Description
Shed Editor Assist enhances the Gutenberg block editor experience with visual aids that make layout structure clearer.
Features:
- Layout Borders — dashed outlines on Columns, Column, Group, and Spacer blocks so you can see structure at a glance
- Block Color Coding — each block type gets a distinct border color (paragraph, heading, image, list, buttons)
- Grab Markers — a ⠿ handle at the top-left corner of each block for quick drag-and-drop reordering
- Backspace / Delete Protection — prevents accidental block deletion or column-merge when the cursor is at the start or end of a block (both keys protected)
All features are editor-only. Nothing is added to the frontend.
Each feature can be toggled independently under Settings > Shed Editor Assist. Border style (dashed / solid), width, and base color are also configurable.
Optional paid add-ons are available at https://wpshed.jp.
Installation
- Upload the plugin folder to
/wp-content/plugins/ - Activate via the Plugins menu in WordPress
- Go to Settings > Shed Editor Assist to enable or disable individual features and adjust the border style
FAQ
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Does this affect the frontend?
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No. All styles and scripts are loaded only inside the block editor. Your published pages are not changed in any way.
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The Backspace / Delete protection feels too strict. How do I turn it off?
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Go to Settings > Shed Editor Assist and uncheck Backspace / Delete Protection. You can re-enable it at any time.
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Which blocks show outlines?
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Layout Borders: Columns, Column, Group, Spacer.
Block Color Coding: Paragraph, Heading, Image, List, Buttons. -
Does the grab marker work inside columns and groups?
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Yes. The marker is positioned at the top-left corner of each block. For blocks nested inside columns or groups it moves above the block to avoid overlapping column borders.
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Is the drag-and-drop using native WordPress block moving?
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Yes. Dragging a grab marker calls
wp.data.dispatch( 'core/block-editor' ).moveBlockToPosition, which is the same API used by the native block drag handle. -
Will this break on WordPress updates?
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The Backspace/Delete protection and grab-marker injection rely on Gutenberg internals. If a WordPress update changes these, you can disable the affected feature from the settings page until a compatible version of the plugin is released.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“Shed Editor Assist” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
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Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.0.2
- Fixed: grab markers restored to all block types (heading, paragraph, list, image, button). For WordPress 7.0+ where content blocks render as the element itself (h1, p, etc.), markers are now injected into the parent container to prevent post content corruption. Marker positions update on every editor state change to stay accurate after block moves.
- Fixed: Settings label updated to “Backspace / Delete Protection” to reflect that both keys are protected.
1.0.1
- Fixed: grab markers for heading, paragraph, list, image, and button blocks were being saved into post content in WordPress 7.0 (iframed editor now places data-type on content elements). Markers restricted to layout blocks only as a temporary fix.
1.0.0
- First public release on WordPress.org.
- Improved: border_style input sanitization (wp_unslash added).
0.2.9
- Fixed: “/” slash inserter stops responding in paragraph blocks; the grab marker span was breaking WP’s editing context. The marker is now temporarily removed while a paragraph is selected (via wp.data.subscribe) and restored when focus moves away.
- Fixed: isDragging flag prevents marker injection during an active drag, avoiding DOM mutations that could interrupt pointer events.
- Fixed: :scope > .shedea-marker check prevents duplicate markers on nested blocks (columns/groups).
0.2.8
- Fixed: grab marker no longer intercepts clicks intended for block content; a 5 px drag threshold now distinguishes a click (selects the block) from a drag (moves the block).
0.2.7
- Fixed: typing “/” to open the slash block inserter was closing immediately due to marker injection modifying the focused block’s DOM.
0.2.6
- Changed: grab marker for blocks nested inside columns/groups is now positioned at the top-left above the block.
0.2.5
- Fixed: grab marker now stays visible for 350 ms after leaving the block.
- Fixed: Backspace protection no longer fires on iframed editor false-positives.
0.2.4
- Fixed: Backspace blocked in paragraphs inside columns.
- Fixed: text editing disabled during drag.
0.2.3
- Changed: grab marker now shows only on block hover.
0.2.2
- Changed: drop indicator line now animates from center outward.
0.2.1
- Fixed: grab marker positioned correctly for blocks nested inside columns or groups.
0.2.0
- Changed: drag now uses wp.data dispatch for cross-root block moves.
- Changed: drop indicator changed from block highlight to top/bottom line.
0.1.0
- Initial release.