WEB LAZER

<p><strong>Any Block Carousel Slider</strong> is a Gutenberg carousel slider block plugin that instantly converts supported native WordPress blocks (Query Loop/Post Template, Group, Gallery) into a responsive carousel slider without adding a dedicated block or loading a JavaScript library. Simply enable the “Carousel” toggle in the Gutenberg editor: your content stays 100% native, your DOM stays lightweight, and your Lighthouse performance scores remain intact. This includes WooCommerce product listings rendered via the Query Loop/Post Template block, so you can showcase products without relying on the legacy Products block.</p>
<p>Unlike many all-in-one carousel slider blocks that require you to add a dedicated “Carousel” block and rebuild every slide, <strong>Any Block Carousel Slider</strong> hooks straight into the Gutenberg blocks you already use. The result: a Query Loop/Post Template, Group, or Gallery block can become a carousel slider in one click, without content duplication or extra maintenance.</p>
<h4>Why Any Block Carousel Slider instead of a dedicated carousel slider block?</h4>
<ul>
<li><strong>WordPress loops without friction</strong> – Transform Query Loop and Post Template Gutenberg blocks into a “loop slider” without creating a block per slide.</li>
<li><strong>Familiar editorial experience</strong> – Content editors keep the Gutenberg interface they know (patterns, global styles, alignments, inner blocks).</li>
<li><strong>Zero JavaScript on the frontend</strong> – Native scroll, <code>scroll-snap</code>, GPU-friendly, no Swiper/Slick bundle to load.</li>
<li><strong>Full compatibility</strong> – Works with classic themes and block themes while respecting the structure of your Query Loop/Post Template, Group, and Gallery blocks.</li>
<li><strong>Accessibility + SEO</strong> – Keyboard navigation, respects <code>prefers-reduced-motion</code> preferences, clean DOM for crawling.</li>
</ul>
<h4>What you can do in 30 seconds</h4>
<ul>
<li><strong>Blog / Magazine</strong>: Display your latest posts in a Query Loop carousel with native filters and badges.</li>
<li><strong>Portfolios & testimonials</strong>: Keep your Group blocks and make them scrollable without rebuilding every slide.</li>
<li><strong>Advanced galleries</strong>: Turn the Gallery block into a responsive slider while keeping all native settings.</li>
<li><strong>Landing sections</strong>: Chain complex sections (image, title, buttons, forms) inside the same Group block and scroll them horizontally.</li>
<li><strong>WooCommerce highlights</strong>: Use a Query Loop configured for products (featured, on sale, custom taxonomy) and convert it into a CSS-only product carousel.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Quick comparison</h4>
<ul>
<li><strong>Activation</strong>: Any Block Carousel Slider – toggle an existing Gutenberg block. Classic carousel slider blocks – add a dedicated slider block and rebuild every slide.</li>
<li><strong>WordPress loop</strong>: Any Block Carousel Slider – works with Query Loop and Post Template blocks without duplication. Competitor carousels – require one block per slide or custom code.</li>
<li><strong>Frontend JavaScript</strong>: Any Block Carousel Slider – zero JavaScript, 100% CSS carousel slider. Competitor carousels – load Swiper/Slick and additional scripts.</li>
<li><strong>Performance</strong>: Any Block Carousel Slider – lightweight DOM, no external assets. Competitor carousels – multiply files, reflow, and downloads.</li>
<li><strong>Content maintenance</strong>: Any Block Carousel Slider – single Gutenberg block to update. Competitor carousels – duplicate content in dedicated slides.</li>
<li><strong>Security & upkeep</strong>: Any Block Carousel Slider – no third-party libraries to monitor. Competitor carousels – depend on external JS libraries like Swiper/Slick.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Key features</h4>
<ul>
<li><strong>100% CSS</strong> – Smooth carousel slider with <code>scroll-snap</code>, <code>::scroll-button</code>, and <code>::scroll-marker</code>. No script to bundle.</li>
<li><strong>Smart responsive</strong> – Automatically handles visible columns, spacing, and control sizes according to WordPress breakpoints (1280, 1024, 782, 600, 480, 375).</li>
<li><strong>Two width modes</strong> – Manual mode (fixed column count) and Auto mode (fixed width like 320px) with automatic detection.</li>
<li><strong>Gutenberg block spacing detection</strong> – Respects <code>gap</code> and <code>padding</code> values defined in the block editor, including presets.</li>
<li><strong>Theme colors</strong> – Buttons automatically inherit your theme’s colors and radii (via CSS variables).</li>
<li><strong>Intact semantics</strong> – Your Gutenberg block’s tags and classes remain unchanged: perfect for SEO, schemas, and E2E testing.</li>
<li><strong>WooCommerce friendly</strong> – Query Loop can target the <code>product</code> post type, so WooCommerce grids become CSS-only carousels without a dedicated Products block integration.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Native Gutenberg block workflow</h4>
<ol>
<li>Add or edit one of the supported blocks (Gallery, Group, or Query Loop/Post Template).</li>
<li>Enable the <strong>Carousel</strong> option in the Gutenberg sidebar panel (Layout or Block section depending on the block).</li>
<li>Adjust your usual settings (column count, minimum width, spacing, alignment).</li>
<li>Save: your block becomes a touch-friendly, accessible, and SEO-friendly carousel slider.</li>
</ol>
<h4>Advanced customization</h4>
<ul>
<li><strong>Manual mode (fixed columns)</strong> – Ideal for article carousel sliders: 1 to 6 columns depending on screen sizes.</li>
<li><strong>Auto mode (fixed width)</strong> – Perfect for card-based sliders (posts, testimonials, product highlights) with pixel-perfect widths like 280px, 320px, or 360px.</li>
<li><strong>Padding and gaps</strong> – Automatic management via CSS vars <code>--carousel-padding-*</code>, <code>--wp--style--block-gap</code>.</li>
<li><strong>Themes & <code>theme.json</code></strong> – Override variables to align controls with your design system.</li>
<li><strong>Graceful degradation</strong> – If a browser doesn’t support <code>::scroll-button</code>, users keep touch and mouse scrolling.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Technical architecture</h4>
<ul>
<li><code>render_block</code> hook to inject variables based on context (block type, columns, gaps).</li>
<li>Dedicated service for translating labels and help messages.</li>
<li>Separate editor/frontend styles for a transparent Gutenberg experience.</li>
<li>Code organized by PSR-4 services (see <code>ARCHITECTURE.md</code> for details).</li>
</ul>
<h3>How to use the plugin</h3>
<ol>
<li>Install and activate <strong>Any Block Carousel Slider</strong> from the Plugins screen (Plugins <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Add New <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> search <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Install <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> Activate).</li>
<li>Open the block editor, insert one of the supported blocks (Query Loop/Post Template, Group, Gallery), and toggle the <strong>Carousel</strong> option in the sidebar.</li>
<li>Ensure the carousel-enabled block sits inside a parent Group (or similar container) so the wrapper can manage overflow, spacing, and arrow positioning properly.</li>
<li>Switch the block layout to <strong>Grid</strong> then adjust the column count to match your design.</li>
</ol>
<h3>Developer Notes</h3>
<h4>GitHub Repository</h4>
<p>Source code is available on GitHub: <a href="https://github.com/WEBLAZER/native-blocks-carousel" rel="nofollow ugc">https://github.com/WEBLAZER/native-blocks-carousel</a></p>
<h4>Contributions</h4>
<p>Contributions are welcome! You can:<br />
* Open a GitHub ticket to report a bug or suggest an improvement.<br />
* Propose a Pull Request.<br />
* Help with translation (<code>.po</code> files available in <code>languages/</code>).</p>
<h4>Available hooks</h4>
<p>The plugin uses the <code>render_block</code> hook to dynamically inject CSS variables based on the current block.</p>
<h4>Main CSS Variables</h4>
<p><strong>Layout & Spacing:</strong><br />
* <code>--wp--style--block-gap</code> – Spacing between elements (responsive).<br />
* <code>--carousel-min-width</code> – Minimum width for grids in Auto mode.<br />
* <code>--carousel-grid-item-width</code> – Item width in Manual mode.<br />
* <code>--carousel-padding-left</code>, <code>--carousel-padding-right</code>, <code>--carousel-padding-top</code>, <code>--carousel-padding-bottom</code> – Detected padding.</p>
<p><strong>Navigation buttons:</strong><br />
* <code>--carousel-button-bg</code>, <code>--carousel-button-color</code> – Colors auto-detected from theme.<br />
* <code>--carousel-button-size</code> – Button size (3rem <span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-exclude-emoji">→</span> 1.75rem).<br />
* <code>--carousel-button-offset</code> – Lateral offset based on container width.<br />
* <code>--carousel-shadow</code> – Shadow applied to controls.</p>
<p><strong>Markers (dots):</strong><br />
* <code>--carousel-marker-size</code> – Marker size.<br />
* <code>--carousel-marker-gap</code> – Horizontal spacing.<br />
* <code>--carousel-marker-bottom-offset</code> – Vertical position.</p>
<p><strong>Miscellaneous:</strong><br />
* <code>--carousel-z-index</code> – Display priority (default 999999).<br />
* <code>--carousel-transition-duration</code>, <code>--carousel-transition-easing</code> – Animation smoothness.</p>
<h3>Credits</h3>
<p>Developed with ❤️ by <a href="https://weblazer.github.io/" rel="nofollow ugc">Arthur Ballan (WEBLAZER)</a></p>


Any Block Carousel Slider


As a Native Blocks Carousel user, I’m impressed by how simple it is to turn carousels into Gutenberg. It’s the only plugin I know that truly converts any Gutenberg block into a carousel without compromises, while keeping every native feature intact. The interface is intuitive, the animation and navigation options are comprehensive, and the result stays fully responsive. Performance is excellent, and it adapts smoothly to any theme. Special mention for the clear documentation and translation support, which make multilingual setups a breeze. Kudos for this plugin—it delivers exactly what WordPress developers need: a native, clean, lightweight carousel solution.


Turn Any Gutenberg Block into a Carousel Effortlessly

Gutenberg carousel slider block: transform any WordPress block into a responsive carousel with pure CSS. Zero JavaScript.

Groundworx

<p><strong>Groundworx Carousel</strong> is a flexible Gutenberg block that transforms any WordPress content into beautiful, responsive carousels. Built on the lightweight Splide.js library, it offers advanced responsive controls, multiple design templates, and extensive customization options—all within WordPress’s native block editor.</p>
<h4>Perfect For</h4>
<ul>
<li>Image galleries and photo carousels</li>
<li>Testimonial and review sliders</li>
<li>Product showcases and e-commerce displays</li>
<li>Hero sections and featured content</li>
<li>Client logo carousels</li>
<li>Team member presentations</li>
<li>Portfolio galleries</li>
<li>Content marketing sliders</li>
<li>Blog post carousels</li>
<li>Before/after comparisons</li>
</ul>
<h4>Key Features</h4>
<p><strong>🎨 Nine Professional Templates</strong><br />
Choose from carefully designed templates to match your content style:<br />
* Default & Default Alt – Classic carousel layouts with external navigation<br />
* Simple, Simple Left, Simple Right – Clean minimalist designs with flexible content positioning<br />
* Overlay & Overlay Alt – Modern content overlaid on images with gradient backgrounds<br />
* Partial Overlay & Partial Overlay Alt – Balanced layouts with partial content overlays</p>
<p><strong>📱 Advanced Responsive Controls</strong><br />
* Configure carousel behavior per breakpoint (mobile, phone, large-phone, tablet, large-tablet, laptop, desktop, large-desktop)<br />
* Responsive grid fallback – destroy carousel at specific breakpoints to display slides as a grid<br />
* Mobile-first breakpoint system with inheritance<br />
* Full touch and swipe gesture support for mobile devices<br />
* 8 total breakpoint levels for precise responsive control</p>
<p><strong>🎯 Carousel Types & Transitions</strong><br />
* Slide mode – Classic horizontal sliding carousel<br />
* Loop mode – Infinite continuous scrolling with clones<br />
* Fade transitions – Smooth crossfade effects between slides<br />
* Customizable animation speed and easing<br />
* Rewind option for non-loop carousels</p>
<p><strong>⚙️ Flexible Display Options</strong><br />
* Multiple slides per page with responsive settings<br />
* Variable slide width (auto) or fixed width options<br />
* Center mode with focus control<br />
* Customizable gap spacing between slides<br />
* Autoplay with interval and pause-on-hover<br />
* Auto-height adjustment option</p>
<p><strong>🎚️ Navigation & UI Controls</strong><br />
* <strong>11 Arrow Styles</strong>: arrow, chevron, chevronRounded, halfArrow, play, playRounded, sharpChevron, thinChevron, thinChevronRounded, triangle, triangleRounded<br />
* <strong>9 Pagination Styles</strong>: circle, circleOutline, square, squareOutline, diamond, diamondOutline, rectangle, rectangleOutline, number<br />
* Progress bar indicator<br />
* Slide counter display (e.g., “3 / 10”)<br />
* Hide/show controls per breakpoint<br />
* Color customization for all UI elements</p>
<p><strong>🎨 Advanced Color Controls</strong><br />
Customize every UI element with independent color pickers:<br />
* <strong>Arrows</strong>: text, background, border colors<br />
* <strong>Active Pagination</strong>: text, background, border colors<br />
* <strong>Inactive Pagination</strong>: text, background, border colors<br />
* <strong>Progress Bar</strong>: foreground and background colors<br />
* <strong>Counter</strong>: text color</p>
<p><strong>♿ Accessibility First</strong><br />
* ARIA labels and semantic HTML structure<br />
* Keyboard navigation support (arrow keys, Enter, Space)<br />
* Screen reader friendly with live regions<br />
* WCAG compliant markup<br />
* Focus management and visible focus states</p>
<p><strong>🔧 Developer Features</strong><br />
* Block variations support via <code>wp.blocks.registerBlockVariation()</code><br />
* Custom Splide.js options via attributes<br />
* Extensible template system with WordPress hooks<br />
* Breakpoint configuration via JSON file<br />
* React hooks for responsive state management<br />
* CSS custom properties for styling integration<br />
* Well-documented, modular code structure</p>
<h4>Works With Any Block</h4>
<p>The Carousel block is a container that accepts <strong>any WordPress block</strong> as slides:<br />
* Core Image block<br />
* Core Paragraph block<br />
* Core Heading block<br />
* Core Group block<br />
* Core Cover block<br />
* Core Buttons block<br />
* Custom blocks from other plugins<br />
* Your own custom blocks</p>
<p>Each slide is fully customizable using WordPress’s native block editing tools.</p>
<h4>Built on Splide.js</h4>
<p>Powered by Splide.js 4.x – a lightweight (28KB gzipped), accessible, and performant carousel library. No jQuery required. Optimized for modern browsers with progressive enhancement.</p>
<h4>Part of Groundworx Core</h4>
<p>This carousel block is part of the Groundworx Block Suite—a modular collection of high-performance, design-focused blocks built for modern WordPress development. Uses Groundworx Foundation components for consistent, professional UI controls.</p>
<h3>Developer Notes</h3>
<h4>Registering Custom Block Variations</h4>
<p>You can register custom carousel variations using <code>wp.blocks.registerBlockVariation()</code> and pass Splide configuration options via the <code>splideOptions</code> attribute.</p>
<p><strong>Example: Carousel with Grid Fallback at Tablet</strong></p>
<pre><code>wp.blocks.registerBlockVariation('groundworx/carousel', {
  name: 'carousel-to-tablet',
  title: 'Carousel / Grid Tablet',
  attributes: {
    template: 'default',
    splideOptions: {
      type: 'loop',
      perPage: 1,
      arrows: true,
      pagination: true
    },
    breakpoints: {
      tablet: {
        layout: {
          type: 'grid',
          columnCount: 3
        }
      }
    }
  },
  scope: ['block', 'inserter', 'transform']
});
</code></pre>
<p><strong>Example: Auto-Width Carousel</strong></p>
<pre><code>wp.blocks.registerBlockVariation('groundworx/carousel', {
  name: 'auto-width-carousel',
  title: 'Auto Width Carousel',
  attributes: {
    splideOptions: {
      type: 'loop',
      fixedWidth: '300px',
      focus: 'center',
      gap: '1rem'
    }
  }
});
</code></pre>
<h4>Adding Custom Templates</h4>
<p>Use the <code>groundworx.carousel.templates</code> filter to add custom templates:</p>
<pre><code>wp.hooks.addFilter(
  'groundworx.carousel.templates',
  'my-theme/add-custom-template',
  (templates) => [
    ...templates,
    {
      label: 'My Custom Template',
      value: 'my-custom'
    }
  ]
);
</code></pre>
<p>Then add your template styles in your theme:</p>
<pre><code>.template-my-custom .splide__slide {
  /* Your custom styles */
}
</code></pre>
<h4>Supported Breakpoints</h4>
<p>The carousel supports 7 configurable responsive breakpoints plus a mobile/default base, following a mobile-first approach:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Mobile/Default</strong>: 0-374px (base configuration)</li>
<li><strong>phone</strong>: 375px and up</li>
<li><strong>large-phone</strong>: 480px and up</li>
<li><strong>tablet</strong>: 680px and up</li>
<li><strong>large-tablet</strong>: 960px and up</li>
<li><strong>laptop</strong>: 1080px and up</li>
<li><strong>desktop</strong>: 1280px and up</li>
<li><strong>large-desktop</strong>: 1440px and up</li>
</ul>
<p>Settings cascade from mobile to larger screens. Override at any breakpoint to change behavior.</p>
<p><strong>Grid Fallback Breakpoints:</strong><br />
For grid fallback functionality, you can use any of the 7 breakpoints: <code>phone</code>, <code>large-phone</code>, <code>tablet</code>, <code>large-tablet</code>, <code>laptop</code>, <code>desktop</code>, or <code>large-desktop</code>.</p>
<h4>Splide.js Options</h4>
<p>All Splide.js options are supported via the <code>splideOptions</code> attribute. Common options:</p>
<ul>
<li><code>type</code>: ‘slide’, ‘loop’, or ‘fade’</li>
<li><code>perPage</code>: Number of slides per page</li>
<li><code>fixedWidth</code>: Fixed width for each slide (e.g., ‘300px’)</li>
<li><code>gap</code>: Space between slides</li>
<li><code>autoplay</code>: Enable/disable autoplay</li>
<li><code>interval</code>: Autoplay interval in milliseconds</li>
<li><code>speed</code>: Transition speed in milliseconds</li>
<li><code>rewind</code>: Enable rewind for non-loop carousels</li>
<li><code>arrows</code>: Show/hide arrows</li>
<li><code>pagination</code>: Show/hide pagination</li>
<li><code>focus</code>: ‘center’ for center mode</li>
<li><code>autoHeight</code>: Adjust height to current slide</li>
</ul>
<p>Full documentation: https://splidejs.com/guides/options/</p>
<h4>CSS Custom Properties</h4>
<pre><code>/* Arrow Colors */
--gwx--color--arrows
--gwx--background-color--arrows
--gwx--border-color--arrows

/* Active Pagination Colors */
--gwx--color--pagination
--gwx--background-color--pagination
--gwx--border-color--pagination

/* Inactive Pagination Colors */
--gwx--color--inactive-pagination
--gwx--background-color--inactive-pagination
--gwx--border-color--inactive-pagination

/* Progress Bar Colors */
--gwx--color--progress
--gwx--background-color--progress

/* Counter Color */
--gwx--color--counter
</code></pre>
<h4>Template Classes</h4>
<p>Each template adds a class to the carousel wrapper:</p>
<ul>
<li><code>.template-default</code></li>
<li><code>.template-default-alt</code></li>
<li><code>.template-simple</code></li>
<li><code>.template-simple-left</code></li>
<li><code>.template-simple-right</code></li>
<li><code>.template-overlay</code></li>
<li><code>.template-overlay-alt</code></li>
<li><code>.template-partial-overlay</code></li>
<li><code>.template-partial-overlay-alt</code></li>
</ul>
<p>Use these for template-specific styling.</p>
<h3>Privacy</h3>
<p>This plugin does not collect, store, or transmit any user data. It operates entirely within your WordPress installation and does not make external API calls except for loading assets from your own server.</p>
<h3>Credits</h3>
<ul>
<li>Built with <a href="https://splidejs.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">Splide.js</a> by Naotoshi Fujita – A lightweight, accessible slider library</li>
<li>Developed by Groundworx Agency LLC</li>
<li>Created and maintained by Johanne Courtright</li>
<li>Part of the Groundworx Core framework</li>
<li>Website: https://groundworx.dev</li>
<li>Support: https://ko-fi.com/groundworx</li>
</ul>
<h3>Additional Resources</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/groundworx-dev/groundworx-carousel#readme" rel="nofollow ugc">Full Documentation</a></li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/groundworx-dev/groundworx-carousel#developer-notes" rel="nofollow ugc">Developer Guide</a></li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/groundworx-dev/groundworx-carousel#block-variations" rel="nofollow ugc">Block Variations Examples</a></li>
<li><a href="https://splidejs.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">Splide.js Documentation</a></li>
<li><a href="https://groundworx.dev" rel="nofollow ugc">Groundworx Core Framework</a></li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/groundworx-dev/groundworx-carousel" rel="nofollow ugc">GitHub Repository</a></li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/groundworx-dev/groundworx-carousel/issues" rel="nofollow ugc">Report Issues</a></li>
</ul>


Groundworx Carousel

A powerful and responsive carousel block built with Splide.js and fully integrated into the WordPress block editor. Create stunning carousels with any …

Any Block Carousel Slider vs Groundworx Carousel