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How to Bulk Convert Classic Blocks to Gutenberg in WordPress

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Do you want to bulk convert your old content using classic blocks into the Gutenberg (block) format in WordPress?

After updating to any version above WordPress 5.0, your older post and page content will show up inside a Classic block in the new WordPress content editor. If you have dozens or hundreds of posts, then converting that Classic block content into individual blocks can take a lot of time. Thankfully, there is a bulk convert option.

In this article, we will show how to easily bulk convert classic blocks into Gutenberg blocks on your WordPress site.

How to bulk convert classic blocks to Gutenberg in WordPress

Why Convert Classic Block Into Individual Blocks in WordPress?

If you have had a WordPress blog for a long time, then chances are that some of your posts were written using the older classic editor.

This older content will now appear inside the Classic block in the post editor.

Classic block preview

By converting the classic block into individual Gutenberg blocks, you will gain more control and flexibility over your content.

You can easily edit your post by working with individual blocks. You will also be able to take advantage of the customization options available for each block in the sidebar on the right.

Block editor features

This helps you easily edit the content within the block editor while allowing you to create beautiful content layouts for your posts and pages.

Note: In most cases, switching from the classic to the block editor will not affect your posts on the front end.

That being said, let’s see how to easily bulk-convert classic blocks to Gutenberg in WordPress. We will cover 2 methods, and you can use the quick links below to jump to the one you want to use:

Video Tutorial

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If you’d prefer written instructions, then just keep reading.

Method 1: Convert Classic Block to Gutenberg Using Default Settings

If you want to convert a single post or page from the Classic block into individual blocks, then this method is for you.

First, you need to edit the post and page where you want to convert the blocks. You can do this by heading to the Posts » All Posts page in your WordPress dashboard and then clicking on the ‘Edit (block editor)’ link under the post.

This will open your post in the Gutenberg editor. From here, simply click on the ‘Convert to blocks’ button in the toolbar at the top of the Classic block.

Click the Convert to block button

The Classic block will now be converted into individual Gutenberg blocks.

You can now also access all the block settings for individual blocks from the right column. If you cannot see this panel, then click on the gear icon at the top right of the editor.

Access block settings

Once you are done, don’t forget to click the ‘Update’ button to save your changes.

Method 2: Bulk Convert Classic Block into Gutenberg Blocks

If you want to easily convert the Classic block into Gutenberg blocks for all the old posts and pages immediately, then this method is for you.

Important: Make sure to create a complete WordPress backup of your site before using this method because you cannot undo the block conversion once it’s completed.

First, you need to install and activate the Convert to Blocks plugin. For more instructions, please see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

The plugin works out of the box and automatically bulk-converts any Classic blocks into Gutenberg blocks once it’s been activated.

All you need to do is simply edit a post or page that was written using the classic editor.

You will now notice that the Classic block has been converted into individual blocks.

Use a plugin to convert classic blocks to gutenberg

Remember that the bulk conversion will not affect the layout of your posts on the front end, so the posts will look the same on your WordPress website.

This is how the same post looked on our demo site after converting it from Classic to individual blocks.

Preiveiw of a post

Bonus Tips and Tricks to Use the Block Editor

Now that you are using the block editor on your WordPress site, you can access some great features that are unavailable in the classic editor.

For example, you can use the group and column blocks to group different elements together like images, headings, and paragraphs.

You can create visually appealing layouts for your pages and posts with it. For details, you can see our tutorial on how to change block width and height in WordPress

Configure the block settings of the Group block

Similarly, you can use the ‘Embed’ block to insert content from third-party sources like YouTube, Discord, Twitter, and Facebook.

You can even use the Cover block to seamlessly integrate text and media content within a single block.

Change the Cover block height

Other than that, you can also add functionalities like tables, buttons, separators, nested blocks, and more to your content.

For details, you can see our step-by-step guide on how to use the WordPress block editor.

We hope this article helped you learn how to bulk convert classic blocks into Gutenberg blocks in WordPress. You may also want to see our beginner’s guide to WordPress SEO and our top picks for the best contact form plugins.

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Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi with over 16 years of experience in WordPress, Web Hosting, eCommerce, SEO, and Marketing. Started in 2009, WPBeginner is now the largest free WordPress resource site in the industry and is often referred to as the Wikipedia for WordPress.

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11 CommentsLeave a Reply

  1. Syed Balkhi says

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  2. Susan Taunton says

    I understand shortcodes, which you covered in this article, will need special attention. But other than shortcodes – after conversion to Blocks, will old posts, which had been created using a lot of html and css, appear exactly as they had appeared prior to conversion to Blocks?

  3. Lauren Cantoni says

    The convert to blocks button isn’t working – I click on it and nothing happens. Any ideas for troubleshooting this? Thanks!

    • WPBeginner Support says

      If you’re using the plugin, we would recommend reaching out to the plugin’s support. If you are manually doing this, you would want to try disabling your plugins in case it is due to a plugin conflict.

      Admin

  4. Aryane says

    Thank you SO MUCH for this! I was converting posts one by one and it was driving me crazy. Luckily I thought of googling how to do it by batches. This is life saving! :)

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