Topics Map > Web Services
Web editing - What are blocks?
An introduction to what a block is and how it works within the Episerver CMS
As discussed in "What are the various parts of my pages?" article, content blocks are the bread and butter of web content. In their most simple form, they are text on the page. However, content blocks could also be tabs or slideshows. The blocks we used within the site are all custom made to suit our needs. If you have an idea for a way to organize or display content, odds are Web Services could build a block to make it possible.
Blocks can work on their own, or they can be arranged in a group of other blocks for a specific function.
For instance, here's a Rich Text Block in the page:
Here it is in the Workarea
And finally, here it is after clicking Edit
Now, let's take a look at the Button block in the page:
And the Button block in the workarea:
Lastly, the Button block in Edit
Notice how the format of the button block on the page — the one featuring the UWL spirit mark — is much different than just text: it's an image with an underline, text caption and a shadow around it. But, when you edit the block, you'll see it's just a form that gets filled out to complete the look. In the screenshot above, the Name of the block is "Request a UWL Spirit Mark" which shows up as the caption. The Button type is set to Image button. The Link has been set to the Request page. And a graphic has been uploaded and dragged into the Image field.
Blocks can be basic, or complete, but no coding or advanced web editing skills are needed to utilize them on your page with their basic functionality. Certain blocks do have more advanced features which can be accessed by contacting a Web Admin.
Block tips
- How to go back a page: With more complex blocks, you'll find yourself editing a block within a block within a page. The back arrow on the yellow bar across the top will take you back each layer (see screenshots above). This yellow bar will also tell you where a block is being used. One block can be placed on multiple pages, so the yellow bar can be extremely useful for that as well.
- Publish often: When editing a block and satisfied with the changes/updates, make sure you publish. If you added a block to a page or re-arranged the blocks on the page, make sure you publish the page too. Any edit you make will need to be published. If you're unsure why your changes aren't showing up, make sure to click the Navigation pane icon in the upper left, then the Tasks tab. Make sure all tasks are published if that's the intention.