How to Update Your Old WordPress Posts with Gutenberg Block Editor

Updating old content is a necessary part of maintaining a successful WordPress site.

Through working with numerous WordPress users, we’ve seen how converting classic posts to blocks can enhance older content while improving its performance.

Many site owners worry that updating old posts with Gutenberg will break their content.

The good news is that WordPress makes this transition smooth and manageable, allowing you to improve your posts with modern block features without losing any content.

In this guide, we will show you how to safely update your old WordPress posts using the block editor, step by step.

What’s the Difference Between Classic Editor and Gutenberg Editor?

Before we get started, it helps to understand the main differences between the old Classic Editor and the modern Block Editor, also known as Gutenberg.

The Classic Editor was a single text field with a toolbar, much like Microsoft Word.

The Block Editor, on the other hand, treats every piece of content—like a paragraph, image, or button—as its own individual “block.”

Here’s what the Gutenberg Block Editor looks like:

To help you better understand the difference between the two, we have created the following table:

Feature	Classic Editor	Block Editor (Gutenberg)
Editing Style	A single text field, similar to a word processor.	A collection of individual “blocks” for each piece of content.
Content Control	One main toolbar at the top for formatting the entire document.	Each block has its own toolbar and settings for precise control.
Layouts	Limited layout options, often requiring shortcodes or HTML.	Easily create complex layouts like multi-column designs.
Flexibility	Less flexible. All content is treated as one continuous document.	Highly flexible. You can easily drag and drop blocks to rearrange content.

To create or edit a post in the Gutenberg editor, you will need to use blocks. Here’s how to update your old blog posts and pages with the Gutenberg Block Editor.

How to Convert Your Classic WordPress Posts to Gutenberg (Step by Step)

If you’ve updated your WordPress blog to the latest version of WordPress, then you will have the Gutenberg Block Editor as your default editor.

The good thing about Gutenberg is that it doesn’t affect any of your old content, and you can easily edit your old articles.

To edit an older post or page, simply edit it as you would normally do in WordPress.

In the content editor, you will see the entire content wrapped inside a single Classic block.

The same post would look like the screenshot below in the old classic editor.

As you may notice, the existing content is the same. However, the way it’s organized looks slightly different.

The new WordPress block editor will not make any changes to the content, and it will still look the same on your WordPress website.

Now, you have two options to edit your old blog posts and pages:

1. Continue editing inside the Classic block.
2. Convert your old content to new Gutenberg blocks.

The first option is to continue editing your old article inside the Classic block.

The Classic block offers you the same Classic editor interface with formatting options at the top. This should be fairly straightforward.

The second option is converting your old content into new Gutenberg blocks.

You can do this by clicking on the top of the content and selecting the ‘Convert to blocks’ button.

That’s it!

Your old content will be automatically converted into matching blocks. The content inside the Classic block will be split into several different blocks.

This is powerful because it allows you to move, style, and configure each piece of content independently.

Now, you can edit your old article using the new Gutenberg editor blocks. Each block is a separate entity with its own formatting options, styles, and design options.

If you want to make changes to how the image appears, then you can simply click the image to select the block, and the editing options will appear at the top.

You will also see more options in the ‘Block’ tab in the right column of the screen.

For example, with a Paragraph block, you can use the toolbar to change its text and background color, choose the typography, add links, and more.

Following the same process, you can edit all of the blocks to create engaging layouts, add call-to-action buttons, make image galleries, and improve readability.

Once you have finished making all the necessary edits, you can simply click the ‘Update’ button at the top right of the screen to save your changes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Using the Block Editor

Here are some questions that our readers frequently ask about updating old WordPress posts with the Gutenberg editor:

Will converting old posts to blocks affect my website’s SEO?

No, the process of converting a post to blocks will not directly harm your SEO. It doesn’t change the post’s URL or its published content. The change happens in the backend editor.

In fact, using the block editor can help improve your SEO over time. It allows you to create better-structured content with features like FAQ blocks, tables, and buttons that can improve user engagement.

Do I have to convert my old posts?

You are not required to convert your old posts. You can continue to edit them inside the single ‘Classic block’ indefinitely.

However, by not converting, you miss out on the powerful features, design options, and block patterns that make content creation easier and more flexible.

What happens to shortcodes when I convert to blocks?

WordPress is smart about handling shortcodes. When you click ‘Convert to blocks,’ it will automatically place each of your existing shortcodes into its own ‘Shortcode block.’

The functionality should remain exactly the same.

Learn More Gutenberg Editor Tips and Tricks

Ready to make the most of the block editor? Here are some WordPress tutorials to get you started:

• How to Add and Align Images in WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg)
• How to Change Block Height and Width in WordPress
• Best Gutenberg Blocks Plugins for WordPress (Super Useful)
• How to Select and Use Nested Blocks in WordPress
• How to Bulk Convert Classic Blocks to Gutenberg in WordPress
• Common WordPress Block Editor Problems and How to Fix Them
• How to Add Collaboration in WordPress Block Editor (Google-Doc Style)

We hope this article helped you learn how to update your old articles with the Gutenberg Block Editor. You may also want to see our tutorial on how to create a custom WordPress block and our guide on how to use WordPress block patterns.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.