# Component Blocks for Marketing Cloud Next

Component blocks, also called Lightning blocks, are reusable components that you can use to compose emails and web content in the Content Management System (CMS) for Marketing Cloud Next. When you create email content using Connect API, the `contentBody` of your request contains a tree of nested blocks.

## Block Structure

Every component block has these basic properties.

| Property     | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| ------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `type`       | The type of object created in the request. For component blocks, the value is always `block`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| `definition` | The block type. Possible values: <ul><li>[lightning/actionButton](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-action.md#lightningactionbutton)</li><li>[lightning/button](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-content.md#lightningbutton)</li><li>[lightning/column](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-layout.md#lightningcolumn)</li><li>[lightning/divider](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-layout.md#lightningdivider)</li><li>[lightning/heading](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-content.md#lightningheading)</li><li>[lightning/html](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-content.md#lightninghtml)</li><li>[lightning/image](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-content.md#lightningimage)</li><li>[lightning/inputCheckbox](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-form.md#lightninginputcheckbox)</li><li>[lightning/inputDropdown](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-form.md#lightninginputdropdown)</li><li>[lightning/inputEmail](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-form.md#lightninginputemail)</li><li>[lightning/inputText](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-form.md#lightninginputtext)</li><li>[lightning/list](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-list.md#lightninglist)</li><li>[lightning/listElement](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-list.md#lightninglist)</li><li>[lightning/listItem](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-list.md#lightninglist)</li><li>[lightning/paragraph](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-content.md#lightningparagraph)</li><li>[lightning/section](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-layout.md#lightningsection)</li></ul> |
| `attributes` | An object that contains properties specific to the block type. Most blocks support brand data provider references for consistent styling, such as `{!$brand.colorScheme}` and `{!$brand.typography.heading.heading2}`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| `children`   | An array of nested child blocks, if the block type supports them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |

A component block follows this basic structure.

```sfdocs-code {"lang":"json", "title":"Block Structure"}
{
  "type": "block",
  "definition": "lightning/blockName",
  "attributes": {},
  "children": []
}
```

## Block Types

You can create several types of component blocks:

- [Action Component Blocks](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-action.md)
- [Content Component Blocks](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-content.md)
- [Form Component Blocks](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-form.md)
- [Layout Component Blocks](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-layout.md)
- [List Component Blocks](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/guide/mc-manage-component-blocks-list.md)

## Using Blocks with Connect API

Use blocks when you create content in your content workspace by using Connect API. You can create these marketing content types using blocks:

- [Email Content](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/references/mc-next-email-content-body)
- [Email Template](/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud-growth/references/mc-next-email-template)