How to Create Custom Dynamic Tags in GenerateBlocks 2.0: A Complete Guide

Let’s explore how GenerateBlocks implements dynamic tags and how we can create our own following similar patterns. We’ll break down the official GenerateBlocks examples and create our own custom implementations.

Note: I should mention that since there's currently no official documentation for GenerateBlocks dynamic tags, I've had to reverse engineer the code to understand how it works. While I'll share my understanding of the parameters and capabilities, there may be features I haven't fully discovered yet. I'll update this guide as I learn more.

Understanding the Core Parameters

Before diving into specific examples, let’s understand the common parameters used in all dynamic tags:

title: The name that appears in the dynamic tag selector in the block editor
tag: A unique identifier for your dynamic tag
type: Groups tags in the interface (e.g., ‘post’, ‘author’, ‘elements’)
supports: Additional features the tag supports (e.g., ‘source’, ‘image-size’)
options: Configuration options available for the tag
return: Callback function that generates the output

GenerateBlocks Built-in Examples

Post Permalink Tag

PHP


        new GenerateBlocks_Register_Dynamic_Tag(
    [
        'title'    => __('Post Permalink', 'generateblocks'),
        'tag'      => 'post_permalink',
        'type'     => 'post',
        'supports' => ['source'],
        'return'   => ['GenerateBlocks_Dynamic_Tag_Callbacks', 'get_the_permalink'],
    ]
);
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Key features:

Simple implementation with no options
‘source’ support enables basic functionality
Returns the post’s permanent URL
No additional configuration needed

Featured Image Tag

PHP


        new GenerateBlocks_Register_Dynamic_Tag(
    [
        'title'    => __('Featured Image', 'generateblocks'),
        'tag'      => 'featured_image',
        'type'     => 'post',
        'supports' => ['source', 'image-size'],
        'options'  => [
            'key' => [
                'type'    => 'select',
                'label'   => __('Image Key', 'generateblocks'),
                'default' => 'url',
                'options' => [
                    'url',
                    'id',
                    'caption',
                    'description',
                    'alt',
                ],
            ],
        ],
        'return'   => ['GenerateBlocks_Dynamic_Tag_Callbacks', 'get_featured_image'],
    ]
);
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Key features:

Supports ‘image-size’ for different thumbnail sizes
Options are presented as a dropdown menu
Returns different image attributes based on selection
Uses GenerateBlocks’ built-in callback method

Custom Implementations

Here are our custom implementations following similar patterns:

Post Content Tag

PHP


        new GenerateBlocks_Register_Dynamic_Tag(
    [
        'title'    => __('Post Content', 'generateblocks'),
        'tag'      => 'post_content',
        'type'     => 'post',
        'supports' => ['source'],
        'options'  => [
            'strip_shortcodes' => [
                'type'    => 'checkbox',
                'label'   => __('Strip Shortcodes', 'your-textdomain'),
                'default' => false,
            ],
            'apply_filters' => [
                'type'    => 'checkbox',
                'label'   => __('Apply Content Filters', 'your-textdomain'),
                'default' => true,
            ],
        ],
        'return'   => 'custom_post_content_callback',
    ]
);

function custom_post_content_callback($options, $block, $instance) {
    $content = get_the_content();
    
    if (!empty($options['strip_shortcodes'])) {
        $content = strip_shortcodes($content);
    }
    
    if (!empty($options['apply_filters'])) {
        $content = apply_filters('the_content', $content);
    }
    
    return GenerateBlocks_Dynamic_Tag_Callbacks::output($content, $options, $instance);
}
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Key features:

Two checkbox options for content processing
Help text explains each option
Processes content based on selected options
Uses WordPress core functions

Custom Hook Tag

PHP


        new GenerateBlocks_Register_Dynamic_Tag(
    [
        'title'    => __('Custom Hook', 'your-textdomain'),
        'tag'      => 'custom_hook',
        'type'     => 'elements',
        'supports' => ['source'],
        'options'  => [
            'hook_name' => [
                'type'        => 'text',
                'label'       => __('Hook Name', 'your-textdomain'),
                'help'        => __('Enter the WordPress action hook name', 'your-textdomain'),
                'placeholder' => 'your_custom_hook',
            ],
            'priority' => [
                'type'    => 'number',
                'label'   => __('Priority', 'your-textdomain'),
                'default' => 10,
            ],
        ],
        'return'   => 'custom_hook_callback',
    ]
);

function custom_hook_callback($options, $block, $instance) {
    if (empty($options['hook_name'])) {
        return '';
    }

    ob_start();
    do_action(
        $options['hook_name'],
        $options['priority'] ?? 10
    );
    $output = ob_get_clean();
    
    return GenerateBlocks_Dynamic_Tag_Callbacks::output($output, $options, $instance);
}
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Key features:

Text input for hook name
Number input for priority
Checks for empty hook name
Uses output buffering to capture hook content

GenerateBlocks Output Callback Helper Function

PHP


        public static function output($output, $options, $instance = null) {
    $raw_output = $output;

    $output = self::with_trunc($output, $options);    // Truncates content
    $output = self::with_replace($output, $options);  // String replacements
    $output = self::with_trim($output, $options);     // Trims whitespace
    $output = self::with_case($output, $options);     // Changes text case

    // Formatting filters
    $output = self::with_wpautop($output, $options);  // Adds paragraphs
    $output = self::with_link($output, $options, $instance);  // Wraps in link

    return apply_filters('generateblocks_dynamic_tag_output', $output, $options, $raw_output);
}
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When we use GenerateBlocks_Dynamic_Tag_Callbacks::output, our content gets these automatic processing features:

with_trunc: Truncates content to specified length
with_replace: Performs string replacements
with_trim: Removes extra whitespace
with_case: Modifies text case (upper/lower/title)
with_wpautop: Adds paragraph tags
with_link: Wraps content in links if specified

These processes run in order, ensuring consistent output across all dynamic tags.

Understanding the Core Parameters

GenerateBlocks Built-in Examples

Post Permalink Tag

Featured Image Tag

Custom Implementations

Post Content Tag

Custom Hook Tag

GenerateBlocks Output Callback Helper Function

Table of contents

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