WordPress users have been getting ready for the new editor, Gutenberg, for many months now. If you haven’t been paying attention — maybe because you have people who do that stuff for you — you might decide to update a page and get a shock.
That’s because the new editor looks a lot different from the WordPress editor you’re used to.
Let me walk you step by step through the Gutenberg editor — or the Block Editor, the new official name:
What block editor? I don’t have a new editor!
If nothing has changed at your website, your website hasn’t yet been updated. Some people regularly wait fort a few days to let everything settle in. Others have lots of websites to update and haven’t gotten around to yours yet. Some people have decided not to update for fear of Gutenberg.
Updating WordPress versions is important. For security reasons and for compatibility, you should always update. You don’t have to update instantly, though your webmaster or hosting company may have you set up for automatic updates.
But it isn’t sensible to wait for the next version. You will be more likely to have problems, including malware and hacking, if you choose not to update.
If you are the person who does the updates, be sure to back up your website before you update. Then take the plunge.
There are lots of updates!
We’re seeing a lot of plugin updates going on. If you have someone like Haden Interactive taking care of your website, you don’t need to worry about this. If you are your own webmaster, budget some extra time to update the plugins.
If you haven’t already updated your WordPress version, do the plugins first. Make sure everything is working correctly, and then update to 5.0.
I have the new editor, but I don’t like it
Don’t worry. If you haven’t yet gotten fond of the Block Editor or some of your essential plugins aren’t working, just download the Classic Editor plugin. Activate it, and you will be able to choose which editor to use.
Go to All Posts and hover over the title of the post you want to edit. You will be able to choose between Block Editor and Classic Editor. The Block Editor is the new experience. The Classic Editor is what you’re used to.
If you want to make a new page or post, and you click “Add new,” your new work will appear in the Block Editor. You can save it and then go to All Posts, choose it, and choose the Classic Editor if you prefer.
Let us know in the comments what you think of the new experience!
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