WordPress users now have a simple, code-free solution for adding icons to button blocks, thanks to Nick Diego’s newly released Enable Button Icons plugin. Available on GitHub, this plugin extends the capabilities of WordPress’s core Button block, allowing users to incorporate SVG icons without requiring a separate block. Diego, a developer advocate at Automattic and creator of the popular Icon Block plugin, introduced this tool in response to community demand for lightweight button customization options.
The Enable Button Icons plugin specifically targets users who want to add custom SVG icons to WordPress button blocks in a way that feels native. Inspired by the innovative approach of WordPress developer Aki Hamano’s Enable Responsive Image plugin, which adds responsive image settings to the Image block, Diego set out to create a plugin that would bring a similar degree of flexibility and ease to the Button block. Hamano’s plugin allows users to select alternative images for different screen sizes, ensuring optimized visuals across devices, and Diego admired its focus on enhancing a core block rather than introducing a whole new component.
“Adding icons to buttons without overcomplicating the process was my goal,” Diego said. “I wanted something that would extend the core Button block without requiring users to manage an entirely separate block.” He explained that the Enable Button Icons plugin achieves this by allowing SVG icons to be added seamlessly within the Button block, enabling users to maintain a simple workflow.
Diego has no plans to add Enable Button Icons to the official WordPress directory but sees its GitHub availability as an advantage. Developers can easily download, customize, and extend the plugin as needed, without the restrictions or expectations that come with a plugin hosted in the WordPress Plugin Directory. “It works well as a base for those who want a clean, simple plugin,” Diego said. “If someone wants to build on it to create a more comprehensive icon library or add brand-specific symbols, they’re free to do so.”
The Enable Button Icons plugin meets a growing need within the WordPress developer community for extensibility in core blocks. WordPress block developers have increasingly requested more hooks, filters, and methods to customize the block editor. Diego’s plugin is a timely answer to this demand, showing how developers can enrich user experience and enhance functionality without compromising simplicity.
Although the Enable Button Icons plugin remains an unofficial project, its lean design and practical functionality make it an excellent resource for designers and developers looking to add custom icons to button blocks without overhauling their design approach. Designers who need a few specific icons, such as branded elements, for consistent use across a site will find it particularly beneficial, as the plugin’s clean interface allows for smooth, performance-friendly implementation.
The Enable Button Icons plugin launch is just one part of Diego’s efforts to educate WordPress developers on best practices for block customization. Later this month, Diego will host a session within WordPress’s “Developer Hours” series as part of the Learn WordPress Online Workshops group on Meetup. This session will demonstrate how to extend core blocks like Button and Image, using Enable Button Icons as a primary example. Diego hopes the event will inspire developers to explore their own creative solutions and encourage them to work with core WordPress blocks rather than always resorting to custom block creation.
The event will cover the basics of plugin structure, tips for lightweight customization, and considerations for maintaining performance when extending core features. Developer Hours has proven popular within the WordPress community as an educational resource, helping both beginner and advanced developers build new skills. In addition to Diego’s upcoming session, a recent event showcased WordPress’s upcoming Twenty Twenty-Four default theme, giving developers a first look at its features and design possibilities.
The push for extensibility continues across the wider WordPress ecosystem. To address outstanding issues and improve developer experience, WordPress will also host a Hallway Hangout focused on triaging 110 unresolved issues labeled “Extensibility,” alongside 20 issues labeled “Blocks Adoption.” These discussions will cover any friction that developers face when working with Gutenberg’s block editor and aim to create a roadmap for resolving key challenges. The Hangout is open to all developers, giving the community a platform to voice concerns and contribute ideas that could shape future updates.
The issues marked for discussion include some of the most commonly requested features, hooks, and customization options for the block editor, to make it easier for developers to build adaptable, responsive WordPress sites. The Hangout also signifies a growing emphasis within the WordPress core team on fostering a collaborative, developer-friendly environment.
The Enable Button Icons plugin and the upcoming Hallway Hangout underscore WordPress’s commitment to advancing the block editor’s customization capabilities. Over recent years, WordPress has gradually introduced changes that make blocks more flexible, particularly with the release of Full Site Editing (FSE). Now, as the platform continues to evolve, core contributors are seeking community input and providing more tools to help developers make the most of WordPress’s block-based infrastructure.