sales-skills/sales-generateblocks

GenerateBlocks Platform Help

Step 1 — Gather context

If references/learnings.md exists, read it first for accumulated platform knowledge.

1. What are you trying to do?

   • A) Fix a broken state — blocks/CSS not rendering after an update or migration, editor slow on long pages, layout broke, styles missing on inner pages
   • B) Build with blocks — Container/Grid flexbox layout, Headline/Button/Image, patterns/templates, Global Styles
   • C) Use Pro/dynamic features — Dynamic Data (post meta/ACF/author/featured image), Query Loop, device visibility, shape dividers, scroll effects, asset library
   • D) Customize/automate — public hooks/filters (generateblocks_dynamic_tag_output, generateblocks_dynamic_content_output), registering a custom dynamic tag (GenerateBlocks_Register_Dynamic_Tag), reading/writing block markup via the WordPress REST API
   • E) Pick or compare a plan (Free / Pro Personal / Pro Professional / GeneratePress One) or weigh GenerateBlocks vs other block builders

2. Free or Pro? Free (WordPress.org) ships the core blocks incl. Query Loop. Global Styles, Dynamic Data, device visibility, shape dividers, gradients, scroll effects, the asset/template library, and custom attributes are Pro.

Skip-ahead rule: if the user's prompt already contains enough context, skip to Step 2.

Step 2 — Route or answer directly

| Problem domain | Route to | |---|---| | Funnel strategy, page structure, builder selection across tools (Kadence/Spectra/SeedProd/Elementor…) | /sales-funnel — Run: /sales-funnel {user's original question} | | A/B testing methodology (GenerateBlocks has no native split testing) | /sales-vwo — Run: /sales-vwo {user's original question} | | Email sequences/automation after a form opt-in | /sales-email-marketing — Run: /sales-email-marketing {user's original question} | | Growing the list, lead-magnet strategy | /sales-audience-growth — Run: /sales-audience-growth {user's original question} | | WooCommerce store/checkout (GenerateBlocks builds pages, not carts) | /sales-checkout — Run: /sales-checkout {user's original question} | | WordPress/WooCommerce funnel + upsells around the pages | /sales-cartflows — Run: /sales-cartflows {user's original question} | | On-page/technical SEO beyond clean markup | /sales-seo — Run: /sales-seo {user's original question} |

If the question is GenerateBlocks-specific, continue to Step 3.

Step 3 — GenerateBlocks platform reference

Read references/platform-guide.md for the full platform reference — blocks/modules, pricing/plan gates, data model, integration recipes, and code examples. For the Dynamic Data filters, the custom dynamic-tag registration API, and the WordPress REST surface, read references/generateblocks-api-reference.md.

Answer the user's question using only the relevant section. Don't dump the full reference.

Step 4 — Actionable guidance

Focus on the user's specific situation.

• Performance is the whole point. GenerateBlocks emits lean, semantic markup with minimal CSS — the leanest of the major block plugins. If a site's Core Web Vitals are still poor, look at the theme, images, third-party scripts, and other plugins before blaming GenerateBlocks. Pair with GeneratePress for the lightest stack.
• The "few blocks" model is the learning curve. There are only ~9 blocks because Container + Grid compose everything — there's no dedicated "pricing table" or "testimonial" block; you build them. Users coming from Kadence/Stackable (40+ blocks) expect ready-made widgets and get confused. Frame it as primitives, not widgets; lean on patterns/templates (Pro) for a head start.
• Plan gating drives most surprises. Free covers Container/Grid/Headline/Button/Image/Query Loop. Dynamic Data, Global Styles, device visibility, shape dividers, scroll effects, custom attributes, and the asset/template library are Pro. Confirm the tier before promising a feature.
• Pro blocks/features degrade if the license lapses — like other block plugins, Pro-only styling/features can stop applying when Pro is deactivated/expired. Don't build a critical page solely on Pro-only features without testing the fallback on staging.
• Dynamic Data is the killer Pro feature. It binds Headline/Button/Image/Container content to post title, excerpt, date, post meta (incl. ACF/deeply-nested arrays), terms, author/user fields, comments count, and featured/meta/avatar images — and powers the Query Loop for blog/portfolio/CPT listings. This is what replaces a "blog grid" widget.
• The real automation surface is WordPress + PHP hooks, not a hosted API: read/write block markup through the WordPress REST API (blocks are generateblocks/-namespaced in post_content), filter output with generateblocks_dynamic_tag_output / generateblocks_dynamic_content_output / generateblocks_do_content / generateblocks_image_url, and register your own dynamic tag with GenerateBlocks_Register_Dynamic_Tag (2.0+). No outbound webhook.
• GenerateBlocks 2.0 was a rewrite. Dynamic tags, the unified Query Loop, and the new Styles engine arrived in 2.0 — older tutorials (1.x "Dynamic Data" UI, separate Grid/Query) may not match the current editor.

If you discover a gotcha, workaround, or tip not covered in references/learnings.md, append it there.

Gotchas

Best-effort from research (2026-06) — review these, especially plan-gated features and integration details that may be outdated.

1. Only a handful of blocks by design. Container + Grid are layout primitives you compose into everything; there are no one-off widget blocks (pricing table, testimonial). This is intentional, but it's the #1 source of "where's the X block?" confusion.
2. Dynamic Data, Global Styles, device visibility, shape dividers, scroll effects, custom attributes, and the pattern/asset library are Pro. The free plugin is core blocks + Query Loop only.
3. Pro features can degrade when the license lapses/deactivates — Pro-only styling/features may stop applying. Test fallbacks on staging before relying on them on a live page.
4. GenerateBlocks 2.0 is a major rewrite (dynamic tags, unified Query Loop, new Styles engine). Pre-2.0 tutorials and the old Dynamic Data UI can mislead — confirm the version.
5. No hosted REST API, no outbound webhook, no Zapier app. It's a WordPress plugin: automate via the WordPress core REST API (block markup in post_content) and PHP hooks/filters. Form leads exit through whatever form plugin you pair with it.
6. No native A/B testing, heatmaps, or analytics. GenerateBlocks builds pages; measurement needs a separate tool (VWO, Microsoft Clarity).
7. Migrating/bulk-importing pages can leave stale CSS. Block CSS is generated per page; after a migration or mass update, regenerate assets and clear page/object/CDN cache or inner pages render unstyled.

Related skills

• /sales-funnel — Funnel strategy, page structure, and builder selection across tools (Kadence Blocks, Spectra, SeedProd, Elementor, ClickFunnels, Leadpages)
• /sales-kadence — A Gutenberg block plugin with 40+ ready-made blocks and a design system — compare blocks, performance, plan gates, and developer hooks vs GenerateBlocks' minimalist model
• /sales-spectra — Another Gutenberg-native block plugin (by Brainstorm Force) — the closest design-flexibility rival; compare DOM output, Dynamic Content, and hooks
• /sales-stackable — A design-focused Gutenberg-native block plugin (by Gambit Technologies) with 42 ready-made blocks and a Global Design System — the breadth/design contrast to GenerateBlocks' few primitives
• /sales-seedprod — A WordPress page/landing-page builder plugin (non-Gutenberg alternative with Theme Builder + coming-soon pages)
• /sales-cartflows — WordPress/WooCommerce funnel + checkout/upsells around the pages GenerateBlocks builds
• /sales-vwo — A/B testing and heatmap methodology GenerateBlocks lacks natively
• /sales-audience-growth — Growing an email list (lead magnets, opt-in strategy) behind a form
• /sales-email-marketing — Email sequences to run after a form captures the lead
• /sales-do — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install: npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do -a claude-code

Examples

Example 1: Register a custom dynamic tag and filter its output

User: "How do I extend GenerateBlocks in code — add my own dynamic tag and tweak what a dynamic tag outputs?" Approach: GenerateBlocks has no hosted REST API; it's extended through WordPress-style PHP. Register a custom tag (2.0+) by instantiating GenerateBlocks_Register_Dynamic_Tag inside an init action with a config array (title, tag, type, supports, return callback); the callback returns through GenerateBlocks_Dynamic_Tag_Callbacks::output(). To modify existing output, filter generateblocks_dynamic_tag_output (or generateblocks_dynamic_content_output for legacy 1.x). Pull the exact array shape, callback signature, and a code snippet from references/generateblocks-api-reference.md.

Example 2: Build a blog/portfolio listing that pulls custom fields

User: "I want a grid of my custom post type that shows a custom-field price and the featured image — what do I need?" Approach: Use the Query Loop block to pull the CPT, and Dynamic Data (Pro) to bind a Headline to the post title, another to the post-meta/ACF field, and the Image block to the featured image. Dynamic Data lives on the Headline/Button/Image/Container blocks and can read deeply-nested post meta. Query Loop is free; Dynamic Data binding is Pro — confirm the tier. See references/platform-guide.md (Dynamic Data + Query Loop recipe).

Example 3: Which plan unlocks Dynamic Data, and how many sites?

User: "Which GenerateBlocks plan do I need for Dynamic Data and Global Styles, and how many sites does each cover?" Approach: Dynamic Data, Global Styles, device visibility, shape dividers, scroll effects, and the asset/template library are Pro — not in the free plugin. Pro Personal (~$59/yr) covers 1 site; Pro Professional (~$99/yr) covers up to 500 sites; GeneratePress One (~$149/yr) bundles GP Premium + GenerateBlocks Pro + GenerateCloud. Warn that pricing is best-effort/annual/intro-rated and Pro-only features degrade if the license lapses. Verify current tiers in references/platform-guide.md.

Troubleshooting

Blocks or styles render broken after an update or migration

Symptom: Pages look unstyled or layouts collapse after updating GenerateBlocks, GeneratePress, or migrating the site. Cause: GenerateBlocks generates block CSS per page; after a bulk change the cached CSS can be stale, or a 2.0 rewrite changed the markup/Styles engine. Solution: Update GenerateBlocks and GenerateBlocks Pro together to the latest version; clear page/object cache and CDN; re-save a affected page to regenerate its CSS. On 1.x→2.0 jumps, test on staging first — the Styles engine and dynamic tags changed.

The editor is slow or sluggish on long pages

Symptom: The block editor lags when editing long pages with many GenerateBlocks blocks. Cause: Editor-side rendering overhead on very long documents (compounded by other heavy editor plugins). Solution: Split very long pages; deactivate unrelated heavy editor plugins to isolate the conflict; keep GenerateBlocks/Pro updated. The front-end output stays lean even when the editor is heavy — they're separate concerns.

A Pro block/feature stopped working ("fallback" styling)

Symptom: A page built with Dynamic Data, Global Styles, or other Pro features lost its styling/behavior. Cause: GenerateBlocks Pro is deactivated, expired, or the license isn't active on that site. Solution: Reactivate/renew GenerateBlocks Pro and confirm the license is applied to this site (Pro Personal = 1 site only). Avoid building a critical live page solely on Pro-only features without a tested fallback.