WordPress Patterns – Demonstration of Publish.illinois.edu Plugins

Description: (For Block Editor sites, but not Classic Editor sites) Create reusable pattern pieces that you can insert in pages and posts, either identical in all cases or as an element to frame in content that is then detached from the original

Creator’s website: WordPress.com

Before the introduction of Patterns, Publish.illinois.edu offered a plugin called Post Snippets which offered similar functionality. However, since the introduction of Patterns in WordPress core, we encourage Block Editor users to use Patterns instead.

To use a Pattern (your own or someone else’s):

In the Block Editor, begin to insert a new block, then click Browse All.

In the sidebar that appears, change from the Block tab to the Pattern tab:

The Block insert sidebar contains three tabs across the top: Blocks, Patterns, and Media.

Choose your desired pattern from the list. However, since not all WordPress-provided patterns have been checked for accessibility, we recommend you check any third-party patterns you use.

To create a pattern of your own:

In the Block editor, select the elements you would like to reuse.
Right-click on them and select the three vertical dot icon that represents Options.
Scroll through the Options menu until you see Create Pattern, then select it.

In the Options menu, the Group item is just before the Create Pattern item.

Then give your new pattern a name, any categories you like, and choose whether this pattern should be synced (identical) in multiple locations within this website or not. (It will not automatically be copied to your other PIE or non-PIE WordPress sites. ‘Sync’ means ‘locally’ here.)

Patterns you create will be available under “My Patterns” in the Patterns listing shown above.