Global Blocks Individually Customized

Support
#1

I was excited to use Global Blocks to have the ability to adjust formatting for a Section or Row and have that apply everywhere. I was disappointed to learn that Global Blocks do not operate like Presets. Presets can be applied for Content + Formatting or just Formatting.

I tried to save a section (or row) as a Preset but that does NOT work. Honestly, Global Blocks are a good idea, but they’re almost useless in their current form. The only blocks I repeat with the exact same content are in the header and footer - problem solved. I don’t need Global Blocks. The website pages have repeatable Blocks (sections, rows, etc.) but all with unique content.

Am I missing something? Can I make a preset Global for Columns, Rows or Sections? Tried and it didn’t work. At least then I can make changes to formatting once, save that preset with the changes, and then apply those changes every place that uses it with a click instead of editing all the parameters. Not ideal, but workable.

I need either Presets that apply to something other than a single element, or Global Blocks that work like a preset giving me the option to globally edit formatting only, and conversely, uniquely edit content (which they don’t allow).

#2

Hi There,

You can save a whole section as a template event it’s in global block or the page content:

Then you can insert it again to your page content:

Hope it helps :slight_smile:

#3

No, sorry, it doesn’t help. I thought I described that function. That to me is a template. It cannot be write-once, update everywhere (for the formatting, not the content). Can you please specifically answer the questions in my previous post?

#4

I’ll try again. I want a section that I insert into many different pages and even multiple times on the same page. You described that.

Then, I want to go to ONE place and perhaps do the following: Change Text Weight on the Text elements, adjust the padding (add more or make less) to a row or a column, maybe even add a row. I want those changes to apply to all instances on the entire website but leave the content alone. Again, like a preset.

This is like fonts. I change Body fonts once and it applies to all body font on the website. Again, tell me a use case scenario for the current form of Global Blocks which force the exact same content in each instantiation. I can’t think of a single one.

#5

Hi there,

Basically the Global block will serve as the main content of the block and you can add that Global Block to any Cornerstone pages. When you update the content of the main global block, the each instance of the Global block will be updated automatically as well.

Here is an article about the Global Block that is on our Knowledge Base that has more information:

Hope this will provide some more information about the feature.

#6

That’s neither my question nor the purpose of this support request. I thought I made that clear in the last response.

Can someone please read what I took the time to write? Then either ask me a question for clarification or provide the answer as a simple no. Namely, Global Blocks do not function like presets or Global Fonts.

And if all they do is what you’ve repeated twice to me, and given any repeatable sections with the same formatting AND the exact same content is in the header and footer, and given you provide Write Once, Repeat Everywhere functionality for the headers and footers, what are Global Blocks good for? I haven’t a clue. You must have had some problem in mind. Please share it. More importantly, please let me know when you’ll make them actually serve a useful purpose by allowing them to globally change formatting only.

Thank you.

#7

Hi MIke,

Sorry for the confusions, but It seems you have started with the wrong foot with Global Blocks, the purpose of Global Block is to allow people do design content once and then assign it to multiple locations on your website.

A good use case for this is a Call To Action Section on various pages, where you only create the section as a Global Block once and then place it on different pages (same styles, same content). This saves the user’s time from re-creating the same Call To Action Section over and over again. Also, If updates ever need to be made to that section in the future, the user won’t need to go page per page to edit that section and only edit the Call To Action Section once. You can also do this on a “Team Section”, a “Contact Form Section”, a “Subscription Form section”, a “Pricing table section” or any section that you’re planning to have on various pages.

I understand that you need the Global Block the ability to have a different content, but that is contrary to the purpose of Global Block. So the answer is no, you need to utilize the Preset Templates feature instead.

Global Blocks
Template Manager

Hope this shed some lights,
Cheers!

#8

It doesn’t shed light but it finally confirms what I’ve kept saying this entire thread. Global Blocks have very little use. I have a Team Section in one place on one page, the Team Page. The contact form is on the Contact Us page and since it’s a form with a shortcode, if I want it in multiple places I use the shortcode. A CTA is a preset for an element and hardly ever a section.

I would like someone to shed light on why Global Blocks was considered useful in its present form. Again, global fonts got it right. What I DO need Global Blocks for is a common page template, or Section Template on a page. When the customer says they want the text a little larger and darker or more line spacing, or more padding between something or add a gallery to each page, I want to do that once.

You said use a PreSet. Not ideal, but its a start. You didn’t answer my question . . . . Do they work for a column, row or section? Not for me. You can save that preset but when you apply it nothing happens.

#9

Just to be clear. I have a website with one page per winery - 13 of the them. They MUST use the same page template or the website is a mess. I have clients with “services” and multiple detail pages for each one. They’re the same template for each page. For your “Team” if I have a single page for the profile of each team member, they’re going to be the same template. All of these pages are the same template with different content. That’s the only Use Case Scenario that Global Blocks provides value for. Your use case scenario almost doesn’t exist and where it does shortcodes or presets work fine. The CTA is the only thing I can picture on many pages of certain sites. But having the same CTA all over the website is certainly not good design. It’s annoying for the user. A little goes a long way. And AGAIN if you want to do that “Call for an Appt Today” on every page, just make it a preset. Good enough. As the manager, you should be taking Global Blocks in the right direction and understand all of what I’ve said.

If I’m off the mark, please explain how and/or why you think so. I’m fine to be corrected but I have zero use for Global Blocks in their current form and I’m pretty sure I"m not alone in how I design sites.

I’ve invested a lot in you guys and have purchased a lot of licenses for good reason but here you’ve missed the mark by a mile. It’s ok if its a future, but to be in an argument about proper design of an important feature is disconcerting to say the least.

#10

Hey Mike,

What you need is currently not available in the Template Manager system as you there’s no interface to edit the templates and presets unlike the Colors and Fonts.

It can’t be accomplished using Global Blocks either because you’re only allowed to use the same content.

Also, saving a preset for the Column will only copy the options and not the elements inside it. You will need to save the whole section as a template so you can reuse that template repeatedly. Just note that there is no interface to edit saved templates or presets. They work as copies only.

I’ll forward your concern as feature request so it might be taken into consideration in the future. What you’re looking for is similar to the Layout Builder which is planned for specific pages like archive and single post. See https://theme.co/apex/forum/t/status-report-july-31-2018/39909

For now, what you need could only be achievable using a custom made shortcode.

Thanks.

#11

Thanks for finally giving me direct answers, especially to the first question about presets for columns or rows. When support people repeat back to me what I’ve already said, and compound that with not answering direct questions, its very frustrating, especially when it takes so many iterations to get to the answers you finally provided.

I hope you consider these feature requests seriously because they will have a significant impact on my workflow and maintenance time. Presets are at least useful even with their shortcomings. Global Blocks are useless in their current form.

#12

You’re welcome and thanks for your feedback. :slight_smile:

#13

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