Working with Blocks

The HelpDocs Block Editor breaks your articles into individual blocks that you can easily add, edit, and rearrange. Think of blocks as building components that let you create rich, engaging content without any coding knowledge.

Let's dive into how to work with these flexible building blocks! 🧱

Adding a Block

The fastest way to add any block is using the slash command:

1. Press / to open the block menu
2. Type to search or scroll through the options
3. Click on your desired block type
4. Start adding your content

Reordering Blocks

Moving blocks around is as simple as drag and drop.You can move blocks anywhere in your article, even across large distances by dragging them up or down.

1. Click and hold the drag handle to move the block
2. Drop it in your desired position
3. The block will snap into place with a visual indicator

Transforming Blocks

Sometimes you'll want to change a block into a different type—maybe turn a paragraph into a heading or convert a callout into a quote. The block editor makes this easy with smart transformation options.

The editor is smart about transformation options. It only shows block types that make sense for your current content. For example, you can transform a paragraph into a heading, but you can't transform an image into text.

1. Hover over the block and click the drag handle
2. Select Transform into from the menu
3. Choose from the available block types
4. Your content will automatically convert to the new block type

Deleting or Duplicating Blocks

Each block has quick actions available in its toolbar:

1. Hover over the block and click the drag handle
2. A menu will appear. From here, you can click
   1. the Duplicate icon to make a copy
   2. the Delete icon to remove the block

Combining Blocks for Rich Content

The real power comes from combining different block types to create engaging content. Here's a common pattern:

1. Create a Text block
2. Insert an icon image to help explain the next beside

This combination creates visually appealing content that's easy to scan and understand. You can mix and match any block types to suit your content needs.