Even with the world’s largest share in content management systems, WordPress is still making frequent strides to stay the leader in website-building platforms. Since 2003, WordPress has made continuous upgrades to their system, with regular bi-yearly updates as of late. Now, they are preparing to launch a major overhaul, also known as the introduction of the Gutenberg Editor.

Johannes Gutenberg first introduced the world to the printing press around 1440. With thousands of improvements in printing and publishing over the last 500 years, he is still one of the most renowned inventors. The new editor feature in WordPress that is changing the websites are built is aptly given his namesake.

The new editing tool, the Gutenberg Editor allows you to seamlessly build new website content with blocks, aka “your new best friends” according to WordPress. Blocks allow you to insert photos, media, and written content and then easily rearrange the components of your webpage as you see fit or your needs change. 

The best part? The Gutenberg Editor is not just for the ultra tech-savvy. You don’t need to be a code expert to navigate the changes. At Beach City Design we teach our clients how to maintain their own website, so knowing how to use the Gutenberg editor will help in the long-term website management.  The blocks allow you to easily add block quotes, cover photos, columns, lists, buttons, and more. You can easily drag and drop content onto your page and change it as your site continues to grow. Plus, in some of these instances, it limits the need for html code or a third-party plugin.

The new system is also very text-friendly. It provides a much larger writing screen. Plus, the entire right sidebar can be taken out to reduce clutter and make adding content to pages even easier when you are on the go and want to use your cell phone for updating your page.

Want to test it out? You can access the Gutenberg editor as a plugin currently or try it out on one of the test pages, such as the Frontenberg website. The test site allows you to play with the functionality of the new system without any major downloads to get acquainted with the processes.

Currently, the Gutenberg Editor is available as a plugin but WordPress will still use the classic editor as default and you must select to open posts with the Gutenberg Editor. However, it is slated to be included with the 5.0 version of WordPress, scheduled for a tentative release date of November 19. Once you update, the new editor will become the default. However, if you choose, you can still optimize the classic editor as a plugin for your page.

All in all, the Gutenberg Editor should make adding and removing content from your website easier, as well as make it easier to write blogs without too many distractions. While the transition period could be difficult for some, the long run should be better for all.