{"id":38610,"date":"2025-04-29T18:48:40","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T22:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/university-communications.ncsu.edu\/documentation\/?post_type=reference-article&#038;p=38610"},"modified":"2025-04-29T19:42:24","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T23:42:24","slug":"synced-patterns-strategic-implementation-guide","status":"publish","type":"reference-article","link":"https:\/\/university-communications.ncsu.edu\/documentation\/reference-article\/synced-patterns-strategic-implementation-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Synced Patterns: Strategic Implementation Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Synced patterns are reusable block collections in WordPress that maintain consistency across multiple pages. Unlike regular patterns that simply provide a starting template, synced patterns update automatically across your entire site when edited in one location. This powerful functionality helps maintain design consistency and significantly reduces content maintenance time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Creating a Synced Pattern<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Creating a synced pattern is straightforward:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Build your pattern:<\/strong>&nbsp;Design the collection of blocks you want to reuse across your site.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Select the blocks:<\/strong>&nbsp;Highlight all blocks that should be part of your pattern.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Create the pattern:<\/strong>&nbsp;Click the three-dot menu in the toolbar and select &#8220;Create Pattern&#8221;.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Configure settings:<\/strong>&nbsp;Give your pattern a descriptive name, optionally assign it to a category, and most importantly &#8211; enable the &#8220;Sync&#8221; option.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Save the pattern:<\/strong>&nbsp;Click &#8220;Create&#8221; to finalize your synced pattern.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/university-communications.ncsu.edu\/documentation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2024\/01\/create-a-pattern.gif\" alt=\"Creating a synced pattern in WordPress\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Adding Synced Patterns to Pages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once created, you can add your synced pattern to any page:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click the &#8220;+&#8221; icon to add a new block<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Navigate to the &#8220;Patterns&#8221; tab in the block inserter<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Find your synced pattern (by name or category)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click on it to add it to your page<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/university-communications.ncsu.edu\/documentation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2024\/01\/adding-pattern.gif\" alt=\"Adding a pattern to a page\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Synced vs. Non-Synced Patterns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding the difference between synced and non-synced patterns is crucial:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Synced Patterns:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Update automatically everywhere when changed in one location<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maintain consistency across your entire site<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ideal for content that should always be identical (e.g., contact information, legal notices)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Non-Synced Patterns:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Act as templates\/starting points only<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Changes only affect the pattern where edits are made<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Useful when you want the same structure but different content (e.g., team member profiles)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Strategic Uses for Synced Patterns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Contact Information<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Create a synced pattern containing your department&#8217;s contact details, office hours, and location. When this information changes, update it once to have it automatically update everywhere it appears on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Department Policies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For frequently referenced policies or procedures, create a synced pattern to ensure all mentions stay current and consistent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Standard CTAs (Calls to Action)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Create standardized call-to-action patterns for common conversion goals like program applications, event registrations, or newsletter sign-ups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Promotional Campaigns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For time-limited promotions, create a synced pattern that can be quickly updated or disabled from a single location when the campaign ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Resource Collections<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Build a synced pattern containing frequently recommended resources that can be updated as new materials become available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Best Practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Use descriptive names:<\/strong>&nbsp;Name your patterns clearly so they&#8217;re easy to identify in the pattern selector.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Create pattern categories:<\/strong>&nbsp;Organize your patterns by function (e.g., &#8220;Headers,&#8221; &#8220;CTAs,&#8221; &#8220;Contact Information&#8221;) to make them easier to locate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Limit complexity:<\/strong>&nbsp;While you can include many blocks in a pattern, simpler patterns are easier to manage and less likely to break unexpectedly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Document dependencies:<\/strong>&nbsp;If your pattern depends on specific plugins or functionality, document this for your team.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Consider performance:<\/strong>&nbsp;Too many synced patterns on a page can affect load times, so use them strategically.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Test across devices:<\/strong>&nbsp;Ensure your patterns look good on all screen sizes before implementing them widely.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Troubleshooting Common Issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pattern Not Updating Everywhere<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If your synced pattern isn&#8217;t updating across all pages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Verify the pattern is actually set to &#8220;Sync&#8221; mode<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Refresh page caches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clear your browser cache<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check for plugin conflicts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pattern Layout Issues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If your pattern layout breaks when added to certain pages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check for CSS conflicts with your theme<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Verify all required plugins are active<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test with simpler content first<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Need Help?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Still unsure about using synced patterns? Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns at&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/go.ncsu.edu\/ucomm-dev-request\">go.ncsu.edu\/ucomm-dev-request<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"availability":[72,71,49],"content-type":[105],"class_list":["post-38610","reference-article","type-reference-article","status-publish","hentry","availability-nc-state-premium-add-on","availability-nc-state-pro-add-on","availability-nc-state-theme","content-type-special-configuration"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/university-communications.ncsu.edu\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reference-article\/38610","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/university-communications.ncsu.edu\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reference-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/university-communications.ncsu.edu\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/reference-article"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/university-communications.ncsu.edu\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reference-article\/38610\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38860,"href":"https:\/\/university-communications.ncsu.edu\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reference-article\/38610\/revisions\/38860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/university-communications.ncsu.edu\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38610"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"availability","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/university-communications.ncsu.edu\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/availability?post=38610"},{"taxonomy":"content-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/university-communications.ncsu.edu\/documentation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-type?post=38610"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}