When we wanted to create a modern, customizable, and agile WordPress social network, we turned to the PeepSo Block Theme. It combines a WordPress block theme (Block Theme) with the PeepSo community plugin to create a complete social experience. By integrating them, the visual style of the block editor is applied to profiles, feeds, groups, and more, all with the flexibility of Full Site Editing. In our daily practice, the PeepSo Block Theme allows us to design and customize the community visually, without unnecessary layers of code, and maintain fine-grained control over performance, design, and growth.
What it is and how it empowers your community
PeepSo Block Theme is a native theme for the block editor that works in conjunction with the PeepSo plugin. The result is an end-to-end editable community: headers, footers, templates, parts, patterns, and global styles. We use it to build cohesive community pages, where the feed, profiles, and groups align with your visual identity in a matter of minutes. Essentially, PeepSo Block Theme replaces the need for additional layout designers for most of the experience, giving us back control of the interface from within WordPress itself.
Benefits of Full Site Editing applied to PeepSo (speed, control and design)
PeepSo Block Theme unlocks three immediate benefits:
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Iteration speed : Full Site Editing lets us change headers, footers, and layouts without touching PHP. We adjust fonts, colors, and spacing from Global Styles in minutes. 
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Layout Control : Using pre-designed block patterns, we repeat critical sections (group CTAs, user cards, community highlights) across pages without inconsistencies. 
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Scalability : Being a block theme, PeepSo Block Theme inherits best practices from the WordPress core. As your community grows, we maintain visual consistency without technical debt. 
In our experience, the PeepSo Block Theme speeds up initial delivery and simplifies maintenance: less loose CSS, fewer custom templates, and more changes managed from the block editor.
Use cases: academies, memberships, and brand communities
We have implemented PeepSo Block Theme especially in:
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Academies/LMS : We combine courses with a support community. We designed a student hub with navigation blocks, a segmented feed, and “next session” patterns. 
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Memberships : We’ve transformed the private area into a community with themed groups, clear rules, and gamification. With the PeepSo Block Theme, the aesthetics of the site and the community are unified. 
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Brand Communities : We’ve enabled advanced user spaces with announcements, questions, and community-generated content, all while maintaining the Global Styles look and feel. 
Our formula: design the community homepage as a landing page with clear objectives (discovering groups, posting, subscribing to events). PeepSo Block Theme allows us to build it entirely with reusable blocks.
Step-by-step implementation: installation, templates, and global styles
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Installation and Activation : We install PeepSo and PeepSo Block Theme. We verify that the site editor is enabled and that the parent theme activates FSE. 
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Templates : We defined templates for the global feed, single-group, single-profile, and activity page. PeepSo Block Theme allows us to clearly assign layouts and hierarchies. 
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Template Parts : We created headers and footers specific to the community area (with links to groups, notifications, and profile). 
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Global Styles : We apply fonts and a palette to make the PeepSo experience visually consistent with the rest of the site. 
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Patterns : We’ve created patterns for “Community Hero,” “Group Card,” and “Post CTA.” With PeepSo Block Theme, these blocks can be inserted into any page. 
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Testing and accessibility : We check contrast, keyboard navigation, and focus states. 
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Performance Review : We measure Core Web Vitals, tune cache, and defer third-party assets. Migrating from Gecko/Classic Themes: Roadmap and Best PracticesIf you’re coming from Gecko or another classic theme, our route with PeepSo Block Theme is: 
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Audit : We list shortcodes, widgets, templates, and custom CSS that impact PeepSo. 
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Equivalences : We brought old styles to Global Styles and translated rigid sections into patterns. 
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Staging : We migrate to a test environment, replicate navigation, and validate profiles, feeds, and groups. 
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Clean breaks : We disabled snippets already covered by PeepSo Block Theme, avoiding duplicates. 
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Secure rollback : We maintain a plan to return to the previous state in case of incompatibilities. 
 Our advice: Don’t try to clone pixel by pixel. With PeepSo Block Theme, take the opportunity to clean up legacy CSS and standardize components. Performance and technical SEO
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Caching : We use page caching for public views and “fragment caching” or exclusions for dynamic parts of the feed/alerts. 
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Assets : We prioritize critical load, defer non-essential scripts, and optimize group and profile cover images. 
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CWV : We measure LCP/CLS/INP and fit weighted patterns. 
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SEO : We ensure FSE-compliant breadcrumbs, titles, and metadata on community pages, and limit indexing of private areas. 
 PeepSo Block Theme makes it easier to maintain a cleaner, more predictable DOM, which supports real-world experience metrics when combined with best practices. Compatibility: Cache, LMS, and Key Plugins (Dos and Don’ts)
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Cache/CDN : Supported, as long as you respect cookies/member sessions and exclude activity paths. 
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LMS/Memberships : Good synergy if the LMS doesn’t “block” the site editor; in membership, we centralize permissions and private paths. 
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SEO/Analytics : Runs smoothly on FSE templates; checks for duplicate titles and sitemaps. 
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Builders : Avoid mixing third-party builders on critical community pages; the PeepSo Block Theme already offers the full flow with blocks. ConclusionIf you’re looking for a community that you can evolve seamlessly, the PeepSo Block Theme is the way to go. We design with blocks, control the visual identity with Global Styles, and keep performance in check. Want to launch or migrate your community with confidence? We implement the PeepSo Block Theme from end to end: design, patterns, testing, and optimization. 
 
 
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