If Automattic’s Telex Builds This, You Might Not Need That Page Builder

One of the most exciting things about Automattic’s Telex is that it lets anyone build custom blocks for WordPress. That is a big deal. Over the past few weeks, we have seen some really creative examples pop up: everything from video scrub-on-scroll effects to timelines, even a playable version of Pong.

It is fun, it is experimental, and it shows the real potential of what Telex can do.

But here is the catch: right now, Telex can only create new blocks. It cannot extend existing ones.

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Why Extending Existing Blocks Matters

WordPress already gives us a solid set of core blocks: paragraphs, tables, lists, headings, buttons, layout grids—the fundamentals are all there. They are deliberately kept lean and limited so that they are simple, predictable, and consistent.

The problem is that extending them is not simple.

Technically, you can extend core blocks, but it is complex, developer-heavy, and far from accessible to most users:

• Paragraph block: Want to add extra design options? Possible, but messy.
• Table block: Want to add sorting by column? Doable, but requires custom code.
• Button block: Want advanced hover animations? Again, you need developer skills.

So, what happens? Developers or tools like Telex end up building new blocks instead of extending existing ones. Over time, this creates technical debt: multiple versions of “almost the same thing,” fragmented user experiences, and yet another bloated block library to manage.

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Imagine If Telex Could Extend Core Blocks

Now, imagine a world where Telex did not just create new blocks but could extend existing ones.

That would be a game-changer. It would mean:

• You could take any core block and enhance it with the options your project or your users actually need.
• Instead of reinventing the wheel, you would build on the reliable foundation that WordPress already provides.
• Future updates to WordPress would not break your site because you are extending, not hacking core.
• You would not need dozens of “fancy blocks” that mostly duplicate what is already in core.

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And Now Imagine a Telex Directory

Take it one step further. Imagine if Telex not only let us extend core blocks but also created a public directory where those extensions could be shared, remixed, and improved by the community.

That would supercharge Gutenberg adoption:

• Developers could publish their block extensions for others to use.
• Designers could take an existing extension and remix it for their own style or workflow.
• Users could quickly search for exactly the tweak they need—sortable tables, animated buttons, advanced layout controls—and drop it straight into their site.

The whole ecosystem would keep improving as people iterated on each other’s work.

In short, Telex would not just be a tool for building blocks. It would become the engine of a living, breathing Gutenberg marketplace.

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Why This Could Replace Page Builders

Page builders exploded because people wanted flexibility: tweak a paragraph, design a better table, create layouts with grids and flexbox—things WordPress did not natively allow.

But here is the thing: the plumbing is already in place in WordPress now:

• Layout blocks give us grid and flexbox.
• Core blocks cover all the fundamentals.
• Telex shows it is possible to build on top of this ecosystem.

All that is missing is the ability to extend.

If Automattic gave Telex that capability, we could do much of what page builders offer inside the block editor, with less technical debt and more future-proofing.

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Final Thought

For me, the real opportunity with Telex is in making extending core blocks simple and accessible.

At the moment, it is possible, but not practical unless you are a developer. I had to jump into Cursor recently because I wanted to:

• Extend the cover block into a scrub-to-scroll video block
• Turn the group block into a newspaper-style columns block

That is doable with code, but not something most WordPress users can touch.

If Telex bridged that gap, WordPress would suddenly feel a lot closer to a page builder without all the duplication.

Because, in my view, the power is not in adding more blocks. It is in unlocking the true potential of the ones we already have.