Gutenberg 22.1: Smarter Blocks, Cleaner Code

Just last week, a client pinged us about revamping a product page. They needed some slick tabbed content for specs and reviews, and there was this one legacy widget that absolutely needed some inline JavaScript and styling for a specific animation. My first thought? Build a custom block for the tabs. Or worse, tell them to use one of those bloated tab plugins. For the custom JS/CSS in that widget, I was mentally preparing to either enqueue a whole new stylesheet or inject it via a shortcode function. Total nightmare to maintain, trust me on this.

But then I remembered Gutenberg 22.1 dropped, and things just got a whole lot cleaner. Specifically, the new Gutenberg HTML block updates and the core/tabs block are proper game-changers if you’re writing custom code in WordPress.

Say Goodbye to Bloated Tab Solutions

For years, if a client wanted tabs on a page, you had two main routes: find a plugin that added a shortcode, or roll your own custom solution. Both had their drawbacks. Plugins often brought their own baggage—extra CSS, JavaScript, and features you didn’t need, slowing things down. Custom solutions were a time sink, and let’s be honest, few developers enjoyed building custom tab interfaces from scratch every time.

Now, with Gutenberg 22.1, we have a native core/tabs block. It’s experimental for now, which means you’ll need to enable the “Blocks: add experimental blocks setting” to play with it. But man, it’s already looking solid. This means less reliance on third-party code for common UI elements and more consistency within the editor. It’s a solid step towards what the WordPress core team is pushing for, making the editor truly capable for complex layouts.

Real Power in the HTML Block: JavaScript and CSS

Here’s the kicker: the updates to the HTML block are huge. Before 22.1, dropping custom CSS or JavaScript directly into an HTML block was hit or miss, often stripped out, or just plain awkward to manage. You usually had to go the route of enqueueing files or using PHP hooks, even for small, isolated snippets. This was a workflow killer if you needed a tiny bit of interactivity or styling tied specifically to a custom HTML element within the content.

But not anymore. The HTML block now supports adding and editing CSS and JavaScript directly. This is fantastic for those small, isolated components that need their own unique flair without polluting your global stylesheets or script files. Imagine a custom animation on a hero section or a specific script for a third-party embed – you can keep it all self-contained. It’s a pragmatic solution for focused, block-level customization, as detailed in the official release notes over at make.wordpress.org/core.

<!-- wp:html -->
<div class="bbioon-custom-animation">
    <p>This content has a special effect.</p>
</div>

<style>
    .bbioon-custom-animation {
        background-color: #f0f0f0;
        padding: 20px;
        border-left: 5px solid #0073aa;
        opacity: 0;
        transition: opacity 1s ease-in-out;
    }
</style>

<script>
    document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
        const bbioonAnimationDiv = document.querySelector('.bbioon-custom-animation');
        if (bbioonAnimationDiv) {
            setTimeout(() => {
                bbioonAnimationDiv.style.opacity = 1;
            }, 500);
        }
    });
</script>
<!-- /wp:html -->

This snippet demonstrates how you can now encapsulate HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for a specific component right within the block. No more messing with theme files for tiny tweaks. It keeps your code organized and tied to where it belongs.

The Takeaway: Build Smarter, Not Heavier

What Gutenberg 22.1 really gives us is more granular control and less need for complex workarounds. The introduction of a native tabs block and enhanced HTML block capabilities means we can build richer, more dynamic content directly within the editor, reducing dependencies on extra plugins and keeping our sites leaner and faster. It’s about embracing the block editor’s evolution to simplify common development tasks.

Look, this stuff gets complicated fast. If you’re tired of debugging someone else’s mess and just want your site to work, drop my team a line. We’ve probably seen it before.