Big Change Coming To Your WordPress Editor

Changes to the WordPress editing experience are closer than ever before. For nearly two years, the skilled developers at the heart of maintaining and improving WordPress have toiled over a new editor named Gutenberg.

Gutenberg will completely replace the “out of the box” editing experience with a new interface designed to make exciting, visual posts easier and faster to create.

While a November 2018 release was ruled out, a new date has not been set. However, look for it after the holidays, most likely in January 2019.

Create Better Posts With Gutenberg

The WordPress editor has remained essentially the same for many years now. When users add a new post, they must type their content into a large, open text field topped by a formatting toolbar. This is similar to many email programs and word processors.

However, most websites are far more advanced than simple emails or text documents. Gutenberg will open up beautiful design possibilities for WordPress users without requiring additional plugins or add-ons.

Gutenberg uses specialized blocks programmed to treat your content in special ways. Make an in-depth list or outline automatically formatted for a clean look. Embed YouTube videos, slides, images, and other rich content with the bare URL. No embed codes! Make your text and images interact in compelling fashion without programming or knowing any code. Advance from typing text to creating rich content.

Gutenberg Will Not Break Your Website

You might wonder if updating your website to the latest version of WordPress with Gutenberg will cause it to break. What happens to all your existing posts? There should be no change to your current content. But when your site is updated, the default post editing experience will be different.

Many WordPress websites already replace the default post editor with page building tools or custom fields. In most cases, Gutenberg won’t interfere. If you already use an alternative editor to add your post or page body content, you will keep using that. The immediate impact will be on sites configured to use the original, default editor for adding body content to blog posts. Even then, WordPress provides a path to continue using the “classic” editor.

While the Gutenberg update should be low-key for everyone, you will hear a lot more about it the next time you redesign your site. Smart programmers and designers are just starting to find ways to integrate this editor with other robust layout and design tools. When you next redesign your website, expect Gutenberg to be an integral part of the experience.

Next Step:  2 Easy Tasks to Prepare For Gutenberg

Do you regularly login to your WordPress site to create new blog posts and other content? If so, I highly recommend digging into the growing body of Gutenberg resources. Explore the Gutenberg demo. Decide now if you will install the plugin to retain the “classic” editor for now or if you’re ready to jump in with Gutenberg.

Do you depend on outside help to maintain your website? Go ahead and reach out to them. Ask if they will choose the “classic” editor for you or if they will start using Gutenberg when it comes out. Even if you never use Gutenberg yourself, this discussion may reveal opportunities to improve your website content.

Yes, there are changes coming to WordPress. Gutenberg is the most talked about, potentially biggest, update in the platform’s history. But with the option to keep the “classic” editor and a WordPress community that already uses a great number of alternative editors, Gutenberg opens up even more opportunities.

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