Gutenberg 19.1 Introduces Plugin Template Registration API

Gutenberg 19.1 has arrived, introducing the eagerly anticipated plugin template registration API and updates to image caption styles. This Gutenberg version will be later incorporated into WordPress 6.7.

The highlight of this release is the plugin template registration API. It addresses a long-standing issue developers have faced with conflicts between plugins and themes, particularly when dealing with custom post types, taxonomies, or virtual pages.

This new feature allows developers to register block templates directly within their plugins, providing fully customizable default content layouts. Till now, developers had to use multiple filters to register templates. By building on the Gutenberg block system, this update makes it easier for themes and users to adapt and personalize templates according to their design and functional needs.

Justin Tadlock has published a detailed tutorial on this feature on the Developer Blog and will host a Developer Hours Session with Nick Diego on September 10, 2024.

This release also tones down the intensity of the caption background, improving the image caption styles.

Other notable changes in this version include:

Improved data view extensibility

Better defaults for the zoom out view

Added border support for core blocks

Applied elevation scale to Modal, Popover, and Snackbar components.

Fixed wp-config anchors to make wp-env compatible with WordPress versions older than 5.4.

The community’s response has been enthusiastic, with feedback such as “Really like this feature”, “Great one, that I am looking for !” and “Literally the greatest news I’ve heard in years (and I had a baby last year)”