Title: Blankless – Default Block Patterns for Post Types Author: Trent Stromkins Published: September 29, 2026 Last modified: September 29, 2026 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/blankless/assets/banner-772x250.png?rev=3719529) ![](https://ps.w.org/blankless/assets/icon.svg?rev=3719529) # Blankless – Default Block Patterns for Post Types By [Trent Stromkins](https://profiles.wordpress.org/bmx269/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/blankless.1.0.0.zip) * [Details](https://wordpress.org/plugins/blankless/#description) * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/plugins/blankless/#reviews) * [Installation](https://wordpress.org/plugins/blankless/#installation) * [Development](https://wordpress.org/plugins/blankless/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/blankless/) ## Description Blankless lets a site administrator pick a block pattern for each post type. When someone creates a new post of that type, the editor opens with the pattern’s blocks already in place. It’s built for sites where every post of a given type follows the same structure: staff profiles, locations, events, case studies, press releases. Build the layout once as a pattern, point the post type at it, and writers start from the right blocks every time. #### Getting started 1. **Build a pattern.** Create a pattern in the Site Editor (_Appearance Editor Patterns_), or use one that your theme or a plugin registers in code. 2. **Pick it for a post type.** Go to _Appearance Blankless_ and enter the pattern’s slug next to Posts, Pages or any custom post type. Start typing and the field suggests every pattern on the site. The Status column confirms each one is found. 3. **Add New starts from it.** Create a new post of that type and the editor opens with the pattern’s blocks already in place, ready to edit. Leave a post type blank to keep WordPress’s normal empty editor. Blankless only fills new posts that start out empty, so it never changes content you’ve already written. **[Try it in WordPress Playground](https://playground.wordpress.net/?blueprint-url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bmx269/blankless/main/blueprint.json)** to test the plugin in your browser, with nothing to install. The demo sets a sample pattern as the default for Posts, so _Posts Add New_ opens with it. #### Key features **Defaults per post type** * One settings screen under _Appearance Blankless_ lists every public post type, including custom post types * Set a different pattern for posts, pages and each custom post type, or leave one blank to keep the empty editor * No theme code, `block.json` metadata or template changes required **Works with the patterns you already have** * Use patterns you saved in the Site Editor (Saved Patterns) * Use patterns registered by your theme’s `/patterns` folder or by a plugin * Reference a registered pattern by its full name (`mytheme/staff-profile`) or just the part after the slash (`staff-profile`) * Slug fields suggest every pattern on the site as you type **Clear feedback** * A status column shows whether each slug matches a Saved Pattern, a registered pattern, or nothing * If a slug stops matching, for example after a theme switch, new posts open empty rather than breaking **Safe defaults** * Only fills posts that start out empty, so content passed in another way is kept * Draft and unpublished Saved Patterns are ignored * Only administrators can change the settings * No front-end code, no external requests and no tracking. The plugin stores one option and removes it when you delete the plugin #### How a slug is matched When you save the settings, a slug that matches a published pattern saved in the Site Editor is linked to that pattern. When a new post is created, the plugin uses the first match: 1. The Saved Pattern linked when the settings were saved 2. A pattern registered in code whose full name matches 3. A pattern registered in code whose name ends with the slug Patterns saved in the Site Editor take priority over patterns in code. Edits to a linked pattern apply straight away, even if you rename it. A Saved Pattern published after you save the settings isn’t used until you save them again, so another user can’t replace your choice by publishing a pattern with the same slug. To override a theme’s pattern with your own, create a Saved Pattern with the same short slug, like `staff-profile`, then save the settings. #### How it differs from core starter patterns WordPress can already offer “starter patterns” when you create a new page. Those are useful, but they work differently: * Core asks the writer to choose a pattern each time. This plugin applies the one the administrator picked, automatically. * Core only offers patterns that declare the `core/post-content` block type, and by default only for pages. This plugin works with any pattern and any public post type. * Core’s list comes from registered patterns. This plugin also works with Saved Patterns made in the editor, with no code. When a post type has a default set, the post is no longer empty, so core’s “Choose a pattern” window doesn’t open for that post type. Post types without a default keep core’s behaviour. #### Support & Contribute * **Support:** ask questions and report problems in the [support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/blankless/). * **Contribute:** the code lives on [GitHub](https://github.com/bmx269/blankless). Bug reports and pull requests are welcome in the [issue tracker](https://github.com/bmx269/blankless/issues). Blankless is written and maintained by Trent Stromkins. ## Screenshots [⌊How Blankless works: build a pattern, pick it for a post type, and every new post of that type starts from it.⌉⌊How Blankless works: build a pattern, pick it for a post type, and every new post of that type starts from it.⌉[ How Blankless works: build a pattern, pick it for a post type, and every new post of that type starts from it. [⌊The settings screen under Appearance lists every public post type. Leave a slug empty and that post type keeps WordPress's normal empty editor, as Location does here.⌉⌊The settings screen under Appearance lists every public post type. Leave a slug empty and that post type keeps WordPress's normal empty editor, as Location does here.⌉[ The settings screen under Appearance lists every public post type. Leave a slug empty and that post type keeps WordPress’s normal empty editor, as Location does here. [⌊After saving, the Status column shows where each pattern was found: saved in the Site Editor, with a link to edit it, or registered in code.⌉⌊After saving, the Status column shows where each pattern was found: saved in the Site Editor, with a link to edit it, or registered in code.⌉[ After saving, the Status column shows where each pattern was found: saved in the Site Editor, with a link to edit it, or registered in code. [⌊A new Staff profile opens with the "Staff profile" pattern already in place.⌉⌊ A new Staff profile opens with the "Staff profile" pattern already in place.⌉[ A new Staff profile opens with the “Staff profile” pattern already in place. [⌊A new page opens with a pattern from the Twenty Twenty-Five theme, referenced by its full registered name.⌉⌊A new page opens with a pattern from the Twenty Twenty- Five theme, referenced by its full registered name.⌉[ A new page opens with a pattern from the Twenty Twenty-Five theme, referenced by its full registered name. ## Installation 1. Install the plugin from _Plugins Add New Plugin_ by searching for “Blankless”, or upload the `blankless` folder to `/wp-content/plugins/`. 2. Activate the plugin through the _Plugins_ screen. 3. Go to _Appearance Blankless_. 4. Enter a pattern slug next to each post type you want to pre-fill. The field suggests available patterns as you type. 5. Save, then check the Status column. A green tick means the slug matched a pattern. 6. Create a new post of that type to see the pattern in the editor. ## FAQ ### Where do I find the pattern slug? Start typing in a slug field on the settings screen. It suggests every published Saved Pattern and every registered pattern on the site. A Saved Pattern’s slug is its post slug, usually its title in lowercase with hyphens. A registered pattern’s slug is its registered name, such as `mytheme/staff-profile`, or just `staff-profile`. ### What do “Saved in Site Editor” and “In Code” mean? They show where the matched pattern lives. “Saved in Site Editor” means it was made in WordPress and saved on your site, under _Appearance Editor Patterns_ (or _Appearance Patterns_ with a classic theme, where it reads “Saved in Patterns”). Click **Edit** next to it to open that pattern. “In Code” means the pattern comes from your theme’s or a plugin’s files, so it’s changed there rather than in WordPress. ### What if a Saved Pattern and a registered pattern share a slug? The pattern saved in the Site Editor takes priority over the one in code, as long as it was published when you last saved the settings. Otherwise the pattern in code is used. ### Does this work with custom post types? Yes. Every public post type appears in the settings table, except Media and Patterns themselves. ### What happens if the slug doesn’t match any pattern? New posts open with the normal empty editor, as if the plugin weren’t there. The Status column shows “Pattern not found” so you can spot the problem. ### Will it overwrite content that is already there? No. It only fills new posts that start out empty. Existing posts are never changed. ### I use a synced pattern. Will later edits to it update my posts? No. The plugin copies the pattern’s blocks into each new post as a starting point. Changing the pattern later affects posts created after the change, not ones that already exist. ### Why doesn’t the “Choose a pattern” window appear anymore? WordPress only shows that window for empty new posts. Once a post type has a default pattern, its new posts aren’t empty, so the window stays closed. Clear the slug for that post type to get it back. ### Who can change the settings? Administrators, or any role with the `manage_options` capability. ### Does it work with the Classic Editor? It works, but patterns are block markup, so the Classic Editor shows the raw HTML and block comments. The plugin is meant for the block editor. ### Does it work on multisite? Yes. Each site has its own settings. Deleting the plugin removes the setting from every site in the network. ### What does the plugin store, and what happens when I delete it? It stores a single option, `blankless`, holding each post type’s slug and, for Saved Patterns, the ID of the pattern it’s linked to. Deleting the plugin from the Plugins screen removes that option. Your patterns and posts are not touched. ## Reviews There are no reviews for this plugin. ## Contributors & Developers “Blankless – Default Block Patterns for Post Types” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ Trent Stromkins ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/bmx269/) [Translate “Blankless – Default Block Patterns for Post Types” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/blankless) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/blankless/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/blankless/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/blankless/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/blankless/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 1.0.0 Initial release. * Settings screen under Appearance to set a default block pattern for each public post type * Supports Saved Patterns and patterns registered by themes and plugins * Patterns saved in the Site Editor take priority over patterns in code with the same slug * Saved Patterns are linked when the settings are saved, so a pattern published later with the same slug can’t replace your choice * Status column shows whether each slug matches a pattern * Slug fields suggest available patterns as you type * Only fills new posts that start out empty, and ignores unpublished Saved Patterns * Settings link on the Plugins screen * Removes its option on uninstall, including across a multisite network ## Meta * Version **1.0.0** * Last updated **21 hours ago** * Active installations **Fewer than 10** * WordPress version ** 6.5 or higher ** * Tested up to **7.1.2** * PHP version ** 8.0 or higher ** * Tags * [block patterns](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/block-patterns/)[block-editor](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/block-editor/) [Default content](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/default-content/)[gutenberg](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/gutenberg/) [post types](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/post-types/) * [Advanced View](https://wordpress.org/plugins/blankless/advanced/) ## Ratings No reviews have been submitted yet. [Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/blankless/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/blankless/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ Trent Stromkins ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/bmx269/) ## Support Got something to say? Need help? [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/blankless/)