How to Change from Elementor to Using Blocks?

Change from elementor

Change from Elementor to Gutenberg Blocks

Change from Elementor to Gutenberg Blocks is a strategic shift towards streamlined WordPress editing. While Elementor offers visual drag-and-drop power, Gutenberg leverages native blocks for lighter, faster sites. This guide simplifies the transition, helping you reclaim control and optimize performance. Transitioning from Elementor to the native Gutenberg block editor in WordPress involves a shift from a visual, drag-and-drop page builder to a block-based content editing system.

Benefits to change from Elementor to Blocks

Switching from Elementor to Gutenberg blocks offers several key benefits, primarily centered around performance, simplicity, and future-proofing:  

  • Improved Website Performance:
    • Gutenberg, being the native WordPress editor, generates cleaner, lighter code compared to page builder plugins like Elementor. This translates to faster page load times, which are crucial for user experience and SEO.  
    • Reduced reliance on heavy plugins minimizes potential conflicts and resource consumption.  
  • Enhanced Site Speed:
    • Less code and fewer external dependencies contribute to quicker page rendering, leading to a smoother browsing experience.  
  • Future-Proofing Your Website:
    • Gutenberg is actively developed by WordPress, ensuring ongoing compatibility and feature enhancements.  
    • Adopting the native editor aligns your website with the future direction of WordPress.
  • Simplified Website Management:
    • Eliminating third-party page builders reduces plugin bloat and simplifies website maintenance.
    • Gutenberg’s intuitive block-based system makes content editing straightforward.  
  • Cost-Effectiveness:
    • Gutenberg is built into WordPress core, eliminating the need for paid page builder plugins and their associated subscription fees.  
  • Better SEO:
    • Faster loading times, a direct result of using Gutenberg, are a significant ranking factor for search engines.
    • cleaner code, also helps SEO.  
  • Increased Compatibility:
    • Because it is the native editor, it has the highest level of theme compatability.
  • Accessibility:
    • WordPress has a strong focus on accessibility, which is reflected within the Gutenberg editor.  

In essence, transitioning to Gutenberg allows you to create a leaner, faster, and more sustainable WordPress website.

Understanding the Change from Elementor:

  • Elementor:
    • Provides a highly visual, drag-and-drop interface.  
    • Offers extensive design control and a wide range of widgets.  
  • Gutenberg (Block Editor):
    • Uses a block-based system for content creation.  
    • Focuses on structured content and streamlined editing.
    • Has been continually improved, and now offers much more design control than in its early versions.

Choose good Themes and Plugins:

  • An excellent theme that will make the change from Elementor easier is Astra. This theme allows for the creation of similar assets that are used by Elementor.
  • One of the strengths of Elementor is the option of using the site builder to create common layouts that can be used by all posts, pages, 404 page etc.
    • Astra offers the same site builder function and can be designed similarly to Elementor.
  • Both Elementor and Astra have the function of creating a header and a footer that will automatically appear on all posts, pages, etc.
  • Add the Spectra plugin to your Astra site to gain additional fully functional blocks.
  • It is also recommended that you purchase Astra Pro and Spectra Pro for the extra functions and features they provide. More information below about the best method and place to purchase plugins and themes.

Steps to Change from Elementor:

  1. Preparation and Backups:
    • Full Website Backup: Before any changes, create a complete backup of your website’s files and database. This is essential for disaster recovery.
    • Staging Environment: If possible, perform the migration on a staging version of your website. This allows you to test changes without affecting your live site.
      • Many hosting companies provide an easy method to create a staging site. Be sure you make all your changes on the staging version of your website and fully test it before deploying the staging site to production.
    • Content Inventory: Review your existing Elementor pages and identify the key elements and layouts.  
  2. Familiarizing Yourself with Gutenberg:
    • Explore Gutenberg Blocks: Get comfortable with the available Gutenberg blocks. Experiment with different blocks to understand their functionality.
      • Review the blocks available from Astra and Spectra
    • Learn Layout Techniques: Understand how to use Gutenberg’s column and group blocks to create layouts.
      • Learn how to use Spectra’s Containers and Wrappers
  3. Convert Elementor pages and posts to WordPress Editor:
    • Open each post and page in the Elementor editor one at a time.
    • Click on the button that says something like Convert to WordPress Editor. After the conversion, click on save.
  4. Recreate Assets using Astra customization:
    • Open the Astra Customizer and create the Header and Footer to match the Elementor header and footer.
    • Open the Astra Site Builder and create layouts for posts, pages, 404, etc. Match the Elementor layouts or become more creative.
  5. Recreating Pages in Gutenberg:
    • Start with Simple Pages: Begin by recreating simpler pages to get a feel for the Gutenberg editor.
    • Rebuild Layouts: Use Gutenberg’s layout blocks (columns, groups) to replicate the structure of your Elementor pages.  
    • Copy and Paste Content: Transfer text and images from your Elementor pages to the corresponding Gutenberg blocks.
    • Style with Gutenberg: Utilize Gutenberg’s styling options to match your existing design. You may need to use custom CSS for more advanced styling.  
    • Consider Block Plugins: There are many block plugins that extend the functionality of Gutenberg, providing more design options and features.  
  6. Handling Elementor Content:
    • “Convert to Blocks” Option: When you deactivate Elementor, WordPress may attempt to convert some of your Elementor content into Gutenberg blocks. However, this conversion may not be perfect.
    • Manual Recreation: In most cases, you’ll need to manually recreate complex Elementor layouts and widgets using Gutenberg blocks.
    • Elementor blocks for Gutenberg: Elementor has a plugin that allows for elementor templates to be used within gutenberg. This could be useful for some people.  
  7. Testing and Optimization:
    • Thorough Testing: Test your Gutenberg pages on different devices and browsers to ensure they are displayed correctly.
    • Performance Optimization: Gutenberg is generally considered to be more lightweight than Elementor, which can improve website performance.  
  8. Deactivating Elementor:
    • After you have replicated all of your pages, you can deactivate the Elementor plugin.  
    • Also deactivate any other Elementor related plugins.
    • Check for any broken elements after deactivation.

Key Considerations:

  • Design Complexity: Recreating complex Elementor designs in Gutenberg may require more effort and potentially custom CSS.
  • Learning Curve: There is a learning curve associated with transitioning to Gutenberg, especially if you are accustomed to Elementor’s visual interface.
  • Theme Compatibility: Ensure your WordPress theme is fully compatible with Gutenberg.

By following these steps, you can successfully transition your website from Elementor to the Gutenberg block editor.

Frequently Asked Questions about Change from Elementor:

When considering a change from Elementor to Gutenberg, many website owners have similar questions. Here’s a breakdown of frequently asked questions and their answers:

1. What are the main advantages of switching to Gutenberg Blocks?

  • Performance:
    • Gutenberg, being the native WordPress editor, generally results in faster page load times due to cleaner code.  
  • Future-Proofing:
    • WordPress is continuously developing Gutenberg, making it the long-term direction for content editing.  
  • Cost-Effectiveness:
    • Gutenberg is built into WordPress core, eliminating the need for paid page builder plugins.  

2. Is it difficult to switch from Elementor to Gutenberg?

  • The difficulty depends on the complexity of your Elementor designs. Simple websites will transition more smoothly than those with intricate layouts.
  • You’ll likely need to manually rebuild some pages, as direct conversions can be imperfect.
  • It is important to have backups of your site before starting this process.

3. Can I use Elementor and Gutenberg together?

  • Yes, you can, but it’s generally not recommended. Mixing page builders can lead to potential conflicts and performance issues.  
  • It is often better to choose one or the other.

4. Will my website’s SEO be affected?

  • Potentially, in a positive way. Gutenberg’s lighter code can improve page speed, which is a ranking factor.  
  • However, ensure you maintain proper SEO practices during the transition, such as setting up redirects for changed URLs.

5. Is Gutenberg as flexible as Elementor for design?

  • Elementor offers more advanced visual design control.  
  • However, Gutenberg’s capabilities are constantly improving, and with block plugins, you can achieve a wide range of designs.  
  • Also, the themes that are designed for use with Gutenberg have increasing design options.

6. Will I lose my website’s content during the switch?

  • If you follow proper backup procedures, you won’t lose your content.
  • However, you’ll need to transfer the content from Elementor’s widgets to Gutenberg’s blocks.  

7. Do I need coding skills to use Gutenberg?

  • No, Gutenberg is designed to be user-friendly, even for those without coding experience.  
  • However, basic CSS knowledge can be helpful for advanced customization.

8. What about responsive design?

  • Both Elementor and Gutenberg allow for responsive design.
  • You will need to check and adjust your page layouts on different screen sizes after the switch.

By understanding these FAQs, you can make an informed decision and plan a successful transition from Elementor to Gutenberg.

No comments to show.
Subscribe
Subscribe