The WordPress Classic Editor & How to Use It

There’s a war going on right under our noses. For a while now, we’ve been mere pawns in the battle between WordPress’ Block Editor and the Classic Editor. The question is: Why?

In the real world, comment sections are less of a battle than Twitter feeds, and Twitter feeds will have you thinking. Still, in some situations, the Classic Editor is a viable solution over the Block Editor.

Given this, we’ll examine the WordPress Classic Editor and explain why you should use it. We’ll also explain how to install and use it—it’s straightforward.

Introducing the WordPress Classic Editor

The WordPress Classic Editor is no new solution for working on a post or page. It has been a staple of WordPress since its beginning.

WordPress is based on the open-source TinyMCE editor and includes a text area and several formatting tools. However, its most important aspect is that it’s customizable.

As such, it stuck around for a long time despite being less of a ‘looker’ than it once was. For the Classic Editor’s benefits, its visuals paled compared to more modern editors. Medium, Wix, and Squarespace offered editors better equipped to create content.

Even so, the Classic Editor’s functionality has seen it develop a fervent fan base. Despite removing it from WordPress, there were so many calls for its return that you can now use a plugin version. Let’s find out why it’s ideal for some types of sites.

Why You Would Want to Use the WordPress Classic Editor

We’re going out on a limb here to say if you’re setting up a new site, there’s no need to use the WordPress Classic Editor. A couple of years ago, there would have been an argument to make this decision regardless. However, the functionality of the Block Editor has improved since then.

As such, the Block Editor is now a first-choice tool rather than a supporting ‘goodwill’ install. Even so, it won’t be the best case for all applications. Here is a list of a few use cases:

• For a long-term site, there may be functionality that the Block Editor does not yet support.
• You could use a page builder for your layout and content, so you do not need the Block Editor.
• If you’re a developer, your clients may only need the Classic Editor’s functionality.

In our opinion, none of the above is a nailed-on reason for using the Classic Editor. Even using a page builder will be less of a concern over the next year or so, as Full Site Editing (FSE) is on its way. This significant phase will look to offer parity with the likes of Elementor and Beaver Builder.

Using the WordPress Block Editor

As you might expect, the Block Editor is our preferred way to create content for WordPress. The functionality not yet present in the editor is still found elsewhere. At present, there are a few drawbacks to writing. Here’s why it should be on your radar:

• It’s the ‘official’ way to create WordPress content compatible with the entire Content Management System (CMS).
• More developers have joined the project, meaning more compatible products and better updates for the core code.
• The future of the Block Editor is FSE. This means it will be more competitive with third-party page builders.

Even given the above, the Classic Editor still has a place. It’s simple and helpful if you or your clients want to use a familiar editor temporarily.

How to Install the WordPress Classic Editor

The good news is that installing the WordPress Classic Editor is straightforward. In fact, the process is much like other plugins. Here’s a quick recap.

Open the Plugins > Add New screen in your WordPress dashboard. The plugin is often displayed on this page, along with some other ‘essential’ plugins.

If you don’t see the plugin displayed here, you can use the Search Plugins… box to find it. Once you’re ready, click the Install Now button and wait for WordPress to do its thing.

When the button changes to Activate, click it and wait a few more seconds. At this point, the WordPress Classic Editor plugin is ready to use.

How to Use the WordPress Classic Editor

The first task is to change the Classic Editor’s settings to match your needs. To do this, head to the Settings > Writing page of the WordPress dashboard:

There are two options: one for setting a default editor and another for letting the user switch editor. Your choices here will be personal preference. Once you’ve made your changes, save them and head to the Posts and Pages screen. Here, pick a post and take a look at the editing screen.

If you choose not to let users switch, you’ll come to the old TinyMCE Editor and can continue as normal. However, if you give your users a choice of editor, hovering over a post or page entry will display a menu of options. This includes choosing the WordPress Classic Editor:

Note that you can also switch the editor from inside the post. The sidebar meta boxes offer the option you need:

If you don’t want to use the Classic Editor anymore, uninstall it without impacting your content. In posts or pages that used the Classic Editor, you’ll see content displayed in a Classic Block:

Using the Convert to Blocks option, you can quickly switch your content to the Block Editor.

In Summary

Almost by popular demand, WordPress has two editors. Although the Block Editor offers a modern way to create content, many users love the old editor too. As such, the WordPress Classic Editor has a stay of execution. Until then, it still offers a viable way to create content that’s familiar to boot.

Even better, installing it takes seconds, as you’ll use a plugin. It gives you the TinyMCE editor and several options to improve the experience.

Does the WordPress Classic Editor draw your attention, and if so, how does it beat other editors? Let us know in the comments section below!

Author Bio: Tom Rankin is a quality content writer for WordPress, tech, and small businesses. When he’s not putting his fingers to the keyboard, he can take photographs, write music, play computer games, and talk in the third person.