
- Pricing Table: Product/service pricing
- Table: Data tables with responsive features
Best Practices for Block Management
Performance Optimization
Disabling unused blocks can improve your site’s performance by:
- Reducing the number of assets loaded in the editor
- Simplifying the block insertion experience
- Minimizing potential conflicts between blocks
User Experience
Consider your content creation workflow when managing blocks:
- Keep frequently used blocks enabled
- Disable complex blocks if your team doesn’t need them
- Maintain consistency across your site by standardizing available blocks
Content Strategy Alignment
Align your enabled blocks with your content strategy:
- E-commerce sites might focus on product-related blocks
- Blogs might prioritize content and social sharing blocks
- Corporate sites might emphasize team and testimonial blocks
Block Dependencies and Relationships
Some blocks work better together or have logical relationships:
Layout Blocks
The Container block is fundamental for many layouts and should typically remain enabled if you’re using other content blocks within structured layouts.
Form-Related Blocks
If you’re using Forms blocks, you might also want Newsletter blocks enabled for consistent form styling and functionality.
Social and Sharing
Social Icons and other social-related blocks often complement each other in creating cohesive social media integration.
Impact on Existing Content
When you disable a block through the Block Manager:
Existing Content
- Content already created with disabled blocks will continue to display normally on the frontend
- Existing blocks in published content remain functional
- The styling and functionality of existing blocks are preserved
Editor Behavior
- Disabled blocks will not appear in the block inserter for new content
- Existing instances of disabled blocks can still be edited if accessed directly
- Block recovery tools will still work for existing disabled block content
Troubleshooting Block Manager Issues
Changes Not Saving
If your block status changes aren’t being saved:
- Ensure you clicked the “Save Changes” button
- Check for JavaScript errors in your browser console
- Verify you have proper administrative permissions
- Try refreshing the page and attempting the change again
Blocks Still Appearing After Disabling
If disabled blocks continue to appear in the editor:
- Clear any browser cache or WordPress caching plugins
- Check if other plugins might be re-enabling blocks
- Ensure the save operation completed successfully
Missing Blocks in Manager
If expected blocks don’t appear in the Block Manager:
- Verify the plugin is properly installed and activated
- Check for plugin conflicts that might affect the dashboard
- Ensure you’re viewing the correct DigiBlocks dashboard page
Advanced Configuration
Programmatic Block Management
Developers can programmatically manage block status using WordPress hooks and filters. The block status is stored in the digiblocks_inactive_blocks option, which contains an array of disabled block names.
Multi-Site Considerations
In WordPress multisite installations, Block Manager settings are applied per site. Each site in the network maintains its own block configuration, allowing for customized setups across different sites.
Backup and Recovery
Before making significant changes to your block configuration, consider:
- Documenting your current enabled blocks
- Testing changes on a staging site first
- Understanding how to restore previous configurations if needed
The Block Manager provides a powerful way to customize your DigiBlocks experience, ensuring you have access to exactly the tools you need while maintaining a clean, focused editing environment.