Table of Contents

Introduction

Since the release of WordPress 5.0, the Gutenberg editor has become the default content editor. While it offers a modern block-based editing experience, many developers and businesses still prefer the simplicity, speed, and control of the Classic Editor.

If Gutenberg doesn’t align with your workflow or introduces unnecessary complexity, you can disable it without installing any plugin. This keeps your website lightweight, secure, and optimized for performance.

This guide walks you through the most effective methods to disable Gutenberg using code.

Why Disable Gutenberg?

Many professionals choose to disable Gutenberg for the following reasons:

Improved compatibility with older or custom-built themes
Faster and distraction-free editing experience
Greater control over HTML and structured layouts
Reduced plugin conflicts and performance overhead

Method 1: Disable Gutenberg Using Code (Full Control)

You can completely disable Gutenberg by adding the following code to your theme’s functions.php file.

Steps

Log in to your WordPress dashboard
Go to Appearance → Theme File Editor
Open the functions.php file
Add the following code:

// Disable Gutenberg on the back end.
add_filter( 'use_block_editor_for_post', '__return_false' );

// Disable Gutenberg for widgets.
add_filter( 'use_widgets_block_editor', '__return_false' );

add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', function() {
    // Remove CSS on the front end.
    wp_dequeue_style( 'wp-block-library' );

    // Remove Gutenberg theme styles.
    wp_dequeue_style( 'wp-block-library-theme' );

    // Remove inline global CSS.
    wp_dequeue_style( 'global-styles' );

    // Remove classic theme compatibility styles.
    wp_dequeue_style( 'classic-theme-styles' );
}, 20 );

Click Update File

What This Code Does

This snippet gives you full control by:

Disabling Gutenberg editor completely
Disabling block-based widgets
Removing unnecessary Gutenberg CSS files
Improving website speed and performance

Method 2: Disable Gutenberg for Posts Only

If you only want to disable Gutenberg for posts:

add_filter( 'use_block_editor_for_post', '__return_false' );

Method 3: Disable Gutenberg for Specific Post Types

To disable Gutenberg only for pages:

add_filter('use_block_editor_for_post_type', function($enabled, $post_type) {
    return $post_type === 'page' ? false : $enabled;
}, 10, 2);

Best Practices Before Editing Code

Always back up your website before making changes
Use a child theme to avoid losing changes after updates
Be cautious when editing functions.php to prevent errors

When Should You Keep Gutenberg?

Gutenberg may still be useful if:

Your theme is built for block editing
You rely on visual page builders
You want drag-and-drop flexibility

Conclusion

Disabling Gutenberg without a plugin is a smart and efficient way to streamline your WordPress workflow. It reduces unnecessary bloat, improves performance, and gives you greater control over your content editing experience.