WordPress Block Bindings API

Block Bindings replace selected block attributes at render time from a registered data source. Use them when content should stay dynamic while remaining a normal block. They do not persist data by themselves and do not make an unsupported attribute bindable automatically.

Decide before implementing

Need	Use
Bind a supported block attribute to dynamic data	Block Bindings
Change the complete rendered structure	Dynamic block render.php
Store and validate a custom field	Metadata/REST registration plus a binding
Merely transform final HTML	Render filter or HTML API

Register the server source

Register on init. The name must be lowercase namespace/name and the callback must be callable.

add_action( 'init', static function (): void {
    register_block_bindings_source(
        'acme/catalog-field',
        array(
            'label'              => __( 'Catalog field', 'acme' ),
            'uses_context'       => array( 'postId' ),
            'get_value_callback' => static function ( array $args, WP_Block $block, string $attribute ) {
                $allowed = array( 'sku', 'subtitle' );
                $key     = isset( $args['key'] ) ? sanitize_key( $args['key'] ) : '';

                if ( ! in_array( $key, $allowed, true ) ) {
                    return null;
                }

                $post_id = isset( $block->context['postId'] ) ? (int) $block->context['postId'] : 0;
                return $post_id ? get_post_meta( $post_id, '_acme_' . $key, true ) : null;
            },
        )
    );
} );

The callback receives binding args, the current WP_Block, and the target attribute name. The args originate in block content and are untrusted. Allowlist keys, validate IDs, and return null when no safe value is available.

Bind the attribute

<!-- wp:paragraph {"metadata":{"bindings":{"content":{"source":"acme/catalog-field","args":{"key":"subtitle"}}}}} -->
<p>Fallback subtitle</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

Do not delete useful fallback markup. If the source is missing, disabled, or returns no usable value, a stable fallback makes the content more portable.

Supported attributes in WordPress 7.1

Core's default list is:

Block	Attributes
core/paragraph	content
core/heading	content
core/list-item	content (added in 7.1)
core/image	id, url, title, alt, caption
core/button	url, text, linkTarget, rel
core/post-date	datetime
core/navigation-link, core/navigation-submenu	url

Query the truth with get_block_bindings_supported_attributes( $block_type ); do not freeze this table into plugin logic.

For a custom block or deliberately supported attribute, extend the list narrowly:

add_filter( 'block_bindings_supported_attributes_acme/card', static function ( array $attributes ): array {
    $attributes[] = 'title';
    return array_values( array_unique( $attributes ) );
} );

Only expose attributes whose render pipeline correctly consumes the bound value. A filter entry alone cannot repair custom rendering that ignores parsed attributes.

Editor registration is a separate concern

PHP registration makes frontend/server rendering work. Register the same source in the editor when users need previews, editing, or the binding picker. The editor contract can provide getValues, setValues, canUserEditValue, and, since 6.9, getFieldsList.

Use useBlockBindingsUtils() from @wordpress/block-editor to update or remove metadata.bindings; do not hand-mutate nested block attributes. Keep the source name and argument schema identical in PHP and JavaScript.

Read references/editor-and-security.md before implementing editable bindings.

Core sources

Prefer an existing Core source when it fits, notably core/post-meta, core/post-data, core/term-data, or core/pattern-overrides. For post meta, register the field correctly and expose it to REST/editor contexts as required. Protected meta is not made public merely because a block references it, but your custom callback can accidentally leak it if it skips authorization and context checks.

Performance rules

Binding callbacks can run once per bound attribute for every rendered block.

• Never issue an uncached remote request per callback.
• Cache repeated lookups within the request by source arguments and object ID.
• Prime metadata/object caches for repeated objects where appropriate.
• Keep callbacks deterministic for the same render context; randomness breaks page caches and editor/frontend parity.
• Avoid writes, analytics events, or other side effects in get_value_callback.

Security checklist

• Treat args and block markup as attacker-controlled input.
• Check the current object/site context; do not trust a postId supplied in args.
• Never return secrets or private metadata to public frontend output.
• Enforce capabilities in editor write paths and REST endpoints, not only in UI predicates.
• Sanitize for storage in the write API; escape at the final block output context.
• Do not return raw HTML for a plain string attribute unless that block's rendering contract safely handles it.

Verification

1. Assert source registration after init with get_block_bindings_source().
2. Render bound markup through do_blocks() and check the exact output.
3. Test unknown args, missing object context, deleted source, and null return.
4. Test editor preview separately from frontend rendering.
5. Measure query/request counts across a post with many bound blocks.
6. On 7.1, verify core/list-item content bindings and backward compatibility for older supported Core versions.

Related skills

• wordpress/wp-metadata-api for registered post, user, term, and comment meta.
• wordpress/wp-rest-api for authorized editor write endpoints.
• wordpress/wp-html-api for safe rendered-markup changes.
• wordpress/wp-interactivity-api when the bound output also needs reactive frontend behavior.

References

• Read references/editor-and-security.md for editor registration, editing callbacks, permission and caching detail.
• Miscellaneous block editor changes in WordPress 7.1 (List Item binding): https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/08/04/miscellaneous-block-editor-changes-in-wordpress-7-1/
• WordPress 7.1 Field Guide: https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/08/05/wordpress-7-1-field-guide/