The Template we are using came with Gutenburg blocks installed. I can add "Classic" in with a plugin. "Classic" is what I am familiar with. However, the website was built with the Gutenberg blocks.
If I do this, what will happen to the existing content? Will I need to re-do all the pages?
Thanks,
Marie
Shawn Hesketh answered 5 years ago
Hi Marie,
If your website was built using Gutenberg blocks, you'll want to edit those pages using the Block Editor (Gutenberg), not the Classic Editor.
Content created in the Block Editor is not backwards compatible. But, if you install and activate the Classic Editor plugin, you can edit a page using the Classic Editor.
You'll have to convert every page back to Classic Editor format, which means switching to Text/Code view, then manually removing all the HTML code that has been generated by the Block Editor. This will be tedious, as there will be a LOT of code. And you will likely encounter errors if you don't edit the code precisely.
But, once you remove all the HTML code for the Block Editor, you'll be able to edit that page in the Classic Editor again. Repeat the process for every page on your site.
Alternatively, the Disable Gutenberg plugin disables the Block Editor for posts, pages, post types, and more, replacing it with the Classic Editor. But, please use caution when experimenting with this plugin. I'd highly recommend you experiment with it on a staging server first... not on your live site. Convert a page or two, and see how it goes.
Our recommendation is to learn Gutenberg. Our WordPress 101 video tutorials will teach you how to use the Block Editor. As the WordPress software continues to evolve, the Block Editor will become increasingly important. In the coming year, you'll see navigation menus and even widgets begin to use blocks, rather than the legacy interface you're used to.
So, the best way to future-proof your WordPress site is to learn and use the new features being added in each new release of WordPress.
Hope this helps!