As a WordPress developer for more than a decade, I have built countless WordPress blocks, ranging from simple callouts and icon blocks to multi-block forms and slide performances. The process can be demanding and requires a good understanding of how WordPress works under the hood, as well as familiarity with React, Javascript, PHP and other relevant technologies.
Scaffolding aids such as those of WordPress create-block staff. Modern AI code -editors, such as cursor, and assistants such as Claude Code, also accelerate things. With the right setup and context you can summarize a lot of the complexity. The catch is that you still have to provide the AI with WordPress-specific context and have everything together. That is great for developers, but it keeps the barrier high for everyone.
What if you could completely skip that complexity? That’s true Telex comes in.
What is Telex?
Telex is an experimental tool of the Automattic AI team that changes the prompts of natural language into working WordPress blocks. You simply describe what you want and Telex generates the block.
Everyone can use Telex, from:
- Site -owners Who want tailor -made functionality on their site or who want to experiment with a new idea.
- Agencies and freelancers Those rapid prototypes or small utility blocks need for client projects.
- Developers That fast scaffolding wants in a real WordPress context and code that they can refine.
- Aspirant -Developers Who learn best by seeing a working example and reading the code behind it.
Under the hood Packed Telex packages Your Block as a single block plug -In and view the result in your browser, all driven by WordPress Playground. There is no local setup. You can refine the block with short follow-up instructions or edit the code directly, download the plug-in and install it on a site when you are ready. You can also share your work as a link.
Since Telex is an experiment, the results will vary and you can come across bugs and problems along the way. That is part of the process. We learn where AI can remove friction in block creation and where it can really be useful. It is also not ai website builder. Think of it as an AI that helps you make small functional tools such as blocks.
Telex is currently free to use and you can make as many blocks as you want. Try it now.
How to build blocks with Telex
Start by thinking about what you want to make. It can be a function that your site misses or a playful idea to see what Telex can do. This is an experiment, so exploration is welcome. You can also view one of the recommended projects on the Telex start page for inspiration.
For this message I get in the shoes of a food blogger. I have a chocolate flakes to share, and I would like to display an ingredient list that can scale readers up to 4 times. Readers must be able to check ingredients while they go. There must also be a copy button in the frontend that copies the ingredient list to the clipboard. In the editor I want to add ingredients in a simple table with three columns: quantity, unity and ingredient. I should also be able to remove ingredients in the table and order again with buttons.
I started entering this prompt in Telex:
Build an ingredient list block. This shows a list of ingredients (think of food blog) that readers can check out. Add a copy button at the front that copies the ingredient list to the clipboard. Take on a built -in recipe scale, so that readers can do the recipe twice, 3x and 4x, so that ingredient thynesses are updated accordingly. In the editor I have to enter ingredients in a table with three columns: quantity, unity and ingredient. I should also be able to remove ingredients in the table and order again with buttons.
I then clicked BuildAnd Telex went to work.
The more context you include in your first prompt, the better. Do not hesitate to try a quick prompt. You can run as many blocks as you want, even at the same time. Just open a new browser tab.
In about two minutes I had a working WordPress block with all the functionality I asked. Here is a look at the head of the editors with the ingredients for my recipe in the table. Note the action buttons as I asked.
The frontend delivered all functionality immediately, although the styling needed some refinement. This is where extra prompts help to refine things.
In general, I prefer a block to inherit the styles of my theme. I also wanted check creditors to show a radiation, and I wanted that ingredient quantities where possible were made up as whole numbers or fractures. Finally, to add a little excitement, when the reader checks all the items, there may be a confetti animation.
I have handled every change with several short follow-up instructions:
Let’s simplify the styling so that this ingredient list inherits the current theme styles.
At the front, when a reader checks an ingredient, you also bring a doorer.
Convert ingredient quantities to entire numbers or fractions on the frontend where possible. No decimal places, please.
For fun, when a reader checks all items on the ingredient list, the screen with a confetti animation showered.
I recommend giving Telex One task at the same time in your follow-up prompts. After four iterations, one for each of the tasks above, my ingredient list block looked like this:
You can also change the code directly, which is useful if you prefer to make fast, targeted changes. It is also a great way to learn how the block is assembled.
In my case I wanted the scale buttons to look a bit different and update the table in the editor, so I switched Code View and adapted to the style.scss And editor.scss Files manually.
Here is the end result. It took about 10 minutes to build in total:
Remark: Telex is not deterministic. If you try the instructions in this message, expect some different results. No two builds will be exactly the same.
Of course I could have stayed itteren. Perhaps add JSON-LD structured data to the ingredient list for search engine optimization, or the possibility to convert the units to Metric. The possibilities are endless.
Once satisfied with your block, you have two options: use the Download button to get the zip file for plug -in, or click on the Part knob. The last copies a unique link to your clipboard. Anyone with this link can view your block in Telex without logging in.
Here is the link to the block that I built for this blog post:
If you click on the example link above, you can also download the ingredient list block as a ZIP file, just as if you made the block yourself. You can then install it on any WordPress site that supports plug -in uploads or test locally with WordPress studio.
Solve problems and well -known gaps
Telex is experimental, so you can occasionally hit a hiccup. Sometimes the AI makes a wrong assumption or generates code that is not performed. This is common with all AI tools. If you see a warning like that below, keep ittery. Ask Telex to repair the specific error or copy the details to a new prompt. Then describe the outcome that you expect. You can ask as many follow -up questions as you want. If it gets entangled, start a new session and repeat your block requirements.
There are also many ways to build a block in WordPress, and part of this experiment is the identification of areas that must be improved in Telex. Blocks that require inner blocks are not for example currently supported. A slide show with a parent “slide show” block and the “slide” blocks of the child is a common use case, and Telex will have difficulty implementing it.
If you come across a scenario in which Telex repeatedly does not complete your request, let us know in the comments or share your feedback in the in-app feedback form. By sharing your prompt, the error message and a short description of what you were trying to build, the team helps to improve the telex.
Keep itteren
Telex is an early view of how AI can lower the barrier to block making blocking. We will continue to improve it based on what you build and the feedback you share, so turn on a block, post your preview link and tell us what worked and what not.
Some ideas that we are considering for the future are version history, visual descriptors to make your project list more visual, uploading existing blocks and adjusting and other improvements, large or small.
Together we can make WordPress Block development faster, friendlier and more accessible for everyone.
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