A slider block is needed to showcase sliding content in the Gutenberg block editor. Unfortunately, Gutenberg doesn’t have a core block that satisfies your needs. That’s why a custom slider block is essential for creating a slider or carousel in the Gutenberg editor.
You understand that you need a custom Gutenberg block that helps you to create your expected slider. But the critical point is to find out the best slider block from a number of slider blocks available in the online world right now. To simplify the complicated process and provide a better slider block, I am going to share my opinion that will help you decide and find the best slider block for the Gutenberg editor.
What is a Slider?
A simple question may be raised in your mind what is a slider? I hope you already know about it, after all, I want to let you know a bit more in detail. I hope you won’t be annoyed.
In web development and design, a “slider” generally refers to a user interface element that allows users to slide through a series of content items, typically images or other media, often in a dynamic and visually appealing way. Sliders are commonly used to showcase various types of content on a website. Let’s explore different types of sliders:
Content Slider:
- Purpose: A content slider is a versatile slider that can showcase various types of content, such as images, text, and multimedia elements.
- Usage: It is commonly used on the homepage of a website to highlight key features, promotions, or important messages.
Image Slider:
- Purpose: An image slider is focused on displaying a series of images in a visually appealing manner.
- Usage: It is often used for showcasing portfolios, product galleries, or any situation where a visual representation is crucial.
Post Slider:
- Purpose: A post slider is specifically designed to display blog posts or articles in a slider format.
- Usage: It’s commonly used on blog pages or news websites to highlight featured or recent articles.
Testimonial Slider:
- Purpose: A testimonial slider is used to showcase customer reviews or testimonials.
- Usage: Businesses often include testimonial sliders on their websites to build trust and credibility by highlighting positive feedback from customers.
Video Slider:
- Purpose: A video slider is designed to showcase a series of videos.
- Usage: It can be used on video-centric websites or for promotional purposes to highlight different video content.
Product Slider:
- Purpose: A product slider is tailored for e-commerce websites to showcase different products.
- Usage: It allows users to easily browse through a range of products, often featured on the homepage or product category pages.
Thumbnail Slider:
- Purpose: A thumbnail slider displays a series of smaller images (thumbnails) that users can click on to view larger versions.
- Usage: It’s useful when there’s a need to display a large number of images without overwhelming the user with full-sized images at once.
Carousel:
- Purpose: While not always referred to as a slider, carousels function similarly by displaying a series of content items in a rotating manner.
- Usage: Carousels are commonly used in various contexts, such as image galleries, news headlines, or product showcases.
In general, sliders enhance user engagement and provide a dynamic way to present information. However, it’s essential to use them judiciously, considering factors like page load times, accessibility, and user experience.
Why Custom Block for Slider
A custom Gutenberg slider block is needed to create a slider or carousel because the default set of Gutenberg blocks does not include a specific slider block designed for these dynamic content elements. Sliders and carousels have specialized functionalities, such as transitioning between multiple slides, incorporating animations, and providing navigation controls, which are not covered by the existing core blocks.
A custom slider block allows designers to create a dedicated and tailored solution for sliders or carousels, integrating seamlessly with the Gutenberg editor. It provides a user-friendly interface within the block editor, allowing users to interact with and customize their sliders using familiar controls.
The flexibility and extensibility of a custom slider block also play a crucial role. Designers can add specific features and customization options that are unique to sliders or carousels, addressing various use cases and accommodating different user preferences.
Moreover, a custom slider block enables independent maintenance and updates for the slider functionality, ensuring that it can evolve and improve over time without being tied to the core Gutenberg block editor’s release schedule. In essence, a custom Gutenberg slider block is essential for creating sliders and carousels because it offers a dedicated, optimized, and flexible solution that aligns with the specific requirements of these dynamic content elements.
GutSlider: Best Slider Block for Gutenberg
I have worked with 10+ custom Gutenberg slider blocks but I find none of them that satisfies my all needs. Even, I found some basic features are also not available in the free version. That was really disappointing. So, I had to spend a significant amount of time to find a complete solution for a slider and carousel for the Gutenberg editor. Unfortunately, I didn’t find a better slider block at all.
Then our Gkits team started developing a complete slider block for the Gutenberg editor that is called GutSlider – an all-in-one Block Slider. Right now its free version is available in the WordPress plugins directory and you can easily use its different slider blocks free of cost.
You may be confused as to why I am saying that the GutSlider is the best slider block for the Gutenberg block editor. No worries, I am going to explain why I am saying so.
GutSlider stands out as a robust Gutenberg-based plugin designed to enrich your WordPress site with an array of slider and carousel options. Whether your goal is to highlight captivating content, curate dynamic slide-any-content sliders, showcase compelling testimonials, or present posts in an engaging manner, GutSlider emerges as a versatile and powerful solution.
Let’s explore the key features of the GutSlider – an all-in-one slider block solution.
GutSlider Key Features
GutSlider comes with a complete solution for sliders and carousels for different types of content. Let’s break down the key features of GutSlider.
Gutenberg Integration:
GutSlider seamlessly integrates with the Gutenberg editor, the native WordPress block editor, ensuring a user-friendly and intuitive experience for content creation and customization.
Simple, Light-weight, and Fast:
GutSlider is designed to be user-friendly with a simple interface. It maintains a lightweight structure to ensure efficient performance, allowing for a fast and responsive user experience on your WordPress site.
Load Scripts Only on Relevant Pages:
The plugin is optimized to load scripts only on the pages where the GutSlider block is actively used. This approach helps minimize unnecessary resource consumption and contributes to faster page loading times.
Developed with Gutenberg Native Components:
GutSlider is built using Gutenberg Native Components, aligning seamlessly with the WordPress block editor. This ensures a cohesive integration with the native editing experience, making it intuitive for users familiar with the Gutenberg environment.
Multiple Types of Sliders:
GutSlider offers versatility by providing multiple types of sliders. Users can choose from various slider layouts based on their preferences and specific content requirements.
Multiple Types of Carousels:
In addition to sliders, GutSlider extends its functionality by offering multiple types of carousels. This diversity allows users to select the carousel style that best suits their content presentation needs.
Slide Any Content You Want:
GutSlider allows for flexibility in content presentation. Users can slide and showcase a wide range of content types, including images, text, multimedia elements, or any other content they wish to feature on their WordPress site.
Simple Drag and Drop Interface:
The plugin simplifies the content creation process with a simple drag-and-drop interface. This intuitive approach makes it easy for users to arrange and customize their sliders without the need for complex coding.
Highly Customizable:
GutSlider provides extensive customization options, allowing users to tailor the appearance and behavior of their sliders or carousels according to their branding and design preferences.
Clean & Smart Customization Panels:
The plugin features clean and smart customization panels, enhancing the user experience by providing an organized and intuitive interface for adjusting settings and styling elements.
CSS Animation with Delay:
GutSlider includes CSS animation capabilities, allowing for visually appealing transitions between slides. Users can customize animation effects.
All Necessary Slider & Carousel Settings:
GutSlider is comprehensive in its offerings, providing all the necessary settings to configure sliders and carousels effectively. Users can fine-tune parameters to achieve the desired look and functionality.
Swiper JS is Used for the Slider:
The plugin leverages Swiper JS, a popular and well-regarded JavaScript library for building sliders. This choice contributes to the efficiency and performance of the slider component.
No jQuery Dependency:
GutSlider is developed without a dependency on jQuery, reflecting a modern and lightweight approach to web development. This can lead to improved performance and compatibility with various web environments.
In summary, GutSlider combines simplicity, versatility, and performance, offering users a feature-rich solution for creating dynamic and engaging sliders and carousels on their WordPress websites.
Available Custom Blocks of GutSlider
GutSlider provides a series of custom blocks related to different types of content to create sliders and carousels for different content types. Right now, the following custom blocks are available in the GutSlider.
- Fixed Content: Build your content slider or carousel easily within a few minutes. Subtitle, title, description, and call to action (button) are available as content elements.
- Any Content: Build your expected slider or carousel with any kind of content. There are no limits to using content type in this block. Slide any content as you wish.
- Testimonial: Showcase your customer feedback in a sliding mode using the testimonial block. It comes with a customer photo, testimonial, name, rating, designation, and social profile.
- Blog Post: Showcase your blog post in a sliding mode using this block. It comes with a blog post thumbnail, title, category, read more button, etc.
- Photos: Showcase your amazing photos in the carousel mode using this photos carousel block. It comes with photo caption visibility and lightbox support.
- Brand Logos: Build a logos carousel easily using this block in Gutenberg. it comes with logos links, captions, and different hover animations.
Conclusion
In the end, I want to say that the GutSlider stands as a powerful and versatile plugin that enriches the WordPress experience, particularly within the Gutenberg editor ecosystem. Its key features, including simplicity, lightweight design, and fast performance, make it a valuable asset for users seeking an efficient solution for content sliders and carousels.
The plugin’s commitment to loading scripts only on relevant pages demonstrates a thoughtful optimization strategy, ensuring a seamless user experience without unnecessary resource consumption. Developed with Gutenberg Native Components, GutSlider seamlessly integrates with the WordPress block editor, providing users with an intuitive and familiar environment for crafting dynamic content.
GutSlider’s strength lies in its diversity, offering multiple types of sliders and carousels to cater to a wide range of content presentation needs. Whether showcasing testimonials, posts, or any content type imaginable, the plugin’s drag-and-drop interface facilitates easy customization without the need for extensive coding.
The inclusion of Swiper JS for the slider component adds a layer of reliability and performance, while the absence of jQuery dependency reflects a commitment to modern web development practices.
With clean and smart customization panels, GutSlider ensures that users can tailor their sliders and carousels to align with their branding and design preferences. The plugin’s CSS animation with custom delay further enhances the visual appeal, allowing for engaging transitions between slides.
In essence, GutSlider emerges as a comprehensive solution that combines user-friendly design, robust functionality, and performance optimization. Whether you’re a website owner, blogger, or content creator, GutSlider empowers you to elevate your WordPress site with captivating and dynamic content sliders, enhancing user engagement and visual appeal. Embrace the flexibility and efficiency of GutSlider to bring your content to life on the WordPress platform.
