Hello everyone! I just wanted to tell you about my latest issue with WordPress. Last October there was an issue when WordPress updated and our OLD Classic Editor seemed to have disappeared. It was an easy to solve issue and I wrote the post titled “To Use The Classic Editor” on October 7. Well, this time it was WAY weirder…
Monday evening I was writing a post about my trip to Wagler’s Greenhouse and the pants I picked up. I started out as usual by clicking on the Classic Editor option as I explained to do in the post from October 7, 2020. I added all the photos to the post then clicked “save draft” then went ahead to do some research for the plants.
Tuesday, when I went to finish the post, everything was whacky! I was met with NO option to edit the post using the Classic Editor. I went to the page and the above photo is what I saw. I went ahead and finished the post which was easier since I had already added the photos. Then, when I went to add tags it was a bit frustrating…
Then I spent a long time in a chat with a member from the WordPress support team. Whoever I talked to was helpful but they really didn’t tell me anything I hadn’t figured out before by trial and error. Just a few new details about using the “NEW” Classic Editor and they encouraged me to try it out… They did write a support ticket which would be revied by other members of the support team.
At 2:37 AM I received an email from one of the Happiness Engineers from WordPress. She explained how to get back to the Classic Editor I have been using a different way I didn’t even know existed…
She said for me to go to my profile and click on account settings… You know, go to the top right and click on your gravatar… That takes you to your profile.
Click on account settings.
Like this…
Then scroll down and locate the dashboard appearance settings…
Slide the white button to the right…
Then click to save the settings. For crying out loud, don’t click to close your account. 🙂
Then you go back to your dashboard, go to posts or pages…
When you hover over the titles you will see your options to use Edit (which is the block editor), Classic Editor, Quick Edit, and so on.
I noticed A LOT of the newer pages I had added didn’t allow comments. If you ever have this happen, click on the “Quick Edit” and scroll down and click on the box that says “allow comments” and then click on “update” on the right side. If you are previewing a page and you don’t see where comments are allowed, you can just click on edit on the preview page and scroll down on the right to where you can check allow comments. Probably most of us seasoned bloggers already know that…
NOW all is well again…
One other thing… Say you have already used the block editor to make a draft and you go back to finish after switching to the classic editor. When you hover over the title and click Classic Editor, you will get this pop-up. Just click on “Continue to Classic Editor” and you are good to go.
I just thought I would fill you in on how to get back to the OLD Classic Editor if you are having difficulties. I am 60 and I have been blogging since 2009… 12 years! I don’t mind trying new things when I buy a new product, but when I have to change the way I do something I have done a certain way for so long… Let’s just say it isn’t going to happen. I think we are like that after we have created our blog the way we want it, the way it works for us. We can navigate around it like a pro when we write posts, pages, and add photos. We get used to the flow of things. The block editor doesn’t flow with me, not even when I use the NEW Classic Editor… I am glad we still have options as long as we know how to find them or have the Happiness Engineers from WordPress to lend a hand. If you chat with someone who doesn’t answer your needs, have them to make a support ticket so other members of the team can have a look at your issue.
There are probably a lot of bloggers who have gotten along fine with the new editor. I congratulate you!
I hope you are all doing well. Be safe, stay positive, and stay well. Always give thanks even for the little things we all take for granted… We all have a lot to be thankful for…
The Belmont Rooster 
I hate the Block Editor with a passion, so when they sprang the latest ‘new, improved’ version on us I leaped into action and tracked down that hack for the Classic Editor. I believe they’ll be withdrawing it completely next year, so I’ll have to squash my reluctance and learn to use the dratted Block Editor… I’m a great believer in trying to find an alternative to simply buckling under and accepting what to me is not at all satisfactory by comparison with the Classic Editor.
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Hello Kate! Every time I am faced with having to try it I just go blank. I look around for ways to make it look right and there is nothing there. I click on this and that button and then I forget what I clicked on to get back to where I started. It is a nightmare for seasoned bloggers. We have to stick together and do all we can to encourage WordPress to always have options to use the OLD Classic Editor. I hope you are yours are all doing well. Take care and thanks for the comment.
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TBH, Lonnie, I don’t hold out much hope, so I’ve bookmarked a YouTube tutorial that doesn’t look too annoying, and I shall study it and do a test post draft to see how I get on. One very good suggestion I’ve heard recently is to write the whole thing in Word, and then copy and paste that into one block, sorting out where to place the photos afterwards. It seems to work for some people, plus you can work with familiar tools.
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Well, since I have the Classic Editor back the way I want it, I will be sticking with it. I may experiment with the block editor off and on. When I was in Mississippi and had the Mystical Mansion and Garden blog I used to put the photos on one side and write on the other and would alternate the photos from left to right. Back then I was writing a lot about antiques and Japanese porcelain, plus plants. We shall see what happens down the road… 🙂
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It surely does work! Thanks so much for the Classic Editor tutorial. Debating which one to use now. I do prefer Classic Editor, but I have pretty much gotten the hang of Block Editor.
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Hello Laurie! Yes, it does work. THANK GOODNESS! I am happy to hear you have gotten the hang of using the Block Editor. I am sure I could, and might even like it after I got used to it. Time will tell. Take care and thanks for the comment.
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WOW! Thank you. I was told by the ‘helper’ we needed to get use to the Block Editor. This is better THANK YOU
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Hello Linda! Where there is a will there is a way. 🙂 I found out there is a group of engineers with WordPress that specialized in the Classic Editor. You can sign up on their site and use their code. That is another ordeal for another day. On WordPress, however, there is a plug-in available, but it says you have to upgrade to the Business Plan to install plug-ins. That is for the birds! It would be great if monetize your site, but that too is for another day. Take care and thanks for the comment!
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Thank you ever so much!! I Found it now! YAY
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Very good! 🙂
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Thanks for elaborating this issue!
I’ve only used WP for less than a year, and I stick with the OLD editor. Thus I haven’t encountered this issue, but it’s always nice to learn!
🙂
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Hello Keld! Glad to hear from you! I am glad to hear you haven’t experienced any problems with the Classic Editor. It is frustrating when you are used to writing a certain way and then you have to figure out a whole new way. It would be very complicated, I would think, with your genealogy site. I hope you are doing well. Take care and thanks for the comment.
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Brilliant! Thank you so much for taking the time to post this, including the screenshots. I have been struggling with the Block Editor, and creating posts takes me 3 times as long as before when using the Classic Editor.
Really made my day 🙂
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Hello there! You are most welcome! It certainly makes a big difference in writing posts with the Block Editor when you have been used to the Classic Editor for so long. Just looking at the page wondering what to do with it takes a while in itself. My mind becomes as blank as the page… I followed your site so I can come back to it later. Looks like you have a lot of good information. I am glad I made your day! Take care and thanks for the comment!
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I’m on the business plan so they put me onto the editor that’s available as a plug-in, which was the one I started off with seven years ago. It’s not as good as the Classic Editor, but much better than the block editor. I’m now debating whether to stick with this, use you advice to get back to Classic or just buckle under pressure and try the block editor again. So many choices. Why did they have to try to force us on to Block Editor? Sigh…
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Hello Simon! You just have to do what works and is right for you. You can play around with the block editor in your leisure time with no pressure as long as you can still make your posts with the Classic Editor. In time, there may be no Classic Editor at all. Take care and thanks for the comment.
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It was a good post and sums up exactly what I feel – I don’t need constant “improvements” when I have a workable system.
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Absolutely!
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[…] The Belmont Rooster illustrates how to sneak in the back way and uses Classic Editor in WordPress rather than Block Editor. I am conflicted about this. I prefer Classic Editor, but I have learned how to use Block Editor and can see its merits. Anyway, complete instructions are given should you want to use Classic Editor, which definitely qualifies as a simple pleasure, especially when compared with Block Editor. […]
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Thanks, Laurie, for mentioning my post. I hope it helps others to be able to use the Classic Editor.
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I’m glad I saw this before my last post 🙂
I kind of read through wondering why there was another post on this and then went on to find my normal “back door” to the classic editor had been closed! Fortunately I knew where to look, clicked the right slide, and was back in business. Thanks!
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Hello Frank! Horray! Glad to hear it worked out! I hope you are doing well. Take care and thanks for the comment!
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Glad you eventually got the support you needed. I blog from my app and block editor is the only thing I can use, so it’s always a revelation when I actually go onto a computer 😊
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Hello Helen! As long as it works! I haven’t downloaded the app. It is a fright to get on WP and find it isn’t what you planned on. 🙂 I hope you are doing well. Take care and thanks for the comment.
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Doing well, thank you 😊. I hope you have no more troubles with WP.
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I hope not either. Glad to hear your app works well for you. Glad to hear you are doing well.
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Thank you 😊
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[…] If you are hosted on WordPress.com the work arrounds keep getting more difficult. This blog post explains the newest way to get classic editor back for WordPress.com users. https://thebelmontrooster.com/2021/04/01/classic-editor-issue-fixed-again-new-method/ […]
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Great post, Cliff. Thanks for mentioning the post on The Belmont Rooster.
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Always good to find a way back. I do hate change but I Began trying the block and while it’s not as fast for me I have somewhat learned it. The one thing I find frustrating is adding the media as if you decide you want to add more than one photo you have to go into it a different way. It wasn’t broke so why the change I say.
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Hello Jeanne! Glad to meet you! I have enjoyed the classic Editor, or versions of it, since 2009. It has been upgraded several times, but the changes were to make it better and they were easy to get used to. I have used the Block Editor because it just popped up and sometimes I had to finish a post I had saved as a draft. Once I had the Classic back I had to edit the posts. I am used to the way it works and looks and it kind of fits my style. I read posts of others who use the Block Editor and they look great. How they did it I have no clue. 🙂 Take care and thanks for the comment!
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I don’t think my posts look any different than before but I think I could type, add pics and edit faster with the old classic editor. Not sure why the block is better… at least in their eyes. I guess I got used to it as I felt I had no choice or either stop blogging! Adding photos can be kinda a pain sometimes. I’m not a change person for most part. Great that you searched it out and wrote your blog on it.
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It’s all a person gets used to and what they want their blog to look like. Back in 2009 when I first started the Mystical Mansion and Garden (when I lived in a mansion in Mississippi), I wrote a lot about the antiques and collectibles. I staggered photos and wrote next to them. I always wished there was a better way to do it and was a trial and error process. The Block Editor would have been great for that. I find, with the block editor, adding captions to the photos does not come out like they do with the Classic. I like the border around the photos as well, and I hadn’t figured out how to do it with the Block Editor. I am sure there is a way, though, but I don’t feel like I had time to fool with experimenting. When you get on a roll, having to stop to figure something out is frustrating. I visited your blog and followed. Looks great and I will return later to read more.
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Like you… hate wasting time to find new things
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🙂
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