WordPress switch back to classic editor

To go back to the previous editor of WordPress, go to plugins > add new > classic editor, install and activate the classic editor plugin.


WordPress back to previous editor

To go back to the previous editor of WordPress, go to plugins > add new > classic editor, install and activate the classic editor plugin.

WordPress Classic Editor plugin

WordPress Gutenberg

With the latest update of WordPress 5.0, a new WordPress content editor is included, called Gutenberg, which have a radically new user interface.

Unfortunately, this new graphical user interface does not work with all previously used plugins of WordPress, and does not include some basic functions that were possible before, for example like selecting and copying tags from the post tags list.

Hopefully, it is very easy to switch back to the previous WordPress text editor, by installing the official plugin WordPress Classic Editor, freely available in the plugins directory.

WordPress classic editor plugin

In order to install  the WordPress   plugin classic editor, start by open the add new page of the plugins option of WordPress, accessible in the administration left sidebar menu.

WordPress plugins classic editor

Here, type classic editor in the top right search field, which should get you several possible plugins.

The official one, compatible and tested with latest WordPress version, and called exactly classic editor, should be the first search result. Click on install now to have that plugin installed on your WordPress website.

The installation might take some time, depending on your server internet connection, and the connection to  the WordPress   plugins directory, from where the classic editor plugin has to be downloaded.

Once the installation is over, click on the activate button in order to replace instantaneously the new Gutenberg content editor with the old WordPress content editor, now called classic editor.

Gutenberg classic editor plugin

Learn SEO Basics: Enroll Today!

Boost your website's visibility and traffic by mastering the fundamentals of SEO with our easy-to-follow Basics course.

Start Learning SEO

Boost your website's visibility and traffic by mastering the fundamentals of SEO with our easy-to-follow Basics course.

Go back to create a new post, or edit an existing one, and the Gutenberg should be replaced with  the WordPress   classic editor, just as before the update to  the WordPress   5.0 version, which isn't even stable yet, as it was recently released and might still contain some bugs.

WordPress Gutenberg content editor

Introduced with WordPress version 5, the Gutenberg content editor replaces the former classic editor. It has terrible reviews on WordPress website, as the look and feel is actually more like a regression than an improvement.

Gutenberg advanced editor for Wordpress

WordPress Gutenberg tutorial

If you really want to keep using the difficult Gutenberg content editor, there are many tutorials available on the Web, to help you make your first steps using it.

However, if you have been using the classic editor for a while, you might prefer to simply deactivate the Gutenberg editor, and keep using the classic editor, as the new one does not bring any improvement.

Gutenberg Tutorials and Code Snippets - Gutenberg News
Best Gutenberg Tutorials for Users - Gutenberg WordPress Editor
Diving Into the New Gutenberg WordPress Editor (Pros and Cons)

Switch back to WordPress classic editor

Once the plugin WordPress classic editor has been installed, it is worth checking its options.

Switching back to WordPress classic editor allows for extra options, such as having WordPress switch to old editor forced to all users of the installation, allowing the users to switch to old editor or to new editor by themselves, and also posting via email.

It is also possible to select a default post category and a default post format, which will be enforced for all users of the site.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to change WordPress to classic editor?
To switch back to the previous WordPress editor, go to Plugins > Add New > Classic Editor, install and activate the classic editor plugin.
How can users revert to the Classic Editor in WordPress if they prefer it over the Gutenberg block editor, without affecting the functionality of their posts and pages?
Users can switch back to the Classic Editor by installing the Classic Editor plugin from the WordPress plugin repository. Activate the plugin, then navigate to Settings > Writing in the WordPress dashboard to configure it as the default editor. This allows users to continue creating content with the familiar interface of the Classic Editor while retaining the option to switch between editors as needed.

Yoann Bierling
About the author - Yoann Bierling
Yoann Bierling is a Web Publishing & Digital Consulting professional, making a global impact through expertise and innovation in technologies. Passionate about empowering individuals and organizations to thrive in the digital age, he is driven to deliver exceptional results and drive growth through educational content creation.

Learn SEO Basics: Enroll Today!

Boost your website's visibility and traffic by mastering the fundamentals of SEO with our easy-to-follow Basics course.

Start Learning SEO

Boost your website's visibility and traffic by mastering the fundamentals of SEO with our easy-to-follow Basics course.



Comments (0)

Leave a comment