So, recently WordPress released version 5.02 for our websites which has a new editor.

Seems pretty straight forward if you know your way around a WordPress site. But some of you have self designed a site using easy templates, or you’ve had your WordPress site designed by someone else and are maintaining it yourself.

After the recent update, you may have stumbled across your backend and freaked out when you found your posts and pages looking like a long string of code instead of the usual display.

Ick! what do we do with that???

1. Breathe

2. This is a really simple fix once you know how to do it. It requires reinstalling the Classic Editor plugin…

First, you’ll need to install & activate the Classic Editor plugin through the dashboard Plugins.

Classic Editor restores the previous Edit Post screen and makes it possible to use the WordPress plugins that extend it, add old-style meta boxes, or otherwise depend on the previous editor.

—WordPress

WordPress 5.0.2 classic editor

As soon as you activate the plugin, Gutenberg will be completely disabled. All of your post and page edit screens will look like they did in WordPress 4.9 and below.

There is talk of the new Gutenberg editor as being the way forward, but many of us have spent hours designing our site with the older or alternative editors, so you’ll just need to assess what your site needs going forward. For now, most of us will be fine with the older versions.

Switch Between Gutenberg & Classic Editor

If you want to be able to use both editing methods, perhaps during a transitional time where you’re still learning Gutenberg, this is a great option.

  • Head over to Settings > Writing, and look for “Classic editor settings.”
  • Check the box that says “Yes” for Allow users to switch editors, or “No” if you want to stay true to the Classic Editor.
  • Save Changes.

And finally, if you need any help with your site, whether to set this up, make other edits, or re-design a whole new look and feel, please don’t hesitate to contact me to chat about your options.

Much love to you all, and enjoy the festive season!!

Janine Whitling