What is Gutenberg?
Gutenberg is the default WordPress page builder, introduced in 2018 to replace the “Classic” WordPress editor. The Classic Editor, utilized a form-based UI for creating content. Shortcodes enabled creating and using reusable components. Gutenberg is a block-based editor that allows users to add content through blocks, such as paragraphs, images, galleries, videos, buttons, custom HTML, and embeds.
Key features of Gutenberg
Gutenberg provides a fast, lightweight, and SEO-friendly solution with its block based design system, enhancing site speed and performance.
Block-based system
Gutenberg provides an easily accessible “block” library for dragging content elements onto pages and posts. Gutenberg comes with close to 100 content blocks, some of which allow for integrations and embeds from third-party services. It’s also possible to create dynamic blocks for updating block content automatically.
Native WordPress integration
Gutenberg is integrated directly into WordPress core, providing native compatibility. Most themes are optimized for Gutenberg by default, eliminating the need for additional configuration.
Real-time editing
With Gutenberg, you can view changes as you make them, providing a true real-time editing experience. This allows you to see how your content will appear to users without needing to switch between preview modes, making the design process faster and more efficient.
Pre-made themes
Gutenberg includes a wide selection of pre-made themes that you can use to jumpstart your website design. These patterns cover a variety of layouts and functions, giving you a solid foundation to build from, while still allowing for customization based on your needs.
Site editor
The Site Editor in Gutenberg takes full-site customization to the next level. You can design your entire website, including headers, footers, and navigation, using the block editor. This feature offers full control over your website’s look and feel, without needing to rely on external themes or page builders.
Patterns
Gutenberg includes patterns, allowing you to reuse design and content templates across multiple pages. Once updated, these patterns automatically reflect changes everywhere they are used, streamlining site management and ensuring consistency.
Improved performance
Gutenberg is lightweight and doesn’t require additional resources or external scripts, resulting in faster load times. This makes Gutenberg a better option for performance-focused websites because it helps enhance page speed, which is crucial for SEO and user experience.
The goal behind the creation of Gutenberg was to facilitate the process of creating and publishing rich content in WordPress. Gutenberg’s introduction was a response to a wave of third-party page builder plugins, including Elementor, that had come out to replace the Classic Editor.
Over time, WordPress has continued to enhance Gutenberg’s functionality, evolving it into a comprehensive visual editor and closing the gap with other third-party builders. For instance, Gutenberg 17.4 introduced enhancements such as new data views for template management and advanced style checking. These improvements have streamlined the user experience, allowing for more precise control over the design and layout of web pages. The Gutenberg project is constantly evolving, introducing new features that make building pages even more intuitive.
