Classic Editor: WordPress Plugin Tutorial

Classic Editor is the official WordPress plugin that brings back the classic editing screen: one writing field with a toolbar, and the familiar boxes beneath it. This course shows who it is for, how to set it up for a whole site, a single user or one post, how to write and publish in the classic screen, and how to move back to the block editor cleanly when the time comes.

What you'll learn

Many sites, and many people, still prefer the classic screen, especially on older sites and for writers who just want to type. The Classic Editor plugin makes that possible without touching your content, because both editors save posts the same way. After this course you'll be able to choose the right default for your site, let users pick their own editor, switch individual posts, and write, format, add media and publish in the classic screen. You'll also know how to avoid conflicts with similar plugins, what changes on a multisite network, and the safe order of steps for leaving Classic Editor behind.

Inside the course

• Two Editors, One Site
• Install, Activate, and the First Two Settings
• Site Default vs. User Choice
• Switching Per Post, and What Block Content Looks Like in Classic
• The Last Editor Used Rule
• Tour of the Edit Post Screen
• Formatting with the Visual and Text Editors
• Media, Galleries, and Embeds
• The Publish Box and the Supporting Meta Boxes
• Pages, Post Types, and the Classic Stack
• Multisite: Setting the Network Default
• Coexistence, Conflicts, and Safe Updates
• Leaving Classic Cleanly and Course Recap

Who this course is for

This is for site owners and editors who prefer the classic screen, people who look after an older site that was built with it, and anyone who has to decide whether a team should use classic or blocks. No coding is needed. If you're new to WordPress altogether, our Fundamentals course is the better place to start.

Watch the whole course free on YouTube

1. Block Editor vs Classic Editor: What's the Difference?
2. How to Install and Activate the Classic Editor Plugin
3. Let Users Choose Their Own Editor in WordPress
4. Switch a Single Post Between Classic and Block Editor
5. Why Your Post Opens in the Editor It Did
6. Classic Editor Tour: Title, Permalink, and Saving Drafts
7. Format Text in the Classic Editor: Headings, Bold, Lists, and Links
8. Add Pictures, Captions, and Galleries to a WordPress Post
9. Schedule, Password-Protect, and Restore Posts in WordPress
10. Edit Pages and Custom Post Types in the Classic Editor
11. Set the Default Editor for a WordPress Multisite Network
12. Fix Editor Plugin Conflicts and Update Classic Editor Safely
13. How to Move From Classic Editor to the Block Editor

FreeAll 13 lessons, with captions and chapters. Open the playlist on YouTube →

Frequently asked questions