Gutenberg is powerful, but it's also easy to misuse. Here are the mistakes I see most often in agency-built sites — and how I fix them without starting over.
1. "Block Soup" — Zero Structure
The most common issue: pages built with dozens of individual blocks with no use of Group, Column, or Reusable Blocks. The result is a page that's nearly impossible to maintain. Moving a section means dragging 15 blocks one by one.
The fix: I restructure content into logical Groups and convert repeated sections into Reusable Blocks or Block Patterns. This makes future edits predictable and fast.
2. Theme.json Ignored
Many agencies skip theme.json configuration entirely, then wonder why the editor looks nothing like the front-end. Colors are inconsistent, font sizes are random, and spacing varies from page to page.
The fix: I set up a proper theme.json with defined color palettes, font sizes, spacing presets, and layout constraints. This gives content editors a consistent set of options instead of unlimited chaos.
3. Classic Blocks Everywhere
After migrating from Classic Editor, many sites are full of Classic Blocks — essentially TinyMCE iframes inside Gutenberg. They don't benefit from block styling, can't be customized properly, and often break the layout.
The fix: I convert Classic Blocks to native Gutenberg blocks page by page, preserving content while gaining proper block structure. It's tedious but essential.
4. Custom CSS in the Wrong Place
Inline styles in the Additional CSS section of the Customizer, competing with theme.json settings. Or worse: CSS injected via a "Custom CSS" plugin that loads on every page regardless of whether it's needed.
The fix: Consolidate all custom CSS into the theme's stylesheet or theme.json. Remove the CSS plugin entirely.
5. No Block Locking
Clients accidentally delete critical sections — the header CTA, the footer contact form, the homepage hero. Without block locking, everything is editable (and deletable).
The fix: I implement block locking on structural elements so clients can edit content but can't break the layout.
Gutenberg Project Gone Wrong?
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