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Jake Spurlock: Raptorize It: 15 Years Later, Now With Blocks
Fifteen years ago, I released a WordPress plugin that answered a question nobody asked: “What if your website needed more velociraptors?” The Raptorize It plugin took the brilliant jQuery work from Zurb and made it dead simple to unleash Jurassic proportions on any WordPress site.
The motivation back then was simple: you’re deep in a coding session, fueled by questionable snacks, and you realize your project is missing something critical. Not another feature request. Not better documentation. A velociraptor.
What Was Old Is New Again
Fast forward to 2025, and the web has changed significantly. WordPress has evolved from the simple days of jQuery-powered effects to a modern block editor powered by React. The old Raptorize It plugin still worked, but it was time for an update.
I recently modernized the entire plugin to work seamlessly with current WordPress versions (5.0+) and PHP 8.0+. But more importantly, I brought it into the Gutenberg era with two new ways to raptorize your content.
New Gutenberg Blocks
1. Invisible Raptor Block
The Invisible Raptor block lets you add raptor functionality anywhere on your page with a visual editor interface. In the block settings panel, you can:
- Enable Konami Code: Trigger the raptor with the classic ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A sequence
- Enable Timer: Automatically trigger the raptor after page load
- Adjust Timer Delay: Control exactly how long visitors have before the inevitable
The block is invisible on the frontend (hence the name), but shows you which triggers are active right in the editor.
2. Raptorize Button Variation
For a more direct approach, there’s now a Button block variation that adds a “Raptorize Button” style option to the core WordPress button block. Visitors click the button, raptor appears. Simple. Elegant. Prehistoric.
What’s Under The Hood
For the developers curious about what changed:
- Utilized better internal WordPress APIs for script enqueuing.
- Updated jQuery from
.bind()/.unbind()to.on()/.off() - Added comprehensive PHP CodeSniffer configuration (WordPress-Core, WordPress-Docs, PHPCompatibilityWP)
- Built block development workflow with
@wordpress/scripts - Set up automated WordPress.org deployment via GitHub Actions
- Added wp-env configuration for local testing
The entire codebase now follows modern WordPress coding standards and passes all linting checks.
Try It Yourself
The updated Raptorize It plugin is now available for download at the WordPress Plugin Directory.
You can also explore the complete codebase and contribute to future developments on GitHub.
Why Though?
Look, I could tell you it’s about maintaining legacy code or demonstrating modern WordPress development practices. And sure, those are valid reasons.
But really, it’s 2025 and the world still needs more velociraptors on websites. Some traditions are worth preserving.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a Konami code to input.
