Moving over to Gutenberg

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Since WordPress version 5.0 the classic content editor was replaced with a new block editor called Gutenberg. If you have yet to update to the latest version of WordPress then you may still be using the classic editor. In some cases, the classic editor may have been installed if you didn’t want to make the jump to the new editor.

The Classic Editor

The ‘classic’ editor uses a Word style interface with options to insert media (images, video, galleries etc). Layout options for this are quite basic unless you install additional plugins or a page builder (normally shipped with a theme). This means that for a more complex layout, and additional layout blocks, they generally have to be added by a WordPress developer.

Introducing Gutenberg

Gutenberg brings a new dimension to WordPress and allows us to add blocks to our page. This allows a page editor much more flexibility and better control over content, especially useful on blogs where you might want to embed a video or add a photo gallery.

Gutenberg comes with a variety of different block types including:

  • Heading
  • Paragraph
  • Image
  • Image and text
  • Quote
  • List
  • Button
  • File
  • Audio
  • Video
  • Columns
  • Cover Image

This selection can be extended with various block plugins which offer more advanced layout options. You can also define your own custom blocks and save blocks to reuse.

You can have a try of the Gutenberg editor here

Switching over to Gutenberg

By default, WordPress uses Gutenberg as the default editor so unless you have the classic editor plugin installed you will already have Gutenberg.

In most cases, we’ve found that people decided to use the classic editor plugin if they had set bespoke layouts which would require some development to change, or if they haven’t had time to ‘learn’ the new editor.

Switching on Gutenberg is as simple as disabling the classic editor plugin. All existing content will be retained in a ‘classic editor’ block. You then have the option of converting the classic editor content into individual blocks. In most cases, if this is standard content it should do this without any problems.

With more complex websites you may need some assistance to convert content or create new bespoke content blocks. Please get in touch if you would like to talk to us about how we can help you with Gutenberg.

Extending Gutenberg

As mentioned previously you can extend Gutenberg with a number of block plugins. These offer a wider range of blocks including ‘Meet the team’ blocks, banner sliders, pricing boxes, image hotspots and accordions.

Some of the block plugins we recommend are:

Example of Stackable Blocks

Get help with Gutenberg

There is an excellent online resource on Easy WP Guide which contains a walkthrough of all WordPress features including screenshots. There is also an excellent article by WP Beginner on how to use the new WordPress block editor.

Another good place for information and resources is the excellent Gutenberg Hub which contains user guides, tips, developer resources, plugins and much more.

If you need further help, we can offer online WordPress user training sessions to help you get familiar with the Gutenberg editor.


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