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One of the significant screens within WordPress is one you’ll use almost daily. The editing pages are how you create and optimize content for search engines. However, while we have the modern Block Editor today, it’s not the only choice. The WordPress Classic Editor is still available; many users prefer its functionality.
The editor works similarly to a word processor and is extendable. Plus, because the Classic Editor has been a part of WordPress for so long, there’s a familiarity there many users depend on.
In this post, we’ll examine whether you should still use the WordPress Classic Editor for your work and discuss how to reinstall it if you wish to return to it.
Why Do We Still Have the WordPress Classic Editor?
The Block Editor is now a core part of WordPress and is developed almost every month. It is at the forefront of WordPress innovations like Full Site Editing (FSE). Because of this, it’s essential to understand why we still need to discuss the Classic Editor.
The initial reason for the change to the Block Editor was the competition from competing platforms, such as Wix, Squarespace, and Medium. Those editing experiences are modern and slick. Site owners like the User Interface (UI) and what you can do with it to create your site.
However, many (often long-standing) users love the Classic Editor’s functionality as it is. What’s more, there were some initial problems surrounding the development of the Block Editor. Because of this, the WordPress development team decided to offer the Classic Editor as an alternate option for a limited time.
What are the Benefits of the Classic Editor?
Because there is lots of love for the Classic Editor, it’s worth exploring why this is the case. The benefits of the WordPress Classic Editor are similar to the Block Editor:
- The interface is easy to understand and use.
- You can directly format content – ‘in place’ about the rest of your page.
- There are ways to extend the editor to include the functionality you need.
- The UI of a text area and meta boxes works well and keeps the screen full of information yet uncluttered.
However, it’s worth noting that the Classic Editor does not allow you to achieve some things that you can with either a page builder or the Block Editor. For example, building a page layout is almost impossible, and you cannot accurately visualize your content.
How Do You Reinstall the WordPress Classic Editor?
Like many other WordPress elements, you install the Classic Editor through a plugin. It’s one of the more popular downloads from the WordPress Plugin Directory:
To install it, head to the Plugins > Add New screen within WordPress, then search for the Classic Editor:
You may not need to search – it could be on the main screen as a featured plugin. Still, once you find it, click the Install Now button, followed by Activate. When WordPress finishes, you’ll see the active plugin within your list:<
However, you can do a little more to set up the Classic Editor. Head to the Settings > Writing screen, and look at the new display options:
Here, you can choose the default editor that loads for each user and whether users can change it. If you rely on the WordPress Classic Editor and don’t want to change to the Block Editor, you can set things up to match those requirements.
At this point, the Classic Editor will be ready for you to use. You won’t see any difference on the Posts and Pages screens if you decide not to offer an editor choice. However, the user will get a choice on mouseover if the opposite is true:
From here, you can work on your content as you did before. However, remember that the WordPress Classic Editor won’t be around forever, so you may want to plan for a transition at some point.
Should You Still Use the WordPress Classic Editor?
Of course, with two WordPress editors, you might be confused about which one to pick. You may have more choice than this if you use a page builder such as Elementor or Beaver Builder. However, the choice isn’t hard to make.
The WordPress Classic Editor offers flexibility, extendability, and a superb editing experience that fits in alongside WordPress’ other features. In contrast, the Block Editor is receiving the lion’s share of the development time, which aligns with the focus of the platform’s top brass.
As such, we recommend you transition to the WordPress Block Editor as soon as possible. After all, development will end on the Classic Editor in 2022, and your site will be vulnerable to security issues from that point on.
If the worst happens due to a breach, you’ll need time and money to get an expert on the case. While they can resolve the issue, the damage may already be done.
In Conclusion
The WordPress Block Editor is the only way to experience modern developments in the platform. FSE will be the next big step forward for the platform; for that, you’ll need a powerful, contemporary, and flexible editor.
However, many users love the WordPress Classic Editor, too. It still offers the same functionality, extendability, and more that you expect from WordPress. Despite this, the editor will be no more after 2022. As such, it might be time to say “Goodbye” to WordPress’s first editing experience—although there’s still time to use it if you wish.
Do you still use the WordPress Classic Editor, and will you transition to the Block Editor? Let us know in the comments section below!
