Asteris Blocks & Blocks Pro — Documentation

A complete walkthrough of both plugins: the 50 free blocks in Asteris Blocks, and the 35 premium blocks, control layer, AI section generator and 71 cloud patterns in Asteris Blocks Pro. Everything works in the standard WordPress block editor — no page builder, no separate app, no build step.

Getting started

Both plugins add their blocks to the normal editor. After activating, open any post or page, click the + inserter, and look for two categories:

• ★ Asteris — the 50 free blocks.
• ★ Asteris Pro — the 35 premium blocks (appears once Blocks Pro is active).

You can also type / followed by a block name (e.g. /pricing) directly in the editor to insert any block instantly.

Part 1 — Asteris Blocks (free)

Asteris Blocks is a free plugin on WordPress.org. Install it from Plugins → Add New, search “Asteris Blocks”, install and activate. It adds 50 production-ready blocks plus patterns and style variations — and it stays free forever.

The free library covers the everyday building blocks most sites need. See them all rendered live on the All 50 Blocks page. They fall into these groups:

Every block is theme-agnostic (it inherits your theme’s colours and fonts), responsive, and lightweight — front-end CSS/JS only loads on pages where the block is actually used.

Many blocks ship with multiple style variations — pick one from the block’s Styles tab in the right-hand sidebar (e.g. the Card block has overlay, horizontal and bordered variants). There are 60+ variations across the library.

The free plugin also includes a pattern library — pre-built sections (heroes, feature grids, FAQs, CTAs and landing-page layouts) you insert in one click from the inserter’s Patterns tab under the Asteris categories.

The free Newsletter block connects directly to your email provider — no extra plugin. Supported: Mailchimp, MailerLite, ConvertKit and Brevo. Add your API key under Settings → Asteris Blocks, then choose the provider and list on the block.

Part 2 — Asteris Blocks Pro

Blocks Pro is the paid companion. It adds 35 advanced blocks, a control layer that upgrades every block on your site, an AI section generator, and a cloud library of 71 premium patterns. It installs alongside the free plugin — keep both active.

After installing Blocks Pro, go to Asteris → Blocks Pro in the admin menu. Paste the licence key from your purchase email into Activate your licence and click Activate. Your key unlocks updates, the cloud pattern library and the AI generator. One licence covers the number of sites in your plan.

Premium blocks live in the ★ Asteris Pro inserter category. 25 are general-purpose; 10 are WooCommerce blocks that appear when WooCommerce is active.

General (25)

WooCommerce (10)

See a sample rendered live on the All Pro Blocks page.

This is what makes Blocks Pro more than a block pack. Once active, it adds an Asteris panel to the sidebar of every block — core blocks, free Asteris blocks and Pro blocks alike:

• Visibility — show/hide by device, login state, user role, date range or schedule.
• Responsive controls — per-breakpoint spacing, alignment and order.
• Hover effects — lift, zoom, shadow, colour shift.
• Entrance animations — fade/slide/zoom on scroll, with delay & duration.
• Custom CSS — per-block CSS with a selector helper.
• Copy/paste styles & global styles — reuse a look across blocks or save it site-wide.
• Role manager — control which user roles can edit which blocks.

In the editor toolbar, open the Asteris AI button and describe the section you want (“a pricing section with three tiers and a FAQ below”). The generator returns a complete, editable layout built from real blocks — then use Rewrite or Remix to iterate. It uses your own AI key (Claude or OpenAI), added under the Blocks Pro settings.

Blocks Pro delivers 71 premium patterns through the inserter’s Patterns tab, organised by category:

• Heroes (hero-pro) — editorial split, magazine, counters, video caption, marquee and more.
• Composites — multi-section combos in one insert (above-fold, pricing block, social proof, FAQ + CTA, pre-footer).
• Video & Audio — course grids, webinar landings, podcast hero, Spotify/SoundCloud embeds.
• Page templates — full niche pages (resume, sales, case study, restaurant menu, coach, conference, …).
• Shop (WooCommerce) — story-product, bundle builder, gift guide, subscription, stockists.

FAQ

Do I need both plugins?

No — Asteris Blocks works on its own and is free forever. Blocks Pro is optional and adds the premium blocks, control layer, AI generator and patterns. If you install Pro, keep the free plugin active too.

Will the blocks slow my site down?

No. Each block’s CSS and JS only load on pages where that block is actually used. There’s no global front-end bundle.

Are the blocks tied to a theme?

No. Every block inherits your theme’s colours, fonts and width, so they look native in Astra, Kadence, GeneratePress, Blocksy, block themes and classic themes alike.

What happens if my licence expires?

Your existing blocks and patterns keep working. You lose access to updates, new cloud patterns and the AI generator until you renew.

Can I use the WooCommerce blocks without WooCommerce?

They only appear when WooCommerce is active. The other 25 Pro blocks work on any WordPress site.