[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #65413: Keyboard arrow navigation is broken in 7.0 block editor

WordPress Trac noreply at wordpress.org
Thu Jun 4 16:27:28 UTC 2026


#65413: Keyboard arrow navigation is broken in 7.0 block editor
-------------------------------------------------+-------------------------
 Reporter:  darkhousedevelopment                 |      Owner:  (none)
     Type:  defect (bug)                         |     Status:  new
 Priority:  normal                               |  Milestone:  Awaiting
                                                 |  Review
Component:  Editor                               |    Version:  7.0
 Severity:  major                                |   Keywords:  needs-patch
  Focuses:  ui, accessibility, administration,   |
  coding-standards                               |
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 **Problem Description**
 Before 7.0 if you had a set of nested blocks, let’s say a group block with
 columns and then heading, paragraphs, images etc in the individual
 columns, you could use your arrow keys to move through the layers. For
 example if I was in the heading tag at the top of a column and clicked the
 up arrow it would make the column block the active selected block. Press
 it again and you’re on the columns container. One more time and you’re at
 your parent group.

 Now if I’m in that exact same scenario and click up from the heading block
 it will jump me to the lowest nested child block of the next highest root
 level block or if I’m already in the highest root level block it will take
 me to the page title. There is absolutely no way to use the keyboard to
 navigate between layout block layers anymore and it’s infuriating.

 **Steps to Recreate**
 1. Create a page in the block editor
 2. Add multiple nested elements like Group > Columns > Column > Content
 Blocks (Header, Paragraph, Image, etc)
 3. Duplicate that top level Group block
 4. Click into the top level content block in your lowest group and then
 use your arrows to try to navigate up and down
 5. If there are multiple content blocks inside that layout block you will
 navigate between them as expected, but once you reach the top or bottom
 content block pressing up or down, respectively, will jump you all the way
 out of the root level block the the previous or next root level block's
 nearest content block.

 **Expected Outcome**
 Since the beginning of Gutenberg and the block editor using up and down
 arrows allowed you to navigate through ALL blocks, critically including
 the layout type blocks as well. Now all layout blocks are completely
 skipped over with no way to navigate through them without using point and
 click. **This is a major issue for accessibility.**

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/65413>
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