The Big Gutenberg Misconception  ## Metadata - Author: [[WP Development Courses]] - Full Title: The Big Gutenberg Misconception - Category: #articles - Document Note: --- tags: [#gutenberg, #wordpress, #editor, #misconceptions, #blockeditor] - #gutenberg - #wordpress - #editor - #misconceptions - #blockeditor Author: Dave Rodenbaugh (as credited on the article) Source: [WP Development Courses](https://wpdevelopment.courses/articles/the-big-gutenberg-misconception/) Reference: [The Big Gutenberg Misconception] date created: 2025-05-17 00:27 --- # Title: 🧩 The Big Gutenberg Misconception ## Table of Contents: - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [🔎 What is Gutenberg Really?](#-what-is-gutenberg-really) - [💡 Why the Confusion Exists](#-why-the-confusion-exists) - [🧰 How Gutenberg Is Used](#-how-gutenberg-is-used) - [🚫 Common Misconceptions](#-common-misconceptions) - [🔭 Looking Forward](#-looking-forward) - [📖 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Assessment](#-deib-diversity-equity-inclusion-and-belonging-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🔍 DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🔍 SEO Evaluation](#-seo-evaluation) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### References: - [The Big Gutenberg Misconception – WP Development Courses](https://wpdevelopment.courses/articles/the-big-gutenberg-misconception/) ## 📝 Summary: This article addresses a widespread misunderstanding about Gutenberg, WordPress’s block editor. Many users confuse the block editor with a page builder or believe it is only for content creation. The author clarifies what Gutenberg actually is, its intended purpose, and the differences between site editing and content editing. The piece encourages users and developers to broaden their understanding, highlighting the platform’s growing capabilities. ## 📖 Main Content: The author opens with frustration about persistent misconceptions regarding Gutenberg, especially its categorization as a "page builder." They explain that while page builders focus on layout and design, Gutenberg is fundamentally about structured content editing using blocks—a foundational shift for WordPress. A central argument is that Gutenberg is not just the post/page editor; it’s a framework that underpins content creation, site editing, and even third-party plugin development. The confusion stems from overlapping features, evolving terminology, and WordPress’s incremental approach to releasing features. The article also dives into what blocks are, how they enable structured content, and how this impacts everything from theming to extensibility. There’s a push for educators and agencies to update their own understanding and to help end-users make sense of the distinction. The author concludes by advocating for better communication within the WordPress community, more precise documentation, and ongoing education as Gutenberg matures. ### 🗒️ Notes #### 🔎 What is Gutenberg Really? - Gutenberg is a framework for building and managing blocks—atomic units of content. - Blocks enable more granular content structure and reusable components. - The block editor powers not just pages and posts, but site-wide features. #### 💡 Why the Confusion Exists - Many users call Gutenberg a "page builder"—not accurate, as its aim is broader. - Historically, WordPress separated content editing and site theming; blocks blur this line. - New features roll out incrementally, causing overlapping and shifting terminology. #### 🧰 How Gutenberg Is Used - Used for editing posts, pages, widgets, navigation, and site templates. - Plugin and theme authors extend Gutenberg, making it a developer platform. - Adoption rates vary—agencies and freelancers often customize or restrict block usage. #### 🚫 Common Misconceptions - “Gutenberg is just a page builder”: It’s actually a framework and an editor. - “Blocks are only for content”: Blocks now underpin almost every editing experience in WordPress. - “Site editing is the same as content editing”: The tools overlap, but goals and workflows differ. #### 🔭 Looking Forward - The block approach is set to become central to all aspects of WordPress development. - Education, better documentation, and community engagement are needed to resolve misconceptions. - WordPress pros should expect and encourage ongoing evolution. ## 📖 References: - WP Development Courses. “The Big Gutenberg Misconception.” https://wpdevelopment.courses/articles/the-big-gutenberg-misconception/ ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: 1. **Original:** “The misconception is that Gutenberg is simply a page builder, but it’s much more—it’s a framework for building blocks and structured content.” - **Paraphrase:** Many people think Gutenberg is just for designing pages, but really, it’s the engine powering all block-based editing and structured content in WordPress. 2. **Original:** “Site editing and content editing are often conflated, but their goals and workflows are distinct—even if both rely on blocks.” - **Paraphrase:** While both site and content editing use blocks, they serve different purposes and shouldn’t be treated as interchangeable experiences. ## 📰 Newsletter: 🧩 *Is Gutenberg just a page builder?* Not so fast! This week’s featured read dives deep into the heart of WordPress’s block editor and debunks a huge misconception: Gutenberg isn’t just about pretty pages—it’s a framework for all things blocks, from posts to full-site editing. If you want to future-proof your skills, understand the difference between site and content editing, or help clients navigate the new block landscape, don’t miss this breakdown. Get the facts: [The Big Gutenberg Misconception](https://wpdevelopment.courses/articles/the-big-gutenberg-misconception/) ## ✅ Action Items: - Update onboarding/training docs to clearly distinguish Gutenberg from classic page builders. - Educate contributors, clients, and users about the evolving role of blocks in WordPress. - Clarify job roles for developers, implementers, and content creators regarding block usage. - Advocate for improved documentation and more specific language in WordPress core. - As an OSPO/advocate, use this article to spark discussions about how block-based workflows change contribution and collaboration. ## 🧪 Hypotheses: - Improved education about Gutenberg’s true nature will boost adoption and satisfaction. - More accurate documentation will reduce user frustration and agency-client miscommunication. - Agencies that invest in block-specific training will see higher project efficiency. ### 📊 Methodology: - Survey WordPress users on their understanding of Gutenberg and compare before/after targeted training. - Analyze support tickets or community posts for frequency of Gutenberg-related confusion. - Interview agencies and freelancers about the impact of block editor education on project outcomes. ### ❓ Questions: - Why do so many still view Gutenberg as a “page builder” despite years of updates? - What’s the most effective way to communicate the distinction to non-technical users? - How might the definition of “developer” or “implementer” change in a block-first WordPress? - Should WordPress core rename certain features to reduce confusion? ### 🔮 Future Research: - Longitudinal study of how Gutenberg adoption shifts as documentation/education improves. - Best practices for transitioning agencies from classic to block-based development. - Role of third-party tools in shaping perceptions of the block editor. ### 💡 Implications: - Clarifying Gutenberg’s role will support healthier user onboarding and project scoping. - Better-informed users and agencies will reduce technical debt and support loads. - Clearer language will help new contributors understand where to plug in and grow. ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment: - **Readability:** Grade 10–11 (clear for most adult readers, but some jarg - Summary: In The Why Behind Gutenberg, we looked at the reasons behind the changes coming to WordPress. In this article, we’ll examine how far the Gutenberg project has come and what’s on the horizon. Because there is a big misunderstanding in the community about the modern WordPress features, and this can have a very negative impact on […] - URL: https://wpdevelopment.courses/articles/the-big-gutenberg-misconception/ By Fränk Klein · Published · Last updated In The [Why Behind Gutenberg](https://wpdevelopment.courses/articles/why-do-we-even-need-gutenberg/), we looked at the reasons behind the changes coming to WordPress. In this article, we’ll examine **how far the Gutenberg project has come and what’s on the horizon.** Because there is a big misunderstanding in the community about the modern WordPress features, and this can have a very negative impact on your business. #### A look at phase 1 and 2 of the Gutenberg project **Phase 1 focused on content creation and editing.** We saw the outcome of this phase ship with WordPress 5.0 in the form of the block-based content editor. **Phase 2 was all about site customization.** It introduced the site editor in WordPress 5.9. And this is where people start needing clarification. For them, the second phase is about theme building. But that’s only a side effect of WordPress’s new customization approach. #### Site editing is not about themes When we look at the Customizer, WordPress provides the interface and a set of helpers for developers to extend it. Therefore, every theme or plugin using Customizer has its own approach. Even if two themes use the Customizer, **users lose all their customizations when they switch themes.** And that’s a very frustrating experience, as you have to start over whenever you change themes. It also has motivated theme shops to invest in their customization framework. If we look at Blocksy, a popular premium theme, that’s the main selling point. A main selling point of Blocksy are its Customizer settings. Therefore, WordPress switched strategies. Instead of offering nothing built in, all the popular features like color palettes, typography controls, buttons, layout tools, etc., are available out-of-the-box. Indeed, modern WordPress has an entire set of tools built-in that allow themes to be customized: * The **Site Editor** allows the editing and creation of templates, template parts, and patterns. * The **default blocks** cover content creation, layout design, and template building. * The **Style Engine** styles all blocks most efficiently, considering user customizations. * The **Settings Engine** allows themes to decide which customization options are supported. It enables plugin authors to customize their blocks through WordPress’s built-in tools. **But you only get these benefits if the theme uses these tools.** These themes are what we call block themes. #### The illusion of pick and choose Since phases 1 and 2 of the Gutenberg project introduced two different editors, it was easy for developers to refrain from using them. Both editors had their admin screens, and WordPress has not removed any functionality. So you can still use the old editor, and themes built years ago continue to work. But now we are in phase 3, collaboration. This makes people think about multi-user content editing, as known from Google Docs. While this is part of this phase, it’s not what most users will remember it for. Workflows is a more appropriate name. Because in this phase, all the admin screens are reviewed and improved. The new Pages screen prototype. Will we get a third tool for phase 3? No, because these screens are all added to the site editor. At the same time, work is underway to unite the technical foundations of the content and the site editor. **Over the long term, the Gutenberg project will replace all current admin screens. And introduce an entirely new WordPress admin based on the site editor foundations.** And with this unification of the technical foundations and interfaces, there is no more place for the legacy approaches. #### Change means opportunities There’s a lot of negativity surrounding these changes in the WordPress space. Whether on X/Twitter, Facebook groups, or comments on popular blogs. But what gets drowned out in this noise are the success stories. One could point to the White House, NASA, the Pew Research Center, TechCrunch, etc. All block-based sites. But this is dismissed as Gutenberg only being “for the elites.” **The truth is that WordPress businesses of all sizes and niches are betting on blocks as the future. And they are getting rewarded for it.** Next we’ll explore the opportunities the [Gutenberg project has opened for freelancers and agencies](https://wpdevelopment.courses/articles/freelancers-and-agencies-gutenberg-success/). Fränk Klein Developer educator with over a decade of engineering experience at product companies and agencies. I’m here to share what I’ve learned as I continue to explore modern WordPress., The Big Gutenberg Misconception, WP Development Courses, 01jes42y5wtzemtrhrfr0532tt.