Columns Block

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The Columns Block allows you to insert text, media, and other types of content into columns – limit 6. When used one after another, the columns can create a grid effect. 

You can type /columns and hit enter in a new paragraph block to add one quickly.

Image showing how to add a columns block with the slash inserter.

Detailed instructions on adding blocks

Once you add the Columns Block, you can choose a variation to start with (and you can change the number or add more columns later). If you want to use the default variation (50 / 50), you can click on the Skip option at the bottom.

Columns block placeholder

Adding and removing columns

It is possible to add or remove columns. To do so, click outside the box, between the box and the sidebar, then change the number of columns (up to six is recommended). Alternatively, you can adjust the number of columns in the block setting section.

The demonstration of adding columns block

Adding content to the columns

Once you have defined the number of columns, you can add content to each column. The amazing thing about the columns block is that you can add other blocks into each of the columns.

For instance, you can use the Columns Block as the structure and add an image, heading, and paragraph block to create a grid of services.

Using the columns block with images

Or you can use the Columns Block with the Cover Block to feature pages of your site.

Using the columns block with cover block

You could also use the Columns Block with the Button Block to invite users to take some actions on your site.

Using the columns block for buttons layout

Block toolbar

Most blocks have their own block-specific controls that allow you to manipulate the block right in the editor.

The Columns Block shows the following buttons:

  • Transform to
  • Moving handles
  • Change alignment
  • Change vertical alignment
  • More options
Columns block toolbar

Transform to

You can transform columns into a Group block.

The transform options on the columns block toolbar

The Group would give you the ability to change the background color around the columns.

Using group block to give background color

It’s also possible to unwrap the contents of Columns block

Moving handles

The dotted icons can be used to drag and drop a block to the place of your choosing. The up and down arrow icons can be used to shift a block up and down in your document.

The block moving tools on the columns block toolbar

Get more information about moving a block within the editor.

Change alignment

The alignment tools on the columns block toolbar
  • None
  • Wide width – Increase the width of the block beyond the content size.
  • Full width – Extend the block to cover the full width of the screen.

Change vertical alignment

The vertical alignment tools on the columns block toolbar
  • Align top – Make the block vertically aligned top.
  • Align middle – Make the block vertically aligned middle.
  • Align bottom – Make the block vertically aligned bottom.

Options

The Options button on a block toolbar gives you more features to customize the block. 

Read about these and other settings.

Block settings

The block settings panel contains customization options specific to the block. To open it, select the block and click the Settings button next to the Publish button.

The block settings button

Note that since the Columns Block has the ability to embed other blocks if you click specifically on one of the columns, the settings in the sidebar will change according to the block you added to the selected column (e.g. if you added an image to one of the columns when you click on the image the sidebar will display the options from the Image Block settings).

Here are the options for the Columns block:

Columns

In the Columns settings, you can set the number of columns (1 to 6). You can edit the number of columns by clicking on the up and down arrows, dragging the slider to the right or left, or by typing the number directly in the field.

Column number settings

It’s also possible to change the Color, Typography, Dimensions, and Border settings. To access them, open the Styles section:

Styles tab

Color

With Color settings, you can change the color of the text in your block, the color of links, and the background color of your block. For the columns block, this means that you can style each column individually or both columns for consistency.

See this guide for more information about changing colors.

Typography

The Columns block provides typography settings to change the font family, appearance, line height, letter spacing, decoration, letter case, and font size.

For details, refer to this support article: Typography settings overview

Dimensions

The Columns block provides dimension settings options to add padding, margin, and block spacing.

For details, refer to this support article: Dimension settings overview

Border

The Columns block provides border settings options to add border color, style, width, and radius.

For details, refer to this support article: Border settings overview

Advanced

The Advanced tab lets you add HTML anchor and CSS class(es) to your block.

Advanced section

HTML anchor allows you to make a unique web address for a particular Columns Block. Then, you’ll be able to link directly to a Columns Block of your page.

The Additional CSS class(es) lets you add CSS class(es) to your block, allowing you to write custom CSS and style the block as you see fit.

For individual Column Blocks

For individual Column Blocks within the Columns Block, you can customize the width options as shown below. To make it easier to find and select the Column Block, it’s recommended to use List View.

The width option allows you to set the width of the individual column itself, in PX, %, EM, REM, VW or VH.

Column width settings

For individual Column Blocks within the Columns Block, you can also customize the Layout settings.

For details, refer to this support article: Layout settings overview

Changelog

  • Updated 2022-05-09
    • Content, screenshots, and video updated for 6.2
  • Updated 2022-12-12
    • Content, screenshots, and video updated for 6.1.
    • Added block settings for Column block
  • Updated 2022-11-21
    • Aligned screenshots for mobile view
    • removed redundant content
    • Added alt text to some images
  • Updated 2021-07-09
    • Updated screenshots.
    • Added in context around styling individual columns.
    • Added information about spacing and width options for individual columns.
  • Updated 2020-08-24
    • Added “Go back to the list of Blocks” to the top of the page
  • Updated 2020-08-21
    • Screenshots and videos as per WordPress 5.5
    • Added feature changes in Block Toolbar
    • Added feature changes in Block Settings
  • Created 2019-03-07

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