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In Simple mode, Insert opens an Element Library: a two-pane catalog of certified blocks grouped by category, each shown as a live preview card. You build screens by clicking or dragging these blocks onto the canvas. Simple never exposes raw primitives; even a heading or an image is a block here. The Insert panel in Simple has two inner tabs:
  • Elements, the Element Library described on this page.
  • Screens, the full-screen template picker.
(In Advanced mode the Insert panel instead shows Components | Blocks | Screens, and the Blocks list is the full catalog, not just certified blocks. See Blocks.)
TODO: screenshot of the two-pane Element Library: category rail on the left, grouped preview cards on the right.

Certified blocks

The Element Library shows only certified blocks. A block is certified once it has a Simple block controller and has been verified to render identically on the canvas, the iOS SDK, and the Expo SDK. Every certified block is a composition of the existing primitives, so it needs no new SDK code, only verification. This is what makes a flow you build in Simple safe to ship without checking each screen on every platform.

Finding a block

The library is a two-pane layout:
  • Left, a category rail. Click a category to filter the right pane. All shows everything grouped.
  • Right, preview cards under category and sub-group headers. Each card is a scaled live mini-render of the block, so what you see is what gets inserted.
A search box (“Search elements…”) at the top filters across every category by name, description, and tags. When the panel is narrow the two panes collapse into a single column of collapsible category sections.

Inserting a block

1

Select where it goes

Select a screen (or a container cell) so the block has a place to land. Cards are disabled with a hint until you select a target.
2

Click or drag the card

Click a preview card to insert the block, or drag it onto the canvas. Some blocks open a short wizard to set labels and options before inserting.
3

Edit it with its controller

Select the inserted block and edit it with its block controller in the properties panel.

The categories

The category rail lists, in order:
CategoryWhat it holds
ContainersLayout scaffolds with empty cells you fill: Columns, Rows, Carousel.
TextTitle, Subtitle, Normal Text, Rich Text.
MediaImage, Lottie.
QuestionsSingle Choice, Multi Choice, and Rating blocks (with variants).
InputsText, Long Text, Email, Phone, Number, Password fields.
ButtonsPrimary, Secondary, Text, Icon, Pulse, and Gradient buttons.
Progress & LoadingAnalysis Loader, Progress Bar.
ContentHero, Benefit List, App Rating Ask.
ChartsComparison Chart.
Social ProofReview.
Persistent ZonesContinue Button (and other zone blocks).
The Offers category (countdown, pricing) appears in the rail design but has no certified blocks yet, so it does not show in Simple. It is on the roadmap.

Blocks by category

CategoryBlockWhat it inserts
ContainersColumnsEqual-width cells laid out side by side.
ContainersRowsCells stacked vertically.
ContainersCarouselA horizontally scrolling row of cards users swipe through.
TextTitleA large headline.
TextSubtitleA supporting headline below a title.
TextNormal TextA paragraph of body copy.
TextRich TextText mixing bold, italic, underline, and color in one run.
MediaImageA single image or illustration.
MediaLottieA Lottie animation.
QuestionsSingle Choice ListA “pick one” list bound to a variable. Variants: List, Emoji, Detailed.
QuestionsMulti Choice ListA “pick many” list bound to a list variable. Variant: Choice Chips.
QuestionsRatingA star rating bound to a number. Variant: Number Rating.
InputsText InputA free-text field bound to a variable.
InputsLong TextA multi-line text area.
InputsEmail InputAn email field with validation.
InputsPhone NumberA phone field with the phone keypad.
InputsNumberA numeric field bound to a number.
InputsPasswordA masked secure-entry field.
ButtonsPrimary / Secondary / Text / Icon / Pulse / Gradient ButtonThe same button styled six ways (filled, outlined, link, with an icon, looping pulse, gradient sweep).
Progress & LoadingAnalysis LoaderAn animated ring that fills through stages, then continues. The signature “creating your plan…” screen.
Progress & LoadingProgress BarThe linear onboarding progress bar (usually a zone).
ContentHeroAn image with a headline and supporting copy.
ContentBenefit ListA list of feature rows, each with an icon, title, and description.
ContentApp Rating AskA pre-prompt that triggers the native rating popup on a positive answer.
ChartsComparison ChartTwo smoothed curves, for example “with us” vs “without us”.
Social ProofReviewA customer quote with a star rating and author.
Persistent ZonesContinue ButtonA full-width button that advances to the next screen.

Variants insert one block model

Where a block has variants (Single Choice’s List / Emoji / Detailed, Multi Choice’s Choice Chips, Rating’s Number Rating), each variant appears as its own preview card so it is easy to discover, but they all insert the same underlying block with a different style. That keeps the tested surface small: one block model and a few vetted styles, all editable through the same controller.

Container blocks

Containers (Columns, Rows, Carousel) are the one place Simple lets you nest other blocks. A container inserts with empty cells that render as outlined drop targets. Drag elements from the library into a cell to fill it. In the library, containers show as a blueprint diagram rather than a live render, because an empty scaffold looks broken when rendered. Containers are presets built from stacks, not a new component kind, so they render everywhere the SDKs run. Use the container controller to add or remove cells and set spacing.

Common mistakes

  • Looking for a raw Text or Image primitive. In Simple, Title, Normal Text, and Image are blocks in the library, not primitives. Drop the block; edit it with its controller.
  • Dropping a block with no target selected. Select a screen (or a container cell) first. Cards stay disabled until you do.
  • Expecting every block to exist in Simple. Simple shows only certified blocks. The full catalog lives in Advanced’s Blocks list. Switch to Advanced if you need something that is not certified yet.
  • Trying to nest blocks outside a container. Simple selects and moves whole blocks. The only way to nest is to drop into a Columns, Rows, or Carousel cell.