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WordPress Has Extended Classic Editor Support into 2022!

If you’re a long-time WordPress user, you probably still remember the Classic Editor. As a matter of fact, the Classic Editor is so iconic that it might still be what you picture in your head when you think of writing a blog post, despite the fact that WordPress replaced it with the much more advanced block editor. 

The thing is, many people don’t like change. WordPress anticipated this, and when switching over to the block editor in 2018, provided the old, Classic Editor as a plugin for users who wanted to keep using it. At that time, this plugin was going to be supported for 3 years, through 2021. Now, WordPress has announced it is extending support into 2022.

This is good news for anyone who is loyal to the Classic Editor. And, realistically, the Classic Editor is simple enough that it would likely remain viable in plugin form for quite a while even when support ceases. 

However, the thing to keep in mind is that the block editor came about for a reason, and it offers a number of significant advantages over the Classic Editor. Here are just a few of them:

1. A true drag-and-drop interface that lets users load blocks like:

  • Paragraph
  • Image
  • Heading
  • Gallery
  • List
  • Quote
  • Audio or Video

This makes it much easier to add some visual variety to your posts and avoid that “wall of text” feel that can be a problem in the classic editor.

2. In addition to this, it’s very easy to edit blocks to change their fonts, backgrounds, or other properties.

Editing is significantly easier in general, with things like image layout, multi-column content, and other neat features.

3. Users can save and reuse blocks.

This is extremely helpful for recurring elements on your pages, such as calls to action. Saving a block for future use is as easy as clicking the “Add to Reusable Blocks” button.

4. Blocks integrate with other plugins.

If you have a plugin like WPForms, you’ll notice that new types of blocks may be available to you that allow you to insert premade forms right into your posts or pages. In the days of the Classic Editor, the alternative would have been to paste in some clunky code that inserted the plugin, and hope that it ends up displaying with correct formatting.

5. Ecommerce integration.

If you run an ecommerce plugin like WooCommerce, you can actually insert blocks with preselected product types right in the middle of your content, which is a great way to integrate your content with your products.

With all these great features, our advice would be to switch over to the block editor and never look back. Particularly since people’s main worries about the block editor, such as the potential for lagginess, never materialized (it’s just as responsive as the Classic Editor).

If you have a WordPress-related question about your site, reach out to us today. We’re here to help!

CanSpace Team

CanSpace Solutions is Canada's leading domain name registrar and web hosting provider. Keep an eye on our blog for expert information on domain names, websites, and running a business online.