Block Visibility 3.1.0 is finally here.

This release was originally planned for April 2023 and was set to include the WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) controls from the Block Visibility Pro. The Pro version was officially shut down with version 3.0.0, and nearly all functionality was moved to the base plugin.

More development was needed to improve the WooCommerce and EDD integrations when used on sites with large product/download catalogs, so they were not included in this initial feature transfer.

While this release is far past the intended April deadline, I hope you enjoy the new functionality. And if you currently use Pro for either WooCommerce or EDD, it’s safe to deactivate Pro once you upgrade to version 3.1.0.

Here’s an overview of the major changes. You can see the complete changelog on GitHub.

Note there was a hiccup when uploading the plugin to WordPress.org. Two folders were not included. So, the current version is actually 3.1.1, but it’s the same as 3.1.0.

WooCommerce

The WooCommerce control added in version 3.1.0 is largely the same as it was in Pro. Refer to the control documentation for all the details.

That said, there is one notable change to the product-based rules. Previously, you had to select which product you wanted to target with the visibility conditions. While this is still possible, Block Visibility can now detect the current product.

This functionality is extremely useful on product pages, single product templates, and product grids (Query blocks).

Consider the example of a block that displays a message if the current product is out of stock. Creating this condition was previously impossible with the WooCommerce control. Now, it’s as simple as toggling “Detect current product” and selecting the inventory status.

Expect to see more product-based rules that take advantage of this functionality in the future.

Easy Digital Downloads

The Easy Digital Downloads control added in version 3.1.0 is exactly the same as it was in Pro. Refer to the control documentation for all the details.

Since EDD does not provide as many block-powered layouts as are now available in WooCommerce, the “Detect current product” feature was not added here.

In fact, the EDD visibility control currently has no product-based rules. If greater block support is added to EDD in the future, such as an EDD Products block that supports inner blocks, expect more functionality.

Command Palette

The Command Palette was introduced in WordPress 6.3, and you can now use it to access the Preset Manager in the Site Editor or the Post Editor.

Simply use a shortcut command: CTRL + K or Command + K, then type “Manage”. You will then see the option for “Manage Visibility Presets”. Clicking on this option will launch the Prest Manager modal. 

Note that there is a bug that currently causes the control selection popover in the Presets Manager to appear behind the modal, making it unusable in the Site Editor.

This bug was fixed in Gutenberg 16.6 and will ultimately be fixed in WordPress 6.4, which comes out on November 7th. 

In the meantime, if you are using Presets and don’t want to use Gutenberg, Presets can be managed in the Post Editor and then applied to blocks in the Site Editor. The Presets modal will not work properly in the Site Editor until WordPress 6.4, or you can activate Gutenberg 16.6+.

Minimum requirements

In version 3.1.0, Block Visibility raised its minimum WordPress requirement to 6.2 and set the minimum PHP version to 7.4.

Moving forward, Block Visibility will only be officially compatible with the major version of WordPress that came before the current one and will mirror the minimum PHP requirement for WordPress. This change is being made to ensure the plugin can take advantage of the latest improvements in the Block Editor.

Next steps

The next phase of Block Visibility development will focus on improving current functionality and adding new features to existing controls. There are no new integrations on the horizon. I want to make the plugin feel as much like Core functionality as possible.

If you find a bug or have a feature request, please submit a support ticket or create an issue on the Block Visibility GitHub repo. Pull requests are also always welcome.

Thanks for using Block Visibility and helping make it the most popular conditional visibility plugin for the Block Editor. 🙏