Block-based editor

What it is#

A block-based editor treats a document not as a continuous flow of text, but as a stack of blocks: a heading is a block, a paragraph is a block, a metric tile is a block, a chart is a block, a table is a block, an image is a block. Each block has its own type, its own formatting, and can be reordered independently.

Notion popularized the pattern. Linear, Coda, and most modern document tools have adopted it. Word processors like Google Docs have not — they treat documents as a continuous character stream with embedded objects.

Why blocks matter for briefs#

For SendBriefs specifically, blocks unlock two things:

1. Mixed content composability. A monthly performance brief is half narrative (paragraphs) and half data (metric tiles, charts, tables). In a block-based editor, those compose naturally — drop a metric block between two paragraphs. In Word, you have to anchor images, manage text wrap, and accept that the layout will break on the next paste.
2. Per-block reusability + tokenization. A "revenue MoM" metric block written once for one client's brief can be used (with a different live data token resolution) for the next 30 clients. The block is the unit of reuse, not the entire document.

What block types SendBriefs ships with#

• Heading (H2, H3, H4)
• Paragraph (narrative; supports inline live data tokens)
• Metric tile (one or more KPIs in a card)
• Chart (line, bar, pie — from a data source query)
• Table (rows + columns from a query)
• Image (with alt text + optional caption)
• Callout (sourced quote with citation)
• Divider (visual section break)
• Action item (one row of next-steps with owner + date)

Roadmap#

The block editor is shipping a "widget catalog" in V1.5 — see /roadmap for the schedule.