classic mode comes up in Window?
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It looks like the software has changed; classic mode seems to come up in a different way than it used to.
The classic mode used to be inline with the rest of the screen. It seems like now, when I add a “classic mode” edit station, it pops up a new window!
Is there a way to revert the behavior to the old way? I have been doing this forever, and I vastly prefer the classic mode inline behavior.
The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
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Hey there, I’m still getting the older inline Classic Block when editing a post on a Classic theme. And the updated Support Guide also displays the inline version as well. https://wordpress.com/support/wordpress-editor/blocks/classic-block/
That pop-up window does all the same things as the inline version and if you need more room, you can click the “fullscreen” button at the top right of the window.
If the pop-up window isn’t working for you, can you let us know exactly what isn’t working? That would be very helpful.
While I don’t believe it’s possible to revert an individual site, let’s ask staff about this change. Thanks for your patience while they get back to you.
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Hi @coopgestalt and thanks @justjennifer
The Classic block is still supported within the block editor and is expected to appear inline in many setups, particularly when using Classic themes. However, in some configurations, the Classic block may open in a separate editor window. This is an expected behavior and does not change the available functionality of the block.
I understand how frustrating it can be when a workflow you’ve used for a long time changes. At this time, there isn’t a setting available to switch the Classic block from the windowed experience back to an inline version on an individual site.
That said, here are a few options that may help you get closer to the editing experience you prefer:
- Use the Classic Editor plugin
You can install the official Classic Editor plugin. This disables the block editor entirely and restores the original, full-page classic editing experience.
You can install it by going to Plugins → Add New, searching for Classic Editor, and activating it. Once enabled, you can set it as the default editor under Settings > Writing.
- Open individual posts in the Classic Editor
Even without a plugin-enabled plan, you may see a “Classic Editor” link when hovering over a post in Posts → All Posts. Selecting this opens that specific post in the legacy full-page editor, bypassing blocks and the windowed Classic block interface.
- Use fullscreen mode within the Classic block
If you continue working in the block editor, the fullscreen icon in the top-right corner of the Classic block window can help create a more focused editing environment by removing sidebar distractions.
We appreciate you sharing your feedback, and we’ll continue passing this along as the editor evolves.
- Use the Classic Editor plugin
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Thanks for the clarifications, @melvend5.
If I understand correctly, the option to edit an individual post created in the Classic Editor by hovering over the post title and clicking “Classic Editor” would only exist on a site that has access to the Classic Editor.
In this case, if the OP has upgraded to a site plan with plugins, they’d need to activate the Classic Editor plugin to do so? But in doing so, won’t they also lose access to creating content with blocks or will they again have a drop down menu to create a new post in either Block Editor or Classic Editor on the posts and pages dashboard?
Thanks for any additional clarifications.
Lastly, if the pop-up window is in use, it might be good to add the short video about that pop-up window in the Support guide.
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Hi @justjennifer, happy to clarify this. Thanks for the thoughtful follow-up.
You’re correct that the “Classic Editor” link on individual posts only appears when the Classic Editor plugin is available to the site. On WordPress.com, that means the site needs to be on any paid plan and have the Classic Editor plugin installed and activated.
Once the Classic Editor plugin is active:
• The block editor is disabled by default, and posts open in the full-page Classic Editor.
• However, the plugin does allow flexibility. Under Settings → Writing, the site owner can choose to:
– Allow users to switch editors per post.
– Set either the Block Editor or the Classic Editor as the default.With those options enabled, users will see links like “Switch to block editor” or “Switch to classic editor” on individual posts, so it’s still possible to work with both editors if desired.
Without activating the plugin, there isn’t currently a way to force the Classic block to display inline instead of in a separate window, as that behavior is controlled by the editor and theme configuration.
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Thank you for the clarification — that explanation helps confirm what many of us are experiencing.
However, this response also highlights the core issue users are raising: Classic Editor functionality on WordPress.com is no longer a workflow choice — it’s a paywalled feature, even though Classic Editor is still officially supported and widely used across WordPress.
To be clear, the concern isn’t confusion about how to enable the Classic Editor plugin on a paid plan. The concern is that:
- Duplicated posts force the Block Editor, regardless of the original post’s editor
- Editor consistency is broken by design, not by user settings
- A workflow that worked for years now requires payment just to avoid disruption
This goes beyond “flexibility” and into removal of user agency unless a subscription is purchased.
Many users rely on Classic Editor for:
- Text-heavy publishing
- Precise formatting
- Long-running archives or serialized posts
- Accessibility and speed
- Avoiding block-to-HTML translation issues
Requiring a paid plan just to preserve an existing editor workflow—especially when duplicating posts—is not a neutral technical limitation. It’s a product decision that directly impacts productivity.
At minimum, it would be reasonable for WordPress.com to:
- Open duplicated posts in the same editor as the original, or
- Respect the user’s last-used editor, or
- Provide a non-paid setting to prevent forced editor switching
Classic Editor is not deprecated. It is not unsafe. It is not legacy-only.
Yet its practical use on WordPress.com is now gated behind payment.That is the feedback many users are trying to surface.
I appreciate the transparency in explaining the current behavior — but I strongly encourage the team to reconsider whether editor choice, especially for duplicated content, should be treated as a premium feature rather than a basic usability expectation.<gwmw style=”display:none;”></gwmw>
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Thank you for the detailed explanation — it helps clarify the current limitations.
However, this response confirms the core concern many of us are raising: Classic Editor functionality is no longer a stable or controllable workflow on WordPress.com unless a paid plan is used.
While the Classic block technically exists, its behavior:
Is dependent on theme and configuration
Cannot be controlled by the site owner
May open in a separate window
Cannot be restored to inline editing by user choice
That means Classic is no longer supported as a consistent editing experience, only as a compatibility layer inside the block editor.
Opening posts individually or relying on fullscreen mode does not replace:
Editor continuity
Inline editing
Efficient duplication workflows
Predictable formatting behavior
Most importantly, there is no setting to preserve inline Classic behavior on a per-site basis. That removes agency from users who deliberately choose Classic for valid publishing reasons.
This is not about resisting the block editor.
It is about respecting established workflows and avoiding forced context switches that reduce productivity.At minimum, it would be reasonable to:
Open duplicated posts in the same editor as the original
Respect the user’s last-used editor
Provide a non-paid option to keep Classic inline where supported
Classic Editor is still officially supported, yet its practical use is increasingly constrained unless users upgrade. That is the disconnect many of us are trying to highlight.
I appreciate the transparency, and I hope this feedback continues to be considered as the editor evolves.<gwmw style=”display:none;”></gwmw>
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Hi @monavievoight, thanks for clearly explaining your concerns.
Just to clarify an important point first: the Classic Editor is available to all WordPress.com users, free or paid. However, it’s now considered a legacy editor, as WordPress moved to the block editor to improve flexibility, features, and long-term stability. The block editor can do everything Classic could, and more, which is why it’s the recommended option.
That said, Classic is still accessible:
- Without a paid plan: You can open posts in the Classic Editor by making a small change to the post URL, which allows inline Classic editing.
- With a paid plan: You can install the Classic Editor plugin for more explicit control.
Full steps are here:
https://wordpress.com/support/editors/classic-editor-guide/Regarding your workflow points:
- Duplicated posts opening in the same editor: Yes, this is the default behavior. If you’re seeing something different, please share details.
- Remembering the last-used editor: Yes, WordPress does remember this by default.
- Classic inline editing without upgrading: This is possible using the URL tweak mentioned above.
Classic remains available for compatibility, but development is focused on the modern editor. If something isn’t behaving as expected on your site, I’m happy to look into it further with specific examples.
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Hi, thanks for the response — I appreciate you taking the time to clarify.
I do want to correct and refine a few points, because this is where the disconnect is happening.
1. “Classic Editor is available to all users” (URL tweak)
Yes, I’m aware of the URL workaround. However, requiring users to manually modify URLs is not a usable or discoverable workflow. That is not the same as “inline Classic editing being available,” nor is it reasonable to expect non-technical users to rely on undocumented URL manipulation to preserve editor behavior.A workaround ≠ a supported workflow.
2. “Duplicated posts opening in the same editor is default behavior”
In practice, this is not consistently true. When duplicating posts created in Classic, the duplicate frequently opens in the Block Editor, forcing a manual switch or workaround. This inconsistency is the core issue being raised by multiple users.If this is intended default behavior, then it is not functioning reliably.
If it is not intended, then it is a bug affecting Classic workflows.Either way, it results in forced context switching.
3. “WordPress remembers the last-used editor”
Again, this is not reliably reflected when duplicating posts or creating new ones based on Classic content. Remembering the editor on a per-post basis does not address workflows that depend on duplication, templating, or serialized publishing.4. “The block editor can do everything Classic could”
From a feature checklist perspective, perhaps — but from a workflow and productivity perspective, this is not accurate. Functionality includes speed, consistency, formatting predictability, and editorial continuity. Opening Classic content inside a windowed block, or requiring extra steps to regain inline editing, is a functional regression for many writers.5. Legacy vs. supported
I understand Classic is now considered “legacy,” but it is still officially supported. The concern is not about future development — it’s about removing stable access paths today and replacing them with workarounds or paid gates.The request remains simple and reasonable:
- Duplicated posts should open in the same editor as the original
- Editor choice should be respected without URL hacks
- Classic workflows should remain consistent as long as Classic is supported
I’m happy to provide specific examples if helpful, but the issue here is not a single misconfiguration — it’s inconsistent editor handling that disrupts established publishing workflows.
Thank you again for engaging on this.<gwmw style=”display:none;”></gwmw><gwmw style=”display:none;”></gwmw>
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Thank you for sharing such thoughtful feedback about the platform. We understand that some themes and plugins may still rely on the Classic Editor, and considering this, most developers already include code that forces Classic mode to help avoid conflicts.
At the same time, the Block Editor is our primary editor moving forward, as it’s more flexible and is built on newer technologies that developers increasingly rely on for responsiveness, performance, and compatibility with modern site requirements.
Still, we really appreciate you taking the time to outline your experience and observations. I’ll make sure to pass this along to our product team for consideration.
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Thank you for the response — I appreciate the acknowledgment and the willingness to pass feedback along.
I do want to clarify one important point, because it keeps getting reframed in ways that don’t quite match the lived experience on WordPress.com.
This issue is not primarily about themes or plugins relying on Classic Editor, nor about developer compatibility. It’s about platform-level editor handling that overrides user workflow in situations like post duplication and content reuse.
Even when themes or plugins are designed to favor Classic:
Duplicated posts can still open in the Block Editor
Classic content can be forced into a windowed block
Editor behavior can change depending on context, not user intent
That inconsistency is what disrupts workflow — not a lack of modern features or developer adoption of newer technologies.
I fully understand that the Block Editor is the primary editor moving forward. That isn’t being disputed. The feedback here is about respecting editor continuity while Classic remains supported, especially in common actions like duplicating posts or working with existing Classic content.<gwmw style=”display:none;”></gwmw>
As long as Classic Editor is officially supported:
Its behavior should be predictable
Users shouldn’t need workarounds or URL edits
Core actions like duplication shouldn’t force context switching
I appreciate you passing this to the product team, and I hope it’s considered specifically as a workflow consistency issue, not just general resistance to the block editor.<gwmw style=”display:none;”></gwmw>
Thank you again for engaging.<gwmw style=”display:none;”></gwmw>
<gwmw style=”display:none;”></gwmw>
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Thank you again for the feedback! I tested this part of your message:
- Duplicated posts can still open in the Block Editor
On my test site, I created a post with the Classic editor. I then duplicated the post, which opened in the Block Editor. However, from the Block Editor, you can save a draft of the post, then go back to All Posts, and edit the post with the Classic Editor.
Here’s a screenshot from a free test site:
Once again, thank you for taking the time to share detailed feedback. We always appreciate that, and we’re absolutely taking this all into account.
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Hi, thank you for testing this and for the screenshot.
But on my actual site, this does not match what I’m seeing, and I want to document the inconsistency clearly:
- I checked many of my already-published daily posts (including posts as far back as November 2025) and those posts no longer show the “Classic Editor” option/link for me.
- Meanwhile, my monthly posts / Domestic Alchemy posts do still show the Classic Editor option.
So the behavior is not consistent across my content — Classic Editor access appears to vary by post, and I’m not doing anything differently when I open them.
If “Classic Editor” is supposed to be available on free plans via the Posts list link (as shown in your screenshot), can you help explain why:
- Published daily posts that were previously editable in Classic now do not offer Classic at all,
but - Domestic Alchemy/monthly posts on the same site do?
To help you reproduce on my end, here’s what I’m doing:
- Go to Posts → All Posts
- Hover a published daily post (older ones going back to Nov 2025)
- I do not get a “Classic Editor” link
- Hover a Domestic Alchemy / monthly post
- I do get a “Classic Editor” link
This suggests it’s not simply “free vs paid,” but something about the post itself, its editor history, or how WordPress.com is classifying/rendering it.
Questions that would help:
- Is Classic Editor link availability dependent on whether the post contains blocks vs classic HTML, or certain blocks (e.g., Classic block, embeds, layouts)?
- Is it impacted by theme, template, post format/type, or any editor setting being applied selectively?
- Has something changed recently that would remove Classic access for older published posts?
If you want, I can share:
- A couple of example post URLs (one daily post missing Classic, one Domestic Alchemy post showing it)
- Screenshots of what I see on hover in Posts → All Posts
I’m not trying to be difficult — I’m trying to get to the bottom of why the “Classic Editor link is available to all users” is not reliably true in practice on my site.<gwmw style=”display:none;”></gwmw>
<gwmw style=”display:none;”></gwmw>
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Hi there,
Thanks for providing those detailed examples – that really helps clarify the issue.
The reason you’re seeing the “Classic Editor” option on some posts but not others comes down to the post’s content:
If a post contains blocks, the option to open it in the Classic Editor isn’t available.
Your Domestic Alchemy/monthly posts were likely created entirely in the Classic Editor (no blocks), so they still show the “Classic Editor” link when you hover over them in Posts → All Posts.
Your daily posts, on the other hand, likely contain blocks (even if just one), which means the Classic Editor option won’t appear for those posts.
You can verify that by opening the navigation sidebar in the block editor.I’m attaching some commented screenshots to help illustrate this behavior.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Can’t be open with the Classic editor 
Can be opened with the classic editor
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