This morning, I woke to news of a new plugin for Bricks Builder — GutenBricks — and I couldn’t be happier. This plugin allows you to turn your Bricks-based designs into WordPress blocks and patterns. Best of all the work like components (Bricks) or partially-synched patterns (Core WP) will. If you want a quick rundown, Dave Foy has put together a very good video.

What do I mean by components?

One of the only things missing from Bricks Builder right now is the ability to create a composite element or section template, with all the design features you want, that allows the user to edit the content, but not the design. This would allow you to completely change the layout or design without touching the content and have it reflect everywhere it is used. This capability is coming in a future release of Bricks Builder as components and in WordPress 6.5 as partially-synched patterns. GutenBricks does this for you now.

How will I use it?

While there will be those that will wonder how it can be used, here is my vision of how I will be using it. First of all, I prefer to use core WordPress wherever possible — I enjoy the block editor. However, I hate the FSE thing as it is confusing and limited whereas the Bricks Builder is full featured, easy to understand, and lets me build all the FSE compontent. In the end, what I will have is a WP Single Post Template and a WP Page Template that will be used for all block-based building, to include using the blocks I create. Additionally, I will have a post type for custom pages that would use the full capabilities of Bricks. In all likelihood, I will be saving all the sections and layout as Blocks and Patterns so that eventually all content creation will be done in the core editor and Bricks Builder will be my go to design and development tool.

What’s missing

One hour into owning this, I don’t know what things aren’t there yet, but limitations in easily using dynamic data, core structure (wide width, full width, etc.), and query loops are top of mind. It is not a version 1 yet, so maybe the feedback from me and other users will push this to be the complete package.

Investing today

I already made the investment and bought an LTD license. This capability is something that has had me looking at other block-building solutions from Wicked Blocks to Pingrow, but none of these are easy enough for what I want to do.