The latest WordPress website update was released yesterday, and includes an overhaul of the editor, named Gutenberg.
[UPDATE 3/20/2019]
Patches have been applied to the Gutenberg update. If you need to update your version of WordPress, it’s HIGHLY recommended to hire a professional. We are finding multiple glitches and issues with the compatibility of this major WordPress update and existing plugins.
[UPDATE 12/17/2018]
We don’t recommend updating your WordPress version to 5.0 Gutenberg at this time. It will cause significant plugin and theme conflicts, even with backing up and updating databases and plugins. We have a work-around, but highly suggest waiting until the issues are patched in future updates.
[UPDATE 12/13/2018]
A popular plugin, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) has been known to conflict with the new WordPress update. Performing a full ACF database update to this plugin prior to the WordPress update should resolve any conflicts. Always remember to also backup your entire website and data associated with the site before major software updates.
Updates to the editor include:
-Block editing. This is more user friendly and includes additional features for buttons and images, reducing the need for additional plugins
-The editor will reflect a closer design to what it will look on your live website
-It will make editing your own content easier and less frustrating
This is one of the biggest updates WordPress has had in years which is great since it will include many new features, but unfortunately it can also break code (in turn, break your website).
Are you forced to update? Absolutely not. In fact, we suggest to wait a while. The Gutenberg Editor update could cause compatibility issues with standard themes, plugins and customization, and custom theme designs. Great care should be taken before the update is made. Perform a complete backup of the site, and if you can, test the update on a staging server to check compatibility issues before going live.
It should also be mentioned that your host should be running PHP7 or higher. Running a WordPress website on a lower PHP will significantly reduce speed time and the browser compatibility and plugin conflicts.
To try the new Gutenberg editor, click here.
If you’d like our company to update your software for you, please contact us today at 772-232-6450 or via our contact form.
The TOVO Team.
