What are Gutenberg blocks?
WordPress is a tool for building websites. Gutenberg is its editor. It builds pages from small pieces called blocks. A paragraph is a block. An image is a block. A button is a block.
You can save a block you like and use it again. This is called a reusable block. Newer WordPress versions also call it a synced pattern. You can move these blocks between sites with a small file. The file ends in .json. JSON is a simple text format that computers can read.
Export your blocks
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard. This is the admin area of your site.
- Open a post or page in the editor.
- Click the Options menu. It is the three dots at the top right.
- Choose Manage Reusable Blocks. On newer versions, go to Appearance and then Patterns, and open Manage patterns.
- Find the block you want to move.
- Click Export as JSON under the block name.
- Your browser saves the file. Remember where it goes.
Import your blocks
- Log in to the dashboard of the other site.
- Go to the same Manage Reusable Blocks page.
- Click Import from JSON.
- Click Choose File and pick the file you saved.
- Click Import.
- Wait for the message that says the import worked.
Your block now appears in the block list. Click the plus sign in the editor and look under Reusable or My patterns.
Tip: Some blocks come from plugins. A plugin is an add-on that gives your site new features. Install the same plugin on the new site first. If you do not, the block may look broken.
If the option is missing
- Update WordPress. Older and newer versions place the menu in different spots.
- Check that your user is an Administrator. Other roles may not see the option.
- Ask Hostvento support if you still cannot find it. You can open a ticket at https://secure.hostvento.com/submitticket.php.
Quick recap
- Reusable blocks are saved pieces of a page.
- Use Export as JSON to save a block to a file.
- Use Import from JSON on the other site to load it.
- Install the same plugins on both sites so blocks look right.