Description
One of the quite epic new features in WordPress 7.0 is the ability to be able to create custom blocks with PHP only.
I mean, it really is truly powerful - especially for those folk that have come from a pure PHP/classic theme background and haven't quite got their head round the whole React/JS thing as yet.
My contribution with this video is, as always, a self-centred use-case that in no way shape or form utilises the power of this new WordPress 7 feature! :)
But this super quick hack solves a problem within the block editor interface that’s bugged me for years - it’s when you're creating pages or templates or anything that involves, believe it or not, putting a WordPress shortcode on your page.
0:00 The Game Changer: PHP-Only Blocks
1:22 The Problem: Why Shortcodes in Gutenberg Suck
2:05 Real-World Case Study: Client Carousel Project
3:25 Building the Original Shortcode (The Chunky Way)
4:12 How Raw Shortcodes Ruin the Editor Experience
5:22 The Idea: PHP Block Registration vs. Shortcodes
6:01 The "Shortcode Render" Hack in Action
6:44 Technical Breakdown & Developer Resources
7:42 Exploring the Code: The do_shortcode Callback
8:19 Final Thoughts & Outro
If you do actually want to utilise this new feature, then here’s the content I mention in the video:
– The wp.org post from Miguel: https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/03/03/php-only-block-registration/
– Ryan’s post: https://ryanwelcher.com/2026/03/04/php-only-block-registration-in-wordpress-7-0/
– Brian’s YouTube demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS0pUU-cSpM
– Ciprian’s outstanding deep-dive post: https://getbutterfly.com/php-only-block-registration-in-wordpress/
👉 *** Grab the Shortcode Plugin and other Free WordPress goodies here: https://jakson.co/freebies/
👉 *** Free Site Performance Review here: https://jakson.co/free-site-performance-review/
Ciao!
Jakson
https://jakson.co/
#wordpress #blockthemes #pagebuilder #wordpressdevelopment #gutenberg