WordPress developer Munir Kamal has released a new plugin called CF7 Blocks that does exactly what it says in the name. It brings blocks to one of WordPress’ most beloved plugins, which has kept the same familiar interface and has not yet adopted the block editor.

The Contact Form 7 plugin was created by WordPress developer Takayuki Miyoshi, who has devotedly kept it updated for the past 15 years. His stalwart commitment to keeping it free forever is one of the reasons it has grown to more than 5 million active installs. The developer community has built hundreds of integrations and extensions for CF7 because users found it easy to build forms with its simple interface.

CF7 users currently edit forms in the plugin’s dedicated interface. The plugin also includes a block, so users can return to the block editor and select a form to embed.

The new CF7 Blocks plugin makes it possible to edit CF7 forms using WordPress’ default editor, instead of having to mess with shortcodes and HTML. It still has its own dedicated Contact form editing page, except with the ability to customize fields as blocks. New forms will use the block interface and old ones can still be edited using CF7’s default HTML editor.

CF7 Blocks offers a more intuitive experience with pre-made form templates that will automatically insert the necessary blocks so users don’t have to start from scratch.

In the block settings, users can easily customize the text of the labels, enter a value for placeholders, toggle the label on or off, mark fields as required, customize dimensions, and more. Fields can easily be dragged and dropped for re-ordering, a feature that is especially useful with lengthier, more complex forms.

One handy feature is that form fields can easily be transformed into other fields with the click of a button, making it easy to customize a form when the pre-set templates aren’t exactly what is needed.

In the same tradition of Contact Form 7, CF7 Blocks is available for free in the WordPress plugin directory. The plugin also has its own website where users can subscribe to get updates and find out what’s coming soon. Kamal said users can expect more fields to be added to the plugin in future releases beyond the standard fields that come with Contact Form 7. Design options for visually styling and customizing forms are another feature on the roadmap for CF7 Blocks.