A Complete Guide on WordPress Gutenberg Block Editor: Simplifying Content Creation

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WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world, and Gutenberg block editor is its default and more advanced block editor.

The WordPress Gutenberg block editor is a revolutionary new editing experience for WordPress. It is a powerful tool that makes creating and editing content easier and more efficient than ever before.

In this blog post, we will discuss everything you need to know about the Gutenberg block editor, from its features to how to use it.

And at the end, we shall discuss and determine which one would be the preferred option for you, between using a popular third party webpage builder or the default Gutenberg editor.

So, let’s drive in…

What is Gutenberg on WordPress?

WordPress Gutenberg is a default editor for WordPress that is designed to make it easier to create and format content. It is named after the inventor of the printing press, Johannes Gutenberg.

The Gutenberg editor is a block-based editor, which means that each piece of content is placed in its own block.

This makes it easier to rearrange and format your content, as well as add media such as images and videos.

According to the developers’ description:

“Gutenberg” is a codename for a whole new paradigm for creating with WordPress, that aims to revolutionise the entire publishing experience as much as Johannes Gutenberg did the printed word. The project is following a four-phase process that will touch on major pieces of WordPress — Editing, Customisation, Collaboration, and Multilingual.
Following the introduction of post block editing in December 2018, Gutenberg later introduced full site editing (FSE) in 2021, which shipped with WordPress 5.9 in early 2022.

In December 2018, WordPress 5.0 initially integrated Gutenberg. One of the advantages of Gutenberg is that it makes it easier to create responsive content.

With the traditional WordPress editor, you would need to add different codes for each device you wanted your content to be displayed on.

With Gutenberg, you can simply add a block, and the editor will automatically format the content for you.

Overview of WordPress Gutenberg features

Gutenberg is a powerful content editor for WordPress that allows you to create rich posts and pages with a wide range of content blocks.

Blocks can be used to add different types of content to your post, such as text, images, video, quotes, and more.

With Gutenberg, you can easily move content around and rearrange your post layout without having to edit any code.

Gutenberg also makes it easy to create custom content blocks. You can create a block using any HTML, CSS, or JavaScript.

This flexibility gives you complete control over the look and feel of your content. You can also extend Gutenberg by installing plugins that add new blocks or functionality.

Overall, Gutenberg is a powerful tool that can help you create beautiful posts and pages. It’s easy to use and offers a lot of flexibility, making it a great choice for WordPress users.

Let’s have a look at the Gutenberg editor.

This is the WordPress block editor: Gutenberg interface. Here,

(A) – Enables the addition of new blocks.

(B) – Undo/redo buttons for undoing and redoing things.

(D) – Provides access to document options, including categories and tags, featured photos, and so on. This is comparable to the current sidebar in the WordPress editor.

(E) – When you pick an individual block, this allows you access to block-specific options.

(F) – Allows you to get a live preview of your post or publish/update your post.

(G) – After you’ve added some blocks, here is where you’ll really interact with the content of your post.

And if you click on the plus icon in the top right corner (shown as “A” in the above image), you will see different types of blocks.

Text – Elements such as paragraphs, headers, lists, quotations, and so on.
Media – Insert photos, galleries, movies, audio files, and other media.
Design – Add buttons, columns, sections, spacers, and other elements.
Widgets – WordPress widgets for example a category list or a list of your most recent posts.
Embeds – This allow you to include material from third-party websites such as Twitter, YouTube, Spotify, and Vimeo.

You can learn more about the editor function and how to use the Gutenberg editor from here.

Benefits of WordPress Gutenberg

1. Improved user experience

The WordPress block editor Gutenberg has improved the user experience by making it easier to create and edit content.

The editor provides a more intuitive interface and allows users to easily add and rearrange blocks of content. This makes it more user-friendly and efficient, especially for those who are new to WordPress.

Compared to the previous WordPress editor, also known as the Classic WordPress editor, Gutenberg is a lot more user-friendly and easier to use.

Additionally, the block editor Gutenberg has also made it possible to create more sophisticated layouts and designs.

Overall, the WordPress block editor Gutenberg has made the user experience much better, making it easier and more fun to make content.

2. Ability to customise content

The WordPress block editor, Gutenberg, allows for a high degree of customisation when it comes to creating content. It allows you to customise your content in a variety of ways.

You can add, remove, and rearrange blocks of content to create custom layouts that suit your needs.

Gutenberg also provides a variety of options for customising the appearance of your content, such as changing the font size, colour, and background.

With Gutenberg, you can create customised content that is truly unique to your website.

This makes Gutenberg an incredibly powerful tool for creating custom content and gives users a great deal of control over how their content looks and functions.

3. Enhanced media capabilities

The WordPress block editor has enhanced media capabilities that make it easier to add and manage media content on your website.

With Gutenberg, you can now preview media files before adding them to your page or post, and easily edit media files within the editor.

Additionally, Gutenberg makes it easier to add captioning and alt text to images and provides new options for managing video and audio files.

You can also embed media content from other sites, such as YouTube and Vimeo. In addition, Gutenberg provides a handy drag-and-drop interface for adding media content to your posts and pages.

Challenges with WordPress Gutenberg

1. Learning curve issue

One of the biggest challenges with WordPress Gutenberg is the learning curve. It can be difficult to learn how to use all the features and options available, and even more difficult to find resources that can help.

The Gutenberg editor is typically very user-friendly. If you are unfamiliar with or used to the classic WordPress editor, this block editor system may be overwhelming at first.

However, in my experience, I don’t believe you’ll have any problems using such a good editor.

There are a few ways to overcome this challenge, though. First, try to find someone who is already using Gutenberg and can show you the ropes. Second, take advantage of online resources, such as tutorials and how-tos.

Finally, be patient and keep at it – the more you use Gutenberg, the easier it will become.

2. Compatibility with existing themes and plugins

One of the challenges with WordPress Gutenberg is compatibility with existing themes and plugins.

While the new Gutenberg editor for WordPress is a vast improvement over the old editor, you may still find some compatibility issues with many existing themes and plugins.

This is because most plugins were not designed with Gutenberg in mind and thus are not compatible with the new editor.

This can cause some frustrating problems for users who are trying to use both Gutenberg and their favourite plugins.

Overall, the compatibility issue with WordPress Gutenberg is not a deal-breaker, but it is something that users should be aware of.

The Gutenberg project is still under development, and we should start to get more compatible or specialised plugins and themes for the default editor.

3. Performance and Habituation

The new Gutenberg editor can be quite resource-intensive, which can cause performance issues on websites.

This can be a challenge for users who are trying to use the editor on slower or low-powered servers.

Many users reported that the Gutenberg editor’s simple design gives you a better WordPress website speed optimisations compared to Elementor or similar website builders.

With the new Gutenberg editor, it can be difficult to achieve the same level of design and styling as with the classic WordPress editor.

This can be a challenge for developers who are used to coding for the classic WordPress editor.

While Gutenberg is a powerful tool, it can be difficult to use if you’re not familiar with the code.

Should I switch from a paid WordPress website builder to Gutenberg?

Basically, it depends on a number of factors, such as your happiness, your experience, your theme’s demand, etc.

Gutenberg is WordPress’ current and default page builder or editor. Before Gutenberg, there was a classic WordPress editor that was no longer available by default with the current WordPress version.

But many of us use third-party WordPress website builders such as Elementor, Dibi, Beaver Builder, Brizy, Themify, and so on.

If you’re already using a third-party WordPress page builder and are happy with it, there’s no need to switch to Gutenberg.

However, if you’re finding that the builder is lacking in certain areas or if you’re simply curious about Gutenberg, then it might be worth considering a switch.

There are lots of popular and custom WordPress themes that demand the installation of third-party builder plugins in order to increase advanced WordPress website optimisation features and functionalities.

Though you can use that third party page builder or stay in the default WordPress builder and use these themes.

Moreover, the pricing of the popular third-party webpage builders can play an important role in your decision. Because Gutenberg is free, so far.

Gutenberg is the new editor for WordPress, and it’s a major change from the traditional editor.

These third-party builders are popular page builder plugins that allow you to create complex layouts without having to code.

Gutenberg is still relatively new, so it doesn’t have all these advanced features yet. However, it is constantly being updated and improved, so it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Ultimately, the decision of whether to switch from a paid block editor to Gutenberg is up to you.

If you’re not satisfied with the third-party page builder or if you’re curious about Gutenberg, then it might be worth giving it a try.

Be cautious! before trying Gutenberg instead of your paid third-party block editor, because in some cases, this switching can impact your website styles, especially fonts and structure.

However, Gutenberg is very friendly and adaptable in this case, based on what we have experienced so far.

If you are a new user, I would advise you to learn WordPress Gutenberg very well before switching to any third-party page builder. Because Gutenberg is good enough.

Conclusion

Gutenberg is a really helpful and easy-to-use block editor. It is a good, default, and free alternative to Elementor, Beaver Builder, or Divi, etc. third-party plugins.

Gutenberg is still in development and subject to change. We will surely see more advanced Gutenberg functionalities in the future.

If you found this article helpful, please share this blog. And if you have any questions or need WordPress development services, feel free to contact us.

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