Gutenberg and the Classic Editor Plugin

With the newly released WordPress 5.0, which includes the new block-based Gutenberg editing experience, many people are installing the Classic Editor plugin to retain the previous behavior.

The Classic Editor plugin is the official solution being prescribed for these situations.

No problem, install the Classic Editor plugin and 5.0 will be indistinguishable from 4.9.8 for your posting and editing experience

Matt Mullenweg

Based on everything I’ve heard, my understanding was that this plugin will suspend the new editor on a site, however this is not entirely true.

Default Behavior

The default behavior is not to simply revert to the classic editor instead you are given the choice between the Block Editor and Classic Editor. Additionally, when you are editing a post with the Classic Editor you are presented with a link to Switch to Block Editor.

These are not bad defaults for some use cases but they are different from how the Classic Editor has been pitched to members of the community.

Block / Classic Editor Links

When viewing your list of posts, the type of editor used (Classic or Block) is displayed and in the list of actions you can perform on the post you are presented with Block Editor and Classic Editor.

Switch to Block Editor Link

When editing a post with the Classic Editor, a Switch to Block Editor link is included.

Classic Editor Settings

Once installed the Classic Editor plugin adds two settings to Settings > Writing.

• Default editor for all users
• Allow users to switch editors

Classic Editor Default Values

As you can see in this screen shot, the default values are:

• Classic Editor for the default editor
• Yes for allowing users to switch editors

What the Defaults Should Have Been

The Allow users to switch editors default value should have been No. When this change is made, I get the behavior I was promised.

The site uses the Classic Editor the same way it did in WordPress 4.9.8 and no prompts to use the new block based editor are present.

How to Fix It

In the WP Admin, go to Settings > Writing.

Change the Allow users to switch editors setting to No.

Updating the value with WP CLI

You can update this setting with WP CLI, rather than manually logging into a site to update the option.

$ wp option update classic-editor-allow-users disallow

Alternative Plugin to Disable Gutenberg

Though the Classic Editor plugin is the one mentioned most often, the Disable Gutenberg plugin does what the name says, making it a better choice for temporarily delaying the new WordPress Gutenberg editing experience.

Photo Credit

By Zyance [CC BY-SA 2.5], from Wikimedia Commons

Sal Ferrarello (@salcode)

Sal is a PHP developer with a focus on the WordPress platform. He is a conference speaker with a background including Piano Player, Radio DJ, Magician/Juggler, Beach Photographer, and High School Math Teacher. Sal can be found professionally at WebDevStudios, where he works as a senior backend engineer.