From Page Builders to Blocks: How (and Why) to Finally Move to Gutenberg

Page builders had their time — and for many WordPress developers, they offered the flexibility and control that the Classic Editor never could. But things have changed. With Gutenberg’s block editor, WordPress has grown into something more modern, modular, and future-ready.

Still, I know it’s not always easy to switch.

You might be working on legacy sites. You might have clients who rely on tools like Elementor or WPBakery. Maybe you tried Gutenberg early on, didn’t like it, and haven’t looked back since.

This post is for you — the developer, designer, or small agency owner who’s curious about moving to blocks but unsure how. I’ll walk through why now is the time to embrace Gutenberg, what’s actually better, and how to make the switch without breaking everything.

Let’s take it step by step.

Why Gutenberg Now?

Gutenberg isn’t just a visual editor — it’s the foundation of where WordPress is headed. And unlike page builders, it’s built into core, actively developed, and standardized across the entire ecosystem.

Switching to Gutenberg isn’t just about using a new editor — it’s about building a smarter, faster, and more sustainable web presence. Whether you’re a freelancer tired of plugin patchwork, an agency chasing maintainability, or a business owner seeking a more confident workflow — Gutenberg unlocks a cleaner, more efficient way to build.

Here’s why that matters:

1. Native Integration = Long-Term Stability

Gutenberg is part of WordPress itself. That means no extra code overhead, no compatibility plugins, and no fear of third-party abandonment. When you build with blocks, you’re building on solid ground.

2. Performance Without Excess Overhead

Page builders load heavy styles, scripts, and layout engines — even for simple pages. Gutenberg offers cleaner markup and better performance out of the box. It respects theme styles, loads only what it needs, and plays nice with caching.

3. Better Dev Control with theme.json

Forget endless PHP filters and CSS overrides. theme.json gives you centralized control over colors, spacing, typography, layout, and more — all scoped cleanly to your theme. You can empower clients without giving up design control.

4. A Cleaner, Focused Editor UX

This is one of the biggest wins — especially for clients. Gutenberg removes clutter and gives content editors a focused writing experience. It’s intuitive, accessible, and doesn’t overload them with unnecessary tools. Clients can update content with confidence, not fear.

5. Modular Thinking = Scalable Sites

Reusable blocks, synced patterns, and template parts mean you can finally treat WordPress like a real design system. That’s hard to do with drag-and-drop spaghetti.

What’s Holding People Back

If Gutenberg is so promising, why haven’t more people made the move?

The hesitation is real — and understandable. Many developers and agencies are still relying on tools that feel more familiar, faster to launch, or “safe” for legacy projects. Here are a few of the most common reasons I hear:

1. “We Already Have a System That Works”

If you’ve invested time into page builders like Elementor or WPBakery, switching might feel like reinventing the wheel. But if your system depends on layers of custom code to override builder quirks, it’s not working as well as you think.

2. “Gutenberg Is Too Limited”

Early versions of the block editor were clunky, and many still carry that impression. But Gutenberg today is nothing like it was in 2019. With block patterns, synced content, style variations, custom blocks, and full site editing, it’s more flexible than ever — and growing fast.

3. “It’s Harder to Customize”

It’s different, yes — but not harder. Block development has a learning curve, especially if you’re used to procedural PHP and shortcodes. But once you learn the system, you gain far more control over structure, design, and reuse than page builders ever offered.

4. “Our Clients Won’t Understand It”

Clients often struggle more with bloated page builders than with Gutenberg. The key is intentional onboarding. With the right block structure, custom patterns, and a simplified UI, you can deliver an experience that feels tailor-made for the client — not like a developer playground.

How to Make the Switch (Without Breaking Everything)

You don’t have to flip the whole site overnight. One of the best ways to start using Gutenberg is to introduce it where it’s low-risk and self-contained — like your blog.

1. Begin with the Blog

The blog section is often the least dependent on legacy layouts or complex templates. Start by converting posts to the block editor, where you can take advantage of media-rich layouts, patterns, and better formatting controls.

If you’re using ACF to manage custom fields, you can also begin introducing ACF blocks. These let you create structured, reusable content layouts using fields your team is already familiar with — just rendered as native blocks instead of template partials.

2. Update the Theme Gradually

If your theme is still classic, start by adding block supports in functions.php — spacing, color, alignment, etc. Then layer in a theme.json file. Even without Full Site Editing, this gives you modern control over design tokens, spacing, and responsiveness — without CSS bloat or overrides.

3. Replace Shortcodes and Widgets

Shortcodes and widgets often get forgotten, but they’re easy wins. Swap out legacy shortcodes for equivalent blocks (e.g., core/embed, core/columns, or custom blocks). Replace widgets with block-based widget areas or dynamic sidebar blocks if needed.

4. Introduce Block Patterns

Create reusable layouts for things like testimonials, calls-to-action, staff bios, and more. These patterns help non-technical users build better pages, faster — without deviating from your design system.

5. Add Custom Blocks (When It Makes Sense)

When you need more control — filters, conditionals, or third-party integrations — write a custom block. Use ACF Blocks or build them manually using @wordpress/scripts and React. You can even connect them to APIs or dynamic content from your CMS.

6. Provide Training or Editor Notes

The block editor is intuitive — once you understand it. Help your team or clients get there faster by offering onboarding docs, editor notes, or custom panels. This is where Gutenberg really shines: it’s not just about building blocks, but helping people use them confidently.

The Future Is Block-Based — So Build Like It

WordPress is no longer a blogging platform with page builder plugins tacked on — it’s a full-featured content system, and the block editor is its backbone.

Theme development, plugin design, site building, even eCommerce — all of it is shifting toward a block-first approach. Not because it’s trendy, but because it’s sustainable.

Gutenberg is part of a larger vision:

• Reusable content that doesn’t rely on shortcodes or hardcoded layouts
• Design systems that scale across blocks, patterns, and templates
• A better experience for editors and developers alike

You don’t need to abandon everything you’ve built. But you do need to evolve.

The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to catch up — not just technically, but strategically.

Let’s Build a Better Web

Whether you’re an agency, freelancer, or solo business owner, Gutenberg gives you the tools to create something cleaner, leaner, and more human.

Start small. Learn by doing. And know that you’re not alone in making the switch.