Text
The text block is rich text — headings, paragraphs and lists, styled with the NSW type scale.
What it is
The text block is rich text — the words on the page: headings, paragraphs and lists. Every line follows the NSW type scale automatically, so a Heading 2 always looks like a Heading 2. See Typography in the NSW Design System for the visual specification.
A live example — the heading levels and paragraph styles the NSW type scale provides.
Two blocks in this family are not free text. The page heading is a Title block and the intro under it is an Intro text block, and each shows the page's OWN Title and Description — so typing in them renames the page or rewrites its summary everywhere it appears: navigation, listings, search results, and any card that links to it.
A page shows them only when the blocks are in its layout. Most content pages start from a layout that includes both, but a page opening with a hero may carry its heading there instead.
How to add it
Add a Text block and start writing. Set the style of each line from the block toolbar:
- Headings — Heading 1 to Heading 6, the page's structure.
- Paragraph — the default body text.
- Lists — bulleted or numbered.
Add a Title block where the heading belongs, or an Intro text block under it, then click and type. There is nothing to fill in first — each is already bound to its page field. Add only one of each: a second copy repeats the same text further down the page.
Configure it
Styles
Pick a style per line from the block toolbar: a heading level (Heading 1–6), body text, or a bulleted or numbered list. Headings carry the page’s structure — keep them in order and don’t skip levels.
A Separator block draws a horizontal rule between sections. It is part of the design system's typography rather than a component of its own, has no options, and is best used sparingly — a heading is usually a clearer break than a line.
The Title and Intro text blocks have no options either. Their size and spacing come from the design system's heading and intro styles, so a page heading looks the same on every page — the wording is yours, the styling is not.
Tips
Use headings for structure, not size — pick the level that fits the outline, and let the type scale handle how big it looks.
Keep paragraphs short and scannable. One idea per paragraph reads best on screen.
Write the page title for someone scanning a list of search results — say what the page is, not which section it sits in — and let the intro add the one-sentence summary rather than repeating it.
Related pages
Example
Heading 1
The text block is rich text — headings, paragraphs and lists, styled with the NSW type scale.
Heading 2
Heading 3
Heading 4
Heading 5
Body text — the default paragraph, the standard size for comfortable reading.
- An unordered list item.
- Another item.
- An ordered list item.
- The next step.