Astra and the Block Editor in 2026: Spectra Legacy, Spectra Blocks and the Settings Between Them

Spectra is now two plugins, and yours is probably Legacy

Spectra began life as Ultimate Addons for Gutenberg, and the wordpress.org slug still says so. As of October 2026 that plugin is named Spectra Legacy, at version 2.20.4 with 1,000,000+ active installs. It was renamed in version 2.20.0 in July 2026 and now receives maintenance, security and compatibility updates, but no new features. Its listing says existing users need to do nothing, with no required migration and no deadline.

New development moved to a separate plugin, Spectra Blocks, added to wordpress.org on July 8, 2026 and at version 1.0.11 by October 5, with 50,000+ installs. Brainstorm Force describes it as a complete rebuild on WordPress's modern core-block APIs, with a smaller set of composable blocks and Zip AI, an assistant that drafts whole pages from a description. The vendor recommends it for new sites and says running both plugins side by side during a transition is normal.

This matters to Astra owners because Spectra is Astra's own block builder, sold in the same toolkits and imported by the same starter templates. For anyone on the block-editor route, the builder just changed underneath them. Nothing breaks today. The question is which plugin your next hundred pages should be built with.

Spectra Legacy or Spectra Blocks: choosing for an Astra site

Two details deserve a second look. First, the global colors, typography and block defaults you set in one plugin do not carry over to the other, so running both means maintaining two sets of styles. Second, schema-producing blocks such as FAQ, How-To and Review live in Legacy. If your pages depend on those for search features, plan how the same markup will be produced before you rebuild them.

1. 1

   Inventory the Legacy blocks in use

   List which Spectra blocks your pages rely on, especially FAQ, How-To, Info Box and forms.

2. 2

   Build new pages in Spectra Blocks

   Install it alongside Legacy on staging and use it for new work only.

3. 3

   Rebuild old pages when you redesign them

   The vendor notes that rebuilding a page does not change its URL, so links and rankings stay put.

4. 4

   Retire Legacy last

   Deactivate it only when no page uses its blocks, and test on staging first.

Astra's own settings for pages built in blocks

Whichever Spectra you choose, Astra sets the stage. Under Customize > Global > Container, Container Layout offers Normal, Narrow and Full Width, and Container Style offers Unboxed or Boxed for the Normal and Narrow layouts. Container Width defaults to 1,200 pixels and Narrow Container Width to 750, adjustable from 400 to 1,000. The block editor's content width follows the Container Width, and wide and full alignments are supported. Astra's older block-editor doc calls the Full Width / Stretched layout not recommended for block pages, unlike pages built in Elementor.

Spacing is the setting most block sites get wrong. Astra's Core Blocks Spacing control, documented under the Customizer's Block Editor section, sets global padding for the Group, Column and Cover blocks. New installs default to Comfort (3em). Compact uses 2em, and Custom takes your own values. Older sites may still show a Legacy option, which keeps the previous behavior. Choose one preset and let blocks inherit it rather than padding each Group by hand.

• Per page: the Astra Settings panel in the editor has Content Layout (Customizer Setting, Normal, Narrow or Full Width), a container style, Sidebar options and Disable Header and Disable Footer toggles.
• Titles: the eye icon next to the page title hides it; keep an H1 in the content if you do.
• Header rows: toggles disable the above, primary, below or mobile header rows on one page.
• Transparent header: Inherit, Enabled or Disabled per page; sticky header options need Astra Pro.

One palette for the theme, separate styles for each Spectra

Astra's Global Color Palette, under Customize > Global > Colors, holds four palettes of nine colors, and since Astra 4.14.0 you can add up to nine custom colors. Astra's theme.json exposes the palette to the block editor as Theme Color swatches, so core blocks, Spectra Legacy blocks and Spectra Blocks can all pick the same brand colors. Change a palette color and every block using the swatch follows.

The weak link is everything that is not a swatch. Each Spectra plugin keeps its own global block styles and defaults, and they are not shared. A button style saved in Legacy means nothing to Spectra Blocks. During a transition, keep colors strictly in Astra's palette and keep typography in the Customizer, so the only things that differ between old and new pages are the blocks themselves. When the editor still looks different from the site, block editor not matching the theme explains the usual causes, and Astra CSS not updating covers stale styles.

Colors belong to the theme. Blocks should only ever point at them.

Site Builder layouts made of blocks

Astra Pro's Site Builder, introduced in Astra 4.5.0 and switched on under Astra > Astra Pro Modules, builds custom headers, footers, hooks, single templates and 404 pages with display rules. Astra's documentation says Site Builder layouts can be designed with the block editor, Elementor or Beaver Builder. For a block-editor site, building them in blocks keeps everything in one editing tool and one set of styles.

One limit from Astra's FAQ: layouts placed inside post or page content display only on pages built with the block editor. And the header rule from every theme applies here too: use Astra's free header builder, or a Site Builder header, not both. If a custom header stops appearing or the Customizer will not save, start with Astra header builder not working and Astra Customizer not saving.

Speed settings across Astra and Spectra

A block-built Astra site has no page builder weight to hide behind, so the theme and block plugin settings show up in the results. Astra's Load Google Fonts Locally, with preloading, lives under Astra > Settings > Performance. Spectra Legacy has its own Performance settings, including Load Google Fonts Locally, Preload Local Fonts and Allow Only Selected Fonts, plus a File Generation option under Asset Generation that writes block CSS to files, with a Regenerate Assets button for when styles go stale. Spectra Blocks manages fonts under Spectra > Settings > Performance.

• Host fonts in one place. If Astra and Spectra both download the same family, the browser fetches it twice. Pick the theme for site typography.
• Use Allow Only Selected Fonts in Legacy so editors cannot pull in a new family by accident.
• Regenerate after updates. Astra's inline CSS, Spectra's generated files and the page cache can all hold old styles.
• Measure block-heavy pages separately. Sliders, popups and post grids carry their own scripts.

The full order of work is in the Astra speed guide. If fonts render in the wrong face afterward, Astra fonts not loading walks through the checks.

When the bundle pays for itself

As of October 2026, Spectra Pro on its own costs $69 a year or $349 lifetime for three sites, per Spectra's pricing page, and Astra Pro costs $69 a year or $249 lifetime for three sites. Buying both separately is $138 a year for three sites. The Essential Toolkit + AI plan bundles Astra Pro, Spectra Pro, Ultimate Addons for Elementor, Premium Starter Templates and SureForms for up to ten sites at $199 for the first year, renewing at $299.

For one site that needs both Pro plugins, buying separately is cheaper. For an agency with more than three block-built sites, the toolkit wins on site count, as long as you budget for the renewal rather than the introductory price. Our Astra pricing page lays out every plan, and the Astra review covers whether the Pro features are worth having at all.

When Astra plus Spectra stops being the right stack

Astra with blocks is a reasonable, lean way to run a business site, and for a brochure site or small store we will often recommend staying. The Spectra split is a good moment to ask a bigger question, because some pages will be rebuilt anyway. If the rebuild is a redesign of a site that now needs member logins, custom data, quote tools or hundreds of programmatic pages, rebuilding inside WordPress may be the expensive way to stand still.

Astra vs Next.js compares the stacks row by row, and Astra to Next.js explains how Spectra blocks, Customizer settings and URLs carry across. If you are staying, our Astra developers and Astra customization service handle the Legacy-to-Blocks move, and the Astra repair hub collects every fix we have written. To compare themes first, see Astra vs Kadence, Astra vs Blocksy and the WordPress themes section.