How to Test Your Site for Updating to Gutenberg (Block Editor)

Switching to the WordPress block editor can be a big step if your site has been running smoothly with the classic editor.

Gutenberg introduces a modern, block-based editing experience that makes it easier to create rich layouts without extra plugins or shortcodes.

While the update brings exciting possibilities, it’s important to make the transition carefully.

Testing your site ahead of time helps you avoid surprises, preserve your current design, and ensure everything continues to work as expected.

We’ve helped many WordPress users prepare for this shift, and a little planning really does go a long way. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the exact steps we follow to test a site before enabling the block editor.

This will help you move forward with confidence and make the most of what Gutenberg has to offer.

Why Test Your WordPress Site Before Updating to Gutenberg?

WordPress 5.0 brought a totally new way of creating content with a brand new editor called the block editor or Gutenberg.

It uses blocks, which are content elements that you can move around the editor.

However, some users are still reluctant to update their WordPress websites to the block editor, fearing that something will not work or that Gutenberg may break their website.

Gutenberg was developed over a long period with enough time for theme and plugin developers to make their products Gutenberg-compatible.

All top WordPress plugins are already fully compatible with Gutenberg, and most themes will work without a hiccup.

However, to avoid any conflicts, you may want to test your site with Gutenberg and newer versions of WordPress. This will allow you to find if any of your plugins or themes are incompatible. You can also catch unexpected WordPress errors and fix them before updating your live site.

That being said, now let’s go ahead and check how to test your website for updating to the Gutenberg block editor step-by-step. You can use these quick links to navigate through this tutorial:

• Step 1: Create a Complete Backup of Your Website
• Step 2: Test Your Site on a Local Server or Staging Site
• Step 3: Install the Classic Editor Plugin in Case of Compatibility Issues
• Step 4: Learn More About the Gutenberg Editor

Step 1: Create a Complete Backup of Your Website

You must always create a complete backup of your WordPress website before any major update. Backups protect you against any damage and avoid problems that can happen during the update process.

Keeping regular website backups is important even if you aren’t updating your site because they can save you in emergency situations like malware attacks, hacking, and more.

There are plenty of WordPress backup plugins that you can choose from, but we recommend using Duplicator.

We’ve thoroughly tested it across various WordPress setups, and it has consistently proven to be reliable and user-friendly.

Whether you’re creating manual backups or setting up automated schedules, Duplicator gives you full control and flexibility.

If you’re curious about how it compares to other tools, we’ve also published a hands-on Duplicator review sharing our experience in more detail.

Step 2: Test Your Site on a Local Server or Staging Site

After you have created a complete backup of your website, you are now ready to test your website with the newest version of WordPress and the Gutenberg editor.

There are two common methods to test new updates without actually affecting your live site:

1. Test your website on a local server installed on your computer.
2. Test your website on a staging server.

Both options allow you to test WordPress with the block editor and your existing content, plugins, and themes.

1. Test Your Website on a Local Server

Using a local server simply means installing your WordPress site on your personal computer with software like WAMP or MAMP (for Mac).

In this method, you will first move a copy of your live WordPress site to the local server using a migration plugin like Duplicator.

Then on the local site, you can update to the latest version of WordPress and test out all your plugins/themes for compatibility with the block editor.

You can also make changes on the local site and upload them to your live site when you are done.

If you didn’t need to make any changes to the local site, and everything seemed ok, then you can go ahead and update your live site to the latest version of WordPress.

2. Test Your Website in a Staging Environment

A staging site is a separate development version of your website where you can try out new features.

It’s usually a subdomain of your site that’s restricted from public access. It’s where you can test new updates, themes, and plugins, or use it for all your development. Once you have tested everything necessary, you can then upload it to your live site.

Most top WordPress hosting companies offer 1-click staging site installation from your hosting account.

If your site is hosted with Bluehost, then you will find an option to create a staging site in the Bluehost menu in your WordPress admin dashboard.

You can also create 1-click staging sites on Hostinger, WP Engine, and SiteGround. If you are not using any of these hosting companies, then you should ask your host because they may offer this feature.

If your hosting service doesn’t have a staging site installation feature, then you can still do it manually on your own. Here’s our step-by-step tutorial on how to set up a staging environment in WordPress.

Step 3: Install the Classic Editor Plugin in Case of Compatibility Issues

Now, there’s a chance that a theme or plugin wasn’t working after updating WordPress, which means you still have work to do.

You need to reach out to the theme or plugin developer and ask them to make it compatible with the latest WordPress release.

If you don’t get a positive response, then you need to find an alternative theme or plugin to replace the incompatible ones.

Alternatively, you can also simply disable Gutenberg by installing the Classic Editor plugin on your WordPress site. Doing this will allow you to safely update WordPress while still keeping the classic editor that you are familiar with.

Classic Editor is an official WordPress plugin from WordPress core contributors that allows you to switch back to the classic WordPress editor. With this plugin, you can hide the Gutenberg editor and create content the same way as before.

This is also a good option if you don’t want tp the Gutenberg update.

Step 4: Learn More About the Gutenberg Editor

If you are just starting your first WordPress blog, then you are in luck. You will quickly get used to the awesome new block editor, which is faster, more modern, and incredibly powerful.

On the other hand, if you have been using WordPress for a while, then the new editor is an exciting new experience for you.

Most of us are used to working with the old editor and have set up our workflows around it.

The good news is that you can still do all the things you did in the old editor with Gutenberg.

To help you learn new features, we have created these articles:

• How to Use the WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg Tutorial)
• How to Bulk Convert Classic Blocks to Gutenberg in WordPress
• How to Update Your Old WordPress Posts with Gutenberg Block Editor
• How to Add a New Post in WordPress and Utilize All Features
• How to Add and Align Images in WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg)
• How to Select and Use Nested Blocks in WordPress
• Beginner’s Guide: How to Use WordPress Block Patterns
• How to Use Distraction Free Fullscreen Editor in WordPress
• How to Undo Changes in WordPress with Post Revisions

You can also see our complete guide on the Full Site Editor, which is like the block editor but for editing your WordPress themes.

We hope this article helped you learn how to test your WordPress site for updating to the block editor. You may also like to see how to fix common block editor problems, and our expert picks for the best Gutenberg block plugins.

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