WordPress Paragraph – How to Use in Gutenberg or Classic Editor

WordPress Paragraph - How to Use in Gutenberg or Classic EditorYour site’s visual appeal is what catches the eye of your visitors. Elements such as graphics, white spaces, fonts, paragraphs, colors and images – come together to create a unique experience for your readers. In this article, we’ll be focusing on one aspect that is particularly important in presenting your text content to readers – paragraphs. We’ll focus on WordPress paragraphs, breaks, and indents.

If you have copied content from a text editor and then pasted it into the WordPress visual editor, you would likely have seen some unappealing formatting issues that go with it.

And formatting this properly can be a big deal for WordPress users, particularly when you don’t know how paragraphs work. Thankfully, the Gutenberg editor helps you to organize your content perfectly. So in this article, we will be showing you how to add line breaks and indents in WordPress and how to use the paragraph block in the WordPress editor.

Content

  1. The Gutenberg block editor
  2. The Classic editor
  3. Keyboard Shortcuts
  4. Conclusion

The Gutenberg Block Editor

The Gutenberg block editor uses a block-based approach for creating content. Blocks in the Gutenberg editor lets you add different types of content within your blog post and pages.

For instance, if you need to add a table to your post, you simply need to add a table block and start editing. Previously, plugins were needed to insert tables.

Other WordPress blocks include:

  • Paragraphs
  • Images (for adding images in WordPress)
  • Galleries
  • Lists
  • Headings, etc.

Let us see how to use the paragraph block.

Side note: to enjoy the latest WordPress Gutenberg editor, you must have the WordPress 5.0 version or later.

How to Create a Paragraph Block in WordPress Gutenberg Editor

This is probably the block you’ll use the most. To create one, click the black plus (+) icon just below the title block. After that, select the Paragraph block.

Side note: If a paragraph doesn’t appear in the options, search for it using the search box.

Add new block

The moment a content is added, a block toolbar will be displayed at the top of the text block. Its basic text formatting options allow you to realign, bolden, italicize, and also insert links.

To get more formatting options, click on the drop-down button beside the ‘link’ icon.

Click drop-down button to reveal further options

 

Let’s have a quick look at some of the other formatting options listed:

Inline Code

This option allows you to write HTML, CSS, and other code snippets in the paragraph without executing the code.

Inline Image

Although there is an image block, this option is used to add an image to the paragraph in WordPress. Click on it, select your preferred image and it gets added inline.

Strikethrough

The next option is the Strikethrough. This creates a line in the middle of a selected text as though it was crossed out.

Subscript and Superscript

A Subscript is a small text set below a normal text while a Superscript is a small text written above a normal text.

Text Color

This formatting option allows you to change the color of a selected text in the paragraph.

To get more text settings, click the settings icon at the top-right corner of your screen.

text settings

On this panel, you can change font sizes, add a drop cap, and include some custom CSS. You can also add a background color and configure the text color settings.

Adding Line Breaks in WordPress

When typing in a word processor, you would at some point hit the ‘Enter’ key to type in the next line.

In the Gutenberg editor, however, hitting the enter key creates a new paragraph block entirely. So to add a single line spacing, simply hit Shift + Enter. To create a double line spacing, hit it twice.

How to Indent Paragraphs in WordPress

A paragraph indent is a space between a margin and the beginning of a line of text. To create one in the block editor, you will need to write a little code using the ‘padding-left’ styling function.

To begin, access the three dots on the block settings and click on Edit as HTML.

Indent paragraphs in WordPress

On the paragraph tag <p>, add this styling parameter:

style= "padding-left: 50px;"

Add styling parameter

For this tutorial, we used 50px indentation. You can use a different number. This will make the whole paragraph indented. Click Preview to view your changes. Hit Publish when done.

How to Indent a Single Line

To indent the first line of each paragraph, you will need to add a few lines of codes to your theme’s CSS. Here’s how to do this:

On your WordPress dashboard, head on to Appearance >> Customize. This will take you to your theme’s customizer. Click on Additional CSS to open it.

Once it’s open, type in these codes:

article p {
text-indent:50px;
}

Adding additional CSS - WordPress paragraphs

You’ll see a live preview of the changes you just made. All first lines of each paragraph will be indented. Remember to hit Publish when you’re done.

The WordPress Classic Editor

This was the default WordPress editor before the Gutenberg editor came into the picture. It’s a simple text editor that is quite similar to a word processing software.

As a result, many site owners still find it really easy to use it for their WordPress blogs. However, it isn’t a great option for creating complex pages like a landing page.

So if you’d like to return to the classic editor, simply install and activate the Classic Editor plugin. Consequently, the plugin disables the Gutenberg editor upon activation.

How to Create Paragraphs Using the WordPress Classic Editor

If you still use the Classic editor, you can create a paragraph by simply pressing ‘Enter’ on your keypad. You can also paste content from other word processors and they will be formatted as paragraphs.

Now let’s look at the formatting options on the toolbar.

Formatting options

Creating a Line Break in Classic Editor

As we stated earlier, hitting the enter key in the classic editor (visual mode) automatically creates a new paragraph.

Hitting the Enter key in the classic editor - WordPress paragraphs

However, to create a line break, hit the Shift + enter key. A line break means starting off on a new line without creating a paragraph space.

Using the Shift + Enter key - WordPress paragraph

You can also add a line break through the text/html editor. Firstly, place your cursor at the point where you wish to add the line break and switch to the text editor. Next, add the break tag <br>. This will take the text after that point to the next line.

Adding the break tag - WordPress paragraphs

Further, to create a wider line break, add this line of CSS to the paragraph you’d want the space beneath and close it at the end.

<p style="margin-bottom: 100px;"> </p>

Add a line of CSS to the WordPress paragraph

 

Keyboard Shortcuts

The beautiful thing about keyboard shortcuts is that they save time. Rather than moving the cursor around to bold a text, you can simply press the ctrl + b button. They are also helpful when copying and pasting content into your editor, creating bullet points, inserting page breaks, etc.

Above all, this makes writing and editing WordPress paragraphs in WordPress posts and pages much faster. So, here’s a list of some useful keyboard shortcuts:

  1. Ctrl + a = Select all
  2. Ctrl + c = Copy
  3. Alt + Shift + z = Expand paragraph formatting options
  4. Ctrl + b = Bold
  5. Ctrl + v = Paste
  6. Enter = Add a new paragraph
  7. Ctrl + x = Cut
  8. Ctrl + z = Undo
  9. Alt + Shift + o = Creates new list
  10. Ctrl + i = Italic
  11. Alt + Shift + h = Displays the keyboard shortcuts
  12. Ctrl + k = Insert link
  13. Ctrl + y = Redo

Now you don’t need to worry about learning the shortcuts all at once. Keep practicing and you’ll get the hang of it. Of course, you can always hit Alt + Shift + h to find any shortcuts you need.

keyboard shortcuts

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of adding paragraphs in WordPress?

Adding paragraphs in WordPress helps improve the readability and structure of your content. It organizes your text by separating ideas and providing visual breaks, making it easier for your readers to digest the information.

How do I add a paragraph in the WordPress Gutenberg Editor?

To add a paragraph in the Gutenberg Editor, follow these steps:

  • Click the plus (+) icon at the top left corner of the editor or within the content area.
  • Search for ‘Paragraph’ in the block options and click on it.
  • Type your content into the newly created paragraph block.

How do I add a paragraph in the WordPress Classic Editor?

In the Classic Editor, simply press ‘Enter’ or ‘Return’ on your keyboard after typing a line of text. This will create a new paragraph automatically.

Can I adjust the spacing between paragraphs?

Yes, you can adjust the spacing between paragraphs by customizing the CSS for your theme. Add a custom CSS rule targeting the ‘p’ element and adjust the ‘margin-bottom’ property to your desired value.

How can I change the font style and size of paragraphs in WordPress?

To change the font style and size of paragraphs in WordPress, you can either use the built-in block settings in the Gutenberg Editor or modify your theme’s CSS. In Gutenberg, click on the paragraph block and adjust the font size and style using the settings panel on the right side. For custom CSS, target the ‘p’ element and apply the desired font style and size.

Can I add media, like images and videos, within a paragraph?

Yes, you can add media within a paragraph in WordPress. In the Gutenberg Editor, click on the plus (+) icon within the paragraph block and choose the ‘Image’ or ‘Video’ block. In the Classic Editor, click on the ‘Add Media’ button above the toolbar and follow the steps to upload or select the media you want to insert.

Is it possible to create a multi-column layout for paragraphs?

Yes, you can create a multi-column layout for paragraphs using the ‘Columns’ block in the Gutenberg Editor. Add the ‘Columns’ block to your content area, and then insert ‘Paragraph’ blocks inside the columns. Adjust the number of columns and column width as needed.

Conclusion – WordPress Paragraphs

To sum up, creating indents, breaks, and paragraphs in WordPress is quite easy. And with our breakdown of it, even if you’re a beginner, you’ll have no difficulty.

Of course, some sections like the Keyboard shortcuts and Paragraph indent will take little practice to get used to. However, we hope you found this article helpful enough to master your way around it.

For more WordPress tutorials and other quick fixes, please visit our WP college. You’ll also find articles on WordPress security, WordPress hosting, how to install WordPress, and a ton of other helpful materials.