How to Convert Your Elementor Pages to Gutenberg Without Losing Content

While Gutenberg promises a more integrated experience with WordPress’s core, the conversion from Elementor is not for the faint-hearted. This guide aims to unravel the complexities of the transition of migrating from Elementor to Gutenberg.

Understanding Elementor and Gutenberg

Elementor, known for its user-friendly interface, offers extensive customization capabilities. Conversely, Gutenberg, WordPress’s native editor, boasts a block-based approach, promising a streamlined editing experience. This stark contrast in functionality underscores the need for a meticulous approach when transitioning between the two.

Pre-Conversion Checklist

Before you begin the process of converting your Elementor pages to Gutenberg, it’s essential to prepare thoroughly. This pre-conversion checklist is designed to ensure that your transition is as smooth and problem-free as possible. Each step in this checklist is critical and requires careful attention to detail.

1. Backup Your Website:
   • Action: Perform a complete backup of your WordPress site, including database, themes, plugins, and media files.
   • Purpose: In case anything goes wrong during the conversion, you can restore your site to its original state without losing any data.
   • Tools: Use reliable WordPress backup plugins like UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, or the tools provided by your hosting service.
2. Check Theme Compatibility:
   • Action: Ensure that your current theme is compatible with Gutenberg. If not, consider switching to a Gutenberg-friendly theme.
   • Purpose: Compatibility issues can lead to broken layouts or loss of functionality.
   • Tools: Check theme documentation or reach out to the theme developer for confirmation.
3. Assess Elementor Content:
   • Action: Review all your pages and posts created with Elementor. Note any custom Elementor widgets or features that might not have a direct Gutenberg equivalent.
   • Purpose: Identifying potential conversion challenges ahead of time can help in planning how to handle them.
   • Tools: Manual review, note-taking, and possibly consulting with a developer.
4. Check for Plugin Dependencies:
   • Action: Identify any plugins that are specifically designed for Elementor and assess how critical they are to your site.
   • Purpose: Some Elementor-specific plugins might not work with Gutenberg, and you may need to find alternatives.
   • Tools: WordPress plugin repository and third-party plugin providers.
5. Test in a Staging Environment:
   • Action: Set up a staging site – an exact copy of your live site where you can perform the conversion without affecting your live site.
   • Purpose: Testing on a staging site allows you to iron out any issues before going live.
   • Tools: Many hosting providers offer staging site setup, or you can use plugins like WP Staging.
6. Document Your Current Design:
   • Action: Take screenshots or notes of your current design, especially complex layouts or custom designs.
   • Purpose: Having a reference for your current design will help you recreate it in Gutenberg or make informed design changes.
   • Tools: Screenshot tools, note-taking apps.
7. Plan for SEO Preservation:
   • Action: Document your current SEO settings, including metadata, structured data, and any SEO plugin settings.
   • Purpose: To ensure that your SEO performance is not negatively impacted by the transition.
   • Tools: SEO plugins like Yoast SEO, Google Analytics.
8. Prepare Your Content Strategy:
   • Action: Plan how your content will be organized and structured in Gutenberg.
   • Purpose: Understanding Gutenberg’s block system and how it will accommodate your content helps in a smoother transition.
   • Tools: Content planning tools, Gutenberg documentation.
9. Gather Resources and Support:
   • Action: Identify resources and support channels, such as WordPress forums, developer communities, or professional services like WordHerd.
   • Purpose: Having support at hand is crucial in case you encounter complex issues during the transition.
   • Tools: Online forums, professional WordPress migration services.
10. Schedule the Conversion:
    • Action: Plan and schedule the actual conversion process, considering any potential downtime or limited site functionality.
    • Purpose: Minimizing the impact on your site’s visitors and operations during the transition.
    • Tools: Project management tools, calendar apps.

Following this checklist meticulously will not only prepare you for a smoother transition but will also provide a safety net against potential setbacks. Remember, thorough preparation is key to successfully converting your Elementor pages to Gutenberg without losing content.

Step-by-Step Guide to Convert Elementor Pages to Gutenberg

1. Deactivating Elementor: This step is fraught with potential pitfalls as it involves delicately detaching your site’s design elements from Elementor without breaking the site’s functionality.
2. Setting Up Gutenberg: Beyond mere installation, setting up Gutenberg requires an in-depth understanding of block compatibility and design coherence.
3. Converting Content Blocks: This is the most intricate part – manually converting each Elementor block to Gutenberg, ensuring content fidelity, layout consistency, and responsive design.
4. Adjusting Layouts and Styles: A detailed process that involves a deep dive into CSS and potential HTML adjustments, far beyond the scope of a basic user.
5. Testing the Website: Post-conversion testing is not just about functionality but also about ensuring SEO integrity and user experience, which requires expert analysis.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Transitioning from Elementor to Gutenberg can be fraught with potential issues. The complexity of these problems can range from simple layout shifts to complete functionality breakdowns. Here, we delve deeper into some of the most common issues you might encounter and provide insights on addressing them, though it’s worth noting that some solutions may require a level of technical expertise beyond the average user’s scope.

1. Broken Layouts and Styling Issues:
   • Problem: Upon conversion, you may find that your layouts are misaligned or that the styling (colors, fonts, spacing) is inconsistent.
   • Solution: This usually stems from CSS conflicts or missing styles that were specific to Elementor. Resolving this requires a thorough understanding of CSS and possibly HTML. You’ll need to manually adjust the styles within Gutenberg, which can be a meticulous and time-consuming process.
2. Non-Responsive Elements:
   • Problem: Some elements that were responsive in Elementor may lose this functionality in Gutenberg.
   • Solution: This requires a detailed inspection of the responsive settings in Gutenberg and possibly writing custom media queries. This process demands a solid understanding of responsive web design principles and coding.
3. Missing Content or Features:
   • Problem: Certain content or features (like sliders, tabs, etc.) created in Elementor might not appear after conversion.
   • Solution: This typically happens when specific Elementor widgets don’t have a direct equivalent in Gutenberg. You may need to find alternative blocks in Gutenberg or resort to custom coding to recreate these features.
4. Plugin Compatibility Issues:
   • Problem: Some plugins that worked seamlessly with Elementor might not be compatible with Gutenberg.
   • Solution: Identifying and resolving plugin compatibility issues requires testing each plugin individually and possibly finding alternatives or updating their code, which can be complex.
5. Performance Degradation:
   • Problem: You may notice your site running slower post-conversion.
   • Solution: This could be due to redundant code or inefficient block usage in Gutenberg. Optimizing performance could involve auditing the site’s codebase, compressing images, and caching, among other advanced web performance techniques.
6. SEO Impact:
   • Problem: Unexpected changes in SEO performance, such as drops in rankings or decreased traffic.
   • Solution: This can occur due to changes in the site’s structure, content, or metadata during the conversion. Thorough SEO analysis and adjustments, including checking meta tags, content structure, and internal linking, are required.
7. JavaScript Conflicts:
   • Problem: JavaScript used in Elementor pages might conflict with Gutenberg, leading to functionality issues.
   • Solution: Resolving JavaScript conflicts often involves debugging scripts and understanding JavaScript interactions with WordPress, which can be quite intricate.
8. Mobile Usability Issues:
   • Problem: Post-conversion, the site might experience usability issues on mobile devices.
   • Solution: Addressing mobile usability involves a comprehensive review of the site’s responsive design on various devices and potentially adjusting layouts, fonts, and interactive elements for mobile optimization.

Each of these issues requires a nuanced approach and a significant understanding of web development and WordPress intricacies. For many users, tackling these challenges can be overwhelming, which is why seeking assistance from professional services like WordHerd is often the more viable and less stressful option. They bring the necessary expertise to handle these complex issues efficiently, ensuring a smooth transition with minimal disruption to your site’s functionality and user experience.

Best Practices for Using Gutenberg

Adopting Gutenberg after transitioning from Elementor involves not just understanding its functionality but also mastering best practices to leverage its full potential. This section elaborates on key practices to ensure an optimal experience with Gutenberg, keeping in mind that getting the most out of this block editor requires a mix of technical know-how and creative approach.

1. Embrace the Block System:
   • Practice: Familiarize yourself with the variety of blocks available in Gutenberg and how they can replace the widgets and elements you used in Elementor.
   • Benefit: This understanding allows for more efficient page building and can help in maintaining a clean, organized content structure.
2. Optimize for Performance:
   • Practice: Regularly review and optimize your blocks. Avoid overloading pages with unnecessary or heavy blocks that could slow down your website.
   • Benefit: This ensures your site maintains high performance, which is crucial for user experience and SEO.
3. Responsive Design:
   • Practice: Continuously test your pages and posts for responsiveness. Gutenberg’s blocks typically offer responsive settings, but it’s important to manually check and adjust them.
   • Benefit: Ensures that your site delivers a consistent experience across all devices, which is vital in today’s mobile-first world.
4. Use Gutenberg Patterns and Reusable Blocks:
   • Practice: Explore and utilize Gutenberg’s patterns and reusable blocks for frequently used designs and content layouts.
   • Benefit: Saves time and ensures consistency across your website, enhancing both efficiency and design coherence.
5. Regularly Update and Backup:
   • Practice: Keep Gutenberg and any associated plugins updated. Also, maintain regular backups of your site.
   • Benefit: Protects your site against security vulnerabilities and ensures you don’t lose progress in case of technical issues.
6. SEO Optimization:
   • Practice: Pay close attention to how your content is structured in Gutenberg. Use headings appropriately and structure your content for readability and SEO.
   • Benefit: Enhances the search engine visibility of your content, leading to better traffic and engagement.
7. Leverage Custom CSS:
   • Practice: While Gutenberg offers various styling options, sometimes you might need to apply custom CSS for specific styling needs.
   • Benefit: Allows for greater customization and uniqueness in your website’s design, setting your content apart from standard block designs.
8. Accessibility Considerations:
   • Practice: Ensure your content is accessible. This includes using appropriate contrast ratios, alt text for images, and navigable content structure.
   • Benefit: Makes your site more inclusive, catering to a wider audience, and also aligns with web accessibility standards.
9. Stay Updated with Gutenberg’s Evolution:
   • Practice: Regularly follow updates and new features released for Gutenberg. WordPress is continually evolving, and so is Gutenberg.
   • Benefit: Staying updated allows you to take advantage of the latest improvements and features, keeping your site modern and functional.
10. Explore Advanced Features:
    • Practice: As you grow more comfortable with Gutenberg, start exploring more advanced features like full-site editing, custom blocks, and block patterns.
    • Benefit: This helps in creating a more dynamic, interactive, and personalized website experience for your visitors.

Adhering to these best practices will not only make your transition to Gutenberg more rewarding but will also enhance the overall functionality and appeal of your website. Remember, while Gutenberg offers a new way of managing content, mastering it requires patience, practice, and a willingness to explore its evolving landscape.