Block patterns help you quickly add reusable layouts to your site. In this guide, you will learn how to update patterns, remove patterns you no longer need, and restore previous versions if needed.
When you edit a synced pattern, your changes update everywhere the pattern is used. When you edit an unsynced pattern, your changes only impact new instances you add in the future.
To update an existing pattern, follow these steps:
- From your dashboard, navigate to Appearance → Editor.
- Click Patterns and select My Patterns to see the patterns you have created.
- Click the pattern you want to edit.
- Make your changes. You can update text, images, or rearrange blocks.
- Click Save to apply your changes to the pattern.
If you want to edit the content of a synced pattern on just one page or post—without changing it everywhere the pattern is used—you can detach the pattern. Detaching turns the synced pattern into regular blocks that you can edit freely in that location.
To detach and edit a synced pattern, follow these steps:
- Add the synced pattern to your page or post.
- Select the pattern you want to detach.
- Click the three dots (⋮) in the block toolbar.
- Select Detach.
- Edit the blocks as needed. Your changes will only apply to this page or post.
Detaching a synced pattern is a one-way action. Once detached, the pattern becomes regular blocks and will not update if you later change the original synced pattern.
You can override content within a synced pattern while keeping the overall layout and design the same. This feature lets you customize specific blocks—such as headings, paragraphs, images, or buttons—in individual instances of the pattern, while the rest of the structure remains consistent across your site. Learn more about pattern overrides.
Deleting a pattern does not remove it from pages or posts where it has already been added. Those blocks will remain in your content. However, if you no longer need to add the pattern to your site, you can delete the pattern by following these steps:
- Go to your dashboard.
- Navigate to Appearance → Editor.
- Click Patterns and navigate to My Patterns to see the patterns you have created.
- Find the pattern you want to delete. Click the three dots (⋮) next to its name.
- Select Delete from the drop-down menu.
Deleted patterns cannot be recovered.
WordPress.com automatically saves previous versions (revisions) of your patterns. Restoring a revision lets you undo unwanted changes and return your pattern to an earlier state.
To restore a previous version of a pattern, follow these steps:
- Go to your dashboard.
- Navigate to Appearance → Editor.
- Click Patterns and select My Patterns to view your custom patterns.
- Find the pattern you want to restore. Click the three dots (⋮) next to its name.
- Click the “View Revisions” option from the drop-down menu. If you do not see “View Revisions“, there are no saved revisions for this pattern.
- Use the slider at the top of the screen to browse earlier versions of your pattern.
- To compare two versions side by side, check the Compare any two revisions box.
- The most recent version appears on the right, and the previous version appears on the left.
- To restore a version, click Restore This Revision. The editor will load the selected revision.
- To exit without restoring, click Go to editor at the top left.
- Click Save to confirm and keep your changes.
You can repeat these steps to restore a newer revision if you change your mind after restoring an earlier version.