University of Wisconsin–Madison

Blocks

UW Theme 2.0 blocks

Blocks are the basic building elements used to create pages in WordPress. Every part of your page – including text, images, or accordions – is made with a block. UW Theme 2.0 includes a selected set of WordPress Core blocks and custom UW blocks to help you create accessible, on-brand pages.

Custom UW Blocks

These are custom UW blocks developed by the UW Theme team and are available to you when building a page. This list will continue to grow as UW Theme 2.0 adds more features.

Accordion block icon looks like a bulleted list.

Stack your content in sections that users can expand and collapse.

The back to top block icon is an arrow pointing upwards.

Add a link that lets users quickly return to the top of the page.

Opening and closed code brackets used for the UW Embed Block plugin.

Embed media like videos and audio from UW tools.

The UW Featured Post block icon looks like a page layout with text and a star image, representing a featured post.

Feature a single post or highlight a handpicked list of posts.

Two vertically stacked links with a right arrow represent the Group of Links block.

Display a group of related links with optional arrow icons.

A hero slide in focus with left and right preview slides represents the Hero Carousel block.

Show full-width images in a rotating carousel at the top of a page.

Circle with right arrow represents the UW Link block.

Add a stylized link to create a strong call to action.

Three outline figures representing people, used for the People Listing block.

Display people you’ve added using the UW People plugin, including faculty, staff, or students.

An opening quotation mark represents the UW Quote block

Showcase a memorable quote using pull quote or block quote styles.

An image with text on the right and three navigation dots below represents the UW Story Slider block.

Tell a story with sliding panels of text and images.

Two tab items with the first one active represents the UW Tabs block.

Organize short, related content into tabs that users can switch between.

A calendar with the letter W inside represents the UW Today.wisc.edu block.

Display events from today.wisc.edu to promote across campus.

Core WordPress Blocks

WordPress provides blocks such as paragraphs, headings, buttons, and columns that are central to building content. Below is a list of the WordPress core blocks available in UW Theme 2.0.

Visit the full WordPress block list to learn more.

In UW Theme 2.0, some blocks are disabled for accessibility or are still under review, while others have been modified in different ways to help you create UW branded content.

Common

Blocks that are frequently used when creating content:


Buttons

Add a button with a variety of color options that we’ve customized for UW Theme 2.0.

Embed

Embed media like videos and audio from supported platforms. See also: UW Embed blocks.

Gallery

Create a simple grid of images.

Heading

Add structured text headings with or without the UW red mini bar.

Create ordered and unordered lists with options for more or less space.

Media & Text

Place an image or video side-by-side with text. WiscWeb sites cannot upload video files. Embed videos instead and use the Columns block to create side-by-side text and video.

Title

Display the title of a page or post.

Query Loop

Display a list of your pages or posts.

RSS

Display a feed from another site.

Layout

Blocks that help you arrange and organize content in different layouts:

Columns

Place content side-by-side in up to six columns.

Cover

Place text over a background image, video, gradient, or color. See also: Cover block best practices in UW Theme 2.0. (WiscWeb sites cannot upload video files. Embed video instead.)

Grid

Arrange content in multiple rows and columns with equal spacing

Group

This is a basic container for grouping blocks as one section, with three variations to choose from (Row, Stack, and Grid).

Spacer

Add extra space between blocks, but use this feature with care — spacing does not automatically adjust on smaller screen sizes. See spacing best practices in UW Theme 2.0.

Separator

Create a break between two blocks with a horizontal line.

More

Additional blocks from WordPress that you may find useful:

Archives

Display an archive list of your posts by date.

Categories

Display the categories associated with your post.

Footnotes

Add cited references at the bottom of a page.

Page List

Display a list of pages or child pages.

Search

Add a search widget on your page or post.

Social Icons

Add icons linking to your social media profiles or sites.

Report a bug or share feedback

The new UW Theme 2.0 will continue to grow and improve, and your feedback is a big part of that. Report issues, identify accessibility barriers, or share general feedback about the theme so we can keep making it better together.