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How to Switch Back to the Classic Editor in WordPress

A step-by-step guide to restoring WordPress’s Classic Editor, allowing users to switch editors, handling widgets, avoiding plugin conflicts, and working safely with block themes and existing block content.
WorldWordPress Length10 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Install and activate WordPress’s official Classic Editor plugin, then open Settings → Writing, select Classic Editor as the default, and save. You can also allow individual users to 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 switching back actually does

The Classic Editor plugin restores the previous WordPress post-editing screen and the familiar “Edit Post” workflow. WordPress.org describes it as an official plugin that “restores the previous (‘classic’) WordPress editor and the ‘Edit Post’ screen.” Once the plugin is active and Classic Editor is selected in the writing settings, eligible posts and pages open in the classic interface instead of the Block Editor.

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This is an editor-selection change, not an automatic rewrite of your content. A post made from blocks remains block-based unless you deliberately convert or recreate it. Changing the default editor also does not replace the Site Editor used by block themes. Treat those as separate decisions so you do not mistake a successful plugin installation for a complete return to every pre-Gutenberg WordPress screen.

Before you change the editor

Make the change first on a staging copy if the site publishes frequently or uses custom editing plugins. The editor setting affects how authors open content, and a different editing screen can expose compatibility problems in metaboxes, shortcodes, page-builder integrations, or custom fields.

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  • Confirm that you have an administrator account with permission to install and activate plugins.
  • Take a current backup of the database and the wp-content directory before changing the production site.
  • Note which users need Classic Editor and which, if any, still need the Block Editor.
  • Check whether the active theme is a classic theme or a block theme. This determines how much of the old workflow can be restored.
  • Decide whether widgets also need their own change; the post editor setting does not control the Widgets screen.

A backup gives you a recovery point if a plugin conflict, custom metabox problem, or unexpected content display issue appears after activation. It is especially important when several editor-related plugins are already installed.

Install and activate Classic Editor

  1. Sign in to the WordPress dashboard.
  2. Open Plugins → Add New.
  3. Search for Classic Editor.
  4. Choose the plugin published by WordPress.org. Check the publisher carefully so you do not install an unrelated plugin with a similar name.
  5. Click Install Now, wait for installation to finish, and select Activate.

Activation alone may not be enough to produce a site-wide classic workflow. The plugin exposes its editor preference under the writing settings, where you choose the default editor and decide whether users may switch.

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Set Classic Editor as the site default

  1. From the dashboard, open Settings → Writing.
  2. Find the editor setting supplied by Classic Editor.
  3. Select Classic Editor as the default editor for all users.
  4. Choose whether to enable the option that lets users switch editors.
  5. Click Save Changes.
  6. Open a post or page in a new browser tab and verify that the classic editing screen loads.

Leave editor switching disabled when every author should use one consistent interface. Enable it when some authors need blocks while others require the classic screen. The choice is reversible: return to Settings → Writing, change the default or switching option, and save again.

Let selected users work in either editor

Classic Editor can support a mixed workflow rather than forcing one interface on everyone. First enable the user-switching option in Settings → Writing. Users can then choose their preferred editing experience from their profile, and eligible posts can expose links to open the content in the other editor.

Use a profile preference

After switching is enabled, have each author open their WordPress profile and select the available Classic or Block editing preference. The exact profile control can vary slightly with WordPress version and other installed plugins, but it appears only when the site administrator has allowed switching.

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Use the per-post action

For eligible content, WordPress can show an action such as Switch to classic editor or Switch to block editor. Use that link when one post needs a different interface from the user’s normal preference. If the link is absent, check that switching is enabled and that the post type is supported; custom post types can have their own editor settings.

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Plan editorial ownership

A mixed workflow needs a clear rule for authors. Decide who may edit block-based layouts, who maintains classic content, and which interface should be used for new posts. Without that rule, authors can unintentionally change a post’s structure or expect controls that are unavailable in the other editor.

What happens to existing posts and pages

Installing Classic Editor changes the editing interface; it does not guarantee that every existing block layout will translate perfectly into classic markup. A post built with paragraphs, headings, images, galleries, columns, or custom blocks may still contain block comments and block-specific structure when opened through a different workflow.

Do not convert a large content library in bulk without testing representative posts. Open copies of simple text posts, media-heavy posts, and posts containing reusable or custom blocks. Confirm the front-end output, then decide whether a particular item should remain block-based, be edited in the Block Editor, or be manually rebuilt as classic content.

Safe test sequence

  1. Duplicate or stage a representative post.
  2. Open it with Classic Editor and inspect the text, images, links, embeds, and shortcodes.
  3. Preview the page while logged out or in a private browser window.
  4. Compare the result with the original front-end layout.
  5. Only then apply the workflow to additional content.

If a post contains a block that Classic Editor cannot meaningfully edit, leave that post assigned to the Block Editor or use the per-post switch. The plugin restores the old screen; it is not a universal block-to-classic conversion utility.

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Block themes and Full Site Editing: the important limit

Classic Editor does not make a block theme behave like a pre-block theme. Block themes rely on blocks for templates, template parts, styles, navigation, and the Site Editor. The official Classic Editor documentation states that the plugin does not work with full site editing and block themes in the sense of replacing those block-based controls.

What Classic Editor can still cover

On a site using a block theme, Classic Editor may still control eligible post or page editing where WordPress permits that content type to use the classic screen. This can give authors a classic writing interface while the site’s templates and global design remain block-based.

What remains block-based

  • Site Editor templates and template parts.
  • Global styles and block-theme design controls.
  • Block-theme navigation and other template-level structures.
  • Any content type or screen that requires the Block Editor by the theme or plugin.

If your goal is to restore every pre-Gutenberg administration screen, changing the post editor alone cannot achieve it on a block theme. Consider whether the theme itself should be replaced with a compatible classic theme; that is a theme migration decision, not a Classic Editor setting.

Widgets are a separate setting

Restoring the classic post editor does not automatically restore the old Widgets screen. WordPress treats the Widgets Block Editor separately. If you need classic widget management, evaluate one of these documented approaches:

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  • Activate the Classic Widgets plugin.
  • Remove widgets-block-editor theme support in the theme or a site-specific customization.
  • Use the use_widgets_block_editor filter and return false.

A filter implementation belongs in a site-specific plugin or an appropriate theme customization rather than being pasted into an arbitrary dashboard field. Test the result after theme updates, because a theme can add or remove support again.

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add_filter( 'use_widgets_block_editor', '__return_false' );

Choose the widgets method independently from the post-editor method. A site can use Classic Editor for posts while retaining block widgets, or use classic widgets without changing how posts are edited.

Classic Editor versus other ways to disable blocks

Several tools address different parts of the editing experience. The following comparison keeps their scopes distinct.

Approach Maintainer or purpose Control offered Block-theme compatibility Widgets included? Important caution
Classic Editor Official WordPress project plugin that restores the classic post-editing screen. Site-wide default plus an option for users and eligible posts to switch editors. Does not replace a block theme’s Site Editor, templates, styles, or navigation. No. Widgets are separate. Test block-based content before editing or converting it.
Disable Gutenberg Alternative plugin with broader controls, including a Complete Disable option. Can disable Gutenberg in more areas and provide additional per-area controls. Its broader disable settings do not turn a block theme into a classic theme. Scope depends on the option used; evaluate it separately. Its documentation warns not to run it together with another plugin, such as Classic Editor, that also disables or replaces Gutenberg.
Classic Widgets Plugin focused on the Widgets administration screen. Restores classic widget management rather than changing post editing. Does not replace block-theme templates or the Site Editor. Yes, specifically the Widgets screen. It is complementary to an editor choice, not a replacement for Classic Editor.

For most sites that simply want the old post screen, choose Classic Editor and configure it under Settings → Writing. If you need widgets, add a widget-specific solution after testing. If you use a broader disable plugin, follow its own documentation and remove overlapping editor-replacement plugins first.

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Do not run overlapping editor-replacement plugins

Disable Gutenberg documentation explicitly warns against using its Complete Disable option alongside another plugin that also disables or replaces Gutenberg, including Classic Editor. Two plugins can load redundant scripts, apply competing filters, or create behavior that neither project has tested as a supported combination.

  1. List active plugins that mention Gutenberg, the Block Editor, classic editing, or widgets.
  2. Choose one plugin for post-editor replacement.
  3. Deactivate and remove the competing editor-replacement plugin, keeping a backup first.
  4. Clear any page cache and object cache used by the site.
  5. Retest posts, pages, custom post types, metaboxes, and the front end.

Do not confuse a widget-only plugin with a post-editor replacement: Classic Widgets addresses a different screen and can be evaluated separately.

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Troubleshooting when the classic screen does not appear

The plugin cannot be found

Search from Plugins → Add New for the exact name Classic Editor and verify that WordPress.org is shown as the publisher. If plugin installation is restricted by your host or organization, an administrator may need to install the plugin manually or change the site’s plugin permissions.

The Block Editor still opens

  • Confirm that Classic Editor is active under Plugins → Installed Plugins.
  • Return to Settings → Writing and verify that Classic Editor is the selected default.
  • Check whether the current user has a profile preference that overrides the site default.
  • Look for a per-post “Switch to classic editor” action on the edit screen.
  • Deactivate competing Gutenberg-disabling or editor-replacement plugins.
  • Test an eligible post or page; a custom post type or plugin may require the Block Editor.

Only some users see the old editor

That usually indicates that switching is enabled and users have different profile preferences. Review the site-wide default and ask affected users to select the desired editor in their profiles. A per-post switch can also make one item behave differently from the user’s general preference.

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A block theme still shows block-based design controls

This is expected. Classic Editor affects eligible post and page editing, not the block theme’s Site Editor, templates, global styles, or navigation. Use a classic theme if the old theme-customization model is a requirement.

Widgets still use blocks

Configure Classic Widgets, remove widgets-block-editor support, or apply the use_widgets_block_editor filter. Changing the post-editor default alone cannot alter the Widgets screen.

Formatting or layout changed

Restore the backup or revert the test post, then inspect the content in the Block Editor. Do not assume that opening a block-heavy post in Classic Editor has converted it safely. Check custom blocks, embeds, galleries, columns, reusable blocks, and shortcodes individually.

How to return to the Block Editor

To reverse the site-wide choice, open Settings → Writing, select the Block Editor as the default, and save. If you enabled user switching, authors can use their profile preference or the available per-post “Switch to block editor” action. Keep the Classic Editor plugin installed only if you still need those switching controls or classic editing for selected content; otherwise deactivate it after confirming that no workflow depends on it.

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Before deactivating, test representative posts, pages, custom post types, and editor-dependent plugins. Deactivation removes the plugin’s classic-screen behavior, but it does not by itself convert existing content back into another format.

A practical decision checklist

  • Need the old post screen for everyone? Install Classic Editor, set it as the default, and leave switching off.
  • Need both interfaces? Enable user switching, define an editorial rule, and test per-post links.
  • Need old widgets too? Configure Classic Widgets or a documented widgets filter separately.
  • Using a block theme? Expect the Site Editor, templates, styles, and navigation to remain block-based.
  • Considering a broader disable plugin? Choose it instead of, not alongside, another plugin that replaces Gutenberg.
  • Editing existing block content? Test copies first and verify the front-end result before making bulk changes.

The safest restoration is therefore incremental: change the post editor, verify real content, address widgets only if necessary, and keep block-theme limitations in view.

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