Blocks
Blocks are the individual content elements that make up your lessons. Slate offers 18 block types organized into four categories, giving you the building blocks for rich, interactive learning experiences.
Block categories
Section titled “Block categories”Content
Section titled “Content”- Text - rich text with formatting, headings, lists, and links
- Image - images with optional captions and sizing
- Video - embedded video from YouTube, Vimeo, Loom, Synthesia, Google Drive, or direct upload
- Audio - audio player with uploaded files or AI-generated narration
- Document - downloadable files (PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Structure
Section titled “Structure”- Divider - visual separator between content areas
- Accordion - expandable and collapsible content panels
- Tabs - tabbed content panels for organizing related information
- Table - data tables with optional headers and styling
- Layout - multi-column grids with nested blocks
Interactive
Section titled “Interactive”- Button - styled link buttons with configurable alignment
- Knowledge Check - quiz questions (multiple choice, multiple select, fill in the blank)
- Labeled Graphic - image with clickable numbered hotspots
- Embed - embedded external content via URL or HTML
- Code - custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
- Card - content card with optional image, title, and description
- Flip Card - two-sided card that reveals content on click or hover
- Card Carousel - horizontal carousel of multiple cards with navigation controls
See the Block Types section for detailed documentation on each type.
Adding blocks
Section titled “Adding blocks”You can add blocks to a lesson in three ways:
- Blocks sidebar - open the Blocks tab in the left sidebar and click any block type to append it to the end of the lesson
- Templates sidebar - open the Templates tab to insert a saved block template
- Insert between blocks - hover between any two existing blocks to reveal a ”+” button with a dropdown menu for inserting at that specific position
Reordering blocks
Section titled “Reordering blocks”Use the up and down arrow buttons in the block header to move a block within the lesson.
Duplicating a block
Section titled “Duplicating a block”Click the duplicate icon in the block header to create a copy of the block immediately below the original. The duplicate is a fully independent copy with its own content.
Saving a block as a template
Section titled “Saving a block as a template”Click the bookmark icon in the block header to save any block as a reusable template. The template captures the block’s type and all its content and settings. See Block Templates for more details.
Deleting a block
Section titled “Deleting a block”Open the block’s more options menu and select Delete to remove it from the lesson.
Block settings
Section titled “Block settings”Each block has a more options menu in its header with additional settings:
- Device visibility - control whether the block appears on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices
- Narration - attach audio narration to the block
- Convert - convert between compatible types (e.g., Tabs to Accordion)
Nested blocks
Section titled “Nested blocks”Some block types support nested content. Accordion panels, tab panels, layout columns, and card content areas can contain their own text and image content, creating rich multi-layered layouts.