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I believe Gutenberg is the default editor in WordPress. Would it still be considered as a plugin if it is installed in WordPress by default and no option to remove it? I assume plugins are able to be installed, activated, and deleted anytime. This was all I was able to get from my research and studying so far.

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  • The simpler answer is "no".
    – vancoder
    Dec 16, 2020 at 20:58

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It's slightly complicated. The default editor in WordPress is what's properly called the "block editor", but while this editor was being developed it was known as the "Gutenberg" project. The development on Gutenberg was done in the form of a plugin, which people could install for the purposes of testing and contributing.

When WordPress 5.0 came around, all the functionality of Gutenberg was built directly into WordPress as the new default editor, called the "block editor". So when you download and install WordPress, the built-in content editor is the block editor, and this is based on the original Gutenberg plugin, but it is not a plugin anymore.

However, there is still a Gutenberg plugin. This plugin is where development of future features of the editor is done, and can be installed separately as a way to preview, test and contribute to future features for the block editor.

If you want to go back to using the old editor, there isn't a plugin that you can uninstall, but you can install the Classic Editor plugin, which will change the editor back to the default editor of WordPress prior to 5.0. Support for reverting back with this plugin is promised until 2022.

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  • I think it would be possible to say that there is no clear definition of what a WordPress Plugin is - or should do - as with many things WP, the lines are blurred and very flexible - for example I can add a theme inside a plugin. They are just conceptual parts, not rigid constructs and core is also as flexible due to hooks and filters.
    – Q Studio
    Dec 23, 2020 at 10:36
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    That’s not true at all. A plugin has a very clear definition in WordPress, and no, you can’t put a theme in a plugin. Dec 23, 2020 at 12:07
  • It is a little true, if that truth is stretched :) Plugins can be used to extend WP in many directions - and also to reduce it, for example to replace the ( now ) core block editor with the old "classic" editor - and I don't believe I have seen a clear definition of what a plugin is - but I'd be happy to read it, if you can provide it?
    – Q Studio
    Dec 23, 2020 at 16:35

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