{"id":931,"date":"2022-09-12T18:33:05","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T18:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glossary.dream.press\/glossary\/%group%\/gutenberg\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T08:13:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T08:13:04","slug":"gutenberg","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/glossary.dream.press\/glossary\/wordpress\/gutenberg\/","title":{"rendered":"Gutenberg"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gutenberg, or the Block Editor, replaced the Classic Editor as the default WordPress editor in <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/news\/2018\/12\/bebo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WordPress 5.0<\/a>, released December 6, 2018. Instead of the Classic Editor\u2019s single <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/glossary\/wordpress\/visual-editor\/\">WYSIWYG editing area<\/a>, the Block Editor uses a \u201cblock\u201d system: blocks are pre-built elements you can move around a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/glossary\/wordpress\/page-post-type\/\">page<\/a> and customize using pre-set options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019ve used <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/glossary\/hosting\/website-builder\/\">website builder<\/a> software before, the Block Editor will feel familiar. WordPress 5.0 shipped with blocks for paragraphs, headings, quotes, images, galleries, covers, columns, buttons, and embeds, and you can add more with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/glossary\/wordpress\/plugin\/\">plugins<\/a>. The same block system also powers the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/glossary\/wordpress\/full-site-editor\/\">Full-Site Editor<\/a>, which extends blocks to headers, footers, and templates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Gutenberg release timeline<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gutenberg came out on December 6, 2018, when WordPress 5.0 made the block editor the default WordPress editor. Every WordPress version after 5.0 has included stable features from the Gutenberg plugin, so the editor keeps improving with each core release: full-site editing, for example, shipped with WordPress 5.9 in early 2022. If your site runs WordPress 5.0 or newer, you already have Gutenberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gutenberg vs. the Classic Editor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 2 editors handle layout differently:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/glossary\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/classic-editor-vs-gutenberg-block-editor-structure-dreamops-6dcf80f776030c0b46ec89de.webp\" alt=\"Side-by-side comparison of the two WordPress editors: the Classic Editor is one continuous text field, while the Gutenberg block editor builds the same page from separate movable blocks \u2014 heading, paragraph, image, columns, and button \u2014 each of which can be rearranged and styled on its own.\" class=\"wp-image-11764 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/glossary.dream.press\/glossary\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/classic-editor-vs-gutenberg-block-editor-structure-dreamops-6dcf80f776030c0b46ec89de.webp 1536w, https:\/\/glossary.dream.press\/glossary\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/classic-editor-vs-gutenberg-block-editor-structure-dreamops-6dcf80f776030c0b46ec89de-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/glossary.dream.press\/glossary\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/classic-editor-vs-gutenberg-block-editor-structure-dreamops-6dcf80f776030c0b46ec89de-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/glossary.dream.press\/glossary\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/classic-editor-vs-gutenberg-block-editor-structure-dreamops-6dcf80f776030c0b46ec89de-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/glossary.dream.press\/glossary\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/classic-editor-vs-gutenberg-block-editor-structure-dreamops-6dcf80f776030c0b46ec89de-600x400.webp 600w, https:\/\/glossary.dream.press\/glossary\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/classic-editor-vs-gutenberg-block-editor-structure-dreamops-6dcf80f776030c0b46ec89de-1200x800.webp 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1536px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1536\/1024;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Classic Editor:<\/strong> one rich-text field. Anything beyond formatted text, like columns or buttons, meant shortcodes, custom HTML, or theme templates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Block Editor:<\/strong> every paragraph, image, and button is its own movable, individually styled block, with no shortcode workarounds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Staying classic is mostly a plugin-compatibility decision now. WordPress\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/developer.wordpress.org\/block-editor\/how-to-guides\/metabox\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">developer documentation<\/a> says the block editor supports most existing meta boxes (the custom panels plugins add to the edit screen), but plugins that extend the old Edit Post screen or otherwise depend on the previous editor still need the Classic Editor. If that might be you, test before committing: activate the Classic Editor plugin, allow users to switch editors, and open your most complex post in both to confirm every plugin panel appears and saves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is Gutenberg a plugin or part of WordPress?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both. The block editor has shipped inside WordPress core since 5.0, so there\u2019s nothing to install. The separate <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/gutenberg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gutenberg plugin<\/a> is a beta channel where new features are tested before they merge into a core release. Skip it unless you like experimental software; stable features reach you through normal WordPress updates. Both are free and open source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The four phases of the Gutenberg project<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The block editor was only the first step. The <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/about\/roadmap\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WordPress roadmap<\/a> describes Gutenberg as a long-term reimagining of how content is created and managed on the web, in 4 phases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Easier editing:<\/strong> the block editor, the WordPress default since version 5.0.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Customization:<\/strong> block themes and full-site editing, which shipped with WordPress 5.9 in early 2022 and culminated in the WordPress 6.3 Site Editor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Collaboration:<\/strong> real-time co-authoring and smoother publishing workflows. This phase is underway now, with WordPress 7.0 advancing it in 2026.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Multilingual:<\/strong> built-in support for multilingual sites, still ahead.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a deeper look at where block editing is headed, see our post on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/the-future-of-wordpress\/\">the future of WordPress<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to disable Gutenberg<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Install the <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/classic-editor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Classic Editor plugin<\/a>, an official plugin maintained by the WordPress team. It restores the previous editor and the old Edit Post screen, lets administrators pick the default editor for every user, and is still actively updated: version 1.7.0 added a compatibility fix for WordPress 7.0. One hard limit: it doesn\u2019t work with block themes, because block themes are built from blocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gutenberg vs. page builders<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use Gutenberg by default: it ships with WordPress core, so there\u2019s no extra plugin to maintain, and it generally creates less lock-in than a page-builder plugin. It isn\u2019t lock-in-free, though. Switching themes can change how your blocks are presented, and removing a plugin that supplied custom blocks can leave unsupported block markup or missing features behind. Consider a third-party page builder when you need design control beyond what blocks and block patterns offer, and you\u2019re willing to maintain the extra plugin. Still weighing platforms? Compare <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/website-builders\/\">other website builders<\/a> before you commit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"What is Gutenberg in WordPress? %%sep%% %%sitename%%","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"What is Gutenberg in WordPress? Learn how the block editor works, the project's four phases, and how to disable it with the Classic Editor plugin.","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":""},"group":[18],"class_list":["post-931","glossary","type-glossary","status-publish","hentry","group-wordpress"],"acf":{"cta":"Managed WP Hosting","faqs":[{"question":"Why is it called Gutenberg?","answer":"It's named after Johannes Gutenberg, who invented the movable-type printing press. WordPress.org says the project aims to \"revolutionize the entire publishing experience as much as Johannes Gutenberg did the printed word.\" Blocks are the movable type: standard pieces you rearrange to build a page."},{"question":"Does Gutenberg work with my existing theme?","answer":"Yes. Classic (non-block) themes work with the block editor for posts and pages. Block themes go further and enable full-site editing, so you edit navigation and templates as blocks. If you rely on the Classic Editor plugin, stick with a classic theme; it can't be used with block themes."},{"question":"Is Gutenberg still being developed?","answer":"Actively. The WordPress roadmap's 2026 goal is 3 major releases, with WordPress 7.0 advancing collaboration features, client-side media handling, and expanded block tools. WordPress 7.1 is projected for August 19, 2026, and 7.2 for December 10, 2026; WordPress labels these dates rough planning projections."}],"term_definition":"Gutenberg is the codename for the WordPress project that replaced the Classic Editor with the block editor in WordPress 5.0, released in December 2018. It builds posts and pages from movable, individually customizable blocks. In everyday usage, Gutenberg often means the block editor, although the project also includes site editing, collaboration features now underway, and planned multilingual support.","h2_more":"More About Gutenberg","title_tag":"What is Gutenberg in WordPress?"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is Gutenberg in WordPress? - DreamHost Glossary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is Gutenberg in WordPress? 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