19 Methods to Avoid Gutenberg on Your WordPress Website

• Updated November 14, 2018: Added link to plugin “Disable Gutenberg” (#18). Added link to CalmPress (#19)  Living in Florida, I am contemplating a recount of my own for this post. Who needs 20 methods to avoid something…. haha. — Birgit x💕
  
• Updated October 9th, 2018 – Added Mika Epstein’s Selective DeGutenberging (#17)
  
• Updated August 31, 2018 – Added “Reading List: What the Fork (WTF)
• Updated August 27th, 2018, added the option of leaving WordPress ecosystem and community altogether, highlighting four alternative CMSs.
  
• Updated August 2nd, 2018 added a 12th method to the Gutenberg Call-out section.
• Updated August 1, 2018 added an 11th method to the Gutenberg Nag section.

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Gutenberg, the new visual editor for WordPress will be merged into  Core as the default editor later this year, when WordPress 5.0 will be released.

In August  a “Try Gutenberg” call out was released with WordPress 4.9.8 with a button to to install the Gutenberg plugin for post and pages or install official Classic Editor. If you install the Classic Editor, you will be able to keep using the current editor beyond the merge of Gutenberg into Core.

Beyond this global opt-out method,  developers, consultants and site admins can make more nuanced decisions on how Gutenberg is implemented on their sites. Here is a list. If you find one missing, feel free to post a link in the comments and we’ll update the post.

Caveat: Use at your own risk. We did not test the latest versions of mentioned plugins.

Built-in Methods and Plugins maintained by Core Contributors

Gary Pendergast, summarized built-in Methods that will be available when Gutenberg is merged into Core.

Note: There is not a single method. It’s all depends on context.

The Classic Editor plugin is the option for reverting to the classic editor across an entire site. It’s being advertised prominently in the upcoming WordPress 4.9.8 release as an option to install now, in preparation for WordPress 5.0. If you’re a site builder who wishes to opt your clients out of the block editor, installing the Classic Editor plugin (and contributing with bug reports or fixes) is the best long term solution to ensure the classic editor will continue to be available.

For metaboxes, it’s already possible to opt-out of the block editor, this API will be merged into Core.

For CPTs, the gutenberg_can_edit_post_type filter will be renamed when it’s merged (probably to block_editor_can_edit_post_type, or something of that nature), but will also be available as a code-based option.

Selective DeGutenberging

Methods to avoid Gutenberg nag or modify it.

Built into Core with with 4.9.8 

For site – owners,  the easiest way is to just use the “Dismiss” link on the right side. Once you dismiss the prompt it won’t show up again. Wow, that was easy:-)

Via code in a plugin or in a file stored in /mu-plugins folder

add_action( 'init', function() {
    remove_action( 'try_gutenberg_panel', 'wp_try_gutenberg_panel' );  
});Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

The is also a new filter  try_gutenberg_learn_more_link  “that allows hosts or site owners to change the link, to provide extra information about Gutenberg, specific to their service or site. ” (Quoted from the trac ticket)

More details on both can be found on the Core Make blog

Plugins to disable the notice

There are a few plugins available that suppress the so called “Gutenberg Nag”.

• Paul Biron, release lead for 4.9.8 created a plugin to hide the Gutenberg Nag for different user capabilities. At the moment, it’s only available on GitHub
• David Decker made his available on GitHub.
• Luciano Croce published the “Dismiss Gutenberg Nag” on the WordPress plugin Repository
• Jeff Starr’s plugin “Disable Gutenberg” does a lot more (see below) and it also disables the Gutenberg admin notice.

Additional Plugins available on the WordPress Plugin Repository

Over the last four months, plugin developers also created various solutions to have a more granular control over Gutenberg editing experience.

• Gutenberg Ramp – published by WordPress VIP team, allows you to enable Gutenberg on a post level basis for CTPs if they support the editor.
• Jeff Starr’s plugin “Disable Gutenberg”  completely disables Gutenberg editor, and gives us the choice to do it by post type or user role.
  
• Sara Gooding on WPTavern reviewed the Classic Editor Addon Plugin, that also implemented a feature to disable the 4.9.8 nag, but also needs the Classic Editor plugin installed.
• Gutenberg Manager by the unCommons Team, also allows you to disable Gutenberg for selected Custom post types.
  
• With Lee Rickler’s plugin GutenBeGone – you can disable individual Blocks that come with Gutenberg
• LittleBizzy published yet another plugin: Disable Gutenberg
  

WordPress Fork Proposals

Reading List: What the Fork (WTF)?

ClassicPress

A recent start-up, intending a fork of WordPress 4.9.8, probably one of the last versions without Gutenberg. At the time of this writing (8/27/28), it’s not ready for anyone to jump on board. Stay in the loop via the website.  “Forking is a features” Gary Pendergast, a WordPress Contributor blogged in August.

CalmPress

CalmPress is the name of another WordPress 4.9 fork. “to get a more stable and calm experience to all of its users” writes Mark Kaplun, the initiator of CalmPress. It’s not intended as a “one-man hobby”, but it’s what it looks like at this moment. You can follow along the progress via its blog

Leave WordPress – Community and Ecosystem

There are plenty of options to leave the WordPress eco sytem, depending on your needs and goals. W3Tech covers approximately 300+  Content Management Systems. There are the commercial walled-garden options: Shopify, SquareSpace, Wix or the proprietary software Adobe Experience Manager. Below, you find three examples of modern CMS to check out as developer. 

Ghost 2.0

Founded by John O’Nolan, a former WordPress Core contributor, and Hannah Wolfe, Ghost’s 1st version was released in 2013. It’s a blogging platform entirely written in server-side JavaScript based on nodejs. The open-source software is available for self-hosters as well as a hosted solution, maintained by the Ghost Foundation.

Drupal

Drupal, is the other major PHP-based open-source content management system with a large community. Lately, it made headlines, for efforts to integrated Gutenberg in its own code base.

Craft CMS

Craft is another PHP/MySQL based Content Management System, just released in it 3rd version. Back in April, the Craft Plugin Store was opened, integrated with GitHub and annual updates for residual income for the developers.

Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

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