Restrict copy/paste of a block in the editor when supports.multiple = false and supports.removal = false

[Michelleeby]

What problem does this address?

Hello folks 👋🏼 we have a custom block that should always be on the page, should not be moved, and should not be removed. To accomplish this, supports.removal = false and supports.multiple = false in block.json. As well, the block pattern that provides the custom block to all posts restricts removing and moving the block.

The problem is that you are still able to copy and paste the block. This leads to a strange user experience. Since multiple is false, a message is given to the user after they paste the block that only 1 of the block is supported. However, because removal isn’t supported, the user cannot delete the pasted block. Only Undo seems to work.

What is your proposed solution?

It could be helpful for this issue if the combination of supports.multiple = false and supports.removal = false meant Copy and Paste of the block is not supported in the editor.

Right now, with those settings, copy and paste is still enabled and available via menu, and this seems expected when viewing the source.

gutenberg/packages/block-editor/src/components/block-settings-menu/block-settings-dropdown.js

Lines 295 to 298 in b0dbcf8

	<CopyMenuItem
	blocks={ blocks }
	onCopy={ onCopy }
	/>

gutenberg/packages/block-editor/src/components/block-settings-menu/block-settings-dropdown.js

Lines 299 to 310 in b0dbcf8

	{ canDuplicate && (
	<MenuItem
	onClick={ pipe(
	onClose,
	onDuplicate,
	updateSelectionAfterDuplicate
	) }
	shortcut={ shortcuts.duplicate }
	>
	{ __( 'Duplicate' ) }
	</MenuItem>
	) }

Notice canDuplicate is only influencing the Duplicate button and the CopyMenuItem exists without condition. I thought maybe a conditional existed earlier, but I checked onCopy and that doesn’t seem to be the case either.

gutenberg/packages/block-editor/src/components/block-actions/index.js

Lines 134 to 142 in b0dbcf8

	onCopy() {
	const selectedBlockClientIds = blocks.map(
	( { clientId } ) => clientId
	);
	if ( blocks.length === 1 ) {
	flashBlock( selectedBlockClientIds[ 0 ] );
	}
	notifyCopy( 'copy', selectedBlockClientIds );
	},

So that’s what brings me here today. I’m curious if it would be as simple as adding a check on the copy button that is influenced by the supports.multiple in block.json. Similar to how it seems to work for Duplicate support.

Anyways, thanks for your time and I look forward to working together on this issue 😁

[1337rout]

+1 to this. Anything with multiple: false in it's supports should not be able to be copy-pasted in.

[1337rout]

I see the use case in having the copy still be available as copy-paste works between windows, but I'd at least like the option to turn it off with a new supports variable. Maybe something like supports: { copy: false } to turn off copy functionality.

[jg314]

+1 on this issue. We have a block with supports.multiple = false that's being added with locking turned on so the block can't be removed. Here's what the attributes look like with the block in the editor:

<!-- wp:wired-impact/hero {"lock":{"remove":true,"move":true}} /-->

It's still possible to copy and paste the block, which generates the "This block can only be used once." message shown below. The issue is that because the block is locked, clicking the "Remove" button does nothing in the UI. A console error is also thrown in this situation.