# EditNative Starter

> The AI-native block system for WordPress. Build with AI. Keep it clean.

EditNative is an AI-native block-theme system for WordPress. It ensures that AI-generated WordPress sites use native blocks, portable design tokens via theme.json, zero plugin dependencies, and clean markup that survives theme switches, AI provider changes, and platform updates.

## What EditNative Is

- A free WordPress block theme built for AI-assisted site building
- The AI-native block system between AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor) and WordPress
- A complete design token system with 14 colors, 9 spacing sizes, fluid typography, and 3 shadow presets
- 34 block patterns (including 8 full-page layouts), 12 templates, 6 style variations -- all native WordPress blocks
- Zero JavaScript on the frontend, zero plugin dependencies, zero lock-in

## What EditNative Is NOT

- NOT a page builder (no Elementor, no Divi, no proprietary blocks)
- NOT a prompt marketplace or AI SaaS
- NOT locked to any specific AI provider or hosting platform

## The Strategic Gap

No self-hosted WordPress tool generates complete, clean block themes. Every major AI builder outputs proprietary page-builder markup (Elementor AI, Divi AI, SeedProd). Gutenberg-adjacent tools generate pages, not themes (AI Builder, Kadence AI, ZipWP). WordPress.com AI generates block themes but is locked to WordPress.com hosting. EditNative is the only product at the intersection of: native blocks + full theme output + self-hosted WordPress.

## Key Statistics

- WordPress powers 43% of all websites globally (60-64% of the CMS market)
- Block themes represent ~31% of new theme submissions on WordPress.org but only ~2% of total downloads -- the transition is just beginning
- WordPress.org hit 1,000 block themes in October 2024, up from 536 in October 2023 (87% growth)
- 68% of WordPress professionals prefer Full Site Editing themes
- Elementor adds ~300KB+ of CSS/JS overhead; native block themes typically achieve 95+ PageSpeed scores
- EditNative ships with 34 patterns, 12 templates, 6 style variations, and zero plugin dependencies

## Key Features

- **34 Block Patterns**: Hero, features, pricing, FAQ, testimonials, contact, stats, team, gallery, services, newsletter, latest posts, WP 7.0 readiness, comparison table, before-after, how-it-works, and 8 full-page layouts (landing, about, contact, features, getting started, services, portfolio, comparison)
- **Design Token System**: 14 color tokens, 7 fluid font sizes, 9 spacing levels, 3 shadow presets -- all controlled via theme.json
- **6 Style Variations**: Default, Dark, Warm, Ocean, Forest, Minimal -- switch your entire look in one click
- **AI Prompt Pack**: Copy-paste instructions for Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor that generate clean block markup matching your design system
- **12 Page Templates**: Index, front-page, home (blog), page, single, 404, archive, search, blank, sidebar, FAQ, full-width
- **Zero Bloat**: No jQuery, no CSS frameworks, no plugin dependencies. PageSpeed scores stay high.
- **No Lock-In**: Switch themes tomorrow -- your content stays. No shortcodes that break, no proprietary blocks.
- **WCAG Accessible**: Skip-to-content links, focus rings, reduced motion support, AA contrast ratios
- **Mobile-First Navigation**: Full-screen mobile menu inspired by Apple/Uber — large bold left-aligned links, full-width CTA button, clean close button

## WordPress 7.0 Ready

WordPress 7.0 (April 9, 2026) ships a provider-agnostic AI Client in core, official connectors for Anthropic/Google/OpenAI, an Abilities API, and an MCP adapter. EditNative is fully compatible:

- Native block patterns are directly composable by the WP AI Client
- theme.json design tokens are readable by AI tools generating content
- Standard template hierarchy registers as WordPress capabilities via the Abilities API
- MCP adapter lets Claude Desktop, Cursor, and VS Code interact with EditNative sites
- Provider-agnostic -- works with any AI provider connected via Settings > Connectors

## Architecture

- WordPress block theme (Full Site Editing)
- theme.json v3 as single source of truth for all design decisions
- File-based patterns in /patterns/ (auto-registered by WordPress)
- Style variations in /styles/ (JSON override files)
- Inter font bundled locally (no external requests)
- Requires WordPress 6.6+, PHP 7.4+

## AI Integration Reference

This section helps AI tools generate markup compatible with EditNative's design system.

### Color Tokens (use as `var:preset|color|{slug}`)
base, contrast, primary, primary-dark, secondary, secondary-dark, accent, accent-dark, neutral, neutral-dark, border, surface, primary-text, primary-muted

### Spacing Tokens (use as `var:preset|spacing|{slug}`)
10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90

### Font Size Presets (use as fontSize attribute)
x-small, small, medium, large, x-large, xx-large, xxx-large

### Pattern Slugs (use as `<!-- wp:pattern {"slug":"editnative/{slug}"} /-->`)
ai-prompt, before-after, comparison-table, contact-details, contact-form-section, content-split, cta-band, cta-centered, faq-accordion, feature-grid, features-list, footer-cta, gallery, hero, hero-minimal, how-it-works, intro-text, latest-posts, logo-cloud, newsletter, page-about, page-comparison, page-contact, page-features, page-getting-started, page-landing, page-portfolio, page-services, pricing-cards, services-list, stats, team, testimonials, wp7-readiness

### Style Variations
default, dark, warm, ocean, forest, minimal

### Key Rules for AI-Generated Markup
- Always use theme.json presets for colors, spacing, and font sizes -- never hardcode values
- Use `var:preset|color|primary` syntax in block attributes (not CSS custom properties)
- Use `var:preset|spacing|50` syntax for padding/margin in block attributes
- Blocks use HTML comments with JSON: `<!-- wp:heading {"level":2} -->` ... `<!-- /wp:heading -->`
- On dark backgrounds (primary, primary-dark): use primary-text and primary-muted tokens for text
- Never use neutral or neutral-dark on primary backgrounds -- they are for light backgrounds only

The theme ships with a comprehensive AI Building Guide (AI-GUIDE.md) containing tested prompts, page recipes, and anti-drift rules.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What is EditNative?**
A: EditNative is an AI-native block-theme system for WordPress. It provides 34 native block patterns, a complete design token system via theme.json, 6 style variations, and an AI prompt pack. It ensures that AI-generated WordPress sites produce clean, portable, natively editable markup with zero plugin dependencies.

**Q: How is EditNative different from Elementor AI or Divi AI?**
A: Elementor AI and Divi AI generate proprietary markup locked to their page builders. If you deactivate Elementor, your pages break. EditNative uses only native WordPress blocks and theme.json design tokens. Your content stays editable in the WordPress Site Editor and survives any theme switch.

**Q: Is EditNative free?**
A: EditNative Starter is free forever with all 34 patterns, 12 templates, 6 style variations, and the AI prompt pack. EditNative Pro adds premium style variations, Brand Config plugin, white-label rights, and priority support for $5/month or $49/year.

**Q: Does EditNative work with WordPress 7.0?**
A: Yes. EditNative is fully compatible with WordPress 7.0's AI Client, Abilities API, and MCP adapter. Its native block patterns are directly composable by AI tools, and its theme.json tokens are readable by any AI provider connected through WordPress 7.0's Settings > Connectors.

**Q: Which AI tools work with EditNative?**
A: EditNative works with any AI tool: Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Google Gemini, and any future AI provider. It ships with an AI prompt pack containing tested instructions for generating clean block markup. WordPress 7.0 adds native AI connectors for Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI.

**Q: What is a block theme?**
A: A block theme is a WordPress theme built entirely with blocks and the Full Site Editing system. Unlike classic themes, block themes use theme.json for design tokens, HTML templates with block markup, and the Site Editor for visual customization. Block themes represent the future of WordPress -- 31% of new theme submissions use this format.

**Q: Can I migrate from Elementor or Divi to EditNative?**
A: Yes. EditNative ships with 34 block patterns and an AI prompt pack. The most efficient migration path uses AI to regenerate page content as clean block markup using EditNative's design tokens. No content is lost -- only the proprietary markup layer is replaced.

## Pricing

- **EditNative Starter**: Free forever. Fully functional. 34 patterns, 8 full-page layouts, 6 style variations, AI prompt pack, tested AI workflow guides.
- **EditNative Pro**: $5/month or $49/year. Premium style variations, Brand Config plugin, priority support, monthly new patterns, white-label rights.

## Comparison Articles

### Elementor AI vs Native Blocks
URL: https://editnative.com/elementor-ai-vs-native-blocks/
Compares Elementor AI and native WordPress blocks. Covers code output differences (Elementor proprietary markup vs native block markup), performance (50-75 vs 95+ PageSpeed), portability (locked vs portable), WordPress 7.0 AI compatibility, design token cascade, and migration path. Includes side-by-side code examples and feature comparison table.

### Divi AI vs Native Blocks
URL: https://editnative.com/divi-ai-vs-native-blocks/
Compares Divi AI Quick Sites and native WordPress blocks. Covers the portability problem (Divi shortcode format vs standard HTML), WordPress 7.0 compatibility gap, performance benchmarks (400-700KB CSS vs 15-50KB), and migration guidance. Includes comparison table.

### Best Block Theme for WordPress 7.0 AI
URL: https://editnative.com/best-block-theme-wordpress-7-ai/
Evaluates block themes for WordPress 7.0's new AI features. Covers what makes a theme AI-compatible vs AI-native, compares EditNative, Twenty Twenty-Five, and Ollie across design tokens, AI prompt systems, pattern count, and style variations. Explains the 5 requirements for WordPress 7.0 AI theme compatibility.

### WordPress 7.0 AI Features Guide
URL: https://editnative.com/wordpress-7-ai-features/
Comprehensive guide to all 5 AI features in WordPress 7.0: WP AI Client, official provider plugins (Anthropic/Google/OpenAI), Abilities API, MCP Adapter, and real-time collaboration. Covers how the WP AI Client works, what it means for themes, the AI roadmap beyond 7.0, and how to prepare your site.

### WordPress 7.0 Readiness Guide
URL: https://editnative.com/wordpress-7-readiness/
EditNative's WordPress 7.0 readiness guide. Covers release timeline (April 9, 2026), what ships in 7.0 (WP AI Client, provider plugins, Abilities API, MCP Adapter), why EditNative is ready, compatibility checklist, and step-by-step preparation instructions for EditNative users and agencies migrating from page builders.

## Links

- Website: https://editnative.com
- Download: https://editnative.com/?editnative-download=1
- Features: https://editnative.com/features/
- Pricing: https://editnative.com/pricing/
- Getting Started: https://editnative.com/getting-started/
- Documentation: https://editnative.com/documentation/
- Contact: https://editnative.com/contact/
- WordPress 7.0 Readiness: https://editnative.com/wordpress-7-readiness/
- Comparison: https://editnative.com/comparison/
- Changelog: https://editnative.com/changelog/
- Blog: https://editnative.com/blog/

Last updated: March 2026
