Classic Editor
by WordPress.org · Blocks
Also makes 22 other plugins · 11.2M+ installs across the portfolio →
Enables the previous "classic" editor and the old-style Edit Post screen with TinyMCE, Meta Boxes, etc. Supports all plugins that extend this screen.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
A 88/100
no flags
Active installs
8M+
≈8.8M estimated
Momentum
+16%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Add “gutenberg editor”, “old” and “screen” to your wp.org tags. You rank #5, #6 and #6 for them without listing them, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 4 listed these are the slots worth spending.
88 health vs 71 average across 2,524 Blocks plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →8.5%
of downloads still active
At least 8M of 94.1M lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Blocks plugin keeps 2.1%, across 1,579 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Blocks plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 2 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
Recent review vibe
read from the latest 12 reviews to 2026-06-08Reviewers keep praising Classic Editor as a fast, familiar escape from Gutenberg, with only a few noting it looks outdated or needs extra addons for layouts.
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Well optimized
Most to gain: Support resolution
Updated 156 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.0.8, the current branch or newer
4.9★ over 1,251 reviews, smoothed to 4.87★
4 of 5 tags set · short description in place
0 of 3 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
To rank higher: Mark more forum threads resolved — the resolved ratio feeds the ranking.
Get the full rank-higher report →Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
40
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.1
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
20%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
+0.2
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| editor your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| block editor your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| classic | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| classic editor your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| disable block editor | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| previous | #2 | #2 | up 1 |
| meta boxes | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| post editor | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| plugin editor | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| plugins editor | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| style editor | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| classic editor widgets | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| enable classic editor | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| block editor removal | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| site editor | #2 | #2 | down 1 |
| wordpress editor | #2 | #2 | up 1 |
| blocks editor | #2 | #2 | up 2 |
| classic widgets | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| editor blocks | #3 | #3 | 0 |
| block editor support | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| gutenberg your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
128 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 89 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Add “gutenberg editor”, “old” and “screen” to your wp.org tags. You rank #5, #6 and #6 for them without listing them, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 4 listed these are the slots worth spending.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 7.1M · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
2
releases in the last 12 months
5mo ago
latest release · v1.7.0 · 28 May 2026
20
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 41% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “8M+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 2 months ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 9M.
Install history since 1 Oct 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Sundy5mo ago
Yes! Love this plugin!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ andrea55mo ago
strictly using it for blog posts cz gutenberg feels too heavy. makes typing super fast n clean. only downside is u can’t build layouts easily without extra addons. still solid fr.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ kendel795mo ago
got a small content team & everyone was struggling w gutenberg. installed classic editor & productivity went up instantly. no learning curve at all. clients r happy, team r happy. not changing this
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Reyna5mo ago
Gutenberg was giving me actual headaches lol. Installed this n everything just clicked again. My non-tech clients can now edit their own posts w/o calling me every time. Total lifesaver fr
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ sonja876mo ago
switched back to classic the same day i tried gutenberg. so much easier & familiar. no unnecessary stuff, just write & publish. exactly wt i needed tbh
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ modestfokine6mo ago
Gutenberg was driving me nuts lol. Installed this n instantly felt relieved. Clean, simple, no nonsense. Writing feels so natural again. Luv it sm
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ blaze306mo ago
Never liked the new block stuff so this is a lifesaver. makes writing simple & fast again. No weird layout issues, just straight typing. super clean and gets out of the way. perfect
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mitchelcune6mo ago
Thx for this! Gutenberg is too messy for me. This is clean and fast. Makes blogging fun again cz I don’t have to deal with blocks. 5 stars for sure!
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.7.0 Added a hotfix for crowded elements in the publishing actions area in WordPress 7.0. See Core-65286 for more information. 1.7.0
- — Version 1.6.7 Fixed loading of script translations when post.js is replaced in WordPress 6.7.1. 1.6.7
- — Version 1.6.6 Added fix for selecting/deselecting multiple unwanted categories in WordPress 6.7.1 when clicking on a category checkbox on the old Edit Post screen. 1.6.6
- — Version 1.6.5 Added fix for Safari 18 negative horizontal margin on floats. 1.6.5
- — Version 1.6.4 Added support for administrators to choose the default editor for other users. 1.6.4
- — Version 1.6.3 Added some WPCS fixes, props NicktheGeek on GitHub. Updated “Tested up to” in the readme and removed it from classic-editor.php. This should fix false positive errors in security plugins in the future. 1.6.3
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0.1
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 87 languages, 41 at 90% or more
Plus 63 more locales with partial translations.
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
4 of 8 pass · checked 25 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Enables the previous "classic" editor and the old-style Edit Post screen with TinyMCE, Meta Boxes, etc. Sup..."
- ! Has a FAQ Only 1 question in the FAQ; 3 or more gives an assistant something to match.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 0 of 1 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("undefined").
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Gutenberg, Block editor.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 1 list; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,099 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 4 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-08-31 9M+ → 8M+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2026-08-30 8M+ → 9M+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2026-08-28 9M+ → 8M+ down after 377 days in tier
- 2025-08-16 8M+ → 9M+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2025-08-15 9M+ → 8M+ down after 53 days in tier
- 2025-06-23 10M+ → 9M+ down after 128 days in tier
- 2025-02-15 9M+ → 10M+ up after 25 days in tier
- 2025-01-21 10M+ → 9M+ down after 242 days in tier
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
Advanced Editor Tools 1M+ installs · 4.5★ · 4 shared tags A -
Disable Gutenberg 500K+ installs · 4.9★ · 4 shared tags A -
BlockArt Blocks – Gutenberg Blocks, Page Builder Blocks ,WordPress Block Plugin, Sections & Template Library 10K+ installs · 4.5★ · 3 shared tags A -
TCD Classic Editor 6K+ installs · 3.6★ · 3 shared tags -
Enable Classic Editor & Widgets 2K+ installs · 4.2★ · 3 shared tags B - C Classic Widgets 2M+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Classic Editor into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/classic-editor" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Classic Editor — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Classic Editor: 8M+ active installs, 4.9★ (1,251 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/classic-editor
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