What is Gutenberg?
Gutenberg is the codename for a new way of creating with WordPress a transformation as groundbreaking as Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press. It represents a complete reimagining of the WordPress publishing experience, evolving through four major phases: Editing, Customization, Collaboration, and Multilingual support.
Launched with block-based editing in December 2018, Gutenberg introduced Full Site Editing (FSE) in WordPress 5.9 (early 2022), empowering users to design and manage every part of their websites visually from posts and pages to headers, footers, and navigation menus.
What Does Gutenberg Do?
At its core, Gutenberg is WordPress’s block editor a modular system that lets you build and customize your entire site using individual “blocks.”
Each piece of content whether a paragraph, image, video, or gallery is a separate block that can be added, moved, and styled independently.
This block-based approach allows you to create visually rich, flexible layouts without needing shortcodes, custom HTML, or coding skills. It gives users from beginners to developers the freedom to design intuitive, modern web experiences with ease.
Continuous Innovation
The Gutenberg project is continuously evolving. Each WordPress release includes stable features from the Gutenberg plugin, so even without installing the plugin, users benefit from ongoing improvements. Behind the scenes, developers are refining the editing experience, introducing new blocks, and laying the foundation for future functionality.
Early Access for Developers and Testers
If you enjoy testing experimental features and exploring the cutting edge of WordPress, the Gutenberg plugin provides early access to new tools and capabilities before they’re officially released. This beta version lets you experiment with the latest updates in block and site editing and offer feedback to shape what’s next.
Join the Community
Gutenberg is an open-source project, and contributions are welcome from everyone whether you’re a developer, designer, writer, or tester.
- User Documentation: Learn how to use the WordPress Editor to create posts, pages, and more.
- Developer Documentation: Dive into tutorials, API references, and guides on extending or building custom blocks.
- Contribute: Explore the Contributor’s Handbook to see how you can get involved.
For development updates, visit the Gutenberg GitHub repository, follow discussions on the Make Core Blog, or join the #core-editor channel on Slack.
