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To switch back, install and activate the official Classic Editor plugin, then open Settings → Writing, select Classic Editor as the default, and save. You can optionally let individual users switch between the Classic and Block editors. This restores the classic post-editing screen, but it does not turn a block theme’s Site Editor or templates into the old interface.

What the Classic Editor plugin actually changes

The WordPress-maintained plugin describes itself as “an official WordPress plugin that restores the previous (‘classic’) WordPress editor and the ‘Edit Post’ screen.” In practical terms, it changes the editor used for eligible posts and pages. It does not roll WordPress back to an earlier version, remove every block feature from the site, or automatically convert all existing content into old-style markup.

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  • Post and page editing: the configured content types can open in the classic editing screen instead of the Block Editor.
  • Editor choice: administrators can set Classic Editor or Block Editor as the site default.
  • Mixed workflows: an option allows users to choose their preferred editor, and eligible posts can expose links to switch editors.
  • Site design: templates, styles, navigation, and other Full Site Editing controls remain block-based when the site uses a block theme.
  • Widgets: the post-editor setting does not by itself restore the old Widgets screen.

That distinction matters before you change a production site. If the problem is specifically the writing screen, Classic Editor is the focused solution. If the requirement is to restore old widgets or the entire site-design workflow, those are separate decisions.

Check the site before changing the editor

Identify the theme type

Look at whether the site uses a traditional theme or a block theme with Full Site Editing. A traditional theme generally separates post editing from its older customizer and widget screens. A block theme uses blocks for templates and site-wide design. Classic Editor can address eligible post or page editing, but it cannot replace the block-based Site Editor that controls a block theme’s templates, styles, header, footer, or navigation.

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Decide whether everyone should use one editor

For a publication team that needs one predictable workflow, use Classic Editor as the default and leave editor switching disabled. If some authors need blocks while others need the classic screen, enable switching instead. This is a workflow choice, not a conversion of one format into the other.

Make a recovery plan

Take a current backup of the database and files before changing editor behavior on a live site. Test the change with a non-critical post or on a staging copy when possible. Switching the interface is normally reversible by changing the setting or deactivating the plugin, but content changes made in either editor may not be reversible simply by changing the default back.

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Install and activate Classic Editor

  1. Sign in to the WordPress administration dashboard with an account that can manage plugins.
  2. Open Plugins → Add New.
  3. Search for Classic Editor. Select the plugin published by WordPress.org; verify the name and publisher before installing.
  4. Choose Install Now, wait for the installation to finish, and select Activate.
  5. Open Settings → Writing. The Classic Editor options appear there after activation.

Activation alone does not necessarily establish the workflow you want. The default-editor and user-switching choices are made on the Writing settings screen.

Set Classic Editor as the site default

  1. In Settings → Writing, find the setting for the default editor for all users.
  2. Select Classic Editor.
  3. Choose whether users may switch editors.
  4. Click Save Changes.
  5. Open a post or page from the dashboard and confirm that the classic editing screen loads.

With switching disabled, the site presents the configured default as the normal editing route. This is the simplest setup for teams that want every author to use the same screen.

Let selected users switch between Classic and Block editing

Enable the plugin’s option to allow users to switch editors when the site needs a mixed workflow. The setting is available alongside the default-editor choice under Settings → Writing.

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How the choice works

  • A user can choose an editor from the user profile when the switching option is enabled.
  • Eligible posts can show an action such as Switch to classic editor or Switch to block editor.
  • The selected editor can therefore be controlled at the user or post level rather than forcing one screen for everyone.

Use this mode deliberately. A team should agree which editor owns a particular post, especially when a post contains blocks, shortcodes, custom fields, or layout-dependent content. Switching the screen does not guarantee that every visual arrangement will appear identically in both editors.

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What happens to existing posts and pages

Changing the default editor is a configuration change; converting content is a separate editorial task. Existing posts can contain block markup even after Classic Editor becomes the default. Do not assume that installing the plugin will transform every block into classic paragraphs, shortcodes, or other old-style markup.

Posts that were created with blocks

Handle a block-based post carefully before saving it in a different editing mode. Make a backup or duplicate, open the post in the editor that represents its current structure, and check the rendered result after any change. Complex columns, galleries, embeds, reusable patterns, and other block layouts may require manual editing if you want a classic equivalent.

Posts that already use classic content

These generally fit the Classic Editor workflow more naturally, but still verify custom fields, shortcodes, metaboxes, and theme-specific features after activation. A plugin can restore the editing screen without knowing how every other plugin stores or renders content.

Do not use editor switching as a conversion shortcut

If the goal is to remove block markup from old posts, plan that as a controlled content migration. Work on copies, inspect the front end, and keep the original until the converted version has been approved. The Classic Editor setting alone does not promise a perfect translation.

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Block themes and Full Site Editing: know the limit

The official Classic Editor guidance states that the plugin does not work with Full Site Editing and block themes because those themes rely on blocks. The practical interpretation is scope rather than an all-or-nothing site failure:

  • You may still need to decide how eligible post and page content should be edited.
  • The plugin does not restore the old interface for editing block-theme templates or the Site Editor.
  • Header, footer, template parts, styles, navigation, and other design controls remain part of the block workflow.
  • A site cannot be made fully “classic” merely by selecting Classic Editor in the Writing settings.

If your requirement is an old-style post screen on a traditional theme, Classic Editor is a direct fit. If your requirement is to remove Full Site Editing from a block theme, changing the editor setting does not accomplish that; the theme itself is the limiting factor.

Restore the old Widgets screen separately

Widgets are independent of the post editor. Restoring Classic Editor does not automatically disable the Widgets Block Editor. WordPress documents separate ways to handle widgets:

  • Activate the Classic Widgets plugin.
  • Remove the theme’s widgets-block-editor support, where the theme’s implementation permits that change.
  • Use the use_widgets_block_editor filter and return false.

A developer can add the filter in a site-specific plugin or another maintainable code location:

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add_filter( 'use_widgets_block_editor', '__return_false' );

Use one maintainable method, test it with the active theme, and avoid editing a parent theme directly. Widget behavior can still be constrained by a block theme, so restoring the old widget screen does not turn block-theme templates into classic templates.

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Classic Editor, Disable Gutenberg, and Classic Widgets compared

These tools solve different problems. Choosing one narrowly is safer than installing several plugins that all attempt to replace Gutenberg.

Approach Primary scope Editor control Block-theme or Site Editor effect Widgets Important caution
Classic Editor Restores the classic post-editing screen Site default, with optional per-user and per-post switching Does not replace Full Site Editing or block-theme templates Not included Use it as the single post-editor replacement rather than alongside another plugin that disables Gutenberg
Disable Gutenberg Alternative, broader Gutenberg-disabling controls Its documentation includes a Complete Disable option Scope depends on the options selected; it is not the same configuration as Classic Editor Not the same as a dedicated widget solution Its documentation warns against using it with another plugin such as Classic Editor that also disables or replaces Gutenberg
Classic Widgets Restores the classic widgets interface Does not replace the post editor Does not restore the Site Editor Widgets specifically Use only when the widgets screen, rather than post editing, is the requirement

If you need the classic post screen, start with Classic Editor. If you need the classic widgets screen too, evaluate Classic Widgets or a theme-supported code approach separately. Do not install Classic Editor and Disable Gutenberg together simply to make the site “more classic”; the documented overlap can load redundant scripts and produce unexpected or untested results.

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Troubleshoot a switch that did not work

The Classic Editor option is missing

  • Confirm that the installed plugin is named Classic Editor and is published by WordPress.org.
  • Check Plugins to make sure it is active rather than merely installed.
  • Verify that your account has permission to manage plugins and settings.
  • Return to Settings → Writing after activation; the editor choices are configured there.

The Block Editor still opens

  • Check that Classic Editor is selected as the default and that Save Changes completed.
  • If switching is enabled, look for the post’s Switch to classic editor action or review the user’s editor preference.
  • Check whether another plugin is also disabling or replacing Gutenberg. Remove the overlap and test again rather than stacking editor-replacement plugins.
  • Confirm that the item is an eligible post or page. The setting does not promise to replace every editing interface in WordPress.

The site still shows block-based design controls

That is expected on a block theme. Classic Editor does not replace the Site Editor, template editing, navigation, or global styles. Keep those tasks in the block-based interface or use a theme whose design system matches the classic workflow.

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The Widgets screen is still block-based

Use one of the separate widget methods: activate Classic Widgets, remove the theme’s widgets-block-editor support where appropriate, or apply the use_widgets_block_editor filter returning false. Changing the post-editor setting alone cannot change widgets.

A post layout looks different after editing

Stop and restore the backup or revision before making more changes. Determine whether the post was built with blocks, then edit it in the mode that preserves its structure. Treat any conversion to classic markup as a separate, reviewed task rather than repeatedly switching editors on the original.

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Use a safe team rollout

  1. Record the current editor and theme configuration, and make a backup.
  2. Install and activate Classic Editor on staging or during a low-risk maintenance window.
  3. Set the default to Classic Editor, or enable switching if the team needs both interfaces.
  4. Test a representative classic post, a block-based post, a page with custom fields, and any content type your site relies on.
  5. Ask an editor to verify the front-end output, media, embeds, shortcodes, and publishing controls.
  6. Document whether widgets remain block-based and where the Site Editor is still required.
  7. Roll out to production only after the test posts and editorial workflow are approved.

For a uniform newsroom or marketing workflow, disable switching after testing so authors do not accidentally open a post in an unintended editor. For a mixed team, leave switching enabled and document which content should remain in blocks.

How to reverse the change

To return to the Block Editor as the normal choice, go to Settings → Writing, select the Block Editor as the default, and save. If you no longer need the plugin, deactivate it from Plugins and remove it only after confirming that the site’s content and editorial workflow are stable.

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Reversing the setting changes which screen opens by default; it does not undo edits already made to posts. Keep the backup and any content copies until the team has checked the front end and completed its review.

Choosing the right configuration

Your requirement Configuration to evaluate What it will not do
Everyone needs the old post-editing screen Classic Editor as the default, with switching off It will not restore block-theme Site Editor controls
Some authors need blocks and others need the classic screen Classic Editor with user/editor switching enabled It will not automatically translate a block layout into classic markup
The old widgets screen is the priority Classic Widgets, theme support changes, or the documented widget filter It will not replace the post editor
The site needs a broad Gutenberg disable option Evaluate Disable Gutenberg on its own Do not combine it with Classic Editor without a tested, documented reason
The site uses a block theme and the goal is to edit templates in the old interface No Classic Editor setting provides that result; reassess the theme and workflow Classic Editor cannot turn Full Site Editing into the former template interface

The safest decision is the narrowest one that meets the requirement: Classic Editor for post editing, a separate widget solution for widgets, and no overlapping plugins that attempt to disable the same editor.

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