3 Main Procedures to Activate WordPress Gutenberg Editor

Gutenberg Editor, also known as Block Editor, the primary way to edit WordPress posts and pages, doesn’t always activate by default. This situation is rare, though. It’s caused by a conflict with third-party plugins and themes in nearly all cases. Moreover, incompatibility with files on your WordPress website can be the culprit. However, solving the problem is crucial after WordPress 5.0 introduced it. That’s because the Classic Editor plugin support could end in 2022 (at the earliest), making it a de facto editor, regardless of which users prefer. With all that said, it’s time we show you how to activate Gutenberg Editor in WordPress. Let’s dig in.

1. Update WordPress to 5.0 or later to enable Gutenberg Editor

This is a rational solution based on what we pointed out above and is predominant with staging websites and those on localhost. Though it should go without saying, updating your version of WordPress 5.0 will automatically turn Gutenberg Editor on. In fact, unless you do, you’ll never get this block editor to work as you lack the foundation. To check, simply take a peek in the bottom right corner while in the WordPress Admin section, to see the “Version X.X.X” displayed.

If you thought about installing a plugin instead of updating, think again. No third party will spend time recreating a default, free, community-powered editor used by the majority of websites that utilize WordPress. We know how difficult it is to move on from something familiar, especially if you’ve used classic editor for years. However, there’s simply no other way to activate the block editor, i.e., Gutenberg Editor.

2. Activate Gutenberg Editor within WordPress via various plugins

Having the Classic Editor plugin installed would explain all the woes you’ve had trying to turn Gutenberg Editor on. We’re referring to Classic Editor by WordPress Contributors, the official WordPress plugin released in parallel with Gutenberg Editor. It is dedicated to people who are slow adopters or simply dislike it or don’t need all its functionalities. By default, the plugin will hide all the perks of the block editor, as well as:

Let admins set the default editor for each user or user role
Let each user decide which editor to use
Permit users to choose the default editor for each post
Allow editors to switch from Classic to Block editor in two clicks

Therefore, you have two options. Or, if that isn’t your case, we covered two similar plugin-related situations.

1. Deactivate Classic Editor

If you decide to fully transition to block editor and have gotten the okay from all user roles, you can simply disable or delete Classic Editor. This would remove all the limitations and make Gutenberg the one and only editor in one fell swoop. If that prompt solution suits you, do the following:

Access your WordPress Admin dashboard.
In the sidebar on the left-hand side, click on Plugins.
Select Installed Plugins below.
Find Classic Editor on the list or search for it.
Hover over its name and click on Deactivate in the list of options below.
Go to your posts and pages and check if they exclusively open in Gutenberg.

Configure Writing Settings (Alternative)

If you want a less radical approach that can still turn on block editor for everyone or only certain users, you can utilize Writing Settings, a part of the WordPress Admin section. Follow these short steps to activate opening posts or pages in Gutenberg Editor within WordPress:

Open your WordPress Admin section.
Go to Settings in the left sidebar.
If you have Classic Editor enabled, you’ll see an option titled “Default editor for all users”. Select Block Editor by clicking the empty circle in front.
If you want to keep the option open for others, make sure you put “Allow users to switch editors” to Yes. Configure which user role can do so from now on.
Click the Save Changes button at the bottom.

2. Check if you have a Gutenberg manager plugin

Plugins for managing Gutenberg are outdated nowadays, as they were replaced by an officially supported solution that’s straightforward, as you can see above. However, some users forgot to deactivate or delete them or chose to rely on them out of habit and carelessness. If the creators didn’t release any recent updates, we really can’t propose you use them to manage Gutenberg’s functionality. Thus, we suggest you turn them off at once. If you still need their benefits, opt for Classic Editor with settings we pointed out a moment ago.

3. Deactivate or delete Gutenberg disabling plugin

Another popular options fans of TinyMCE Advanced and Classic Editor enjoy are unofficial plugins that outright disable Gutenberg across the board, for everyone, hiding all associations. Consequently, unless you tweak their options, disable them, or erase them from your WordPress website, there won’t even be a mention of Gutenberg Editor. Double-check a plugin like that isn’t enabled before you waste time on other methods.

3. Activate Gutenberg Editor for incompatible posts or pages in WordPress

We often hear people complain Block Editor doesn’t work on some pages or posts on their website. This is far from unheard of, and, in most cases, has these causes:

The page builder you’re using is discordant with WordPress Block Editor
The active theme on your website has a page editor without support for Gutenberg
There’s a conflict with a theme or plugin due to a bug or poor coding
You’re editing a custom post type without a proper argument, precisely support for REST API

There isn’t a solution that covers all these problems at once, except looking for alternatives or contacting the developers. We can also write a separate article on activating WordPress Gutenberg Editor for custom post types. For now, here’s a common example:

You have a custom post type, for instance, Portfolio. We’ll leave out any details yours has for conciseness. Your code must have the following registration argument (in functions.php inside your theme’s folder):

function prefix_register_book_post_type() {
    $labels = [
        // skipped for shortness
    ];
 
    $args = [
        'labels'             => $labels,
        'show_in_rest'       => true, // This lets the post use Gutenberg Editor
    ];
 
    register_post_type( 'book', $args );
}

If adding the show_in_rest argument doesn’t work, you have to add: 'supports' => array('editor'), to a row above or below.

How to Activate Gutenberg Editor in WordPress