How to Disable Gutenberg in WordPress Quickly and Safely

To disable the Gutenberg editor in WordPress, add the filter add_filter('use_block_editor_for_post', '__return_false'); to your theme's functions.php file or use the Classic Editor plugin. This will revert the editor to the classic one and disable Gutenberg for posts.

Syntax

The main way to disable Gutenberg is by adding a filter in your theme's functions.php file.

• add_filter('use_block_editor_for_post', '__return_false');: This tells WordPress not to use the block editor for posts.
• functions.php: The file where you add this code, located in your active theme folder.

php

add_filter('use_block_editor_for_post', '__return_false');

Example

This example shows how to disable Gutenberg by adding a simple line to your theme's functions.php file. After adding this, WordPress will use the classic editor instead of Gutenberg for all posts.

php

<?php
// Disable Gutenberg editor for posts
add_filter('use_block_editor_for_post', '__return_false');
?>

Output

Gutenberg editor is disabled; classic editor loads when editing posts.

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when disabling Gutenberg include:

• Adding the code in the wrong file or place, which means it won't run.
• Not using a child theme, so updates overwrite your changes.
• Disabling Gutenberg only for posts but forgetting pages or custom post types.
• Forgetting to clear cache or reload the editor to see changes.

To disable Gutenberg for all post types, you can use a more complete filter.

php

<?php
// Wrong: Adding code outside PHP tags or in unrelated files
// Right: Add inside functions.php with PHP tags

// Disable Gutenberg for all post types
add_filter('use_block_editor_for_post_type', '__return_false');
?>

Quick Reference

Method	Code Snippet	Effect
Disable Gutenberg for posts only	add_filter('use_block_editor_for_post', '__return_false');	Classic editor used for posts
Disable Gutenberg for all post types	add_filter('use_block_editor_for_post_type', '__return_false');	Classic editor used everywhere
Use Classic Editor plugin	Install and activate 'Classic Editor' plugin	Disables Gutenberg without code
Disable Gutenberg for specific post types	add_filter('use_block_editor_for_post_type', function($use_block_editor, $post_type) { return $post_type !== 'your_post_type'; }, 10, 2);	Gutenberg disabled only for chosen post types

Key Takeaways

Add the filter 'use_block_editor_for_post' with '__return_false' in functions.php to disable Gutenberg for posts.

Use the Classic Editor plugin for an easy no-code way to disable Gutenberg.

For disabling Gutenberg on all post types, use 'use_block_editor_for_post_type' filter.

Always add code in a child theme's functions.php to avoid losing changes on updates.

Clear cache and reload editor after disabling Gutenberg to see the effect.