WordPress is Getting a BIG Update - What You Need to Know

Gutenberg Editor Update brings a lot more flexibility to page design. 

OMG, Wordpress changed its default editor! Since the 5.0.2 version update rolled out earlier this month, the new default editor is now Gutenberg. The update has been anticipated for a while and it's caused a lot of anxiety for many web developers and business owners who manage their own websites because we really weren't sure what it would look like. WordPress hasn't made any updates to their editor in quite some time, and in my opinion moving to Gutenberg is a good change. This update changes the entire editing experience for pages and posts within your WordPress website, and offers more flexibility than ever before by introducing "blocks" as a way to organize and format information.

In the past, we have had to install numerous Plugins to format layouts including two columns or quotes, and to upload and highlight elements such as videos and image galleries. Now, with block configuring, the editor provides these various options for you, making it so much easier to customize your pages and posts to the look you want! While there will be a learning curve as with anything new, I believe everyone will like this flexibility and formatting control a lot better.

Here is the list of most popular blocks:

• paragraph (your typical text block)
• heading (bolder bigger text that gets the readers and search bots attention)
• quote (formatting for quotes that draws extra attention)
• image (placing a single image in post or page)
• image gallery (a grouping of images or pictures)
• cover image (darkened image you can put overlaying text in)
• video (embed a video into your post or page from YouTube or Vimeo)
• audio (embed audio file into your post or page from SoundCloud, Spodify and MixCloud)
• columns (allows text that is 2 or more columns)
• file (insert a file into your post or page)
• code (put in a snippet of HTML or CSS)
• list (adds bulleted lists)
• button (adds a button that you can link to another page)
• embeds (place widgets from 3rd party sites like Facebook, YouTube, WordPress.com, Spodify, etc)

Many people who currently use visual editor plugins on their website will experience the most issues. Visual editors often come packaged with commercial themes and that's in my experience where most issues have arisen in my experience. If you are in that boat, your best option is to buy a separate license to the visual editor plugin so you can get the most up-to-date version without having to wait for a theme update.

Here are some additional issues we've seen come up so far:

• WordPress websites using the Advanced Custom Fields, the options below the content editor have disappeared (Gutenberg compatibility will only be available in ACF free version 5).
• In some situations, WordPress site owners may be unable to effectively edit pages they had previous published.
• Some may be unable to access their edit screens.
• In some cases the update has led to a 500 error or a white screen.
• It may render some plugins useless, especially if they are not being updated by the developer regularly.
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Don't panic! Recognizing this update will be a difficult transition, especially those unfamiliar with layout blocks, those who currently use a visual editor plugin on their website, or people experiencing any of the above bulleted items, we're here to help!

To support you in your learning curve as you figure out where everything is, and how to get the most out of this new functionality, Zebralove Web Solutions is offering a workshop to go over all these changes!

We will be having a Troubleshoot & Learn Gutenberg Workshop on Tuesday January 29th from 5:30pm to 8:30pm ($35 per person).

We'll go over all the Gutenberg features and even help you troubleshoot your specific situation. **Just note that we may not be able to fix your situation in the workshop depending on how complex the issue is.

There are 15 spots available in the Workshop. I'll be putting up the sign-up form next week, but please email me to reserve your spot early!

After this workshop, we will be available to offer one-on-one assistance and training on these issues at our hourly rate of $75/hr.

Milly Welsh

Owner

Zebralove Web Solutions

Milly has 18 years experience in designing and developing websites, developing apps, and online marketing. She is an expert at driving traffic to websites utilizing SEO strategies and custom digital marketing efforts. Her company, Zebralove Web Solutions offers full service digital marketing and website development. Comprehensive Search Engine Optimization services, and secure web hosting services.

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