Imagine being able to create a custom WordPress block simply by describing your idea… without writing a single line of code.
That is precisely the promise of Telex on WordPress, the artificial intelligence tool developed by Automattic to generate Gutenberg blocks from a simple prompt.
But does this solution really live up to its promises? Can it speed up your workflow or create custom features for your site?
In this article, discover how Telex works, its advantages and limitations, concrete examples of use, as well as best practices for integrating it effectively into your WordPress projects.
What is Telex on WordPress and how does this tool work?
Telex is an AI-powered WordPress block creation tool, based on a natural-language text prompt that you provide.
Created by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, Telex was launched at WordCamp US in late August 2025.
Described as a “V0 or Lovable, but specifically for WordPress” by Matt Mullenweg, Automattic’s CEO, Telex’s operating method breaks down into 4 steps:
- You describe in English the result you want to achieve. For example: “I want a block to add a reading progress bar in minutes to my WordPress posts”.
- Telex WordPress converts your natural-language instructions into functional code (React/PHP code).
- You are previewing the result obtained, which you can amend by providing the AI with further modification instructions.
- You are downloading a plugin in .zip format (which contains the block.json, CSS, and JS files required for it to run). It is ready to install on your WordPress site or in the Playground testing environment (a tool for deploying WordPress in your browser).
Telex acts as an intelligent assistant or “sidekick” for your projects. It generates a clean first draft that complies with WordPress coding standards.
At the time of publishing this article, the tool is still described as “experimental”. On this subject, Automattic states that its “features may evolve and results may vary as we refine the AI technology”.
What are the advantages and limitations of using Telex for WordPress users?
While the enthusiasm is real, it is worth weighing the pros and cons if you want to use this tool wisely.
Advantages of Telex on WordPress
Available for several months, Telex is evolving and becoming more mature week after week. The AI tool has several strengths that may interest you if you want to use it:
- It is free and unlimited. In this regard, Automattic does specify, however, that it may suspend or limit long sessions during periods of high traffic.
- The creation process is very fast. Your prompt turns into a functional block in one to two minutes.
- No coding knowledge or experience is required. “Telex is designed for everyone, from complete beginners to experienced developers,” Automattic explains. Non-technical users gain complete autonomy. No more need to call on a developer for every small specific adjustment to your site.
- You can share your creations with the people of your choice to make collaboration easier.
- Learning happens through concrete examples. By analyzing the generated code, beginners grasp the logic of modern Gutenberg blocks. It is an educational gateway into development.
- The tool follows official WordPress standards. The code is based on WordPress Components. This ensures seamless visual integration into your admin interface.
- All blocks generated by Automattic’s Telex are private by default. They become public only when you click the “Share” button.
Tool limitations
As you can see, the benefits are numerous. But to be completely thorough, there are also several limitations to keep in mind before using this tool.
First, Telex on WordPress is still experimental, as mentioned above. This means you may encounter a few minor bugs or technical issues during use, and that results may vary, as Automattic points out.
Next, with Automattic’s Telex, you are directly dependent on the precision of your prompt. A vague instruction will inevitably produce a block that struggles to meet your expectations.
Furthermore, in terms of design, managing nested structures remains a weak point. Artificial intelligence still struggles with very deep layouts. Sophisticated interactions often require manual intervention.
In addition, fine aesthetic customization requires manual CSS tweaks. AI delivers a standard style that you will need to adjust according to your brand guidelines.
If you want to go further on the subject, I recommend watching this informative YouTube video:
A systematic human review remains essential before any site goes live. The code, which you can view and edit, may contain errors. Never deploy to production without rigorous verification. As Automattic explains, “AI is powerful but not perfect. Always remember to back up your important work and test your blocks before using them in production.”
Automattic’s Telex: for whom?
Telex’s versatility raises a question: who really stands to benefit from integrating the tool into their daily workflow?
If we go by what Automattic says, Telex is made for everyone because it requires no programming experience.
On its official website, WordPress.com specifically highlights four user groups:
- Site owners (bloggers, designers, entrepreneurs, etc.). If, for example, you have a WooCommerce store, you can create a small shipping cost calculator or a comparison table in just a few seconds.
- The WordPress agencies and freelancers, who can save time and become more efficient. For example, you can prototype functional mockups directly in front of your client. This speeds up the validation of concepts before final development. This way, you avoid unnecessary back-and-forth.
- Experienced developers can use it to eliminate repetitive tasks and speed up their workflow.
- Beginner developers, who can add interactive elements without touching a single line of code.
Finally, let’s not forget WordPress trainers, for whom Telex is an excellent teaching aid to show how a block is built.
But also anyone curious about the evolution of AI. It is a gateway to the future of simplified web creation.
How to integrate and use Telex on your WordPress site?
Moving from theory to practice is surprisingly simple, provided you follow a few key steps.
Prerequisites and setup
Before you start creating your next block, there are several prerequisites:
- A WordPress.com account is required to use Automattic’s Telex.
- Your WordPress installation must be running at least WordPress 5.0 in order to support blocks created with the WP editor (Gutenberg).
- Have a web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, etc.) since the tool runs in your browser.
Creating WordPress blocks with Automattic’s Telex tool
All set? To start the creative process, then go to the official Telex WordPress website.
Click the “Log in” button at the top right of the page to log in to WordPress.com or create an account.
Follow the on-screen instructions to do so. Once that’s done, you’ll be taken to the creation interface.
For the next step, it’s very simple. Describe your final idea using the text prompt of your choice.
Automattic offers the following tips for creating a precise and effective prompt:
- Be specific about both the features and the appearance. The more details you provide about the layout, colors, and features, the better the results will be.
- Include details about what users will see on the front end and how content creators will use the block in the editor.
- Send screenshots or mockups to help Telex understand exactly what you’re looking for.
- Start with a basic version of your block, then refine it with additional instructions.
To help you, you can also rely on your favorite LLM (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.). Ask it to create a custom prompt for you by describing the final block you want to achieve. And include Automattic’s tips above for an even more precise result.
Enter your prompt in the box provided for this purpose (Telex understands French). For our example, we ask WordPress Telex to create a Gutenberg block that displays the estimated reading time of an article as well as a reading progress bar.
After one to two minutes, you get a first preview:
This is a first draft that you can (and should) improve through iteration. Use follow-up prompts to refine the features, design, etc. To do this, add new instructions at the bottom right of the screen:
If you have solid coding basics, you can also directly edit the code of the block generated by Telex by going into the “Code” menu:
Using your WordPress blocks
When your block meets your initial expectations, all that remains is to install it on your showcase website or WordPress store.
You get a zip file of your plugin. If needed, you can also share your project with other people via a unique link.
Always test your Telex plugin on a test site (local, staging) before switching it to production. And always back up your live site (files + database) before adding anything. To do this, you can, for example, rely on the WP Umbrella plugin.
Examples of blocks created with Telex
If you’re looking for inspiration for the next blocks you create, check out the homepage of Telex’s official website, which lists a showcase of projects.
You can use it to explore the code created and draw inspiration for your next prompts, for example:
Troubleshooting and solutions to problems encountered with Automattic’s Telex tool
Despite how smoothly it works, experimenting can sometimes run into a few frustrating technical obstacles.
Telex’s AI sometimes stops during code generation. Try simplifying your initial request. A prompt that is too complex ends up confusing the algorithm.
Display issues can occur in Playground. Check your internet connection or clear the cache. The tool runs via WebAssembly, so it is demanding on local resources.
Your Telex WordPress block isn’t displaying? Make sure WordPress is up to date because the tool uses recent features.
Regarding your block’s style, Automattic recommends, in case of a problem, adding a follow-up prompt specifying the desired colors, fonts, or layout preferences.
Conflicts with other plugins can also bring the system to a halt. Temporarily disable your caching modules. These tools can sometimes disrupt the final rendering of the generated block.
Finally, if your block isn’t working properly, here is what you can try to do, according to Automattic. “Try a follow-up prompt describing the specific problem. You can also ask Telex to ‘fix the error’ and explain what isn’t working as expected.”
Future outlook and the impact of AI on the WordPress ecosystem
Telex is only the tip of an iceberg that sees Automattic investing more and more in AI (both in terms of time and financial investment).
The North American company has stepped up its efforts in artificial intelligence over the past several months, with, for example, the creation of a dedicated team to work on integrating AI into WordPress Core.
Many advances have already taken place, such as the upcoming introduction of “Connectors” with the release of WordPress 7.0 (early April 2026), an option for connecting your favorite LLM (Claude, OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini) to your WordPress dashboard.
As for Telex more specifically, very little is being revealed about its future. Automattic merely states that the product remains experimental, which suggests that an “official” version should emerge within the next few weeks. Could it be integrated directly into WordPress Core? Time will tell.
In the meantime, the project team “experiments every day”, it is stated.
Our final opinion on Telex
In our view, Telex, the AI tool developed by Automattic to create WordPress blocks, is a promising initiative for simplifying development within the Gutenberg ecosystem.
It lets you quickly generate functional blocks from a simple prompt, which can save you valuable time when prototyping features or testing ideas.
In practice, Telex proves effective at producing a structured codebase that complies with modern WordPress standards.
However, like many AI tools, it still has room for improvement in the details: code optimization, UX adjustments, fine-grained performance management, or integration into an existing project.
In other words, it is an excellent starting point, but does not yet replace the expertise of a WordPress developer when it comes to finalizing a clean, robust, and perfectly integrated block.
If you want to add custom features to your site or turn an AI-generated prototype into a reliable, high-performance solution, the Maintenance WP agency team can support you in the development, optimization, and maintenance of your WordPress site.
