When the new Gutenberg theme is available, groups will have at least one year to transition (Note: A release date has not yet been determined). This webpage details what we know now about this migration process.
There will be two migration paths available:
If you have questions that aren’t answered in the links above, please review the things that will change section and the frequently asked questions list. Check back often as new information will be added overtime.
Building from scratch
If desired, groups will have the option to build their site entirely from scratch rather than migrating existing content.
For this, you’d simply have to request a new project site, once this option becomes available. There is no timeline set for this yet.
This option is best for groups who:
- Have time and resources to dedicate to a rebuild of the site,
- Would like to make substantial content updates as part of their transition,
- Are interested in redesigning their entire web presence.
Migrating your existing website
The following steps outline a rough overview of what WiscWeb users might expect when their site is migrated to Gutenberg.
Copying your existing site
Once the new theme is ready, we will offer the option to request a new Gutenberg website.
When we receive your request, we will take a copy of your existing WiscWeb site and place it in our new infrastructure that will host our Gutenberg websites. The new project space will have the Gutenberg theme enabled, as well as any plugins that the WiscWeb service is using.
Editing your Gutenberg site
With your new Gutenberg project space, you’ll be able to work through transitioning your pages over to Gutenberg blocks.
Migrating page elements to Gutenberg blocks
We plan to make a migration plugin available to help translate existing classic UW Theme page elements over to Gutenberg theme blocks.
Each page element on your site, such as group of links or accordions, will be mapped to a Gutenberg block (unless it is being deprecated or addressed after launch). Check the Gutenberg status webpage for more details on how things will be mapped in the future. We hope to offer two options for migration:
- A site-wide conversion option (for converting your entire site to Gutenberg blocks)
- A singular page element conversion option (for if you want to re-import information or if you want to start from scratch on an individual page).
However, these options are not fully built and require testing before we can confirm this is possible.
Publishing pages
Once you have converted your page element content to Gutenberg blocks, you can publish the new version of the page. The site won’t be publicly accessible until you launch, so there is no risk of the content being found online.
Launching your Gutenberg site
When you have transitioned all existing pages over to Gutenberg blocks, you can request a site launch in this new location.
Users would need to make sure that all pages have been converted and published before a launch is scheduled.
Archiving your old website
Once your Gutenberg site has launched, the WiscWeb team will “unmap” your old site and publish it to a *.wiscweb.wisc.edu project domain. We’ll also archive it. In the archived state, it will no longer be editable/accessible.
Things that will change
There are a few things that will change as a result of the transition to new AWS infrastructure and a new theme:
Commenting (will be removed)
We’ve decided not to allow commenting in future state WiscWeb. WordPress comments are regularly targeted by nefarious actors/bots and therefore, introduce certain security risks. Usage of this feature is low and therefore the need for this does not outweigh the risks presented.
Gravity Forms Integration for wpDataTables plugin (will be removed)
This plugin allows users to submit content via a public web form and then display that same content on a live webpage. We’ve determined that this option can introduce some risks for our sites and will be removed from our offering in the future for these reasons:
- If the form is public, it could get spammed.
- Spam could include ad content that links to explicit websites.
- Spam links can also be nefarious phishing attempts.
- The current option allows for publishing a post automatically.
- Spam content could get published, which could make it look like official UW content.
Note: We will still support Gravity Forms and wpDataTables plugins independently.
Reusable Content plugin (will be removed)
This plugin allows users to create content in one place and share it on multiple other pages. Synced patterns in Gutenberg will allow for the same capability. Therefore, we will not be rebuilding this in Gutenberg or offering a migration path for this content. If you have reusable content, it will need to be manually rebuilt as synced patterns.
Enable Media Replace plugin (will be removed)
The Enable Media Replace plugin allows users to replace media files that were uploaded to the Media Library and update the links on webpages that show them. Our new infrastructure will back up and serve media files from various distributed servers for increased performance and the Media Replace plugin is not compatible with this setup. Instead, we recommend uploading documents that need to be updated/replaced to UW Box and linking directly to them from your WiscWeb site.
Airtable embed (will be removed)
Airtable was reviewed for accessibility and it was determined that the tooling brought in too many high level barriers. Therefore, this tool will not be accommodated as an embed in future state WiscWeb. If groups wish to continue using the tool, they will need to link out to their Airtable content rather than embed it in their WiscWeb sites.
Caching (will be changing)
We will be implementing more content caching in the new infrastructure to improve service performance. This will change how you preview content after publishing. If you are authenticated and previewing website edits, you’ll see those edits right away. However, if you try to preview your edits in an incognito window, a mobile device, or a separate browser, your edits may not show up automatically. You will have to wait up to 5 minutes for those edits to appear.
WiscWeb custom plugins (will be changing)
WiscWeb has built a number of custom plugins based on the needs of the university. These will need to be rebuilt/re-configured for use in Gutenberg and it is unlikely that most of them will be ready in time for the launch of the new theme. With the rebuilds, please expect that use of these plugins will change slightly. Impacted plugins include:
- UW Publications plugin
- UW Events plugin
- Anything listed in the “UW custom plugins” section of our KnowledgeBase plugins page
Frequently asked questions
This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.
When will the new theme be launching?
At this time, a date has not been chosen. However, we hope to launch the new theme in fall of 2025. We’ll be posting information about launch in the WP Users group in Teams, so please join that group to stay in the know.
Do I have to migrate my site?
Yes. Support for the existing theme in WiscWeb will eventually end and sites will have to migrate to Gutenberg. We hope to provide at least a year for this process, after initially launching the new Gutenberg theme. Training and support will be provided to our users to aid in the transition.
Will there be work I need to do in order to migrate?
Yes. You will be responsible for the following:
- Submitting a new site/migration request (once the new Gutenberg theme is ready and this option becomes available)
- Ensuring that each page/post on your site has been adequately migrated
- The process will be aided by the migration tooling, but review of the page content will still be recommended.
- Submitting a new launch request when your new Gutenberg site is ready to be made live
Will edits impact the existing site?
No. You will be able to play around with content in this new space without it impacting your existing, live website.
Will Media Library items automatically come over?
Yes, this is included in what will be copied over from the existing website.
Is there any content that won’t work with the migration tool?
Yes. There are several items to consider here:
Inline styling
If you customize any page elements with in-line HTML/styling, these will not be translated to Gutenberg blocks. Instead, you’ll have to rebuild this content in Gutenberg.
Hero headlines and featured content insets
If you use a headline or featured content inset in any of your hero banners/carousels, these will not auto-migrate. We’ve made this decision because we don’t want to force your content into a specific banner pattern design. There are different needs that groups have within this space and we want that choice to lay with the editor(s) of the site. You will have the option to choose from several lovely banner patterns when you rebuild this content.
Spreadsheets inside of tabs
These will not transition to Gutenberg automatically. We encourage you to rebuild this content outside of tabs.
Block quotes within Text Blocks
These will not transition to Gutenberg automatically. You will need to rebuild as Quote blocks.
Search box shortcode
This shortcode is not being rebuilt in the new theme. However, there is a close equivalent within WordPress’s default blocks: the Search block. If you use this shortcode anywhere, you’ll need to replace with a Search block manually.
Widgets on post pages
These will not carry over into Gutenberg. If you wish to show widgets on your posts, you will need to manually add the related widget blocks to your pages and potentially build a synced pattern for applying to all post pages.
Document Listing
This post type will not be available for the launch of the new theme. If you have Document Listing(s) on your site, we recommend exploring alternative approaches to displaying this content.
Image Only Carousel
The Image Only Carousel will not be ready for launch. If you use this page element, you will need to consider transitioning the content to an alternative like the hero carousel. Unlike the classic UW Theme, the hero carousel can be placed anywhere on the page in the new theme.
Publications plugin content
See note in “Things that will change” section to learn more about this shift.
Reusable Content
See note in “Things that will change” section to learn more about this shift.
What happens with Posts?
Posts do not use page builder functionality in the UW Theme. Therefore, these are automatically compatible with Gutenberg. They will not need to be converted.
What about plugins?
Are vendor plugins compatible with Gutenberg?
Gutenberg has been available for several years. Therefore, most vendor plugins are already compatible. However, WiscWeb custom plugins (like UW Events and Publications) may require some migration effort.
Will vendor plugin data come over in the migration?
Yes, we believe that vendor content should move over and work as expected. However, we have not yet had a chance to test and confirm this.
Will WiscWeb plugins migrate?
This will depend on the plugin. We have to rebuild our own plugins for use with Gutenberg and it is not guaranteed that these will be available for launch. We will attempt to keep users informed of any known barriers or issues with plugins.
Can I share the Gutenberg pages with a non-editor during this time?
Yes, the Public Draft Preview plugin will be available in this environment and will allow you to share a link with users who don’t have editing access to the site.
Can I use the same domain that I use on the existing site?
Yes! You will not need to change the domain unless you wish to. Regardless, your old site will be unmapped and archived when you launch your Gutenberg website.
What if I need to look back at old content? Can the archived site be un-archived?
Yes. An archived site can be un-archived at any time. However, we cannot let the old project site sit in an unarchived state forever.
What if my site uses a child theme?
Migration tools will not be created to support customizations, so there’s a good chance you’ll need to rebuild content manually in Gutenberg. Our team can offer advice to guide you towards close equivalents, where possible.