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WordPress Gutenberg Mandatory Change Dec 6 2018: Why You MUST DO THIS NOW!

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UPDATE: 12/6/18 some sites are down and hosting companies will be buried, so please share this information:

If your website runs on WordPress, Gutenberg mandatory change is on the way.
Gutenberg Editor Might Mess Up Some Sites

It will be optional at first, but later it may be mandatory. Even when it is optional, though, you MUST take action!

For now, there is only one thing you really need to do: install the WordPress Classic Editor plugin.

There is no reason not to go ahead and do this now. But as with all new plugins, it is recommended that you ensure you have a good backup of your site first.

Do NOT Switch to WordPress 5.0 Gutenberg Without Testing First!

What the Classic Editor plugin does is allow you to keep using the dashboard and editor you already know how to use.

Why Is WordPress Changing the Editor?

Web developer Will Patton tells me that the existing editor is unable to benefit from features available in newer browsers.

We will be able to stay on the existing editor for months and possibly years. But, eventually, if we want our sites to be full compatible with newer browsers, we will want to make the transition.

Full Details About Gutenberg

The post I wrote for SmallBizTrends contains the full details about this change. In 2 days, on July 31, 2018, the first prompts about Gutenberg are supposed to roll out to all WordPress sites when WordPress version 4.9.8 arrives.

See Heads Up for Small Businesses Running WordPress, Huge Changes Coming with 5.0 Gutenberg for everything you need to know

What is in the Above SmallBizTrends Gutenberg Post

Find out all about Gutenberg including:

  • Why you should expect Delayed Support from Hosting companies
  • What to do if your hosting company can’t help
  • How to Vet hosting companies to choose a new one that can
  • What WordPress Gutenberg is (plus multiple videos showing the new editor)
  • Look to WordPress developers for guidance
  • Freelance income opportunities created by Gutenberg
  • Which 3 Gutenberg-related plugins you need (out of the 19+ pages of plugins already available)
  • What is Gutenberg Ramp
  • Why WordPress 5.0 May Break Your Site
  • DO THIS BEFORE 5.0 Rolls Out
  • How to Clone a WordPress site so you can test Gutenberg [Video]
  • Which existing themes and frameworks are ready – and which are NOT!
    • Theme Forest
    • Genesis
    • StudioPress Thesis 1 and 2
    • Elegant Themes
  • Which plugins are tested and how to find out if yours will work – mentions:
    • Contact Form 7, Gravity Forms, Caldera Forms
    • Yoast
    • CommentLuv
  • Gutenberg’s Impact on Ecommerce Platforms including Woocommerce / Wootenberg
  • What Happens to Old Content in Gutenberg

Do NOT Switch to WordPress 5.0 Gutenberg Without Testing First!

Why You MUST Test

Some developers insist that every site will work fine. They’ve taken me to task about the post I published at SmallBizTrends.

But you should know that I had the content reviewed by three WordPress developers including two who are actively involved in the Gutenberg roll-out.

There is a good reason WordPress advises testing – and not on a live site!

If you don’t do your own techie stuff, ask your web developer or a friend for assistance. Or read the full post on SmallBizTrends for information on how to clone your site.

There are four videos in my SmallBizTrends post. Here is one to give you an idea how different Gutenberg is:

Are You Ready for the WordPress Mandatory Gutenberg Change?

Have questions? Ask me in the comments and I’ll answer. If I don’t know, I’ll find out for you.

 

Originally published July 7, 2018; updated December 6, 2018.

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Gail Gardner

Small Business Marketing Strategist at GrowMap
Gail Gardner is the founder of GrowMap.com. She is a Small Business Marketing Strategist she mentors small businesses, bloggers, and freelancers. After 23 years in the field with IBM and 5.5 years managing AdWords accounts, her focus shifted to small business marketing strategy. GrowMap.com is listed by Cision as a Top 100 Site for Marketers and has received three Small Business Influencer Awards from Small Business Trends. Named by D&B a Top 50 SMB Influencer on Twitter, you can follow Gail @GrowMap and on LinkedIn.

Comments

  3. Hi Gail!

    Thanks for sharing this effective post with us. But unfortunately, I have reached the post after messing up everything. A couple of weeks ago I updated WordPress to the latest version and now my site looks like a mess. I hope I can fix this. Thanks again for making us aware of the issues.
    Sunny Juwel would love you to read ..Rx Clear Mighty Niagara Pool pump, 2-HPMy Profile

    Reply

  5. Hey, I left the WordPress development and Custom Php Development career in the year of 2016. At that time it was so easy to use WordPress editor. Recently, I again started website development. Now, I come to know that WordPress editor is going to change. It becomes somewhat touch for the people like me. 🙁

    Reply

  9. I would agree with those arguing to change only when there is no other option… Not a great fan of the beta, unfortunately many software programs are out before all bugs are sorted out, so … better late, than early!

    Reply

  10. Nice article maa’m, I Updated to gutenburg WordPress 5.0 so far it is good the only problem is that post editor is taking so much time to load and so clumpsy.

    Reply

  11. Hi Gail!

    I must say, it was quite a shock, to hit the update button
    only to re-fresh my site and discover it was in complete
    disarray!

    But I just resorted back to classic editor for now.That is, until
    I get the basics of using the new updated version of the
    WP editor down.

    Most of the more robust page builders, like OptimizePress
    and others, have already gone in this direction anyway.

    So it was probably just a matter of time, but WP and others
    were forced to do so as well.

    Great article, and thanks for always being a trusted source,
    for state of the art, and cutting edge information Coach!

    Reply

  13. Hi Gail,

    It’s indeed a great joy to be here today, I am so thankful to you for the timely guidance to me to fix my WP dashboard problem with the updated WP installation. I fact I was a bit worried about the new look of the version and was in a bit of confusion, and your timely intervention and the suggestions helped to fix my problem.

    I appreciate your valuable time in your busy schedule to help a friend online.

    The suggested guidance to read the post “Heads Up for Small Businesses Running WordPress, Huge Changes Coming with 5.0 Gutenberg” is indeed a great guide in this regard.

    A comprehensive guide to all WP users. I appreciate you for bringing out such an EPIC post for the fellow WP users.

    Keep up the good work, keep educated the folks around

    May You Have A Blessed Weekend.

    Best Regards

    ~ Philip
    Philip V Ariel would love you to read ..DesignHill Giveaway Is Here To Grab – Join Now And Win PrizesMy Profile

    Reply

  14. Thanks for sharing! You never know which update can disrupt your ranks. It is always best to stay ahead of the updates and make sure the impact of the update is manageable

    Reply

  16. This was a great read. Thanks for sharing this Gail. It is so informative and useful. One needs to keep reading and learning these new things to keep up and in this process your blog was very helpful.

    Reply

  17. Great article with lot of useful tips. Thanks for sharing, Gail. Reading the post has really helped me understand my website better. The learning is always On!

    Reply

  21. WordPress need to update their editor because to get benefit from features available in newer browsers.
    Thanks for the information
    If you want an amazing WordPress website developed, visit our website

    Reply

  31. This is a very nice blog for a newbie who is new in this type site. Word press plugin can also help for attractive in the blog and many more with paid plugin.

    Reply

  32. I have been using site pro builder to create my content in WordPress website will it affect my seo when i am using site builder in WordPress?

    Reply

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