Block theme resources roundup

If you have been wondering how to learn everything you can about block theme development, then this post is for you. The links in this post have been collected from official WordPress sources and categorized to help you learn more about block themes and related topics.

Whether you build sites mostly from the site and styles editors or you develop bespoke and custom themes from the ground up there are always new things to learn. Read on to learn all about block themes.

General block theme development

Interested in learning what block themes are and how to begin creating them? Start with these links that will cover the basics:

• 📄 Block themes (Theme Handbook) 
• 📄 Full Site Editing
• 📄 Types of Themes
• 📽️ The Future Of Themes: Designing for the Block Editor and Beyond
• 📚 A Developer’s Guide to block themes – Part 1
• 📚 A Developer’s Guide to block themes – Part 2
• 📽️ A new era of WordPress themes is here: block themes
• 🛠️ Create Block Theme Plugin
• 📚 Streamline your Block Theme development with the Create Block Theme plugin
• 📽️ Damon Cook: Block Theme Builders – Figma to block theme
• 📽️ Daisy Olsen: Build your first block theme workshop

Gradual adoption of block theme features

It’s not always possible to change an entire workflow or process when a new feature is added. Here are some ways to add features to existing workflows a little at a time:

• 📚 Using theme.json with classic themes
• 📄 Converting customizer settings to block patterns
• 📄 Converting a classic theme to a block theme
• 📚 Using Block Template Parts in classic themes
• 💻 Block-based “template parts” in traditional themes

Theme file structure

Understanding the general WordPress template hierarchy is a key component of building a WordPress theme. These links get into the details of what you should know:

• 📄 Template Hierarchy
• 📄 Block theme setup

Templates and parts

Templates and template parts are at the heart of block themes. These links are a great way to learn more about these important files:

• 📄 Templates and template parts
• 💻 Introducing the template editor in WordPress 5.8
• 📚 WordPress Theme Template Tour
• 📰 Demystifying Home and Posts Templates in WordPress theme development

theme.json and style variations

With the small but mighty theme.json structure, you can control and refine the experience of the block editor. There are so many possibilities and things to learn. Here are some links to get you started:

Basics

• 📚 Introduction to theme.json
• 💻 Introducing theme.json in WordPress 5.8
• 📄 Theme.json
• 📄 Global Settings & Styles (theme.json)
• 📄 Living Reference for theme.json
• 📄 Migrating to Newer Versions of theme.json
• 💻 A roster of design tools per block
• 📚 Using Schema with WordPress theme.json
• 📚 Manage your block theme fonts with Create Block Theme
• 💻 Global Styles variations in WordPress 6.0

Advanced

• 💻 Styling elements in block themes
• 💻 Reference Styles values in theme.json
• 📰 Using the box shadow feature for themes
• 💻 Filters for theme.json data
• 💻 Updated editor layout support in 6.1 after refactor
• 📰 Leveraging theme.json and per-block styles for more performant themes
• 💻 Introduction of presets across padding, margin and block gap
• 💻 Fluid font sizes in WordPress 6.1

Markup / selectors / custom CSS

At the end of the day, a WordPress site is mainly comprised of HTML and CSS. These links will get you up to speed on these topics:

• 📽️ Hallway Hangout: the future of CSS in block themes
• 📰 A walk-through of layout classes in WordPress 6.1

Block patterns

With so many possibilities to create complex groups of blocks that can be placed quickly, using block patterns. It’s worth checking out these items:

• 📄 Block patterns
• 💻 Page creation patterns in WordPress 6.0
• 💻 New features for working with patterns and themes in WordPress 6.0
• 📰 Creating Themes from a Pattern-first mindset

Block locking

If you need to create a controlled editing experience, block locking may be the right thing to use:

• 📄 Curating the Editor Experience
• 💻 Content-only editing and other locking updates
• 💻 Block Locking Settings in WordPress 6.0

Theme distribution

You’ve created your theme. Congrats! Now share it with the world. These links will get you on your way to submitting your theme to the WordPress theme directory:

• 📚 Upload a Theme to the WordPress Repository
• 💻 Introducing “Update URI” theme header in WordPress 6.1

But wait…there’s more!

Here are some additional block theme-related topics you might want to learn more about:

• 📄 Child Themes
• 💻 Block-styles loading enhancements in WordPress 5.8
• 📄 Accessibility and Block Themes
• 📄 Internationalization and Block Themes
• 💻 Theme export in WordPress 6.0

Props to @bph, @webcommsat, @mburridge and @greenshady for reviewing this post