Quick answer: Since WordPress 5.0 arrived in December 2018, the Gutenberg block editor is the default way to write posts and pages. Instead of one large text box, every paragraph, image, heading and embed is a separate block you can move, style and reuse. Your existing content still works, your theme still controls how the site looks, and you can keep the old editor with the Classic Editor plugin while you test. The main things to plan for are plugin and theme compatibility, training for whoever edits the site, and a decision about when to switch.
If you followed the Gutenberg preparation advice we shared early last year, the release itself was probably uneventful. If you clicked “update” without testing, you may have opened a post and found a screen you did not recognize. Either way, now is a good time to settle how your site will use the new editor.
What the block editor actually is
The old WordPress editor was a single field with a toolbar on top, similar to a basic word processor. Anything more complex than text and images needed shortcodes, custom fields or a page builder.
The block editor breaks content into pieces. A typical post might contain:
- A heading block
- Several paragraph blocks
- An image block with its own caption and alignment
- A quote or pullquote block
- A button block
- An embed block for a YouTube video or a tweet
Each block has its own settings in a sidebar on the right. You can drag blocks up and down, duplicate them, convert one type into another, and save a group of blocks as a reusable block to drop into other posts. A call to action you use at the end of every article is a good example.
What stays the same
It is easy to assume everything changed. Most of the important things did not.
Your existing posts and pages are safe. When you open an older post, WordPress shows the content inside a single “Classic” block. It displays exactly as before on the front end. You can leave it that way or convert it into separate blocks when you have time.
Your theme still controls the design. Gutenberg changes how content is edited, not how the site is laid out. Headers, footers, menus and sidebars work as they did.
The admin outside the editor is mostly unchanged. Menus, widgets, the Customizer, users and settings all look and behave as before.
Your URLs, SEO settings and content structure carry over. Categories, tags, featured images and custom fields remain where they were.
What changes for editors
The people who write and update content will notice the most difference.
Formatting becomes more visual. Columns, buttons, cover images and media with text can be built without shortcodes. This is a real improvement for simple layouts.
Some habits need relearning. Pressing Enter creates a new block. Typing a forward slash at the start of a line opens a quick block search. The block toolbar appears when you click inside a block and hides while you type.
Pasting from Word or Google Docs works better. The editor tries to split pasted content into proper heading, list and paragraph blocks rather than one messy chunk.
Meta boxes move. Plugin settings that used to sit under the editor, such as SEO fields, still appear, usually below the content or in the sidebar. Several major plugins have added their own panels to the new sidebar.
Plan a short training session for anyone who edits the site. Half an hour of hands-on practice on a staging copy usually removes most of the frustration.
What to check before you switch fully
The biggest risk is not the editor itself. It is how your theme and plugins react to it.
Theme compatibility
Older themes may not include styles for new blocks, so wide images, columns or pullquotes might look odd on the front end. Check whether your theme author has released an update that mentions Gutenberg or WordPress 5.0 support. Themes built specifically for the block editor can offer “wide” and “full width” alignment options for images and covers.
Plugin compatibility
Go through your active plugins and check each one for:
- Recent updates that mention WordPress 5.0
- Shortcodes or editor buttons that may have moved or stopped working
- Custom meta boxes that now appear in a different place
- Known conflicts reported in the plugin’s support forum
Our list of essential WordPress plugins is a useful starting point for which ones matter most on a business site.
Page builders
If your site is built with a page builder such as Elementor or Divi, the block editor mostly stays out of your way. Pages built with those tools continue to open in the builder. You can keep using the builder for complex landing pages and the block editor for blog posts. Our Divi vs Elementor comparison covers how each one handles this.
Custom post types and custom code
Custom post types only use the block editor if they are registered with REST API support turned on. If a developer built custom features for your site, ask them to check whether those screens behave correctly, or whether a custom plugin needs an update.
Should you keep the Classic Editor for now?
The WordPress team released the Classic Editor plugin for exactly this situation, and has said it will be supported until at least the end of 2021. Installing it brings back the old editing screen, and you can let each user choose which editor they prefer.
Keeping the Classic Editor for a while makes sense if:
- A critical plugin or your theme does not yet work properly with blocks
- Your content team is in the middle of a busy period and cannot take time to retrain
- Your site relies heavily on shortcodes or custom meta boxes
- You are planning a redesign soon and would rather switch once
Moving to the block editor now makes sense if:
- Your theme and plugins are up to date and tested
- Editors want more layout control without asking a developer
- You are starting a new site or a new section of an existing site
- You want reusable blocks for repeated content like calls to action
Either way, treat the Classic Editor as a bridge, not a permanent home. WordPress has described the block editor as the first phase of a longer plan, with later phases expected to bring blocks to other parts of the site. Sites that stay on the old editor indefinitely will fall further behind.
A simple rollout plan
For most business sites, this order works well:
- Back up the site and create a staging copy.
- Update WordPress, your theme and plugins on staging first.
- Open a sample of your most important pages and posts in the new editor and check how they look on the front end.
- Test forms, shortcodes and any custom features.
- Install the Classic Editor on live if you find problems you cannot fix quickly.
- Train your editors on staging.
- Switch new posts to the block editor first, and convert older content only when you need to edit it.
If you have not reviewed your setup in a while, a WordPress site audit is a good moment to catch outdated plugins and other risks at the same time.
FAQ
Will updating to WordPress 5.0 break my site?
Usually not, but outdated themes and plugins can cause problems. Test on a staging copy first and keep a fresh backup.
Do I have to convert my old posts into blocks?
No. Old content keeps working inside a Classic block. Convert posts only when you are editing them anyway.
Is the block editor bad for SEO?
No. It produces normal HTML on the front end. Your titles, headings and meta settings matter the same way they did before.
Can I turn the block editor off?
Yes. The Classic Editor plugin restores the old screen, either for the whole site or per user.
Get the switch right once
The block editor is a real change in how WordPress content gets made, but it does not have to be disruptive. Test first, fix the plugins and theme issues you find, and give your editors time to learn it. If you want help planning the move or updating a theme to support blocks properly, our CMS development work covers WordPress projects like this one.
