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 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 existing plugins you were 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. We hope to offer two options for this:
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.
Will Media Library items automatically come over?
Yes, this is included in what will be copied over from the existing website.
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.
Is there any content that won’t work with the migration tool?
Yes. 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.
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?
Gutenberg has been available for several years. Therefore, most plugins are already compatible. However, WiscWeb custom plugins (like UW Events and Publications) may require some migration effort.
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.