WordPress is changing
What to know and how to prepare for the Gutenberg editor overhaul
We actively manage hosting for hundreds of WordPress websites, so we take changes to the WordPress ecosystem seriously. The coming release of Gutenberg is the biggest in recent memory. Some even fear it’ll be more like Gutenpocalypse or Gutengeddon.
We take a more measured approach. In preparation for the big release, we’re informing our clients about the change, its possible impact, and a recommendation for how to proceed.
So, what should I do?
Here are a few things to keep in mind, and a course of action, concerning WordPress, Gutenberg, and your website:
What’s happening? WordPress is releasing a new editing interface codenamed Gutenberg. In practice, this will mean that editing a page on your website is less like editing a Word document and more like stacking blocks of different types of content (pictures, text, quotes, etc).
Why is this happening? This change is prompted by a desire to enable more flexibility and control over the layout and arrangement of page content.
When will this occur? This change will automatically occur when your website updates to WordPress 5.0, which is scheduled for release on November 19, 2018.
Is this bad? No, the changes should bear fruit in the future. However, immediate compatibility with your website is unknown and your ability to properly edit content may be negatively impacted (i.e., things may break).
What can be done? You can preemptively install a plugin made just for this purpose. Installing the Classic Editor plugin will ensure that your content editing experience is unchanged even while preserving your ability to continue receiving automatic updates to WordPress.
What do you recommend? We think Gutenberg is a bold effort to prevent complacency and keep WordPress on a path of market dominance well into the foreseeable future. That said, unless you’re fond of squashing bugs, we suggest installing the plugin now and trying the new editor later, after any (very likely) kinks are worked out.
Not sure you’re ready for Gutenpocalypse? Let us know how we can work with you, today: https://fiatinsight.com/contact
