The new Gutenberg editor has the internet scrambling for answers. Luckily for writers, the adjustment from the “classic editor” to Gutenberg is an easy one.

Put plain and simple, Gutenberg is a new editor.  All of the original functionality is still there but with a new look and feel.  In fact, I wrote this blog using Gutenberg.  Yes, it takes some getting used to, but after reading this article you should be up and writing in Gutenberg WordPress editor in no time.

Why Gutenberg editor?

According to WordPress, the entirely rebuilt editor is designed to promote more media rich pages and posts.  As well as make the entire process of designing pages on your website much more fluid, for experienced developers and first time users alike.  In a recent interview with WordPress Founder & CEO Matt Mullenweg, Matt says the new user interface and WordPress framework will create a much richer experience while improving issues with the classic editor.

Differences between Gutenberg and classic editor

The biggest difference between Gutenberg editor and the classic editor is blocks. 

To create a new paragraph, title, or picture in the new editor you will have to add a new block.  There are a number of different blocks you can choose from and they are easily customizable.  Add the custom blocks you like most to ”reusable blocks” for future use.  You can easily switch to a new paragraph or block by hitting enter.

Another convenient future is the settings tab, which now appears directly over the block. 

In the old editor, the settings tab is located at the top of the post.  So adding a link for example, requires a lot of scrolling.  The new settings tab is always directly over your text so there is no more need for endless scrolling and disrupting your flow while writing in WordPress Gutenberg editor..

Other new features in Gutenberg Editor

A few familiar settings have been moved to different places.  For example the Yoast SEO plugin is now found in the right hand control panel.   Yoast SEO has already been formatted to work perfectly in Gutenberg and WordPress 5.0 

An outline viewer!  Quickly check the amount of words, heading, and blocks in your posts.

Another fantastic feature is the slash shortcut.  Simply type a /, and a common list of block types will automatically pop up.  Keep scrolling for the complete list of block types.

Block types in Gutenberg

• Text Blocks
  
  • Paragraphs
  • Lists
  • Headings
  • Subheadings
  • Verses
  • Quotes
  • Pullquotes

• Media Blocks
  • Images
  • Cover images
  • Image galleries
  • Audio
  • Video
  • Embeds (over 30+ kinds)

• Code Blocks
  • Custom HTML
  • Shortcodes
  • Preformatted
  • Code (for displaying code)

• Layout Blocks
  • Columns
  • Page breaks
  • Separators
  • Spacers
  • Read more

• Other cool blocks
  • Buttons
  • Files 
  • Tables
  • “Classic” text
  • Recent posts
  • Archives
  • Categories

Should I switch to Gutenberg editor or wait?

The answer is, you can switch to Gutenberg now, or wait until the time is right for you.

Although Gutenberg should work out of the box with any theme or plugin and be bug free by its official release date, a lot of WordPress users are hesitant to switch in fear of incompatibility.  Some users just prefer the older editor as they have grown accustomed to it over the years. WordPress has anticipated this and created a classic editor plugin.

Whatever you decide, make sure you are prepared for the change.  Getting used to Gutenberg takes time and if you switch over at the wrong time it could cause you to miss an important deadline. 

The team here at Bespoke Digital Solutions is very excited for the new functionality in Gutenberg and look forward to using it in our upcoming blog posts.   

Are you having trouble with the new WordPress installation? Either conflicting plugins or just getting used to the new editor?  If so, arrange a free consultation today.

Security Tip: failing to update to WordPress 5.0 and the following updates could leave your website vulnerable to hackers, so if you decide not to use Gutenberg, at least download WordPress 5.0 and install the classic editor plugin.  This will allow you to use the classic editor and keep your website safe at the same time. 

Conclusion

Overall, writing in WordPress Gutenberg editor feels very natural.  You can drag and drop images as normal.  If you hit enter it will create a new paragraph. You can even paste in Youtube URLS and it will embed them.

Futhermore, WordPress Gutenberg does most of the work when it comes to making those blocks.  So my advice to you would be to just start writing and blogging as normal and do not fear the new interface.

If you grow tired of the Gutenberg editor you can always switch to the classic version by installing the classic editor plugin!