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$Building Complex Custom Gutenberg Blocks with React and Dynamic Rendering The Gutenberg editor has revolutionized how content is created in WordPress. While simple blocks can be built quickly, creating complex, dynamic blocks with React and server-side rendering (SSR) unlocks powerful capabilities — especially when dealing with dynamic data or API integrations. In this guide, we’ll cover how to build an advanced Gutenberg block using: React (JSX + Hooks) @wordpress/scripts for tooling register_block_type with render_callback Inspector controls Dynamic attributes and server rendering 🛠️ Prerequisites Before starting, make sure you have: A working WordPress plugin or theme Node.js and npm installed @wordpress/scripts setup for building your block You can scaffold a block using: bash Copy Edit npx @wordpress/create-block my-dynamic-block 📦 Project Structure Once scaffolded, your plugin folder will look like this: csharp Copy Edit my-dynamic-block/ ├── src/ │ ├── edit.js // React editor UI │ ├── save.js // Can be skipped for dynamic blocks │ └── index.js // Block registration ├── dynamic-block.php // Server-side rendering logic └── block.json // Block metadata 🧠 Why Dynamic Rendering? Dynamic rendering allows your block to: Display live data (e.g. latest posts, user info, API content) Render server-side for SEO and performance Avoid bloated frontend JS for static rendering 🔍 Example Use Case: Recent Posts Grid We’ll create a custom block that: Displays recent posts in a grid Lets you control the number of posts in the sidebar Dynamically renders via PHP on the frontend ✍️ Step 1: block.json Setup json Copy Edit { "apiVersion": 2, "name": "myplugin/recent-posts-grid", "title": "Recent Posts Grid", "category": "widgets", "icon": "grid-view", "supports": { "html": false }, "attributes": { "postCount": { "type": "number", "default": 3 } }, "editorScript": "file:./index.js", "render": "file:./dynamic-block.php" } ✨ Step 2: React Editor UI (edit.js) js Copy Edit import { InspectorControls } from '@wordpress/block-editor'; import { PanelBody, RangeControl } from '@wordpress/components'; export default function Edit({ attributes, setAttributes }) { return ( setAttributes({ postCount: value })} min={1} max={10} /> Recent posts will be shown on the frontend. ); } ⚡ Step 3: Server-Side Render (dynamic-block.php) php Copy Edit function render_recent_posts_grid( $attributes ) { $query = new WP_Query([ 'posts_per_page' => intval($attributes['postCount']), ]); if ( ! $query->have_posts() ) { return 'No recent posts found.'; } ob_start(); echo ''; while ( $query->have_posts() ) { $query->the_post(); echo ''; echo '' . esc_html(get_the_title()) . ''; echo 'Read More'; echo ''; } echo ''; wp_reset_postdata(); return ob_get_clean(); } register_block_type( __DIR__, [ 'render_callback' => 'render_recent_posts_grid' ]); 💡 Bonus Tips Add styles using editorStyle and style in block.json Use useSelect() in the editor to preview post data live Use InnerBlocks to allow nested block customization Use withSelect HOC for backward compatibility if needed ✅ Final Thoughts Creating dynamic Gutenberg blocks with React gives you the best of both worlds: A modern editing experience Dynamic, SEO-friendly output Clean separation between editor and render logic With this pattern, you can build anything from live charts, API feeds, product listings, or custom dashboards — all powered by WordPress.$