Description

HONOKO Core keeps persistent content functionality separate from presentation. It provides the free HONOKO Builder, Frontend Builder, pillar-page mapping, content clusters, SEO metadata, Schema markup, XML sitemap generation and the free HONOKO block set.

The plugin can remain active when you change themes, so Builder content and SEO data are not tied to a specific presentation layer.

HONOKO Core is fully functional without HONOKO Pro. An optional premium add-on is available separately and is not included in this plugin.

Developer note: Builder column payloads use Base64 encoding as a transport format inside shortcode attributes. This is serialization only; it is not code obfuscation and no executable code is downloaded from third parties.

Source Code

HONOKO Core does not require npm, webpack, minification, or another build step. The JavaScript and CSS files distributed under assets/js/ and assets/css/ are the human-readable source files loaded directly by WordPress. No separate generated bundles are shipped.

Resources

HONOKO Builder icon artwork, Copyright 2026 Carlos Banyuls.
License: GPL-2.0-or-later.
Source: https://honokotheme.com/

Blocks

This plugin provides 2 blocks.

HONOKO · Content cluster Display posts from a category as a configurable content cluster.
HONOKO · Image + text Two-column visual block with image, eyebrow, title, text and button.

FAQ

Do I need the HONOKO theme?: No. Core keeps its persistent content features available when another theme is active. The HONOKO theme provides the intended visual presentation.
Does Core send site content to HONOKO servers?: No. Core does not track visitors or send site content to an external HONOKO service.
Is HONOKO Pro required?: No. The free Builder, pillar architecture, SEO metadata and free blocks work without the premium add-on.

Reviews

There are no reviews for this plugin.

Contributors & Developers

“HONOKO Core” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Carlos Banyuls

Translate “HONOKO Core” into your language.

Interested in development?

Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.

Changelog

1.0.21

Added a contextual HONOKO Pro submenu and local overview page for Lite/Core users; it stays at the bottom of the HONOKO menu and disappears when Pro is active.
Added locked previews of the optional HONOKO Pro block catalogue so Lite/Core users can see the additional block types without including premium implementation code in Core.
Fixed the Builder Text shortcut so Add text opens the same full Settings, Design and Advanced editor used by Add block -> Text.
Ensured the native WordPress editor stack is available before Builder modals open, with a visible source-editor fallback if TinyMCE cannot initialise.
Fixed editing of existing Core blocks when HONOKO Pro is not active by providing Core’s own neutral block-value preparation helper.
Kept Pro links contextual and local to HONOKO screens, with no remote images, embedded content or tracking parameters.

1.0.20

Keeps the WordPress compatibility declaration only in readme.txt, as required by the Plugin Directory.
Restricts HONOKO admin appearance assets and body classes to HONOKO-owned admin screens instead of loading them across wp-admin.
Scopes admin appearance selectors to HONOKO screens so they cannot affect unrelated WordPress administration pages.

1.0.19

Updates official HONOKO project links to honokotheme.com.

1.0.18

Completes Spanish translations for PHP/JavaScript UI and refreshes native script translation catalogs.
Uses an English source msgid for the Quote block so English installations no longer see a Spanish label.

1.0.17

Removed the auxiliary SOURCE.md file from the production package; source-code/build documentation remains in readme.txt.

1.0.16

Replaced inline admin CSS/JavaScript with WordPress enqueue APIs.
Hardened JSON-LD output against script-tag termination.
Made Content Engine token replacement context-safe by resolving only normal text nodes.
Documented the bundled human-readable JavaScript/CSS source used by the plugin.
Strengthened request capability checks and output escaping found during directory review.

1.0.14

Improved escaping, nonce documentation, translator comments, and directory-check compatibility based on WordPress Plugin Check.
Bundled Spanish gettext and JavaScript catalogs so Core follows the WordPress site/user language consistently.
Prepared the public API namespace for WordPress.org with the honoko_ prefix.
Improved internationalization coverage and security sanitization for Builder backups.
Separated premium Builder runtimes and integrations into the external HONOKO Pro add-on; Core now ships only the free implementation.
Simplified the contextual Pro presentation in the Builder.
Cleaned the plugin readme and changelog for directory submission.

1.0.13

Improved vertical spacing across HONOKO admin screens.

1.0.11

Added the richer Core dashboard, status overview, health snapshot and architecture shortcuts.
Improved responsive layout and dark-mode compatibility.

1.0.7

Improved the Builder catalogue and free/optional add-on integration.

1.0.0

Initial Core split from the HONOKO theme.