A text block is a content element used in website design to organize and display written information. Think of them as individual sections of text that you manage within the website builder. Text blocks are used all over the world in modern web design to ensure content is structured, readable, and easy for visitors to scan and engage with.

You can use text blocks for all sorts of things – from your main headings and body paragraphs to calls to action and quick descriptions. They're what help give your web pages structure and make the content easy for visitors to scan and read.

How text blocks work

In most modern website builders, you can drag and drop text blocks onto a page. You then just click to edit the content. These blocks are flexible. You can customize fonts, white space, alignment, and more to fit your branding. You can insert newlines to create visual breaks between sections and use options like indent. Text within a block is ready to be displayed, almost as if the page is being prepared for print, ensuring that the layout appears consistent across devices.

Much like how a Java compiler processes a source file before executing it, the system behind your website builder processes the text within each block to ensure it's displayed correctly. However, you may encounter an error if there are issues with the layout.

When working with text inside these blocks, you can control specific elements, including character position. Additionally, when working with certain special characters or symbols within a text block, you might need to use escape sequences, such as octal escapes, to ensure proper rendering. Proper management of whitespace is also essential.

Using text blocks

When entering text in a text block, it's similar to how a string class in programming handles characters, providing a structure for manipulating and displaying text. In many website builders, these text blocks are ultimately rendered as HTML.

Whether you're entering a long paragraph, a short label, or even a simple string literal (like "Subscribe now" or "Learn more"), the text block gives you full control over how it appears on the page. This process is akin to how string methods, such as the stripindent method, are used to manipulate text in coding, allowing you to adjust, replace, and format the text inside each block as needed.

Common ways text blocks are used:

• Introducing a new section on a landing page
• Displaying product descriptions
• Adding testimonials or quotes
• Formatting FAQs or feature lists
• Linking to additional resrouces

Text blocks also help with organizing multi-line content. For example, if you're displaying a quote, you might want to highlight the first and second lines as a bold statement, while the third line could be used to attribute the quote to its author. You could also style the last line differently to emphasize a final call to action or closing thought.

Benefits of using text blocks on your website

Text blocks help keep your site organized, clean, and easy to update. Some key benefits include:

• Consistency – Use repeatable formatting across different web pages.
• Accessibility – Properly formatted blocks improve screen reader compatibility for visually impaired users.
• Customization – Easily change colors, fonts, and spacing for a polished look.
• Languages - Customize text blocks to support different languages for a global audience.
• Responsiveness – Most blocks adjust automatically for mobile screens.

Examples of text blocks in action

You’ll find text blocks everywhere on a website. Here are some following examples:

• A paragraph introducing your team on the About page
• A feature list with bold headings and short descriptions
• A simple block with a heading, subheading, and button as a hero section
• An FAQ section where each question-answer pair is its own block

Text blocks are also great for displaying quotation marks around customer testimonials or famous quotes.

When used well, text blocks break up large amounts of text and make your site easier to read. In the next section, we’ll answer some common questions about using text blocks effectively.

FAQs about text blocks

What’s the difference between a text block and a content block?

A text block is a type of content block. Content blocks can include text, images, videos, forms, and more. A text block specifically refers to written content.

Can I use multiple text blocks on one page?

Absolutely. Most websites use many text blocks on each page to structure content into readable sections. It’s a best practice to break long paragraphs into smaller blocks to improve readability.

Are text blocks mobile-friendly?

Yes. If your site uses responsive design, your text blocks will resize and reflow properly on different screen sizes. Most site builders ensure that text blocks remain readable on phones and tablets.

Do text blocks help with SEO?

Note that organized, readable content helps both search engines and users understand your page better. Using proper heading tags (like H1, H2) inside your text blocks also helps improve SEO.

Build a professional website with flexible text blocks

With B12, you don’t have to be a designer to build a beautiful website. Just drag, drop, and edit your text blocks to create polished, high-performing pages in minutes. Start building your website with B12 today!