{"id":20512,"date":"2018-12-12T11:36:54","date_gmt":"2018-12-12T09:36:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/?p=20512"},"modified":"2026-05-22T11:03:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T08:03:09","slug":"previous-wordpress-editor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/previous-wordpress-editor\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Disable the Block Editor and Use the Classic Editor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WordPress has changed drastically during the past few years. Perhaps the biggest change has been the switch from the classic editor to the block editor. If you’ve been using WordPress long enough to remember the previous WordPress editor, you might find yourself missing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Blocks are an amazing tool to help you build websites visually. However, a lot of people prefer the simplicity of the classic editor. The good news is, you can switch back to the previous editor easily and forget about blocks altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quick answer:<\/strong> To disable Gutenberg and use the previous WordPress editor, install and activate the Classic Editor plugin. Then go to Settings<\/strong> > Writing<\/strong><\/em>, set the default editor to Classic editor<\/em>, and optionally decide whether users can switch editors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steps overview:<\/strong> 1) Install Classic Editor, 2) Activate it, 3) Go to Settings<\/strong> > Writing<\/strong><\/em>, 4) Choose Classic editor<\/em> as the default editor, and 5) optionally allow users to switch editors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In this post, we\u2019re going to discuss the pros and cons<\/a> of disabling the block editor. We\u2019ll also show you how to bring back the previous WordPress editor<\/a>. Let\u2019s get to work!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t \t\tDon't like the #WordPress block editor (aka #Gutenberg)? Here's how to keep the previous editor \ud83d\udca1<\/a>\n\t\t \t<\/div>\n\t\t \t
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A quick primer on the block editor and full site editing (FSE) \ud83c\udfc1<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The block editor (formerly known as Gutenberg) has been around since WordPress 5.0<\/a>, which was released in 2018. At the time of release, the editor didn’t get the best reception. However, since then, blocks have become a key component of the WordPress experience:<\/p>\n\n\n

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What’s more, in the years since, the block editor has grown to encompass other parts of WordPress web design. These days, you can use blocks to edit almost every<\/em> part of your website. That includes pages, posts, and even theme templates, thanks to full site editing (FSE)<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n

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FSE enables you to take “block” themes and change every aspect of their design using the block editor. In the past, if you wanted to change a theme, you would need to get your hands dirty and edit its code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With block themes and FSE, all the magic happens using the same editor as for the rest of your site’s pages:<\/p>\n\n\n

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It’s important to note that the number of block themes<\/a> available is still somewhat limited at the moment when compared to classic themes. However, the options are growing by the day and there are already some really good ones to choose from, such as Neve FSE<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In any case, if you’re not a fan of blocks, you can switch back to the previous editor at any time. The classic editor arguably provides a more minimalistic experience, which enables you to focus more on content and less on how the site looks.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The pros and cons of using the block editor on your site \ud83d\udc4d\ud83d\udc4e<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Way back in 2018, the block editor launched to some criticism<\/a>. A lot of users had spent years learning the ins and outs of the classic editor. To cater to those users, the core WordPress team released a plugin that enables you to switch back to the previous editor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, it\u2019s up to you to decide whether or not the block editor is the right fit for your site. This isn\u2019t a simple choice, unfortunately. However, there are a number of factors you can consider that should help you make up your mind.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Some of the strongest reasons to use the block editor are:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n