Every year, WordPress makes some amendments to its platform. Many users never notice the difference when they upgrade WordPress from one version to the next, but this time it’s different. Every WordPress user is going to feel the impact of WordPress 5.0.
WordPress 5.0 Gutenberg Editor
There is no doubt that WordPress 5.0 is not just an update, its complete overhaul of the WP platform. Once you update WordPress to version 5.0, everything is going to change.
The WordPress 5.0 has garnered so much buzz due to the new block based editor – Gutenberg.
Gutenberg is a complete reformat of the WordPress editor. With the WordPress 5.0 – the default way that people create content with WordPress has changed radically.
The Gutenberg – a WYSIWYG editor allows you to create pages and content visually. Its format is similar to builder themes such as Divi. It offers more flexibility with how content is displayed, whether you’re building your site for the first time or revamping your blog.
Gutenberg editor splits your content to blocks that you can easily reposition by using drag and drop. Moreover, you can customize each block without changing the entire sections of the web pages, offering multiple layouts and styles within the same section of the web page. However, if you’re more of an HTML and CSS sort of person, then the blocks won’t stand in your way.
How to Integrate WordPress 5.0?
WordPress 5.0 platform is powerful and to use, but it might get complicated for some users to upgrade their WordPress to 5.0. Your WordPress current theme and plugins might make it complicated for you to update your site to WP 5.0 version. There could be integration issues after you update. Here are some to minimize the risk of integration problems, here’s what you need to do:
#1. Test the WordPress 5.0 plugin
Install a Gutenberg plugin to get to grips with the new editor before upgrading your website to WordPress 5.0. Test it out and let other users get hand over get your clients to have a play and give everyone the best chance to become familiar with it ahead of release.
#2. Install the classic editor plugin
You can use the Classic Editor Plugin to restore the existing editor from GUTENBERG editor. Moreover, this plugin will provide an important backup for you, until you get comfortable with Gutenberg.
#3. Create a staging website to test the update
Rather than making changes to your live site, it’s better to create a staging website on your local server and start update process there. It will avoid any issues with updating to WP 5.0. You can do this by simply creating a copy of your website’s existing files and test the update on all of them, leaving the live version of each site untouched until you’re ready to go live.
#4. Assess your themes
This is the most problematic part. Before updating your site to WordPress 5.0, make sure that you’re running a Gutenberg compatible theme. If your existing theme isn’t the updated one, it’s better to switch to a new theme that works smoothly with Gutenberg. These are some themes that are compatible with Gutenberg.
#5. Assess your plugins
This is another problematic area. It’s not sure that every plugin you going to use for your site will be compatible with Gutenberg or not. Check all of your plugins and check for any Gutenberg documentation and then decide whether you need to make any changes or not.
WordPress 5.0.1 Security Release
Some bugs were found in WordPress versions 5.0 and are fixed in version 5.0.1. It’s a security update for all versions since WordPress 3.7. It’s recommended for every plugin authors to read the 5.0.1 developer notes for information on backwards-compatibility.
WordPress 5.0.2 Maintenance Release
WordPress 5.0.2 update addresses 73 bugs. The primary focus of this release is to fix performance issues of block editor.
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