The WordPress block editor

Among many things, I build a lot of WordPress sites for my clients. For the most part I use Elementor, ACF, and other stuff, and tend to leave the actual block post editor alone. My clients are often responsible for general post/page content.

Last week I had to do a bunch of editor work and wow - I didn't realise how unusable the block editor is:

• for the most part there is no indication where you're dragging a block to

• the toolbar popup constantly gets in the way

• just a general lack of good UX practice

• so much white space for no reason

• the up/down arrows are useful, but thet don't work cross-block, so if I have a paragraph and want to put it inside a column I can't. Press up and it goes above the column block.

There are more, these are just off the top of my head. I'm a little surprised but also not very surprised, WordPress has been changing for the worse for a long time, but it still broadly a decent CMS.

That's not to say the old TinyMCE editor was any better, but mixing content and layout is always a messy situation and I don't think either editors handle it well.

I much prefer how modern editor's approach this and use Markdown, and no interpretation of layout (columns, etc), however WordPress have heavily invested in their block editor so I can't see them changing any time soon.