Etch is the first visual development environment for WordPress that authors everything you build to Gutenberg blocks.
It does this automatically, without any additional effort from you.
This serves two big needs. First, it liberates your data out of the development environment and into core WordPress. Second, it turns Gutenberg into a simple, easy-to-use client-facing content editor (the purpose it best serves).
For Etch v1 we’re changing the architecture up, though. Instead of authoring everything you build to core blocks, we’re authoring everything you build to custom blocks.
This shift comes with some big advantages (including one that will completely shake up the WordPress ecosystem), no notable downsides, and a pain-free transition process.
Let’s talk about it!
Why We Started With Core Blocks
We assumed two things when we started developing our Auto Block Authoring feature:
- Core blocks would be the most native path.
- Core blocks would be the most flexible path.
Both assumptions turned out wrong.
What we learned confirmed is that core blocks are too limited for serious, modern workflows. To get the fidelity we need, we had to hijack them—manipulate their output, strip useless wrappers, override defaults, and bend behaviors to support things that core blocks weren’t designed to support.
That’s not “native.” That’s duct tape.
While we were able to get it all working from a technical standpoint, the requirements were ultimately too sketchy to feel comfortable with long-term. Not to mention, the outcome created a heavy dependency on Etch being actively installed as a required product in a user’s stack (more on that later).
Why Custom Blocks Are Better
While we were pretty hyped about the idea of authoring everything to core blocks, we’re excited that it didn’t pan out the way we hoped.
Reaching the dead-end of core block authoring enlightened us to precisely how stable and powerful custom block authoring would actually be in comparison.
The question was: what would the cost be? To be clear, the development cost is of no concern to us. It’s costs to the user that we’re always most concerned with.
Here are the priority points that we analyzed on a pros vs cons basis between core blocks and custom blocks:
1–1 Design Representation
A pattern, component, loop, or template should render in Gutenberg exactly as you built it in Etch. That’s imperative for a good user experience.
With core blocks, this was a major challenge and it required a laundry list of development gymnastics. With custom blocks, it’s dramatically easier to pull off.
Winner: Custom Blocks
Seamless Editing Experience
We ran into a lot of limitations with core blocks when it came to the editing experience. There are just things that core blocks aren’t designed to handle, such as spans inside headings and paragraphs, links inside elements, singular buttons (quite comical), and so on.
You literally have to make an exhaustive list of incompatibilities and then program hacky workarounds. Anything that isn’t accounted for causes entire blocks to fail or completely breaks the editing experience.
This isn’t an issue with custom blocks. With custom blocks we can do whatever we want and still protect the editing experience.
Winner: Custom Blocks
A Brand New Custom Block Development Experience
By far, the outcome we’re most excited for with this new custom block authoring experience is the ability for developers to build custom blocks directly with Etch and share or sell them to non-Etch users.
This feature essentially means that developers can build custom blocks visually, in Etch’s unified visual development environment, directly from within WordPress.
With Etch, it’ll be possible to build patterns, components, libraries, templates, and even entire pre-fab websites and sell them (or share them) to users who don’t own an Etch license.
How?
We’ll reveal the answer soon. It’s phase two of our two-part Block Authoring refactor. Once we get closer to the release of phase two, we’ll provide many more details. But rest assured, this has the potential to change the landscape of WordPress’ current third-party ecosystem, bringing far more flexibility and unification than anything we’ve seen up to this point.
Winner: Custom Blocks
Improved Stability Across the Stack
From a maintainability standpoint with our codebase and your own projects, custom blocks are far more stable than core blocks. They’re less hacky and won’t be nearly as prone to breakage from WordPress core updates.
We wasted countless hours on Gutenberg rabbit holes that we’ll no longer have to waste due to the improved stability of custom blocks. This will free up development time for other important areas of Etch.
Winner: Custom Blocks
A Seamless Transition
Concerned about breakage? Don’t be. We’re engineering this transition to be 100% seamless:
- No breakage of existing sites. Your current content keeps working as-is. When you upgrade, your blocks are re-authored from core blocks to custom blocks and gain all the advantages of the new custom block architecture.
- Editor consistency improves. Better rendering, more control, fewer edge cases, less friction. That’s what you’ll notice immediately.
The only action required on your part is to upgrade Etch, open Etch, and click the button to convert to the new custom block architecture. We handle everything for you automatically in seconds.
The Bottom Line
We tried to meet WordPress where it is. In the process, we learned that core blocks can’t get the job done.
Custom blocks, on the other hand, give us the systemized authoring we need and take us from “close enough” to exactly right.
This is Era 4.
Kevin is a WordPress and web development educator, speaker, and the founder of three WP plugins: Etch, Automatic.css and Frames.