The WordPress landscape shifted dramatically with the introduction of the Gutenberg block editor. It promised a more visual, intuitive way to build posts and pages. But this left many users wondering: What about shortcodes? Are they obsolete now?
If you’ve relied on those handy [bracketed_codes] to add forms, galleries, or other special features, you might be concerned about their future. Do you need to replace them all? Are they holding your site back?
Let’s dive deep and clarify the role of WordPress shortcodes in the age of Gutenberg blocks in 2025.
First, What Exactly Are WordPress Shortcodes? (A Quick Refresher)
For years, shortcodes were the go-to method for embedding dynamic content or complex functionality directly into your WordPress posts, pages, and widgets without writing long chunks of code. Think of them as shortcuts – simple tags like or [contact_form] that WordPress processes to display something more complex on the front end. They were powerful tools offered by themes and plugins.
Enter Gutenberg: The Block Editor Revolution
Gutenberg replaced the classic WordPress editor with a block-based system. Instead of one big text area, you build content using individual blocks for paragraphs, headings, images, buttons, columns, and much more. This offers a significantly more visual (WYSIWYG – What You See Is What You Get) and structured approach to content creation. Many functionalities that previously required shortcodes now have dedicated blocks.
So, Are Shortcodes Dead? Not Quite!
Here’s the good news: Shortcodes are NOT dead or deprecated in WordPress.
WordPress prioritizes backward compatibility. The core Shortcode API remains functional. Shortcodes you implemented years ago should still work even with the latest WordPress versions using the block editor.
How Do Shortcodes Work with the Gutenberg Editor?
While blocks are the native language of Gutenberg, you can still easily use your existing shortcodes:
- The Dedicated Shortcode Block: Gutenberg includes a specific block named “Shortcode”. Simply add this block to your page or post and paste your shortcode (e.g.,
[your_plugin_shortcode attribute="value"]) into the provided field. This is the cleanest, recommended method. - Pasting into Paragraph Blocks: Often, simply pasting a shortcode directly into a standard Paragraph block will work. WordPress is usually smart enough to recognize and render it correctly on the front end.
- The Classic Block: If you have older content originally built with the Classic Editor, it might open within a “Classic” block in Gutenberg. Your shortcodes within this block will continue to function as before.
Why Gutenberg Blocks Are Often the Better Choice Now
While shortcodes still work, blocks represent the evolution and generally offer several advantages:
- Visual Editing: The biggest win! Blocks provide a live preview or a close representation of the final output directly within the editor. No more guessing what a shortcode will look like until you hit “Preview.”
- User-Friendliness: Blocks offer intuitive controls (buttons, sliders, color pickers) instead of requiring you to look up and type specific shortcode attributes.
- Better Integration: Blocks are designed to work seamlessly together, allowing for more complex layouts and consistent styling within the native WordPress environment.
- Performance: While not always a dramatic difference, blocks can sometimes be more performant as they don’t rely on the same parsing process as shortcodes.
- Developer Focus: The future of WordPress development is heavily focused on blocks. Expect new features and integrations to primarily leverage the block system.
When Do Shortcodes Still Make Sense?
Despite the advantages of blocks, shortcodes retain their relevance in several key scenarios:
- Legacy Content: If your site has years of content built with shortcodes, there’s often no urgent need to convert everything to blocks, especially if it works fine.
- Plugin Functionality: Many plugins, particularly older or very complex ones, still rely heavily on shortcodes to deliver their features. Some offer both blocks and shortcodes for flexibility.
- Specific Embed Needs: Occasionally, a shortcode might be the only way provided by a plugin or service to embed specific third-party content or achieve a very particular function not yet covered by a standard block.
- Theme Independence (Plugin Shortcodes): Shortcodes provided by plugins are generally portable. If you switch themes, your plugin and its shortcodes will likely continue to work.
A Word of Caution: Theme-Based Shortcodes
Be very wary of shortcodes that come built into your theme. While convenient initially, they create theme lock-in. If you ever decide to switch themes, those theme-specific shortcodes will stop working, potentially leaving broken code snippets scattered across your site. It’s generally better to get functionality like sliders, buttons, or grids from dedicated plugins that provide blocks or plugin-based shortcodes.
The Future Outlook: Blocks Leading the Way
The trend is undeniable: blocks are the future of WordPress content creation. While shortcodes will likely be supported for a long time due to backward compatibility, expect to see less emphasis on them for new development. More plugins will offer blocks as the primary (or only) way to integrate their features. Some platforms, like the popular Divi builder, are even planning future versions that move away from their own shortcode systems entirely.
Conclusion: Shortcodes Live On, But Embrace the Blocks!
So, are shortcodes still relevant after Gutenberg? Yes, absolutely. They are supported, functional, and necessary for many existing sites and plugin functionalities. You can continue using them, especially via the Shortcode block.
However, Gutenberg blocks are the modern, preferred standard. They offer a superior user experience, better integration, and represent the future direction of WordPress. Where a block alternative exists for a function you need, it’s generally advisable to use the block for new content.
Don’t panic about your existing shortcodes, but embrace the power and convenience of blocks as you move forward with your WordPress site!