Syntax-highlighting Code Block (with Server-side Rendering) for WordPress
By Weston Ruter
- Category rank
- #206 in Block-enabled
- Listing audit
- 50/100
Syntax-highlighting Code Block (with Server-side Rendering) is a WordPress Plugin Directory app by Weston Ruter. With a rating of 5.0★ from 26 reviews, it currently ranks #206 in the Block-enabled category.
Syntax-highlighting Code Block (with Server-side Rendering) is the #206 ranked Block-enabled app on WordPress, with a 5.0 average rating from 26 reviews, as of Sep 11, 2026.
AppRanks verdict
Generated from marketplace data as of Sep 11, 2026
Syntax-highlighting Code Block (with Server-side Rendering) ranks #206 of 427 in Block-enabled on WordPress. It holds a 5.0★ average from 26 reviews on WordPress.
Pros
- +5.0★ average across 26 reviews
Cons
- −Only 26 reviews — the average can still move with a few new ratings
How Syntax-highlighting Code Block (with Server-side Rendering) works
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This plugin extends the Code block in WordPress core to add syntax highlighting which is rendered on the server. Pre-existing Code blocks on a site are automatically extended to include syntax highlighting. Doing server-side syntax highlighting eliminates the need to enqueue any JavaScript on the frontend (e.g. Highlight.js or Prism.js) and this ensures there is no flash of unhighlighted code (FOUC?). Reducing script on the frontend improves frontend performance, and it also allows for the syntax highlighted code to appear properly in AMP pages as rendered by the official AMP plugin (see also ampproject/amp-wp#972) or when JavaScript is turned off in the browser.
This extended Code block uses language auto-detection to add syntax highlighting, but you can override the language in the block’s settings sidebar. (There is currently no syntax highlighting of the Code block in the editor, but see #8.) The plugin supports all programming languages that highlight.php supports (being a port of highlight.js). The Code block also is extended to support specifying lines to highlight which get marked up with mark elements (including in RSS feeds). There is also a checkbox for whether to show line numbers on the frontend (with the numbers being non-selectable). Lastly, given inconsistencies across themes regarding whether lines in a Code block should be wrapped, this plugin adds styling to force them to no-wrap by default, with a checkbox to opt in to wrapping when desired.
For advanced usage, please see the plugin wiki.
This plugin is developed on GitHub. See list of current issues with the plugin. Please feel free to file any additional issues or requests that you may come across. Pull requests are welcome. See contributing information.
Credits This is a fork of Code Syntax Block by Marcus Kazmierczak (mkaz), which is also available on WordPress.org. Copyright (c) 2018 Marcus Kazmierczak. Licensed under GPL 2.0 or later.
highlight.php is released under the BSD 3-Clause License. Copyright © 2006-2013, Ivan Sagalaev (maniac@softwaremaniacs.org), highlight.js (original author). Copyright © 2013, Geert Bergman (geert@scrivo.nl), highlight.php
