Description
Pattern Builder transforms how you work with WordPress block patterns, providing a comprehensive solution for creating, managing, and organizing patterns right from your WordPress admin.
Key Features
Pattern Management Made Easy
* Unified Interface – Manage both theme patterns and user-created patterns in one place
* Visual Editor – Create patterns using the familiar WordPress block editor
* Live Preview – See your patterns in action before saving
Powerful Organization
* Categories – Organize patterns by category for easy discovery
* Advanced Search – Find patterns quickly with powerful filtering options
* Tags & Keywords – Add metadata to make patterns discoverable
* Sync Status – Manage synced and unsynced patterns effortlessly
Developer-Friendly
* Export to Theme – Convert user patterns to theme files with proper formatting
* Asset Management – Automatically handles pattern images and media
* Block Bindings – Advanced pattern configuration with block bindings support
Use Cases
For Theme Developers
* Create and manage theme patterns visually
* Export patterns with proper formatting
* Organize patterns by category
* Test patterns before deployment
For Site Builders
* Build custom patterns without coding
* Reuse patterns across multiple pages
* Share patterns between sites
* Maintain pattern library
For Agencies
* Create pattern libraries for clients
* Standardize design systems
* Speed up development workflow
* Maintain brand consistency
Development
Pattern Builder is open source and welcomes contributions. Visit our GitHub repository to:
Credits
Pattern Builder is developed and maintained by Twenty Bellows.
Installation
From WordPress Admin
- Navigate to Plugins > Add New
- Search for “Pattern Builder”
- Click “Install Now” and then “Activate”
- Navigate to Appearance > Pattern Builder to start creating patterns
Manual Installation
- Download the plugin zip file
- Navigate to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
- Choose the downloaded file and click “Install Now”
- Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress
- Navigate to Appearance > Pattern Builder to start creating patterns
For Developers
- Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/Twenty-Bellows/pattern-builder.git - Install dependencies:
npm install && composer install - Build assets:
npm run build - Start development environment:
npm run start - Watch for changes:
npm run watch
FAQ
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Can I use this with any theme?
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Yes! Pattern Builder works with any WordPress theme that supports the block editor. It’s especially powerful when used with block themes.
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Can I manage existing theme patterns?
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Yes, Pattern Builder provides a unified interface to manage both theme patterns (PHP files in your theme’s patterns directory) and user-created patterns stored in the database.
Reviews
Contributors & Developers
“Pattern Builder” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
Translate “Pattern Builder” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
2.0.0
- Complete architectural overhaul: theme pattern files are now the single source of truth — no more database mirror posts, no more custom post type rows, and no more interception of the /wp/v2/blocks REST API
- New pattern browser under Appearance Pattern Builder; every pattern opens in the WordPress editor itself — user patterns in the Site Editor, theme patterns in the core editor bound straight to the pattern file
- Theme patterns are now real REST entities (string IDs, like core templates) at /pattern-builder/v1/patterns, editable in the post editor in place
- Synced theme patterns now work through the core/pattern block’s content attribute (the same mechanism as the Synced Patterns for Themes plugin 2.0) — inserted copies stay linked to the pattern file with per-instance overrides, and no post ID is involved anywhere
- Full pattern metadata management: title, description, categories, keywords, block types, post types, template types, viewport width, inserter visibility, and synced status all round-trip through the pattern file header
- Viewport Width is now preserved when editing patterns (previously lost on save)
- Parent theme patterns are now included (previously only the child theme was scanned)
- The block inserter now respects each theme pattern’s own Inserter header (previously all theme patterns were hidden)
- Pattern Bindings panel for naming override slots directly in the editor
- Works alongside Synced Patterns for Themes 2.0: when both are active the companion provides the pattern runtime and Pattern Builder adds the editing tools
- Automatic one-time migration: wp:block references to the old mirror posts are rewritten to wp:pattern references, mirror posts are removed, and the old capabilities are cleaned up
- Fixed unauthenticated pattern deletion and unauthenticated edit-context reads (the old REST interception layer is gone entirely)
- Performance: no database writes on page load (the old per-request pattern mirroring is gone)
- Requires WordPress 6.8 and PHP 7.4
1.0.4
- Fixed issue where it prevented Post Types with custom metadata from saving
1.0.3
- Fixed saving media for theme patterns
- Fixed broken unit tests
- Simplified code and removed unnecssary logic
1.0.2
- Documentation changes
- API Hardening and security improvements
- Namespace and prefix changes to prevent potential conflicts with other tools
1.0.1
- Fixed compatibility issues with WordPress 6.8
- Improved pattern export functionality
- Enhanced error handling
1.0.0
- Initial release
- Pattern creation and editing
- Theme pattern management
- Export to theme functionality
- Categories and tags support
- Visual and code editor modes
- Pattern preview
- Asset management