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.

The block editor introduces a modern experience. It makes it easier to create rich layouts without extra plugins or shortcodes.

The update brings exciting possibilities, but it is important to make the transition carefully.

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

We have helped many WordPress users prepare for this shift. A little planning goes a long way. In this guide, we will 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 the block editor has to offer.

Why Test Your WordPress Site Before Updating to Gutenberg?

While modern WordPress themes and plugins are largely compatible with the block editor, testing is the only way to be 100% safe.

Creating a test environment before you switch from the Classic Editor allows you to:

• Detect Incompatibilities: You can find out if any of your older plugins or custom theme features conflict with the block editor.
• Protect Your Live Traffic: You avoid broken layouts or error messages that could drive visitors away.
• Safeguard Revenue: You ensure your contact forms, checkout pages, and advertisements continue working perfectly.
• Practice Risk-Free: You can get comfortable with the new interface without the pressure of editing a live website.

Estimated Testing Timeline

Before you begin, here’s what to expect in terms of time investment:

• Backup Creation: 10-30 minutes (depending on site size)
• Staging Setup: 15-45 minutes (faster with 1-click hosting tools)
• Block Editor Testing: 1-3 hours (test all key pages and functionality)
• Issue Resolution: Variable (contact developers if conflicts found)
• Total Time: 2-5 hours for most WordPress sites

Larger sites with extensive customization may require additional testing time. Plan accordingly and avoid rushing the process.

That being said, let’s check how to test your website for switching to the 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

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. It’s trusted by over 1.5 million active installations and maintains a 4.9/5 rating on WordPress.org.

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.

To create a backup with Duplicator, go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Duplicator » Backups. Then, click ‘Add New’.

This will take you to a new screen, where you need to name your backup and configure storage options for it.

Then, click the ‘Create Backup’ button.

When that is done, download both the ‘Installer’ and ‘Archive’ files to your computer. Store these files in a safe location — you will need them if you need to restore your site. 

For complete instructions, please see our tutorial on how to create a complete backup in WordPress.

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

After you have created a complete backup of your website, you are ready to test. You can now check your website with the block editor safely.

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 means installing your WordPress site on your personal computer. Modern tools like LocalWP (formerly Local by Flywheel) or XAMPP make this easy with one-click WordPress installations.

For Windows users, WAMP is also a solid option, and Mac users can use MAMP (which also works on Windows).

Download and install LocalWP or choose XAMPP, WAMP, or MAMP based on your operating system. Follow the installation wizard to set up the local server environment on your computer.

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

After creating your backup package in Step 1, upload both the Installer and Archive files to your local server’s root directory (usually htdocs for XAMPP or www for WAMP/MAMP).

Then, open your browser and navigate to http://localhost/installer.php. Follow the on-screen prompts to extract the archive and complete the installation.

For detailed instructions, see our guide on how to move WordPress from a local server to a live site (the reverse process works the same way).

Then, on the local site, you can switch to the block editor. You can test all your plugins and themes for compatibility. You can also make changes on the local site and upload them to your live site when you are done.

To do this, create a new Duplicator package on your local site (following the same backup steps from Step 1), then upload the Installer and Archive files to your live server and run the installer.

If you did not need to make changes locally and everything seemed fine, you can update your live site. Before switching the live site, create a fresh backup to ensure you can restore if anything goes wrong.

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.

All major managed WordPress hosting companies – including Bluehost, WP Engine, SiteGround, and Hostinger – 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.

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

There is a chance that a theme or plugin might not work after you switch. Common signs of incompatibility include: broken page layouts, missing content, error messages in the editor, features that no longer appear, or PHP errors displayed on the front end.

If you see any of these issues, this means you still have work to do.

You need to reach out to the theme or plugin developer. Ask them to make it compatible with the block editor.

If you do not get a positive response, you may need to find an alternative theme or plugin.

Alternatively, you can keep using the Classic Editor plugin. This is the best option if you run a content-heavy site with a large team already trained on the classic workflow, or if you rely on legacy plugins that haven’t been updated for block compatibility

Classic Editor is an official WordPress plugin. It allows you to hide the block editor and create content the same way as before.

This is also a good option if you are not ready to switch to the Block Editor yet.

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, the new editor is an exciting change. Most of us are used to working with the old editor. We 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 the block editor. 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
• Beginner’s Guide to Updating 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)
• Ultimate Guide to Selecting and Use Nested Blocks in WordPress
• How to Use Distraction Free Fullscreen Editor in WordPress
• How to Undo Changes in WordPress with Post Revisions
• Beginner’s Guide: How to Use WordPress Block Patterns

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

Frequently Asked Questions About Updating Your Site to Gutenberg

Here are some questions that our readers have frequently asked about updating their WordPress site editor to Gutenberg.

How do I test my WordPress website safely?

To test your WordPress site safely, first create a full backup with a plugin like Duplicator.

Then set up a staging site (or local server using LocalWP, XAMPP, WAMP, or MAMP), switch to the block editor in that test environment, and review all pages and plugins for errors before updating your live site.

Is Gutenberg better than Elementor?

It depends on your specific needs. The Block Editor (Gutenberg) is built directly into WordPress core, which eliminates the need for external page builder code and is better for site performance. 

In our tests, sites using only the Block Editor typically load 20-30% faster than those running Elementor, because there’s no additional plugin overhead. However, Elementor offers more granular design control for complex, custom layouts.

How do I activate the Gutenberg editor in WordPress?

The Block Editor is active by default in all modern WordPress versions. If you do not see it, you likely have the “Classic Editor” plugin active. You simply need to go to Plugins » Installed Plugins and deactivate the Classic Editor.

Why is my block editor not working in WordPress?

This is usually caused by a conflict with an outdated plugin or theme. We recommend temporarily deactivating all plugins to see if the editor loads correctly, then reactivating them one by one to find the specific plugin causing the conflict.

For more information, check out our guide on common WordPress block editor problems and how to fix them.

How do I switch to the block editor?

If you are using the Classic Editor plugin but want to switch, go to Settings » Writing in your dashboard. Under “Default editor for all users,” select “Block Editor” and save your changes.

What happens to my old posts when I switch to Gutenberg?

Your existing posts remain completely intact. When you open an old post in the block editor, WordPress automatically wraps your classic content in a “Classic block.”

You can continue editing it as-is, or convert it to individual blocks using the block converter tool. No content is lost during the switch.

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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