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Disable Gutenberg

Disable the Gutenberg block editor and return to the classic TinyMCE editor. Choose to disable it everywhere or only for specific post types—perfect for mixed workflows where some content types work better with the classic editor.

Use Cases

  • Restore the classic editor for users who find Gutenberg’s blocks confusing or slow
  • Keep Gutenberg for pages but use classic editor for posts (or vice versa)
  • Improve admin performance by removing Gutenberg’s JavaScript-heavy interface
  • Maintain consistency on sites built before Gutenberg that use classic page builders
  • Use classic editor for custom post types while keeping blocks for standard content

How It Works

When you enable this module:

  1. Choose between disabling Gutenberg everywhere or for specific post types
  2. Selected post types open in the classic TinyMCE editor instead of Gutenberg
  3. Block library CSS is removed from the frontend when disabled everywhere
  4. The change affects all users site-wide

The classic editor works exactly like WordPress did before version 5.0—familiar toolbar, simple interface, no blocks.

Settings

SettingTypeDefaultDescription
Disable ModeRadioDisable EverywhereChoose to disable site-wide or per post type
Post Type TogglesTogglesAll offSelect which post types use Classic Editor

Disable Mode Options

Disable Everywhere

  • Disables Gutenberg for all post types
  • Removes block CSS from frontend (improves performance)
  • Simplest option when you don’t need blocks at all

Disable for Specific Post Types

  • Choose exactly which post types should use Classic Editor
  • Other post types keep Gutenberg
  • Block CSS remains on frontend (since some content may use blocks)

Post Type Selection

When using “Specific Post Types” mode, you’ll see toggles for each post type that supports the editor:

  • Posts — Use Classic Editor for blog posts
  • Pages — Use Classic Editor for pages
  • Custom Post Types — Any CPTs registered with editor support appear here

Use the Enable All / Disable All buttons to quickly select or deselect all post types.

Where to Find It

Location: Switchboard → Modules → Optimization → Disable Gutenberg

After enabling, go to Posts → Add New (or the post type you configured) — you should see the classic editor instead of the block editor.

What Gets Removed

In the Admin

  • Gutenberg block editor interface replaced with classic TinyMCE
  • Block inserter and block toolbar removed

On the Frontend (Disable Everywhere mode only)

These stylesheets are dequeued:

StylesheetSizePurpose
wp-block-library~50KBCore block styles
wp-block-library-theme~5KBTheme block styles
wc-blocks-style~40KBWooCommerce block styles

Potential frontend savings: 80-100KB of CSS

Frontend block CSS is only removed in “Disable Everywhere” mode. When using specific post types, block styles remain since other content may still use Gutenberg.

Existing Block Content

Important: If you have existing posts created with Gutenberg, they’ll still work—but editing them in the classic editor shows the raw block markup.

Example of what you’ll see:

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Your paragraph text here.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

This is the block syntax. You can edit around it, but it’s not as clean as native classic editor content.

For best results, use this module on sites that:

  • Were built before Gutenberg and never adopted it
  • Are starting fresh with classic editor content
  • Have very simple content (text and basic images)

Example Workflows

Blog with Classic, Pages with Blocks

  1. Set mode to “Disable for Specific Post Types”
  2. Enable the toggle for “Posts”
  3. Leave “Pages” disabled
  4. Result: Blog posts use classic editor, pages use Gutenberg

Custom Post Types Only

  1. Set mode to “Disable for Specific Post Types”
  2. Enable toggles for your CPTs (e.g., Products, Testimonials)
  3. Leave Posts and Pages disabled
  4. Result: CPTs use classic editor, standard content uses blocks

FAQ

Will my existing Gutenberg posts break?No. Posts display correctly on the frontend. However, when you edit them in the classic editor, you’ll see the HTML with block comments (<!-- wp:paragraph -->). It works, but it’s messier than editing native classic content.
Can I use Gutenberg for some post types and classic for others?Yes! That’s exactly what the “Disable for Specific Post Types” mode is for. Select which post types should use Classic Editor, and the rest will continue using Gutenberg.
What about widgets and the site editor?This module focuses on the post/page editor. Block-based widgets and the Full Site Editor (for block themes) may still have block functionality. For complete Gutenberg removal, you may need additional configuration.
Does this improve admin performance?Yes. The classic editor loads faster than Gutenberg because it uses simpler JavaScript. Users on slower computers or connections often notice the difference.
Is the Classic Editor plugin still needed?No. This module provides the same core functionality—disabling Gutenberg and restoring the classic editor—plus per-post-type control that the official plugin doesn’t offer. You don’t need both.
Why aren’t block styles removed in specific post types mode?When only some post types use the classic editor, other content may still contain Gutenberg blocks. Removing block CSS would break the styling of that content on the frontend.

If you’re building a new site and know you won’t use blocks, enable this module from the start with “Disable Everywhere” mode. All your content will be native classic editor format—no block markup to deal with.

Performance Comparison

MetricGutenbergClassic Editor
Editor JS Size~1.5MB~300KB
Time to Interactive2-4 seconds<1 second
Frontend CSS Removed-80-100KB (everywhere mode)

The classic editor is lighter and faster, especially beneficial for:

  • Sites on shared hosting
  • Users on older computers
  • High-volume content teams
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