Step 1 — Gather context
If references/learnings.md exists, read it first for accumulated platform knowledge.
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What are you trying to do?
- A) Fix a broken state — the editor page won't load or breaks after a customization change, colors/styles apply in the editor but not on the frontend, blocks vanished or broke after an update, or a plugin conflict
- B) Build with blocks — layout/section structure, content/interactive blocks (Tabs, Accordion, Testimonials, Countdown, Chart), the popup builder, mega menu, Post/Query blocks, the 600+ starter template library, global colors/fonts
- C) Capture leads — the separate Gutenverse Form plugin (form blocks, entries stored in WordPress, CSV export, reCAPTCHA, admin/user email notifications); Pro form features (conditional logic, multi-step, calculation/payment fields)
- D) Use Pro/dynamic features — dynamic data, display/visibility conditions, custom fonts, premium templates/blocks, sticky/cursor effects, Lottie animations
- E) Customize/automate — the
gutenverse-coreframework hooks (gutenverse_after_init_framework,gutenverse_include_block,gutenverse_block_config), reading/writinggutenverse/-namespaced block markup via the WordPress REST API - F) Pick or compare a plan (Free / Pro Professional / Agency) or weigh Gutenverse vs other block builders
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Free or Pro? Free (WordPress.org) ships all 57 blocks + the template library + popup builder + global colors/fonts + responsive editing. Form builder advanced features, dynamic data, display conditions, custom fonts, premium templates/blocks, and the mega menu are Pro. The Gutenverse Form plugin is a separate free install.
Skip-ahead rule: if the user's prompt already contains enough context, skip to Step 2.
Step 2 — Route or answer directly
| Problem domain | Route to |
|---|---|
| Funnel strategy, page structure, builder selection across tools (Spectra/Kadence/GenerateBlocks/Stackable/SeedProd/Elementor…) | /sales-funnel — Run: /sales-funnel {user's original question} |
| A/B testing methodology (Gutenverse has no native split testing) | /sales-vwo — Run: /sales-vwo {user's original question} |
| Email sequences/automation after a form opt-in | /sales-email-marketing — Run: /sales-email-marketing {user's original question} |
| Growing the list, lead-magnet strategy | /sales-audience-growth — Run: /sales-audience-growth {user's original question} |
| WooCommerce store/checkout (Gutenverse builds pages, WooCommerce blocks are "coming soon") | /sales-checkout — Run: /sales-checkout {user's original question} |
| WordPress/WooCommerce funnel + upsells around the pages | /sales-cartflows — Run: /sales-cartflows {user's original question} |
| On-page/technical SEO and Core Web Vitals beyond clean markup | /sales-seo — Run: /sales-seo {user's original question} |
If the question is Gutenverse-specific, continue to Step 3.
Step 3 — Gutenverse platform reference
Read references/platform-guide.md for the full platform reference — blocks/modules, the Form plugin, pricing/plan gates, data model, integration recipes, and code examples. For the gutenverse-core framework hooks, the gutenverseCore.* packages, and the WordPress REST API approach to gutenverse/-namespaced markup, read references/gutenverse-api-reference.md.
Answer the user's question using only the relevant section. Don't dump the full reference.
Step 4 — Actionable guidance
Focus on the user's specific situation.
- "The editor page won't load / breaks after a change" is the #1 reported issue. It typically appears right after a customization change and clears when Gutenverse is deactivated — a JS conflict or a corrupted block. Update Gutenverse, hard-refresh and clear browser + page cache, then bisect by disabling other plugins (and switching to a default theme) until the conflict surfaces. Keep a staging copy before editing a live site.
- "Colors/styles work in the editor but not on the frontend" is a styling-cache/asset-loading mismatch. Regenerate/clear Gutenverse's style cache, clear page/object/CDN cache, and allowlist Gutenverse's CSS/JS in any minify/optimization plugin. v3.4.0+ added an improved styling cache mechanism — make sure you're current.
- Forms are a separate plugin with a deliberately small surface. Gutenverse Form stores entries in WordPress (CSV export), sends admin + user email notifications, and offers a reCAPTCHA block — but the free plugin has no webhooks, no Zapier/Mailchimp/CRM integrations, no conditional logic, no multi-step, and no payment fields (those are Pro). For anything beyond simple capture + email, pair a dedicated form plugin and route the sequence via
/sales-email-marketing. - Plan gating drives most surprises. All 57 blocks, the template library, the popup builder, and global colors/fonts are free. Dynamic data, display conditions, custom fonts, premium templates/blocks, the mega menu, and advanced form features are Pro (and degrade if the license lapses). Confirm the tier before promising a feature — and treat pricing as best-effort/annual.
- Know what's "coming soon." WooCommerce blocks, custom fields, and Query Loop for custom post types were marketed as upcoming, not shipped. Don't assume them; verify against the current changelog.
- The automation surface is WordPress, not a hosted API. No Gutenverse REST API, no outbound webhook, no Zapier app. Read/write block markup through the WordPress core REST API (blocks are
gutenverse/-namespaced inpost_content, Application-Password auth); extend the editor via thegutenverse-corehooks (gutenverse_after_init_framework,gutenverse_include_block,gutenverse_block_config) and thegutenverseCore.*ES6/window packages. It's open source undergithub.com/Jegstudio— deeper extension means building against the core framework.
If you discover a gotcha, workaround, or tip not covered in references/learnings.md, append it there.
Gotchas
Best-effort from research (2026-06) — review these, especially plan-gated features and integration details that may be outdated.
- Editor page failing to load after a customization change is the top reported problem. The frontend still renders; deactivating Gutenverse restores the editor. Treat it as a JS conflict/corrupted block — update, clear cache, bisect plugins on staging before touching a live site.
- Color/style changes applying in the editor but not on the frontend is a styling-cache/asset issue. Regenerate Gutenverse's style cache, clear page/CDN cache, and exclude its assets from minify/optimize plugins. Stay on v3.4.0+ for the improved cache mechanism.
- The form builder is a separate free plugin (
gutenverse-form) — and the free tier has no webhooks, no Zapier/Mailchimp/CRM, no conditional logic, no multi-step, no payment fields. Entries are stored in WordPress with CSV export; anti-spam is reCAPTCHA only (a third-party Cloudflare Turnstile add-on exists). - Dynamic data, display conditions, custom fonts, premium templates/blocks, the mega menu, and advanced form features are Pro and stop applying if the license lapses — test on staging.
- WooCommerce blocks, custom fields, and CPT Query Loop were "coming soon," not guaranteed shipped. Verify against the current changelog before promising them.
- No hosted REST API, no outbound webhook, no Zapier app. Automate via the WordPress core REST API (
gutenverse/block markup inpost_content) and thegutenverse-coreframework hooks. Form leads exit through email or whatever form plugin you pair with it. - No native A/B testing, heatmaps, or analytics. Gutenverse builds pages; measurement needs a separate tool (VWO, Microsoft Clarity).
Related skills
/sales-funnel— Funnel strategy, page structure, and builder selection across tools (Spectra, Kadence Blocks, GenerateBlocks, Stackable, SeedProd, Elementor, ClickFunnels, Leadpages)/sales-stackable— Another design-focused, Gutenberg-native block plugin — compare blocks, footprint, Pro gates, and note Stackable has no form/popup builder where Gutenberg-verse ships both/sales-spectra— A Gutenberg-native block plugin (by Brainstorm Force) that also ships a Popup Builder + Starter Templates — compare blocks, DOM output, and Pro Dynamic Content/sales-kadence— A Gutenberg block plugin (by StellarWP) with an Advanced Form block + webhooks and Kadence AI — compare form/automation depth vs Gutenverse Form/sales-generateblocks— The minimalist, performance-first Gutenberg block plugin — compare its few-primitives, lean-DOM model against Gutenverse's 57 ready-made blocks/sales-seedprod— A WordPress page/landing-page builder plugin (non-Gutenberg alternative with Theme Builder + coming-soon pages)/sales-cartflows— WordPress/WooCommerce funnel + checkout/upsells around the pages Gutenverse builds/sales-vwo— A/B testing and heatmap methodology Gutenverse lacks natively/sales-audience-growth— Growing an email list (lead magnets, opt-in strategy) behind a form/sales-email-marketing— Email sequences to run after a Gutenverse Form captures the lead/sales-do— Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install:npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do -a claude-code
Examples
Example 1: Read and bulk-edit Gutenverse block markup programmatically
User: "I want to update the CTA text inside a Gutenverse Button across 30 landing pages from a script. Is there an API?"
Approach: There's no Gutenverse REST API — use the WordPress core REST API. Gutenverse blocks are gutenverse/-namespaced block markup in each post's content field (with attributes like a unique element id), so authenticate with an Application Password, GET the post content, transform the <!-- wp:gutenverse/button … --> markup, and POST it back. To change rendered output instead of stored content, hook WordPress core render_block; to extend the editor, use the gutenverse-core framework hooks. Pull the snippets from references/gutenverse-api-reference.md.
Example 2: My Gutenverse editor stopped loading after I changed a section
User: "After editing a section, the Gutenverse editor screen just won't load anymore — but the live site is fine." Approach: This is the top reported Gutenverse issue. The frontend rendering while the editor breaks points to a JS conflict or a corrupted block introduced by that edit. Update Gutenverse to the latest version, hard-refresh and clear browser + page cache, then on a staging copy disable other plugins (and switch to a default theme) one at a time to isolate the conflict; if a single block is corrupt, remove/re-add it. See Troubleshooting.
Example 3: Which plan do I need for a form with conditional logic and dynamic content?
User: "I want a multi-step contact form with conditional fields, and I want to bind block content to custom fields. What tier?"
Approach: Both are Pro. Gutenverse Form's free tier covers basic fields, WordPress-stored entries, CSV export, email notifications, and reCAPTCHA — but conditional logic, multi-step, calculation/payment fields are Pro, and dynamic data / display conditions in the page blocks are Pro too. Pro is annual (~$79–99/yr for the Professional/10-site tier; an Agency/100-site tier exists). Treat pricing as best-effort and confirm current tiers and site counts in references/platform-guide.md; warn that Pro features degrade if the license lapses.
Troubleshooting
The Gutenverse editor page won't load (frontend still works)
Symptom: After making a customization change, the block editor screen fails to load; deactivating Gutenverse lets the editor load again. The published frontend is unaffected. Cause: A JavaScript conflict with another plugin/theme, a corrupted block from the last edit, or a stale editor build/cache. Solution: Update Gutenverse to the latest version; hard-refresh and clear browser + page/object cache; on a staging copy, deactivate all other plugins and switch to a default theme, then re-enable one at a time to find the conflict. If one block is the culprit, delete and re-insert it. Keep a backup before editing live.
Color or style changes don't show on the frontend
Symptom: A color, spacing, or typography change looks right in the editor but the published page doesn't reflect it. Cause: Gutenverse's per-page styling cache is stale, a caching/CDN layer is serving old CSS, or a minify/optimization plugin stripped or reordered Gutenverse's assets. Solution: Regenerate/clear Gutenverse's style cache and clear page/object/CDN cache; allowlist Gutenverse's CSS/JS in any minify/combine plugin; confirm you're on v3.4.0+ (improved styling cache). Re-check in an incognito window to rule out the browser cache.
Form submissions aren't reaching me / are full of spam
Symptom: Gutenverse Form entries don't arrive by email, or the inbox fills with spam.
Cause: Missing/failing site email (no SMTP), notification not configured, or anti-spam limited to reCAPTCHA on the free plugin (no webhooks/CRM routing, no honeypot beyond reCAPTCHA).
Solution: Confirm admin + user email notifications are enabled on the form and that WordPress can send mail (add an SMTP plugin if deliverability is poor); entries are also stored in WordPress with CSV export as a fallback. Enable the reCAPTCHA block; for stronger protection add a Cloudflare Turnstile add-on, and for routing leads into a CRM/sequence pair a dedicated form plugin and use /sales-email-marketing.