Gutenberg (Block Editor) Reference

Technical documentation for using Respira with the WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg).

About Gutenberg

The WordPress Block Editor, commonly known as Gutenberg, is WordPress's default content editor since version 5.0. It powers over 40% of all websites on the internet through WordPress core.

Data Structure

Gutenberg stores content as HTML with block comment delimiters in post_content:

<!-- wp:heading {"level":1} -->
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Welcome to Our Site</h1>
<!-- /wp:heading -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>This is the introduction paragraph with some <strong>bold text</strong>.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:button {"backgroundColor":"primary"} -->
<div class="wp-block-button">
  <a class="wp-block-button__link has-primary-background-color">Get Started</a>
</div>
<!-- /wp:button -->

Block attributes are stored as JSON in the opening comment. The HTML between comments is the rendered content.

Module Identification

By Block Type

{ "type": "core/heading", "match_content": "Welcome" }

By CSS Anchor

Set in Block Settings → Advanced → HTML Anchor:

{ "admin_label": "hero-cta" }

By Position

{ "path": "blocks[0]" }

By Content Match

{ "match_content": "Get Started" }

Common Blocks

Example Prompts for Gutenberg

Content Updates:

• "Update the first H1 on the About page to 'About Our Company'"
• "Change the hero button text to 'Start Free Trial'"
• "Replace all instances of '2024' with '2025' in the footer"

Structure Queries:

• "Show me all headings on page 42"
• "List all button blocks on the homepage"
• "What blocks are on the contact page?"

Bulk Updates:

• "Find all buttons with 'Learn More' and change to 'Get Started'"
• "Update the copyright text in the footer on all pages"
• "Add alt text to all images missing it"

Reusable Blocks

Gutenberg Reusable Blocks (now called Patterns) can be updated through Respira:

• "List all reusable blocks" → Shows pattern library
• "Update the reusable CTA block button text" → Changes it everywhere used

Full Site Editing (FSE)

For themes using Full Site Editing, Respira can access template parts:

• Header and footer templates
• Post and page templates
• Archive templates

Example: "Update the site header tagline to 'Your Success Partner'"

Best Use Cases

• Editing headings and body content - Quick text changes without the editor
• Adding/removing sections - Modify content structure via content updates
• SEO and readability workflows - Batch-fix heading hierarchy or missing alt text
• Programmatic content - Update dates, years, or repeated content across pages

Limitations

• Block patterns: Pattern structure is preserved, but pattern-specific styling may need the editor
• Third-party blocks: Support varies by plugin; core blocks have full support
• Interactive blocks: Blocks with complex interactivity (forms, carousels) may need manual editing
• Theme-specific blocks: Full Site Editing theme blocks work, but custom themes may vary

When to Use This Tool

• Before publishing - Review and fix content before going live
• Monthly maintenance - Update dates, phone numbers, addresses site-wide
• After migrations - Batch-fix content issues after moving from another builder
• SEO audits - Fix heading structure and add missing meta content

See Also

• wordpress_read_page - Read full page content
• wordpress_update_page - Update page content
• wordpress_analyze_seo - Analyze page SEO
• wordpress_analyze_readability - Check content readability
• Page Builder Overview - Compare all supported builders