Gutenberg without the weight
A local workspace for clear reviews, fast reading, careful editing, and resilient authoring.
WordPressLess turns Gutenberg into one portable HTML workspace. It does not publish, upload, or change WordPress by itself.
Local-firstPortable HTMLText-first performanceSource-preserving
Choose the workflow that matches the job
Review an articleThe recommended workflow for delivering precise inline feedback, visual markup, suggested wording, reorder instructions, and attachments in one handoff file.
Read and share quicklyPaste Gutenberg, receive a clean navigable reader, save the HTML, and share it without asking the recipient to open WordPress.
Edit a heavy manualKeep media and plugin tables dormant, work on the text locally, and load only the expensive content needed for the current task.
Create during an outageStart a valid Gutenberg article from a template, add blocks locally, then export the finished source when WordPress becomes available.
Nothing is published automatically. Copying Gutenberg back to WordPress, uploading media, and changing a shared WP Table Builder object remain separate intentional actions.
Primary workflow
Deliver feedback as one clear, navigable review package.
Replace scattered Jira text, screenshot folders, and email fragments with feedback anchored directly to the article.
Reviewer workflow
Open the Gutenberg article in Review modePaste the source or import a raw/saved HTML file, then enter the reviewer name.
Anchor every observationSelect exact text or click a paragraph, heading, list item, image, table, or other reviewable element.
Use the clearest evidenceAdd a change, question, note, or approval. Include replacement wording, vector markup, a move instruction, or Base64-embedded attachments when useful.
Finish and save the handoffReview the summary, add an overall note, and save one HTML file named with the article, reviewer, and timestamp.
Updater resolves items one by oneThe recipient expands one feedback card, performs the update, marks it done, and moves to the next item without losing the article context.
What travels inside the review
EmbeddedGutenberg source, comments, suggested text, vector drawings, move instructions, Base64 attachments, overall note, and any loaded WP-table snapshots.
Referenced externallyArticle media URLs and live shared WP Table Builder objects. Their latest online content is not guaranteed unless it was loaded and captured.
Fastest workflow
Wrap Gutenberg in a polished reader and share it in minutes.
No review or editing is required. The saved HTML contains the source and navigation needed to reopen the article locally.
Three steps
Open existing GutenbergPaste Code Editor content or import HTML/TXT. Give the article a readable name when the filename does not already provide one.
Check the local readerUse the outline and search. Load media or plugin tables only when the recipient needs those elements visible in the saved snapshot.
Save and shareChoose Save HTML. The reader reopens in lightweight mode and keeps the Gutenberg embedded for later extraction.
A saved reader is portable, but external images still depend on their URLs. It should not be described as a complete offline copy unless every required dependency is embedded or otherwise preserved.
Text-first editing
Work comfortably when WordPress becomes slow on a very large manual.
The article opens with text, headings, native HTML, and links. Remote media and plugin tables wait until requested.
Editing workflow
Open lightlyKeep the article in text-only mode while navigating or making textual changes.
Select Edit, then choose a blockSupported blocks include headings, paragraphs, list items, images, Custom HTML, shortcodes, Classic notes, and WP-table references.
Edit or restructure locallyApply changes, add new blocks, move compatible top-level blocks, duplicate, delete, undo, redo, and validate.
Handle dependencies intentionallyUse permanent public media URLs. Edit shared WP tables online only when authorized, then refresh their local preview.
Export validated GutenbergOpen Gutenberg, run validation, then copy or download the updated source for the controlled WordPress update.
For mostly textual guides such as long CLI manuals, text-first mode can remove much of the browser work caused by hundreds of images and plugin tables.
Offline authoring
Create a valid Gutenberg draft without opening WordPress.
Choose Blank, How-to, Troubleshooting, User guide, Release notes, or Knowledge base, then refine the generated blocks locally.
From idea to Gutenberg
Choose Create newEnter the article title, optional author, opening summary, and the closest starting template.
Edit the starter contentOpen Edit and replace the generated prompts with approved article content.
Add the blocks you needInsert paragraphs, headings, lists, images, notes, Custom HTML, WP-table references, and separators before/after a selected top-level block or at the article end.
Use durable assetsBuild complex Custom HTML tables in Table Studio. Upload media to WordPress Media or another approved permanent host, then paste its public URL.
Validate, save, and exportSave a portable draft backup and copy the generated Gutenberg when the Documentation Center is ready.
Creating locally does not create a WordPress article record, category assignment, author record, featured image, or public URL. Those remain part of the later controlled publishing workflow.
Know what is local
Native Gutenberg, media, and plugin tables behave differently.
Understanding the boundary prevents a portable review from being mistaken for a complete WordPress backup.
Dependency guide
| Content | Local behavior | Update method |
|---|
| Text and headings | Embedded in Gutenberg and fully editable locally. | Edit in WordPressLess, then export Gutenberg. |
| Native/Custom HTML tables | Embedded directly and available immediately. | Edit the Custom HTML, preferably using Table Studio for complex tables. |
| Images and media | Remain dormant until loaded; the Gutenberg usually stores an external URL. | Upload to an approved permanent host, paste the public URL, and preview it. |
| WP Table Builder | The Gutenberg stores a shared table ID. A loaded rendering can be embedded as a review snapshot. | Edit the shared object in WordPress when authorized, then Refresh locally. |
| Review attachments | Base64-embedded directly in the saved review HTML. | Download from the feedback card when implementing the change. |
Return to text only removes loaded previews from the current page without deleting their Gutenberg references or saved table snapshot data.
Useful recovery points
Every saved handoff also preserves a searchable Gutenberg checkpoint.
Readable filenames make reviews and drafts useful when reconstructing a lost or damaged article.
Filename pattern
Article Name - Reviewer Name - YYYY-MM-DD HH-mm-ss.htmlReader, edited, and draft files use the same readable timestamp pattern with their workflow purpose.
What can be recovered
Usually recoverable from the file- The Gutenberg source at save time
- Review comments, markup, and attachments
- Overall review note and reviewer identity
- Loaded WP-table renderings as snapshots
Not automatically guaranteed- The newest external media file
- The live state of a shared WP table
- WordPress categories, permissions, or revision history
- The published URL or surrounding site configuration
Treat WordPressLess files as excellent source and review checkpoints—not as a replacement for an approved site/database backup strategy.
Reference
Useful controls, validation, and honest limits.
The local workspace is intentionally powerful without silently expanding into publishing or shared-object management.
Keyboard and navigation
| Article search | Enter moves to the next match; Shift+Enter moves to the previous match. |
| Editing undo/redo | Ctrl/Cmd+Z and Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Z while Edit is open and focus is outside a text field. |
| Markup undo/redo | Ctrl/Cmd+Z and Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Z while the visual markup workspace is active. |
| Escape | Cancels markup, closes the feedback editor, or closes open dialogs. |
| Internal links | Matching article fragments scroll locally; missing anchors are identified instead of opening the wrong page. |
Validation checks
Gutenberg structureDetects missing or unexpected block-closing markers before export.
Media and reader leakageFlags unresolved local media and accidental reader-only markup in the export source.
WordPressLess sanitizes the visible preview and isolates it from the application UI. The embedded source remains the authoritative export—not the rendered preview DOM.