[Block] Blog Posts Block missing first post when added to FSE Templates

[cuemarie]

Quick summary

Using the Blog Posts Block instead of a Query Loop Block on templates seems to not work well. The most recently published post doesn't display on the live site.

(And because of the lack of previews, as reported here: https://github.com/Automattic/wp-calypso/issues/69101 , this is hard to notice while working in the editor)

Steps to reproduce

1. Activate an FSE theme like Zoologist
2. Set the homepage to display latest posts
3. Open the Site Editor to edit the homepage
4. There will be a Query Loop block in place. Below that, add the Blog Posts block to the template.
5. Save this change and view the live site

What you expected to happen

The same posts in the same order should appear in either the Query Loop Block or the Blog Posts block.

What actually happened

The Blog Posts block does not include the most recently published post.

Example: AT site, Zoologist Theme

Context

Currently testing for this user: 5646515-zd-woothemes

This issue has also been reported as theme specific, here: https://github.com/Automattic/themes/issues/6161 but it seems it's not just impacting that theme.

I replicated the issue on an AT test site using Byrne and Zoologist.

Byrne

Platform (Simple, Atomic, or both?)

Atomic

Theme-specific issue?

No response

Browser, operating system and other notes

Firefox

Reproducibility

Consistent

Severity

Some (< 50%)

Available workarounds?

Yes, easy to implement

Workaround details

The workaround is to replace the Blog Posts block with the Query Loop block. While this is easy for us to implement, it may be difficult for users who prefer the Blog Posts block, as the QL block is more complex to add and set up.

[github-actions[bot]]

Support References

This comment is automatically generated. Please do not edit it.

• [ ] 5646515-zen
• [ ] 5686765-zen
• [ ] 5693751-zen
• [ ] 5800833-zen
• [ ] 5830325-zen
• [ ] 5889489-zen
• [ ] 5988052-zen
• [ ] 5983195-zen
• [ ] 6319085-zen
• [ ] 6381775-zen
• [ ] https://wordpress.com/forums/topic/blog-posts-block-not-showing-latest-posts
• [ ] 6524568-zen
• [ ] https://wordpress.com/forums/topic/the-blog-posts-block-does-not-update-properly
• [ ] 6267279-zen
• [ ] https://wordpress.com/forums/topic/bug-report-8
• [ ] 6755689-zen
• [ ] 6787727-zen
• [ ] https://wordpress.com/forums/topic/home-page-restricts-posts-seen
• [ ] 7544640-zen
• [ ] 7569274-zen
• [ ] 7618145-zen
• [ ] 7667528-zen
• [ ] 7683199-zen
• [ ] 7683155-zen
• [ ] 7694150-zen
• [ ] 7717852-zen
• [ ] 7772534-zen
• [ ] 7777110-zen
• [ ] 7833034-zen
• [ ] 7797059-zen
• [ ] 7932261-zen
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• [ ] 8140315-zen
• [ ] 8220928-zen
• [ ] 8314846-zen
• [ ] 8253473-zen
• [ ] 8343635-zen
• [ ] https://wordpress.com/es/forums/topic/no-muestra-ultima-entrada
• [ ] 8478820-zen
• [ ] 8581276-zen

[cuemarie]

My gut tells me that it's expected that the Blog Posts Block won't actually work that well on FSE templates, and that these issues are evidence of that - but I haven't been able to prove that theory anywhere. If users shouldn't be using the Blog Posts block on templates, I don't think we've made that clear enough to users (or HEs) yet, so it'd be great to confirm that!

[jamiepalatnik]

📌 SCRUBBING : RESULT

• Tested on Simple - Replicated
• Tested on AT - Replicated
• Tested on Self-hosted - Replicated
• Replicable on Core - Yes

📌 FINDINGS/SCREENSHOTS/VIDEO

• I was able to replicate this issue with the Blog Posts block in all tests on simple, AT, and self-hosted.
• Blog Posts block comes from WordPress.com Editing Toolkit plugin on self-hosted site.
• I agree that it would be helpful to clarify if Blog Posts blocks should only be used on pages or if they can be used on templates too as an alternative to the Query Loop block.

📌 ACTIONS

• Marked as Triaged for Quality Squad review

[csabarakasz]

Same issue for Quadrat Yellow theme here:

• [ ] 5686765-zd-woothemes

I am suggesting using Query Loop Block instead.

[sanjeev00733]

Similar issue with Varese theme in

• [ ] 5693751-zd-woothemes

[dsas]

This block (a8c/blog-posts) is an alias for the newspack-blocks/homepage-articles block which is synced from the newspack repo.

The block does not show the current item in the WordPress loop:

• The block calls Newspack_Blocks::build_articles_query
• Newspack_Blocks::build_articles_query specifically says ignore the current item in The Loop, unless in specific mode.

This has been the case since June 2020, the rationale being if you used this block inside a blog post then you wouldn't want to include the current post.

An alternative explanation is that the posts are already appearing on the page via another instance of this block, in which case they might get excluded. This wasn't the case in the happychat I witnessed.

Is something inside these themes / FSE starting The Loop?

[jartes]

Another report on 5800833-zd-woothemes

Suggested the Query Block as a workaround.

[sanjeev00733]

Another report on 5830325-zd

Suggested adding a query loop block

[zyousafi]

Another report on 5889489-zd-woothemes

Suggested the Query Loop Block as a workaround for now

[deancroyal]

Another report here on site using Twenty Twenty Three theme 40068045-hc

We'll use Query Loop block to temporarily display latest post until this is resolved.

[rinazrina]

Another report on site using Varese theme: #5988052-zen

User has only one post, and it's not showing on the Blog Posts block, both on the editor and on the published page. Query Loop Block worked as a workaround.

[poeticabdul]

Another report 5983195-zen

[metabreakr]

I've encountered this numerous times in FSE themes for BBE customers. The issue with the query loop is that it does not show projects nor testimonials, unlike the blog posts block.

This is a blocker for me — one or the other needs to be "fixed," and my hope is that the query loop can show additional post types.

[dsas]

Not to distract from this issue, but the query loop can show projects or testimonials, how useful that is depends upon what exactly you're trying to achieve.

[metabreakr]

Thanks @dsas — I stand corrected!

[poeticabdul]

Reported here 19840491-hc

[kuropixel]

Reported here 42504650-hc

Also reproduced on a test sites (both Atomic and Simple) with theme Adventurer which was able to show the issue:

• The latest post will not be displayed

Workaround: Query loop block

Other FSE themes seemed to be ok. 🤷‍♀️

[jartes]

Another report on 6319085-zd-woothemes

[rinazrina]

Another one: 6381775-zd-woothemes

[worldomonation]

📌 REPRODUCTION RESULTS Tested on Simple – reproduced Tested on Atomic – reproduced Replicable outside of Dotcom – not tested

📌 FINDINGS/SCREENSHOTS/VIDEO AT - video showing part of the reproduction steps

https://github.com/Automattic/wp-calypso/assets/6549265/a2dcebf6-6bf3-4adc-8540-dbe80b5c2736

AT - screenshot

📌 ACTIONS

• maintain status quo despite the number of ticket since there's an easy workaround.

[aleone89]

Another report here: https://wordpress.com/forums/topic/blog-posts-block-not-showing-latest-posts/?view=all

[ClassicRKR27]

Another report here: 6524568-zd-woothemes

Found that the post actually is showing, it's just not in the correct order and is hidden until you click the Load more posts button:

[aleone89]

Another report here: https://wordpress.com/forums/topic/the-blog-posts-block-does-not-update-properly/#post-3972582

Theme: Tenaz

[metabreakr]

While working on pdEkSe-43T-p2 I discovered that the Post Carousel block is also affected by this same issue.

EDIT: Related issue: https://github.com/Automattic/wp-calypso/issues/73171

[ClassicRKR27]

Another report here: 6267279-zd-woothemes

[katiebethbrown]

Also Related:

• https://github.com/Automattic/wp-calypso/issues/62696

[CodeAllNightNDay]

Issue here: https://wordpress.com/forums/topic/bug-report-8/

[zdenys]

Another related issue:

• https://github.com/Automattic/newspack-blocks/issues/1217

[poeticabdul]

Another issue 6755689-zen

[jp-imagines]

Another report in 6787727-zd-a8c