Lb restrictions

10. Layout Builder Restrictions

When to Use

When you need to limit which blocks, layouts, or sections editors can add in Layout Builder to prevent overwhelming choices or enforce content governance.

Steps

Via Contrib Module (Recommended)
Install Layout Builder Restrictions
Navigate to view display Layout Builder settings
Configure allowed blocks per layout region
Configure allowed layouts per entity type/bundle

Via hook_layout_builder_restrictions_allowed_blocks_alter()

function mymodule_layout_builder_restrictions_allowed_blocks_alter(array &$blocks, array $context) {
  // Restrict to specific blocks
  $allowed = [
    'field_block:node:article:body',
    'system_branding_block',
    'inline_block:basic',
  ];

  $blocks = array_intersect_key($blocks, array_flip($allowed));
}

Via core alter hooks

function mymodule_layout_builder_block_alter(array &$definitions) {
  // Remove blocks from Layout Builder entirely
  foreach ($definitions as $id => $definition) {
    if (strpos($id, 'field_block:node:article:field_internal') === 0) {
      unset($definitions[$id]);
    }
  }
}

Via permissions
"Administer blocks" required to see all blocks
Without permission, users only see blocks they have access to

Decision Points

At this point...	If...	Then...
Too many blocks	Editors overwhelmed	Use Layout Builder Restrictions to whitelist allowed blocks per region
Security concern	Some blocks expose sensitive data	Remove blocks via alter hook or restrict with permissions
Layout governance	Want to enforce specific layouts	Restrict allowed layouts to approved set
Per-bundle control	Different bundles need different blocks	Configure restrictions per entity_view_display
Editorial training	Want to simplify UI	Hide advanced blocks, show only commonly-used ones

Common Mistakes

Not installing Layout Builder Restrictions → Core provides no UI for restrictions. Attempting to configure without contrib module = writing custom code
Over-restricting → Restricting too much frustrates editors. Balance governance with flexibility
Forgetting about permissions → Block-level permissions apply in LB. User without "Administer blocks" sees fewer blocks than admin
Not testing as editor → Restrictions configured as admin may hide blocks editors need. Test with editor role
Restricting after editors trained → Changing available blocks after editors learn system causes confusion. Plan restrictions early
Assuming restrictions are security → Restrictions are UI convenience, not security hardening. Don't rely on them to prevent access to sensitive data