WPBeginner

Beginner's Guide for WordPress

  • Blog
    • Beginners Guide
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Showcase
    • Themes
    • Tutorials
    • WordPress Plugins
  • Start Here
    • How to Start a Blog
    • Create a Website
    • Start an Online Store
    • Best Website Builder
    • Email Marketing
    • WordPress Hosting
    • Business Name Ideas
  • Deals
    • Bluehost Coupon
    • SiteGround Coupon
    • WP Engine Coupon
    • HostGator Coupon
    • Domain.com Coupon
    • Constant Contact
    • View All Deals »
  • Glossary
  • Videos
  • Products
X
☰
Beginner's Guide for WordPress / Start your WordPress Blog in minutes
Choosing the Best
WordPress Hosting
How to Easily
Install WordPress
Recommended
WordPress Plugins
View all Guides

WPBeginner» Blog» Beginners Guide» How to Update Your Old WordPress Posts with Gutenberg Block Editor

How to Update Your Old WordPress Posts with Gutenberg Block Editor

Last updated on February 22nd, 2019 by Editorial Staff
168 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Free WordPress Video Tutorials on YouTube by WPBeginner
How to Update Your Old WordPress Posts with Gutenberg Block Editor

Wondering how to update your old blog posts with Gutenberg, the new WordPress block editor? If you haven’t upgraded to WordPress 5.0, then you’re not alone.

A lot of readers are concerned because Gutenberg is a completely new experience. The good news is that your old articles are safe even after upgrading to Gutenberg. In this article, we’ll show you how to update your old articles with Gutenberg, the new WordPress Block editor.

You may also want to know what will happen to your existing content after upgrading your blog to Gutenberg.

update-your-old-articles-with-gutenberg

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

Before we get started, let’s first discuss the major differences between the old Classic Editor and the new Gutenberg Editor.

The Classic Editor was a text editor that looked very similar to Microsoft Word. It had a single editing field with formatting options at the top. Here’s what the Classic Editor looks like:

Old WordPress editor

On the other hand, the new Gutenberg editor is a fully block-based editor. You’ll add all the content in the form of blocks. Here’s how the Gutenberg Block Editor looks like:

New WordPress Block Editor also known as Gutenberg

Blocks are content elements which are separate from each other with their own set of formatting options. There’re individual blocks for every piece of content including:

  • Regular text or paragraph
  • Image
  • Button
  • Gallery
  • List
  • Table
  • Embeds, etc.

Plus, you can find more blocks and widgets provided by your plugins and theme.

gutenberg-blocks

In order to create or edit a post in the new Gutenberg editor, you’ll need to use blocks. Here’s how to update your old blog posts and pages with Gutenberg block editor.

Editing Your Older WordPress Articles with Gutenberg

If you’ve updated your WordPress blog to 5.0 or the later version, then you’ll have the new Gutenberg block editor as your default editor.

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

To edit an older article, simply edit it as you would normally do in WordPress.

On the post edit screen, you’ll see the entire content wrapped inside a single Classic block.

classic-block-guteberg-edit

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

classic-wp-editor

As you can notice, the content is same however the way it’s organized looks slightly different.

Yes, that’s the only change you’ll see.

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

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

You can do this by clicking on the three-dot menu option on the top right corner of Classic block.

From the menu dropdown, you need to select Convert to Blocks option.

convert-to-blocks-wp-block-editor

That’s it!

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

wp-block-editor-classic-block-converted

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.

For example, in our screenshot above, there’s an image block and a paragraph block.

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 under the Block tab in the right column of the screen.

image-block-edit-options

You can realign the image, make it full width, add Alt text, change image dimensions, add a link, and more.

Following the same process, you can edit all of the blocks and make your article look visually impressive.

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

Note: Although Gutenberg works fine with most themes and plugins, some may still not have Gutenberg support. It’s better to test your theme and plugins for Gutenberg compatibility before switching to it.

The new WordPress Gutenberg editor offers an easy and flexible way of creating content in WordPress. However if you are not ready to use it yet, then you can disable Gutenberg and keep using the classic editor.

You can keep using the Classic editor until 2022 which should be enough time for getting familiar with the new WordPress block editor. We have a complete Gutenberg Block Editor tutorial for beginners that you should check out.

We hope this article helped you learn how to update your old articles with Gutenberg Block Editor. You may also want to see our list of the must have WordPress plugins for professional websites.

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.

168 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Popular on WPBeginner Right Now!
  • Google Analytics in WordPress

    How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners

  • How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress

    How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress

  • How to Start Your Own Podcast (Step by Step)

    How to Start Your Own Podcast (Step by Step)

  • Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

    Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

About the Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi. Trusted by over 1.3 million readers worldwide.

The Ultimate WordPress Toolkit

15 Comments

Leave a Reply
  1. Bettye says:
    Jan 21, 2020 at 3:24 pm

    I don’t have the 3 dots to the right of the editing toolbar. Does that mean my theme does not support the Gutenberg editor? I’ve been using it since 2016 but I’m on WordPress version 5.3.2.

    Bettye

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jan 22, 2020 at 8:30 am

      You may not be using a classic block for your content if the editor looks different than what we’re showing as one common reason for that

      Reply
  2. RoseMary says:
    Jan 2, 2020 at 3:51 pm

    I am on the current version of WordPress, but do not have any option to switch from the classic editor to Gutenberg. Now that’s a puzzle! I do not have any plugins installed that would inhibit Gutenberg or keep me with the classic editor.

    Any ideas?

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jan 3, 2020 at 10:29 am

      You may want to go to your profile to see if you have disable visual editor checked as a possible reason.

      Reply
  3. Karen says:
    Feb 17, 2019 at 8:01 am

    I guess pages would done the same way? Can you add meta description for each page with code block? Thank you.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Feb 18, 2019 at 2:34 pm

      Yes, pages would be done the same way and if you wanted you could add the HTML using the code block if you wanted

      Reply
  4. Sarmad says:
    Jan 10, 2019 at 3:14 am

    how will i earn from bloging when i have not to write articles

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jan 10, 2019 at 11:53 am

      If you’re looking to monetize your site, you would want to take a look at our article: https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/make-money-online/

      Reply
  5. Van says:
    Jan 7, 2019 at 8:13 pm

    Oh my goodness, I’ve been doing the conversion laboriously by hand. At least I haven’t done all of my prior posts by hand. Thank you for this great post. The info will definitely be a time saver for me.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jan 7, 2019 at 11:47 pm

      Hey Van,

      Glad you found the article helpful.

      Reply
      • Van says:
        Jan 8, 2019 at 5:56 pm

        I tried the technique earlier this morning. It works and it’s definitely better than redoing a post by hand, but it strips out inline CSS.

        Reply
  6. Deb says:
    Jan 7, 2019 at 11:34 am

    Very difficult getting a PayPal Button into a page now. Even with the PayPal Plugin installed and I tried to us the new button block. Hours later, I am still stuck.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jan 7, 2019 at 3:25 pm

      If you are using their html to embed the button you may want to try the custom html block

      Reply
  7. Janet says:
    Jan 7, 2019 at 8:19 am

    I believe the article is correct when you have something simple like an image and some text. What about videos, links, embeds, anchors, documents, woocommerce, plugins that are images or text etc.? How much after the fact fixing is needed for hundreds of pages created in the old editor. Creating from scratch looks easy, fixing created pages scares me for the amount of additional work needed.

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Jan 7, 2019 at 11:57 pm

      Hi Janet,

      Your content would work just fine even if you don’t edit your old articles. However, if you feel you need to create them from scratch, then you can do that as well.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Thanks for choosing to leave a comment. Please keep in mind that all comments are moderated according to our comment policy, and your email address will NOT be published. Please Do NOT use keywords in the name field. Let's have a personal and meaningful conversation.

Over 1,320,000+ Readers

Get fresh content from WPBeginner

Featured WordPress Plugin
SeedProd Logo
SeedProd
Create beautiful custom landing pages - Drag & drop builder. Learn More »
How to Start a Blog How to Start a Blog
I need help with ...
Starting a
Blog
WordPress
Performance
WordPress
Security
WordPress
SEO
WordPress
Errors
Building an
Online Store
Useful WordPress Guides
    • 7 Best WordPress Backup Plugins Compared (Pros and Cons)
    • How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress
    • Why You Need a CDN for your WordPress Blog? [Infographic]
    • 30 Legit Ways to Make Money Online Blogging with WordPress
    • Self Hosted WordPress.org vs. Free WordPress.com [Infograph]
    • Free Recording: WordPress Workshop for Beginners
    • 24 Must Have WordPress Plugins for Business Websites
    • How to Properly Move Your Blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org
    • 5 Best Contact Form Plugins for WordPress Compared
    • Which is the Best WordPress Popup Plugin? (Comparison)
    • Best WooCommerce Hosting in 2020 (Comparison)
    • How to Fix the Internal Server Error in WordPress
    • How to Install WordPress - Complete WordPress Installation Tutorial
    • Why You Should Start Building an Email List Right Away
    • How to Properly Move WordPress to a New Domain Without Losing SEO
    • How to Choose the Best WordPress Hosting for Your Website
    • How to Choose the Best Blogging Platform (Comparison)
    • WordPress Tutorials - 200+ Step by Step WordPress Tutorials
    • 5 Best WordPress Ecommerce Plugins Compared
    • 5 Best WordPress Membership Plugins (Compared)
    • 7 Best Email Marketing Services for Small Business (2020)
    • How to Choose the Best Domain Registrar (Compared)
    • The Truth About Shared WordPress Web Hosting
    • When Do You Really Need Managed WordPress Hosting?
    • 5 Best Drag and Drop WordPress Page Builders Compared
    • How to Switch from Blogger to WordPress without Losing Google Rankings
    • How to Properly Switch From Wix to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • How to Properly Move from Weebly to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • Do You Really Need a VPS? Best WordPress VPS Hosting Compared
    • How to Properly Move from Squarespace to WordPress
    • How to Register a Domain Name (+ tip to get it for FREE)
    • HostGator Review - An Honest Look at Speed & Uptime (2020)
    • SiteGround Reviews from 4196 Users & Our Experts (2020)
    • Bluehost Review from Real Users + Performance Stats (2020)
    • How Much Does It Really Cost to Build a WordPress Website?
    • How to Create an Email Newsletter the RIGHT WAY (Step by Step)
    • Free Business Name Generator (A.I Powered)
    • How to Create a Free Business Email Address in 5 Minutes (Step by Step)
    • How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners
    • How to Move WordPress to a New Host or Server With No Downtime
    • Why is WordPress Free? What are the Costs? What is the Catch?
    • How to Make a Website in 2020 – Step by Step Guide
Deals & Coupons (view all)
SeedProd Logo
SeedProd Coupon
Get 50% OFF SeedProd Coming Soon Page plugin for WordPress.
Cozmoslabs
Cozmoslabs Coupon
Get 15% OFF on Cozmoslabs WordPress premium plugins.
Featured In
About WPBeginner®

WPBeginner is a free WordPress resource site for Beginners. WPBeginner was founded in July 2009 by Syed Balkhi. The main goal of this site is to provide quality tips, tricks, hacks, and other WordPress resources that allows WordPress beginners to improve their site(s).
Join our team: We are Hiring!

Site Links
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • FTC Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Free Blog Setup
  • Free Business Tools
Our Sites
  • OptinMonster
  • MonsterInsights
  • WPForms
  • SeedProd
  • Nameboy
  • RafflePress
  • Smash Balloon

Copyright © 2009 - 2021 WPBeginner LLC. All Rights Reserved. WPBeginner® is a registered trademark.

Managed by Awesome Motive | WordPress hosting by SiteGround | WordPress CDN by MaxCDN | WordPress Security by Sucuri.