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To select a block inside a Group, Columns, Cover, or other container, open Document Overview in the WordPress editor and choose List View. Expand the parent and click the inner block’s name. To select its parent, use the parent control in the child block’s toolbar or click the parent in List View.
Find a nested block with List View
List View displays the page or post as a block outline, making it easier to target a deeply nested item than clicking in a crowded canvas. In the editor, click Document Overview near the top-left, then select the List View tab. The panel stays open until you close it with its X or click the Document Overview icon again. See the WordPress List View guide.
- Open Document Overview and choose List View.
- Find the container in the outline. Click the arrow beside a block to expand or collapse its children.
- Click the name of the block you want to edit. Press Escape to clear the selection.
Image and Gallery blocks may show previews in the outline. If a block has an HTML anchor, its anchor name appears there too, which can help distinguish it from similar blocks.
Select a parent block or adjust its layout
Move selection up one level
After selecting a child, click the parent-selection control in the child’s block toolbar to select its containing block. You can also click that parent’s name in List View. The outline is especially useful when the desired parent is several levels up.
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Change the parent’s layout
With the parent selected, open the settings sidebar and look for its Layout section. The available settings depend on the selected block. WordPress explains parent selection and layout controls in its Layout Settings overview.
Select several blocks or rearrange nested content
Select a range
In List View, hold Shift and click blocks to select multiple blocks. This is useful when you need to act on a group of neighboring items rather than selecting each one separately. WordPress also recommends List View when a block is difficult to target on the canvas. See Work with blocks.
Move a block into or out of a container
Drag the block or selected section in List View and release it when the insertion indicator shows the intended position. This lets you change the structure of nested Group, Columns, and Cover content. WordPress documents block movement in its Moving blocks guide; controls and behavior can vary by editor version.
Check the selected level in a Query Loop
A Query Loop contains nested blocks such as Post Template, Title, Featured Image, and Pagination. Expand the Query Loop in List View and select the specific child you intend to change. Edits within Post Template affect the template for each post displayed by that loop, so confirm that you have selected the right level before editing. For details, see the Query Loop block guide.
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- In editor Preferences, enable Always open list view to start with the structure panel open.
- Enable block breadcrumbs in Preferences if you want to see the block hierarchy and use it to select a parent. The Preferences overview describes these options.
- Use the List View shortcut: Shift + Alt + O on Windows or Control + Option + O on Mac. The shortcut reference also lists Escape for clearing a selection: Block Editor keyboard shortcuts.
- To add a child, select a Group, Row, or Stack and use the inserter at the bottom-right of the block group. See Adding a new block.
Which selection method should you use?
| Task | Best method |
|---|---|
| Find a specific block deep in a hierarchy | Expand the structure in List View and select the block by name. |
| Move from a child to its immediate parent | Use the child’s toolbar parent control, or select the parent in List View. |
| Rearrange content across nested containers | Drag the block or selected section in List View. |
| Change what a Query Loop displays for each post | Inspect the Query Loop’s children and select the intended item inside Post Template. |
WordPress documentation updated its moving-blocks guidance on September 2, 2026, and its keyboard-shortcuts page on September 14, 2026. That moving-blocks page also notes changes associated with WordPress 6.9 and the removal of a “Move to” section in 7.1. If your editor’s controls differ, check the guidance for the WordPress version you use.
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