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Builder Browser

The Builder Browser, introduced in Bricks 2.4, is the folder popup in the builder toolbar. It brings templates, components, public post types, media, and builder managers into one browser-style popup.

Use it when you want to insert a template, manage components, jump to another page or post, inspect media, or open a related manager without leaving the builder.

Click the folder icon in the builder toolbar.

You can also use these keyboard shortcuts:

  • CMD / CTRL + SHIFT + . toggles the Builder Browser.
  • CMD / CTRL + SHIFT + L opens the Browser directly on the Templates view when your user has template access.

The Manage: Browser action is also available from the Command Palette.

The Browser remembers the last section you opened for your user account. If that section is still available, Bricks opens it again the next time you open the Browser.

Use the expand icon in the upper-right corner to switch to full-screen mode. Bricks remembers the full-screen setting in your browser.

The sidebar can show:

  • Templates, when your builder role can create, edit, or insert templates.
  • Components, when your builder role can insert, edit, or import/export components.
  • Public registered post types, including pages, posts, custom post types, and Media.
  • Style Manager, when your user has Style Manager access.
  • Font Manager, Icon Manager, and Query Manager, when your builder role has access to those managers.

Templates, Components, and Managers use your builder permissions. Post-type sections come from the public post types registered on the site. Builder support and post-type permissions determine whether an item shows the Edit with Bricks action.

The Templates view replaces the older standalone Template Library popup.

It lets you browse these template sources:

  • My Templates
  • Wireframes
  • Design sets
  • Configured Remote templates

You can search templates, switch between grid and list view, filter by source, bundle, tag, and type, and use the available template actions.

Available actions depend on the selected source and your builder permissions:

  • Create template
  • Save as template
  • Import template from JSON or ZIP files
  • Generate screenshots, for local My Templates when screenshot generation is enabled
  • Reload, for remote template sources
  • Insert, edit, export, delete, and preview on individual templates

The Templates view also includes Import images and Replace content controls.

Import images downloads template images into the Media Library when inserting or importing template data. If disabled, Bricks uses placeholder images.

Replace content replaces the current canvas with the inserted template. If disabled, Bricks inserts the template into the existing content.

When a template import contains related data, Bricks may ask you to review imported theme styles, color palettes, global variables, global classes, or Style Manager settings before the template is inserted.

Learn more about template sources in Template Library and Remote Templates.

The Components view gives you a Component Manager inside the Browser.

You can:

  • Search components.
  • Filter by category.
  • Filter by usage: all usage, used on current page, used elsewhere, or unused.
  • Switch between grid and list view.
  • Import component JSON or ZIP files.
  • Edit, duplicate, export, delete, or generate a screenshot for a component.
  • Generate screenshots for the currently filtered component list.

Component screenshots are generated from a standalone component preview and saved as component thumbnail metadata. Generating screenshots requires the Edit components builder permission.

The usage badge shows component instances as Instances: current page / total. For example, Instances: 2/5 means the component is used twice on the page you are editing and five times across the site. The Used elsewhere filter only shows components that are not used on the current page but are used on another page or template.

Click the usage badge to see current-page instances and other pages where the component is used. Current-page items take you to the matching instance in the builder. Other-page items open the matching page or template in Bricks in a new browser tab.

For the full component workflow, see Components.

The Browser lists public registered post types from the current WordPress site. Select a post type to browse its content. A post type can appear here even when it is not enabled for editing with Bricks.

For regular post types, you can:

  • Search entries.
  • Create a new item from the search field when your role can edit posts and access that post type in the builder.
  • Filter by post status.
  • Sort by newest, oldest, title A-Z, title Z-A, or recently edited.
  • Switch between grid and list view.
  • Edit with Bricks, edit in WordPress, duplicate, or view the item when the action is available.

Edit with Bricks appears only when the post type is enabled for Bricks and the user has builder access to that post type. The other available actions depend on the item and the user’s WordPress capabilities.

The post type settings button lets you set Posts per page and toggle visible metadata such as author and date.

By default, regular post types use the WordPress posts per page value. If that value is missing, Bricks falls back to 10. You can override the Browser value per post type, from 1 to 100.

The Media view uses the same post browser layout for attachments.

You can:

  • Search media items.
  • Open the WordPress Media Library upload flow from the folder action.
  • Sort media items.
  • Switch between grid and list view.
  • Preview a media item.
  • Edit a media item in WordPress.
  • Show or hide the date, author, and MIME type metadata.

Media defaults to 50 items per page. The settings popover lets you change the Browser’s media pagination between 1 and 100.

The Media view is for quick discovery, preview, and handoff to the WordPress Media Library. Use the WordPress Media Library for full media management such as detailed attachment editing and bulk cleanup.

The Managers section gives quick access to builder-wide managers when your user has permission:

  • Style Manager
  • Font Manager
  • Icon Manager
  • Query Manager

The Style Manager opens its dedicated popup. Font Manager, Icon Manager, and Query Manager open inside the Browser content area.

For reusable queries, see Global Queries.

A Template, Component, or Manager Section Is Missing

Section titled “A Template, Component, or Manager Section Is Missing”

Check the user’s builder permissions. Templates, Components, Font Manager, Icon Manager, and Query Manager are permission-gated.

The Browser lists public registered post types by default. Check how the post type is registered. Developers can change the registry query with the bricks/registered_post_types_args filter.

Enable the post type under Bricks > Settings > General > Post types and confirm that the user’s builder capability allows access to that post type.

The create action appears only for regular post types when the search field has a value, the user can edit posts, and the user has builder access for that post type. It is not available for Media.

Enable Import images before inserting or importing the template. When disabled, Bricks uses placeholder images instead of downloading template images into the Media Library.

Check Replace content. When enabled, Bricks replaces the current canvas with the inserted template data. When disabled, Bricks inserts the template into the existing content.