WEB LAZER

Any Block Carousel Slider 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.
<h3>Try it out</h3>
Experience the plugin in seconds without installing anything! Launch our interactive demo: 
<a href="https://playground.wordpress.net/?blueprint-url=https://native-blocks-carousel.weblazer.fr/playground/blueprint.json" rel="nofollow ugc">Launch Playround Demo</a>
Unlike many all-in-one carousel slider blocks that require you to add a dedicated “Carousel” block and rebuild every slide, Any Block Carousel Slider 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.
<h4>Why Any Block Carousel Slider instead of a dedicated carousel slider block?</h4>
<ul>
<li>WordPress loops without friction – Transform Query Loop and Post Template Gutenberg blocks into a “loop slider” without creating a block per slide.</li>
<li>Familiar editorial experience – Content editors keep the Gutenberg interface they know (patterns, global styles, alignments, inner blocks).</li>
<li>Zero JavaScript on the frontend – Native scroll, <code>scroll-snap</code>, GPU-friendly, no Swiper/Slick bundle to load.</li>
<li>Full compatibility – Works with classic themes and block themes while respecting the structure of your Query Loop/Post Template, Group, and Gallery blocks.</li>
<li>Accessibility + SEO – 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>Blog / Magazine: Display your latest posts in a Query Loop carousel with native filters and badges.</li>
<li>Portfolios & testimonials: Keep your Group blocks and make them scrollable without rebuilding every slide.</li>
<li>Advanced galleries: Turn the Gallery block into a responsive slider while keeping all native settings.</li>
<li>Landing sections: Chain complex sections (image, title, buttons, forms) inside the same Group block and scroll them horizontally.</li>
<li>WooCommerce highlights: 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>Activation: Any Block Carousel Slider – toggle an existing Gutenberg block. Classic carousel slider blocks – add a dedicated slider block and rebuild every slide.</li>
<li>WordPress loop: 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>Frontend JavaScript: Any Block Carousel Slider – zero JavaScript, 100% CSS carousel slider. Competitor carousels – load Swiper/Slick and additional scripts.</li>
<li>Performance: Any Block Carousel Slider – lightweight DOM, no external assets. Competitor carousels – multiply files, reflow, and downloads.</li>
<li>Content maintenance: Any Block Carousel Slider – single Gutenberg block to update. Competitor carousels – duplicate content in dedicated slides.</li>
<li>Security & upkeep: 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>100% CSS – Smooth carousel slider with <code>scroll-snap</code>, <code>::scroll-button</code>, and <code>::scroll-marker</code>. No script to bundle.</li>
<li>Loop functionality – Enable infinite scrolling with seamless reset to start/end when reaching boundaries.</li>
<li>Autoplay support – Automatic slide progression with configurable delay and pause on hover/interaction.</li>
<li>Smart responsive – Automatically handles visible columns, spacing, and control sizes according to WordPress breakpoints (1280, 1024, 782, 600, 480, 375).</li>
<li>Two width modes – Manual mode (fixed column count) and Auto mode (fixed width like 320px) with automatic detection.</li>
<li>Gutenberg block spacing detection – Respects <code>gap</code> and <code>padding</code> values defined in the block editor, including presets.</li>
<li>Theme colors – Buttons automatically inherit your theme’s colors and radii (via CSS variables).</li>
<li>Intact semantics – Your Gutenberg block’s tags and classes remain unchanged: perfect for SEO, schemas, and E2E testing.</li>
<li>WooCommerce friendly – 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 Carousel 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>Loop mode – Enable infinite scrolling: when reaching the end, the carousel seamlessly resets to the beginning (and vice versa). Navigation buttons remain active at all times.</li>
<li>Autoplay – Automatic slide progression with configurable delay (default: 3000ms). Autoplay pauses on hover and user interaction, and stops at the end when loop is disabled.</li>
<li>Manual mode (fixed columns) – Ideal for article carousel sliders: 1 to 6 columns depending on screen sizes.</li>
<li>Auto mode (fixed width) – Perfect for card-based sliders (posts, testimonials, product highlights) with pixel-perfect widths like 280px, 320px, or 360px.</li>
<li>Padding and gaps – Automatic management via CSS vars <code>--carousel-padding-*</code>, <code>--wp--style--block-gap</code>.</li>
<li>Themes & <code>theme.json</code> – Override variables to align controls with your design system.</li>
<li>Graceful degradation – 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 Any Block Carousel Slider from the Plugins screen (Plugins → Add New → search → Install → Activate).</li>
<li>Open the block editor, insert one of the supported blocks (Query Loop/Post Template, Group, Gallery), and toggle the Carousel 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 Grid then adjust the column count to match your design.</li>
</ol>
<h3>Developer Notes</h3>
<h4>GitHub Repository</h4>
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>
<h4>Contributions</h4>
Contributions are welcome! You can: 
* Open a GitHub ticket to report a bug or suggest an improvement. 
* Propose a Pull Request. 
* Help with translation (<code>.po</code> files available in <code>languages/</code>).
<h4>Available hooks</h4>
The plugin uses the <code>render_block</code> hook to dynamically inject CSS variables based on the current block.
<h4>Main CSS Variables</h4>
Layout & Spacing: 
* <code>--wp--style--block-gap</code> – Spacing between elements (responsive). 
* <code>--carousel-min-width</code> – Minimum width for grids in Auto mode. 
* <code>--carousel-grid-item-width</code> – Item width in Manual mode. 
* <code>--carousel-padding-left</code>, <code>--carousel-padding-right</code>, <code>--carousel-padding-top</code>, <code>--carousel-padding-bottom</code> – Detected padding.
Navigation buttons: 
* <code>--carousel-button-bg</code>, <code>--carousel-button-color</code> – Colors auto-detected from theme. 
* <code>--carousel-button-size</code> – Button size (3rem → 1.75rem). 
* <code>--carousel-button-offset</code> – Lateral offset based on container width. 
* <code>--carousel-shadow</code> – Shadow applied to controls.
Markers (dots): 
* <code>--carousel-marker-size</code> – Marker size. 
* <code>--carousel-marker-gap</code> – Horizontal spacing. 
* <code>--carousel-marker-bottom-offset</code> – Vertical position.
Miscellaneous: 
* <code>--carousel-z-index</code> – Display priority (default 999999). 
* <code>--carousel-transition-duration</code>, <code>--carousel-transition-easing</code> – Animation smoothness.
<h3>Credits</h3>
Developed with ❤️ by <a href="https://weblazer.github.io/" rel="nofollow ugc">Arthur Ballan (WEBLAZER)</a>

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


This plugin turns WordPress native Posts/Query Loops, Galleries and Group blocks into carousels very easily– with just a checkbox! No duplication of content. So far, I found this to be the only option for seamless carousels if you want to keep things native.



An option to enable auto-slide would be a great addition. Also, if we could customize/add to the supported blocks for carousel enablement, then it could be even better.


Great Plugin for Native Block/Post Carousels

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

Groundworx

Groundworx Carousel is a flexible Gutenberg block that transforms any WordPress content into beautiful, responsive carousels. Built on the lightweight Embla Carousel engine and the WordPress Interactivity API, it offers advanced responsive controls, multiple design templates, and extensive customization options—all within WordPress’s native block editor.
<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>
🎨 Nine Professional Templates 
Choose from carefully designed templates to match your content style: 
* Default & Default Alt – Classic carousel layouts with external navigation 
* Simple, Simple Left, Simple Right – Clean minimalist designs with flexible content positioning 
* Overlay & Overlay Alt – Modern content overlaid on images with gradient backgrounds 
* Partial Overlay & Partial Overlay Alt – Balanced layouts with partial content overlays
📱 Advanced Responsive Controls 
* Configure carousel behavior per breakpoint (mobile, large-phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, large-desktop) 
* Responsive grid fallback – destroy carousel at specific breakpoints to display slides as a grid 
* Mobile-first breakpoint system with inheritance 
* Full touch and swipe gesture support for mobile devices 
* 6 total breakpoint levels for precise responsive control
🎯 Carousel Types & Transitions 
* Slide mode – Classic horizontal sliding carousel 
* Loop mode – Infinite continuous scrolling with clones 
* Drag and swipe gesture support with momentum
⚙️ Flexible Display Options 
* Multiple slides per page with responsive settings 
* Variable slide width (auto) or fixed width options 
* Start, center, or end alignment 
* Customizable gap spacing between slides 
* Autoplay
🎚️ Navigation & UI Controls 
* 11 Arrow Styles: arrow, chevron, chevronRounded, halfArrow, play, playRounded, sharpChevron, thinChevron, thinChevronRounded, triangle, triangleRounded 
* 9 Pagination Styles: circle, circleOutline, square, squareOutline, diamond, diamondOutline, rectangle, rectangleOutline, number 
* Progress bar indicator 
* Slide counter display (e.g., “3 / 10”) 
* Hide/show controls per breakpoint 
* Color customization for all UI elements
🎨 Advanced Color Controls 
Customize every UI element with full WordPress color palette support: 
* Arrows: text, background, border colors 
* Active Pagination: text, background, border colors 
* Inactive Pagination: text, background, border colors 
* Progress Bar: foreground and background colors 
* Counter: text color 
* Uses WordPress preset color classes and custom inline styles (no CSS custom properties)
♿ Accessibility First 
* ARIA labels and semantic HTML structure 
* Keyboard navigation support (arrow keys, Enter, Space) 
* Screen reader friendly with live regions 
* WCAG compliant markup 
* Focus management and visible focus states
🔧 Developer Features 
* WordPress Interactivity API for reactive frontend behavior 
* Block variations support via <code>wp.blocks.registerBlockVariation()</code> 
* Carousel options via <code>carouselOptions</code> attribute (legacy <code>splideOptions</code> auto-migrated) 
* Extensible template system with WordPress hooks 
* Breakpoint configuration via JSON file 
* React hooks for responsive state management 
* Standard WordPress color classes for theme integration 
* Well-documented, modular code structure
<h4>Works With Any Block</h4>
The Carousel block is a container that accepts any WordPress block as slides: 
* Core Image block 
* Core Paragraph block 
* Core Heading block 
* Core Group block 
* Core Cover block 
* Core Buttons block 
* Custom blocks from other plugins 
* Your own custom blocks
Each slide is fully customizable using WordPress’s native block editing tools.
<h4>Built on Embla Carousel</h4>
Powered by Embla Carousel 8.x – a lightweight, extensible, and performant carousel library. No jQuery required. Optimized for modern browsers with the WordPress Interactivity API for reactive state management.
<h4>Part of Groundworx Core</h4>
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.
<h4>Need More? Check Out Groundworx Showcase</h4>
Groundworx Carousel is a self-contained carousel block — you add slides manually, and navigation (arrows, pagination, etc.) is built into the block itself. It’s a great fit for static content like testimonials, feature highlights, or image galleries where you control every slide.
<a href="https://groundworx.dev/products/groundworx-showcase/" rel="nofollow ugc">Groundworx Showcase</a> takes a fundamentally different approach: a modular block system where every piece — the carousel, the slides, and each navigation control — is its own independent block. 12 blocks, 4 flow types, and full query support.
Query & Content:
<ul>
<li>Query-driven carousels — Pull slides automatically from posts, pages, custom post types, or WooCommerce products. Filter by taxonomies, date, authors, keyword, and post formats. Set max items and sort order. Or switch to Curated mode to hand-pick specific posts.</li>
<li>Block pattern support — Design your slide layout with blocks (title, excerpt, image, buttons — whatever you want), and every queried post fills that pattern. Works just like WordPress’s Query Loop block — pick a pattern, change it later, every slide updates.</li>
<li>4 Flow types — Dynamic Flow (query carousel), Static Flow (manual carousel), Dynamic Content (query grid/flex), and Flow Template (reusable slide pattern). Dynamic Content outputs the same query to grid or flex layouts instead of a carousel.</li>
</ul>
Modular Controls:
<ul>
<li>Independent navigation blocks — Arrows, pagination, progress bar, and counter are separate blocks inside the carousel. Wrap them in groups, columns, or any container block to build your own layout — they’re not locked to fixed positions.</li>
<li>More control over every component — Each piece is its own block with its own settings, spacing, and layout options.</li>
</ul>
Carousel Options:
<ul>
<li>More modes — Fade transitions, vertical slides, auto-scroll (continuous scrolling), and RTL text direction — in addition to slide and loop.</li>
<li>Fine-grained timing — Customizable slide animation duration, autoplay with configurable interval, auto-scroll with configurable speed, and pause-on-hover for both autoplay and auto-scroll.</li>
<li>Video support — Videos automatically pause when their slide is not active.</li>
<li>Per-breakpoint layout switching — Switch between carousel, grid, and flex at every breakpoint independently. For example: carousel on mobile, grid on tablet, carousel again on desktop. Carousel only supports a one-way break to grid — once destroyed, it stays grid at all larger breakpoints.</li>
</ul>
Carousel vs. Showcase at a glance:
<ul>
<li>Carousel: One block, manual slides, built-in navigation, slide/loop modes, one-way grid fallback — simple and self-contained</li>
<li>Showcase: 12 modular blocks, query-driven or curated, slide/loop/fade/auto-scroll modes, vertical slides, RTL, per-breakpoint carousel/grid/flex switching — flexible and composable</li>
</ul>
Showcase is ideal when you need:
<ul>
<li>Carousels that populate automatically from your content</li>
<li>Block patterns applied to query-driven slides — like the Query Loop block, but for carousels</li>
<li>Full control over navigation layout — wrap controls in any block container</li>
<li>The same query powering both carousel and grid views</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://groundworx.dev/products/groundworx-showcase/" rel="nofollow ugc">Learn more about Groundworx Showcase →</a>
<h3>Developer Notes</h3>
<h4>Registering Custom Block Variations</h4>
You can register custom carousel variations using <code>wp.blocks.registerBlockVariation()</code> and pass carousel configuration options via the <code>carouselOptions</code> attribute.
Example: Carousel with Grid Fallback at Tablet
<pre><code>wp.blocks.registerBlockVariation('groundworx/carousel', {
 name: 'carousel-to-tablet',
 title: 'Carousel / Grid Tablet',
 attributes: {
 template: 'default',
 carouselOptions: {
 type: 'loop',
 perPage: 1,
 arrows: true,
 pagination: true,
 containScroll: 'trimSnaps',
 breakpoints: {
 tablet: {
 destroy: true
 }
 }
 },
 breakpoints: {
 tablet: {
 layout: {
 type: 'grid',
 columnCount: 3
 }
 }
 }
 },
 scope: ['block', 'inserter', 'transform']
});
</code></pre>
Example: Auto-Width Carousel
<pre><code>wp.blocks.registerBlockVariation('groundworx/carousel', {
 name: 'auto-width-carousel',
 title: 'Auto Width Carousel',
 attributes: {
 carouselOptions: {
 type: 'loop',
 fixedWidth: '300px',
 align: 'center',
 gap: '1rem'
 }
 }
});
</code></pre>
<h4>Adding Custom Templates</h4>
Use the <code>groundworx.carousel.templates</code> filter to add custom templates:
<pre><code>wp.hooks.addFilter(
 'groundworx.carousel.templates',
 'my-theme/add-custom-template',
 (templates) => [
 ...templates,
 {
 label: 'My Custom Template',
 value: 'my-custom'
 }
 ]
);
</code></pre>
Then add your template styles in your theme:
<pre><code>.wp-block-groundworx-carousel.template-my-custom .gwx-carousel__slide {
 /* Your custom styles */
}
</code></pre>
<h4>Supported Breakpoints</h4>
The carousel supports 5 configurable responsive breakpoints plus a mobile/default base, following a mobile-first approach:
<ul>
<li>Mobile/Default: 0-479px (base configuration)</li>
<li>large-phone: 480px and up</li>
<li>tablet: 680px and up</li>
<li>laptop: 1080px and up</li>
<li>desktop: 1280px and up</li>
<li>large-desktop: 1440px and up</li>
</ul>
Settings cascade from mobile to larger screens. Override at any breakpoint to change behavior.
Grid Fallback Breakpoints: 
For grid fallback functionality, you can use any of the 5 breakpoints: <code>large-phone</code>, <code>tablet</code>, <code>laptop</code>, <code>desktop</code>, or <code>large-desktop</code>.
<h4>Carousel Options</h4>
Carousel options are configured via the <code>carouselOptions</code> attribute. Common options:
<ul>
<li><code>type</code>: ‘slide’ or ‘loop’</li>
<li><code>perPage</code>: Number of slides per page</li>
<li><code>slidesToScroll</code>: Number of slides to scroll per action (default: 1)</li>
<li><code>fixedWidth</code>: Fixed width for each slide (e.g., ‘300px’)</li>
<li><code>gap</code>: Space between slides</li>
<li><code>align</code>: Slide alignment — ‘start’, ‘center’, or ‘end’</li>
<li><code>containScroll</code>: Trim empty scroll snaps — ‘trimSnaps’ or false</li>
<li><code>autoplay</code>: Enable/disable autoplay</li>
<li><code>arrows</code>: Show/hide arrows</li>
<li><code>pagination</code>: Show/hide pagination</li>
<li><code>progressBar</code>: Show/hide progress bar</li>
<li><code>counter</code>: Show/hide slide counter</li>
<li><code>destroy</code>: Disable carousel and display as grid</li>
</ul>
Breakpoint-specific overrides are supported via the <code>breakpoints</code> attribute. Legacy <code>splideOptions</code> are automatically converted on render.
<h4>Color System</h4>
All UI element colors use the standard WordPress color pattern:
<ul>
<li>Preset colors apply WordPress utility classes (<code>has-text-color</code>, <code>has-{slug}-color</code>, <code>has-background</code>, <code>has-border-color</code>)</li>
<li>Custom colors apply inline styles</li>
</ul>
Pagination dot colors toggle dynamically between active and inactive states using the WordPress Interactivity API (<code>data-wp-class</code> for presets, <code>data-wp-style</code> for custom colors).
Elements with color support:
<ul>
<li>Arrows: text, background, border</li>
<li>Pagination (active): text, background (number style), border (number style)</li>
<li>Pagination (inactive): text, background (number style), border (number style)</li>
<li>Progress bar: track background, bar foreground</li>
<li>Counter: text</li>
</ul>
<h4>Template Classes</h4>
Each template adds a class to the carousel wrapper:
<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>
Use these for template-specific styling.
<h3>Privacy</h3>
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.
<h3>Credits</h3>
<ul>
<li>Built with <a href="https://www.embla-carousel.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">Embla Carousel</a> by David Jerleke – A lightweight, extensible carousel 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://www.embla-carousel.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">Embla Carousel 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 responsive carousel block built with Embla Carousel and the WordPress Interactivity API. Works with any block in the editor.

Any Block Carousel Slider vs Groundworx Carousel