About this pattern
Where Chapter Opening fits
Opens a long-form article, report or issue, giving readers a sticky contents list and progress bar as they move through its chapters.
Use it for
- Research journal issue opener
- Long-form report contents
- Online book chapter index
- Annual review sections
What you can edit
Every word, image and link is a WordPress block
Select any of them in the block editor and change it in place. Colours, type and spacing use the blocks’ own controls.
The layout stays protected while you edit. Unlock layout, in the section’s settings, lets you insert, move and remove any block.
- 3headingsall required
- 32text lines14 optional
- 3itemsAdd item or Remove last item; 1 always stays
- 3itemsAdd item or Remove last item; 1 always stays
- 3itemsAdd item or Remove last item; 1 always stays
- 3itemsAdd item or Remove last item; 1 always stays
Section settings
- Appearance: Designed or Use my theme
- Animate changes
- Unlock layout
How it behaves
It still works when things are switched off
As you scroll, a sticky contents list marks the current chapter, a large numeral changes and a progress bar fills. Choose any chapter in the list to jump to it.
- Motion off or reduced motion
- It shows its final state at once; anything a visitor can press or drag still works.
- JavaScript off
- All content stays visible and readable; controls the script adds are hidden.
- Plugin missing or older
- It pastes as plain WordPress blocks, in reading order, without the designed layout.
Questions
Chapter Opening: common questions
What is Chapter Opening for?
Opens a long-form article, report or issue, giving readers a sticky contents list and progress bar as they move through its chapters. Typical uses: research journal issue opener, Long-form report contents, online book chapter index and annual review sections.
Does Chapter Opening need a plugin?
Yes. Designed Patterns come with a subscription, which includes the Pattern Paste plugin that runs them; Chapter Opening arrived in plugin 0.37.0. Without the plugin, or on an older version, it pastes as plain WordPress blocks: the content reads in order, without the designed layout.
What can I edit in Chapter Opening?
As pasted it has 3 headings and 32 text lines, 14 of them optional and removable. The items are a repeatable set: the item controls add one or remove the last. The layout stays protected while you edit. Unlock layout, in the section’s settings, lets you insert, move and remove any block.
Will Chapter Opening match my theme?
Choose Designed to keep its own palette and type, or Use my theme to let it follow your theme’s colours and fonts. Either works in any block theme on WordPress 7.0 or later. Choose Use my theme in the preview above to see it follow a theme before you copy.
Can the motion be switched off?
Yes. Turn off Animate changes in the section settings, and visitors who ask their device for reduced motion get the same: the section shows its final state at once and anything they can press or drag still works. With JavaScript off, all content stays visible.