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

December 6, 2018 By Gail Gardner 46 Comments

Table of Contents

  • UPDATE: 12/6/18 some sites are down and hosting companies will be buried, so please share this information:
    • Why Is WordPress Changing the Editor?
  • Full Details About Gutenberg
    • What is in the Above SmallBizTrends Gutenberg Post
  • Why You MUST Test
    • Are You Ready for the WordPress Mandatory Gutenberg Change?
      • Gail Gardner
      • Latest posts by Gail Gardner (see all)

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 who 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.
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Latest posts by Gail Gardner (see all)

  • Free Mentoring: How to Use the Inexpensive CRM Bigin to Increase Income - December 9, 2020
  • How to Create a Blog to Promote Your Services - December 9, 2020
  • Influencer Marketing Guide For Maximum Business Growth - November 26, 2020
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Filed Under: WordPress / Plugins / Akismet Tagged With: gutenberg, WordPress 5.0

Comments

  1. Meshur Ahir says

    March 27, 2019 at 5:39 am

    Thank you for sharing such an amazing article on the WordPress Gutenberg Update. We also wrote something interesting about this WordPress Gutenberg Update. Visit here: https://www.pixlogix.com/blog/wordpress-gutenberg-editor/
    Meshur Ahir would love you to read ..Magento 2 or Magento 1 – Dilemma Ends!My Profile

    Reply
  2. Rashel Ahmed says

    March 8, 2019 at 3:06 am

    Very good article, I really appreciate your article, Thanks for sharing your informative article.

    Reply
  3. ganesh bendkule says

    February 28, 2019 at 5:31 am

    Hi,
    This is nice article. new update of wordpress is helpful to us.
    thanks for sharing this article.
    we also provide solution to Tally WhatsApp Messages Automation

    Reply
    • Gail Gardner says

      February 28, 2019 at 12:46 pm

      Hi Ganesh,

      It might be helpful for designer, but it definitely isn’t helpful for writers like me. We will be switching to ClassicPress and are currently running the Class Editor plugin to block it.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..How to Build Startups from Scratch: Tips and TricksMy Profile

      Reply
  4. Mathew says

    February 6, 2019 at 7:55 am

    Will it affect my website?
    My website is used for browsing properties in malta.
    The following is my website http://www.century21.mt . We use a wordpress theme with propertybase

    Reply
    • Gail Gardner says

      February 6, 2019 at 10:23 am

      Hi Mathew,

      Gutenberg will affect any website that allows it to update without installing and activating the Classic Editor plugin. You would need to ask PropertyBase whether they have tested with Gutenberg to find out if that part of your site will work before you try it (if you choose to try it).
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..11 Unique Content Marketing Examples Inspired By Brand StrategiesMy Profile

      Reply
  5. Kyra Rodriguez says

    January 3, 2019 at 9:15 pm

    I’m having a hard time with the new version of wordpress! I kinda hate it!
    Kyra Rodriguez would love you to read ..The Advantages of Having a WordPress Survey PluginMy Profile

    Reply
  6. Sunny Juwel says

    January 3, 2019 at 10:36 am

    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
    • Gail Gardner says

      January 3, 2019 at 2:25 pm

      Hi Sunny,

      I haven’t personally done it, but I’ve been told that you can still install the Classic Editor plugin I mentioned in this post and activate it. That could make your site go back to normal again.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..6 Ways To Leverage Social Media And Grow Your BusinessMy Profile

      Reply
  7. ifiniish says

    January 2, 2019 at 4:08 am

    Yeah everyone should look into it and be very careful about their word-press sites.
    Thank you for sharing such a use-full blog with us.

    Reply
  8. Doris Emsworth says

    January 2, 2019 at 3:47 am

    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
    • Gail Gardner says

      January 2, 2019 at 3:34 pm

      Hi Doris,

      Right now, to keep the existing editor all you have to do is install the Classic Editor plugin.

      But because Automattic (parent company of WordPress as we know it) is talking about forcing everyone to use the new editor eventually, there is a new fork to Classic Press we can use instead.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..6 Ways To Leverage Social Media And Grow Your BusinessMy Profile

      Reply
  9. parveen says

    January 1, 2019 at 11:40 pm

    good article thanks for sharing with us
    keep your work up

    Reply
  10. ChrisM says

    December 31, 2018 at 3:33 pm

    I use WordPress for my website and have found it very easy for me to use..

    Chris
    Owner CEL Financial Services
    IRS Registered Tax Preparer
    Registered bonded California CTEC Tax Preparer
    https://incometaxprepfillmore.com/income-tax-piru-ca

    Reply
  11. Shelly says

    December 26, 2018 at 9:52 am

    It was really worth to read it. WordPress 5.0.1 updates is a complete mess from my point of view

    Reply
    • Gail Gardner says

      December 27, 2018 at 10:33 am

      Hi Shelly,

      I expect it will split the WordPress community probably about in half, with half being ok with working in a pagebuilder and the other half switching to the fork of the existing version by using Classic Press.

      This is not the Classic Press plugin – it is an actual fork to retain the existing WordPress functionality and editor.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..6 Ways To Leverage Social Media And Grow Your BusinessMy Profile

      Reply
  12. Greg says

    December 23, 2018 at 5:02 am

    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
    • Gail Gardner says

      December 24, 2018 at 1:13 pm

      Hi Greg,

      Yes. As we used to say at IBM, never volunteer to be “on the bleeding edge”.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..SharpSpring Free CRM is an Innovative Game-ChangerMy Profile

      Reply
  13. Sunny says

    December 18, 2018 at 1:23 pm

    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
    • Gail Gardner says

      December 18, 2018 at 9:10 pm

      Hi Sunny,

      I’m glad that someone likes it. Because I write long-form content and have no desire to mess around with the page layout every single time I post, it just isn’t useful for me.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..SharpSpring Free CRM is an Innovative Game-ChangerMy Profile

      Reply
  14. Mark Newsome says

    December 17, 2018 at 10:36 am

    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
  15. Rama Krishna says

    December 17, 2018 at 3:18 am

    Hi,
    This is nice post for wordpress gutenberg mandatory change coming and having right articles to see you here and thanks a lot for sharing with us.

    Reply
  16. Philip V Ariel says

    December 15, 2018 at 4:38 pm

    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
    • Gail Gardner says

      December 17, 2018 at 10:14 am

      You’re welcome, Philip. When I researched how big this change is and how Automattic was planning to roll it out, I knew it was going to cause a lot of issues for many people.

      I’m glad you got yours sorted out.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..SharpSpring Free CRM is an Innovative Game-ChangerMy Profile

      Reply
  17. Karthik says

    December 12, 2018 at 4:56 am

    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
  18. Rama Krishna says

    December 12, 2018 at 12:00 am

    Hi,
    This is nice post for wordpress mandatory change and having right articles to see you here and thanks a lot for sharing with us .

    Reply
  19. Daksh says

    December 11, 2018 at 3:05 am

    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
  20. Dina says

    December 11, 2018 at 3:01 am

    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. Avneet Singh says

    December 10, 2018 at 7:57 am

    I almost hated this new update of WordPress. I don’t know, This single update has brought my website speed down and affected many things. It’s not a good update!

    Reply
    • Gail Gardner says

      December 10, 2018 at 11:09 am

      Hi Avneet,

      Hopefully, you could still install the Classic Editor plugin and activate it. Then see if that speeds your site back up and reverses what was affected.

      If you do that, please do come back and let us know how it went.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..5 Easy Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas to Boost Your Brand this XmasMy Profile

      Reply
  22. bhavitratech says

    December 9, 2018 at 11:35 pm

    nice post , yes i do personally feel wordpress editor needs to be updated . But the main query arises is the new editor is SEO friendly ,will it have a positive or negative impact in terms of SEO ??
    bhavitratech would love you to read ..Cloud migration the mobile app challengesMy Profile

    Reply
  23. Ron says

    December 8, 2018 at 11:05 am

    I’m definitely going to look into it. Really very useful tips are provided here. thank you so much. keep up the great works.
    Ron would love you to read ..Best Manual Pole Saw Informative GuideMy Profile

    Reply
  24. Shivam says

    December 8, 2018 at 4:31 am

    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
  25. Milan Soni says

    December 8, 2018 at 4:29 am

    that version is boring and I don’t like, but I will wait for other developers to review it before changing into it.
    Milan Soni would love you to read ..Significant benefits of custom PHP developmentMy Profile

    Reply
  26. Chandu says

    December 7, 2018 at 9:13 pm

    I am new to the blogging field and you have provided such a valuable info. It will definitely help me. Thank you for sharing the article.
    Chandu would love you to read ..Stunning One Plus 6T McLaren edition leaks; 10GB RAM, warp charge technology, speed orange finishMy Profile

    Reply
  27. Gamer says

    December 7, 2018 at 8:41 pm

    Yes ,sir you are right,the version too boring because of font.i used site bulider pro for check my audit report of website

    Reply
  28. YOGESH says

    December 6, 2018 at 1:42 pm

    Thanks for sharing such a valuable content dear. This will help me lot .

    Thanks for sharing,

    Love Growmap.com

    Reply
  29. Rachel says

    August 19, 2018 at 2:53 pm

    very nice and helpful blog loved to read it till end. thanks for sharing . i have also been using wordpress will it effect on SEO???

    Reply
    • Gail Gardner says

      August 19, 2018 at 3:05 pm

      Hi Rachel,

      Some believe it will load faster and that would have a positive effect on SEO. But there are so many variables involved that it may vary site to site.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..Hidden Benefits of Marketing with Whiteboard Animation Videos for BusinessMy Profile

      Reply
  30. Abhinay Gupta says

    August 7, 2018 at 9:36 am

    I will wait for other people review it before changing into it. I don’t think there is any reason to go ahead and do this now.
    Abhinay Gupta would love you to read ..The Originals TV Series 480p & 720p DownloadMy Profile

    Reply
  31. Amelia Dean says

    August 2, 2018 at 11:47 pm

    Great article and tip-off! This is so interesting and very helpful on awareness. Our team are also into these stuff too since we’re in the Instagram Marketing business, blogging and such, we do it seriously. Drop in, check us out or send us one line at https://www.socialgrowthmedia.com/contact/ and let us know what you think also! 🙂 Cheers!

    Reply
  32. Sarthak says

    August 1, 2018 at 1:04 am

    That’ really nice. This blog really help me a lot, thank you so much. This will gonna make my blogging experience more inetrersting

    Reply
  33. veer lodhi says

    July 31, 2018 at 11:57 am

    yes you are right that version is boring because fonts are big and toolbar name not seen only icon can be watch
    veer lodhi would love you to read ..Otlarlife Business Plan and about Dr.Ram SharmaMy Profile

    Reply
  34. Geller Ross says

    July 31, 2018 at 2:49 am

    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
  35. divya says

    July 30, 2018 at 6:43 am

    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
    • Gail Gardner says

      August 2, 2018 at 10:57 pm

      Hi Divya,

      Yes, anything that affects site design and page load speed can affect SEO rankings. You will need to test your site using Gutenberg to make sure it is compatible with Site Pro Builder.

      First, search to see if anyone has tested it and published their results. But even if their site works fine, you still need to test yours because every site runs a different mix of themes, plugins, and what is running on the server.
      Gail Gardner would love you to read ..Marketing Automation: Advice on What Users and Experts Have a Hard Time DoingMy Profile

      Reply

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