WordPress Block Notes: Team Collaboration Guide

WordPress 6.9 “Gene” introduced one of the most requested editorial features ever: Block Notes. If you work with a team — writers, editors, designers, or clients — you no longer need to rely on Google Docs comments, Slack threads, or sticky notes to give feedback on content. Notes live right inside the WordPress editor, attached to individual blocks.

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how Block Notes work, how to set them up for your team, and practical workflows that make content review faster and less chaotic. If you haven’t explored all the new features in this release yet, check out our complete WordPress 6.9 overview first.

What Are Block Notes in WordPress 6.9?

Block Notes are inline annotations that you can attach to any block in the WordPress editor. Think of them as comment threads — but instead of living in a separate panel or an external tool, they sit directly on the block you’re discussing.

Each note supports:

• Threaded replies — Multiple team members can respond to the same note
• Resolution status — Mark a note as resolved when the feedback has been addressed
• Author attribution — Every note shows who wrote it and when
• Block-level precision — Notes attach to specific paragraphs, headings, images, or any block type

This is different from the existing post-level comments you might be familiar with. Block Notes are editorial annotations meant for the team creating the content, not for readers.

Why Block Notes Matter for Content Teams

Before Block Notes, content collaboration in WordPress was fragmented. Here’s what a typical workflow looked like:

1. Writer drafts content in WordPress or Google Docs
2. Editor reviews in a separate tool and sends feedback via email or Slack
3. Writer goes back and forth between WordPress and the feedback channel
4. Client comments arrive in yet another tool
5. Nobody is sure which feedback has been addressed

Block Notes collapse this entire process into the editor itself. The feedback lives where the content lives — no context switching, no lost messages, no confusion about which version is current.

If you’re still setting up your WordPress site, our post-installation setup guide covers the basics before diving into team workflows.

How to Enable Block Notes

Block Notes are available in WordPress 6.9+ and are enabled by default. Here’s how to verify and configure them:

Step 1: Update to WordPress 6.9

Block Notes require WordPress 6.9 or later. Go to Dashboard → Updates and ensure you’re running the latest version. If you’re coming from WordPress 6.8, check out what changed in 6.8 to understand the full upgrade path.

Step 2: Check Editor Preferences

In the block editor, click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner, then select Preferences. Under the General tab, make sure “Enable block notes” is turned on.

Step 3: Verify User Roles

By default, the following roles can create and view Block Notes:

User Role	Can View Notes	Can Create Notes	Can Resolve Notes	Can Delete Notes
Administrator	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Editor	Yes	Yes	Yes	Own only
Author	Yes	Yes	Own only	Own only
Contributor	Yes	Yes	No	No
Subscriber	No	No	No	No

Administrators can customize these permissions through the Settings → Collaboration panel or by using WordPress’s capabilities API.

How to Add a Note to Any Block

Adding your first note takes about three seconds:

Method 1: Right-Click Context Menu

1. Select any block in the editor (paragraph, heading, image, etc.)
2. Right-click the block or click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the block toolbar
3. Select “Add Note” from the dropdown
4. Type your feedback and click “Post Note”

Method 2: Keyboard Shortcut

1. Place your cursor in any block
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + M (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + M (Mac)
3. The note input appears — type your comment and press Enter

Method 3: Block Toolbar Icon

1. Select a block
2. Click the speech bubble icon in the block toolbar
3. Write your note in the popup panel

Once a note is added, the block displays a small yellow indicator dot in its top-right corner. This makes it easy to scan a post and spot which blocks have pending feedback.

Replying to and Resolving Notes

Block Notes support full conversation threads, making back-and-forth feedback practical:

Replying to a Note

1. Click the yellow indicator dot on a block (or open the Notes panel)
2. You’ll see the existing note thread
3. Type your reply in the text field below the thread
4. Click “Reply”

Resolving a Note

When feedback has been addressed:

1. Open the note thread
2. Click the “Resolve” button (checkmark icon)
3. The note moves to the Resolved tab and the yellow dot disappears

Resolved notes aren’t deleted — they’re archived. You can always review them later by opening the Notes panel and switching to the Resolved tab. This creates an audit trail of editorial decisions.

The Notes Panel: Your Collaboration Dashboard

For posts with many notes, the Notes Panel gives you a bird’s-eye view:

1. Click the speech bubble icon in the top toolbar (next to the publish button)
2. The panel opens on the right side, showing all notes grouped by block

The panel displays:

• Open notes count — How many unresolved notes remain
• Filter by author — See only notes from a specific team member
• Filter by status — Toggle between Open, Resolved, and All
• Jump to block — Click any note to scroll directly to the relevant block

This panel is particularly useful for editors reviewing long-form content like detailed guides or multi-section landing pages.

5 Practical Team Workflows with Block Notes

Here are real-world workflows that make the most of this feature:

1. Editorial Review Pipeline

Set up a structured review process:

• Writer creates the draft and changes status to “Pending Review”
• Editor reads through, adding notes to specific blocks that need changes
• Writer addresses each note, replies with what was changed, and marks as resolved
• Editor does a final pass — if the Notes panel shows 0 open notes, the post is ready to publish

2. Client Approval Workflow

Give clients a focused review experience:

• Create the client as a Contributor or Author role (they can add notes but not publish)
• Share the post’s preview link with the client
• Client adds notes directly on blocks they want changed
• Your team addresses feedback without leaving WordPress

3. SEO Review Checklist

Your SEO specialist can annotate content with optimization suggestions:

• Add a note to the title block: “Include primary keyword closer to the beginning”
• Add a note to image blocks: “Add descriptive alt text with target keyword”
• Add a note to the introduction: “First 100 words should include the focus keyword naturally”
• The writer addresses each SEO note without needing a separate checklist document

4. Design Feedback on Media Blocks

Notes work on image, video, gallery, and cover blocks too:

• Designer adds a note on an image block: “This image is too dark — can we use the alternate version?”
• Notes on gallery blocks: “Reorder these — put the product shot first”
• Notes on cover blocks: “Text overlay needs more contrast for accessibility”

For more on handling media effectively, see our guide on using the media library without slowing down your site.

5. Multi-Author Content Handoffs

When content is written by multiple authors:

• Author A writes sections 1-3 and adds notes on section 4 placeholder: “@AuthorB — your section goes here, needs to cover pricing tiers”
• Author B fills in their section and adds a note: “Done — please review the comparison table”
• Editor reviews the complete piece with all context preserved in the note threads

Block Notes vs External Collaboration Tools

How does this feature stack up against the tools teams have been using?

Feature	Block Notes	Google Docs Comments	Slack/Email	Editorial Plugins
Lives in WordPress	Yes	No	No	Yes
Block-level precision	Yes	Text-level	No	Varies
Threaded replies	Yes	Yes	Yes	Varies
Resolution tracking	Yes	Yes	No	Varies
Works with all block types	Yes	Text only	N/A	Varies
No extra cost	Yes (core)	Free	Paid plans	Often paid
No context switching	Yes	No	No	Yes
Audit trail	Yes	Yes	No	Varies

The biggest advantage of Block Notes is zero context switching. Everything happens where the content is actually published, which reduces errors and speeds up the review cycle.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Block Notes

Based on early adopter feedback, here are best practices:

Be Specific in Your Notes

Instead of “fix this paragraph,” write “The second sentence contradicts the data in section 3 — update to match the Q4 figures.” Specific notes get resolved faster.

Use @Mentions

Tag specific team members in notes using @username. They’ll receive a notification in their WordPress dashboard, so feedback doesn’t get lost.

Establish a Note Convention

Agree on prefixes with your team:

• [REQUIRED] — Must be fixed before publishing
• [SUGGESTION] — Nice to have but not blocking
• [QUESTION] — Needs clarification from the author
• [SEO] — SEO-related feedback

Resolve Notes Promptly

Don’t let resolved feedback linger as open notes. It makes it harder to see what actually still needs work. Resolve each note as soon as the change is made.

Review the Resolved Tab Before Publishing

Before hitting publish, check the Resolved tab to ensure nothing was marked resolved prematurely. This is your final quality gate.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

While Block Notes work smoothly for most setups, here are solutions to common problems:

Notes Not Appearing

• Verify you’re on WordPress 6.9+
• Check that Block Notes are enabled in Preferences → General
• Ensure the user role has the correct capabilities
• Clear your browser cache and try again

Notes Disappearing After Block Changes

If you delete a block that has notes, the notes are also removed. Instead of deleting and re-adding a block, edit the existing block to preserve its notes. If you need to replace a block entirely, resolve or copy the note content first.

Performance With Many Notes

Posts with 50+ open notes may experience slight editor slowdowns. Resolve notes regularly to keep the editor responsive. For general WordPress performance tips, see our optimization guide.

Plugin Conflicts

Some older editorial workflow plugins may conflict with Block Notes. If you’re using plugins like Edit Flow, PublishPress, or Oasis Workflow, test compatibility before rolling out notes to your team. Most of these plugins have released updates for 6.9 compatibility.

What’s Coming Next for Block Notes

WordPress 6.9 is the first release of Block Notes, and the roadmap includes:

• Email notifications — Get notified when someone adds a note to your post (planned for 6.10)
• Note templates — Pre-built note formats for common review types
• Cross-post note search — Search notes across all posts from a central dashboard
• Integration with Site Editor — Notes on template parts and global styles

The Gutenberg roadmap has been building toward this kind of collaborative editing for years, and Block Notes represent a major milestone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Start Using Block Notes Today

Block Notes in WordPress 6.9 solve a real pain point for content teams. No more scattered feedback across Slack, email, and Google Docs. No more “which version has the latest comments?” confusion. Everything lives right where the content is.

To get started:

1. Update to WordPress 6.9
2. Open any post or page in the block editor
3. Select a block and press Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + M to add your first note
4. Invite your team and establish a note convention

Your editorial workflow just got a whole lot simpler.

Beginner WordPress Tips WordPress 6.9 WordPress Updates

Last modified: February 19, 2026