Gutenberg (Block Editor)
Gutenberg is WordPress's built-in editor for building pages out of 'blocks' — drag-and-drop chunks like a paragraph, image, button, or gallery. It's how you add and arrange content on a modern WordPress site.
Also known as: block editor · wordpress editor
In plain English
Gutenberg — usually just called the "block editor" — is the screen you use to write and lay out content in WordPress. Instead of one big text box, your page is built from blocks: a heading block, a paragraph block, an image block, a button, and so on. You stack and rearrange them like building blocks, which makes it easier to create a page that looks the way you want without touching code.
Why it matters for your business
The block editor is how you'll make day-to-day edits — updating your hours, swapping a photo, adding a new section. Knowing the basics means you can handle small changes yourself instead of waiting on someone. It also replaced the older "classic" editor, so guides written a few years ago may not match what you see, which trips people up.
Where it ends and a page builder begins
Gutenberg handles most everyday layouts well. For more elaborate, design-heavy pages, some sites add a dedicated page builder (see related terms) on top — more power, but also more to maintain.
Common questions
- What happened to the old WordPress editor?
- The older 'classic' editor was replaced by the block editor. The classic one can be added back with a plugin if you prefer it, but new WordPress defaults to blocks — which is why older how-to guides may not match your screen.
- Do I need a page builder if I have the block editor?
- For most everyday pages, no — the block editor handles them well. Page builders add power for elaborate, design-heavy layouts, at the cost of more weight to maintain. Many sites do perfectly fine on blocks alone.
Related terms
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