Divi to Gutenberg Migration 2025 – Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Moving from Divi to the native WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg) can dramatically simplify your stack and improve performance in 2025. This guide walks you through a safe, verifiable, and SEO-friendly migration – covering prep work, tools, a step-by-step plan, QA, and FAQs. We also point to authoritative sources confirming key changes (like Divi 5’s move away from shortcodes and the WordPress 6.8+ release cadence).

Why migrate from Divi to Gutenberg in 2025

Divi 5 removes shortcodes. Elegant Themes rebuilt Divi 5 on a block-like storage format. Their official post states: “Divi 5 comes with a migrator that will convert all of your Divi 4 shortcodes to Divi 5 blocks,” plus a backward-compatibility mode for legacy content. Source.
Divi 5 status in 2025. Divi 5 is in Public Alpha with bi-weekly updates, approaching Public Beta. See Elegant Themes updates and status pages: Alpha updates, status/changelog, and Divi 5 hub.
WordPress 6.8+ (released April 15, 2025) brought further block editor maturity; 6.9 is scheduled for December 2, 2025. Dev notes, 6.9 roadmap.
Cleaner HTML & fewer dependencies. Gutenberg outputs lean markup, reducing reliance on heavy builder CSS/JS bundles, improving Core Web Vitals and maintainability.
Gradual migration options. The Divi Layout Block lets you embed Divi layouts inside Gutenberg, enabling page-by-page transitions. Docs.

Preparation & audit (don’t skip)

Back up + staging first. Clone the site to staging (files + DB). Plan a rollback strategy.
Inventory everything. Pages, posts, CPTs, taxonomies, Divi Theme Builder templates (headers/footers), WooCommerce templates, global modules, shortcodes, sliders, forms.
Note third-party dependencies. List Divi-specific modules/plugins and check Divi 5/Gutenberg parity.
Design system extraction. Export palettes, typography, spacing, and components so you can recreate them in theme.json, patterns, and custom blocks.
Confirm platform versions. Target WordPress 6.8+ and modern PHP. See WordPress dev notes.

Migration tools & helpers

Divi 5 migrator (built-in). Converts Divi 4 shortcodes to Divi 5 blocks with backward compatibility for legacy/third-party modules. Details.
Automattic’s “Divi Migration Tools”. Open-source helper plugin aimed at converting Divi content to WordPress. Use on staging and review output. GitHub.
Divi Layout Block. Embed existing Divi layouts inside Gutenberg to migrate gradually. Docs.
Block theme + theme.json. Adopt a block theme or a custom theme with theme.json for global styles (colors, fonts, spacing).
Reusable blocks & patterns. Convert common sections (hero, CTA, pricing) into patterns for consistency.
QA toolkit. Lighthouse, WebPageTest, PageSpeed Insights; link checkers; accessibility tools; Schema testing.

Divi → Gutenberg: common replacements

Divi element	Gutenberg replacement	Notes
Section / Row / Column	Group / Columns / Stack layout	Use layout controls + gap/spacing in Group/Columns.
Blurb	Media & Text / Group + Heading + Paragraph + Image	Create a reusable pattern for repeated blurbs.
Button	Buttons block	Map styles to `theme.json` presets.
Image / Gallery	Image / Gallery	Keep descriptive `alt` text; use native lazy-load.
Slider	Cover + Patterns or lightweight slider block/plugin	Prefer minimal JS; avoid heavy sliders where possible.
Contact Form	Form plugin block (e.g., core/third-party)	Migrate confirmations, spam protection, GDPR notices.
Blog Module	Query Loop	Recreate archive/card layouts with Query Loop variations.
Theme Builder header/footer	Block theme template parts	Move header/footer to `templates/parts` with patterns.

Step-by-step migration process

1) Freeze scope & branch to staging. Lock content changes, create a staging copy, and enable maintenance mode when testing cut-over.
2) Baseline metrics. Record Core Web Vitals, Lighthouse scores, top landing pages, and conversion paths.
3) Install WordPress 6.8+ and a block theme. Configure theme.json to mirror current palettes/typography.
4) Trial conversions.
- Option A: Install Divi 5 (Public Alpha on staging only) and test the built-in migrator on a few pages. Divi 5 hub.
- Option B: Test Divi Migration Tools (Automattic) on low-risk content. GitHub.
- Option C: Gradual swap using the Divi Layout Block inside Gutenberg, then rebuild each page natively. Docs.
5) Rebuild template parts. Convert Theme Builder headers/footers and archives into block templates and patterns; verify menu, search, and site logo blocks.
6) Replace unsupported modules. Where a Divi module lacks a 1:1 block, recreate with Groups/Patterns or a lightweight block plugin; avoid heavy dependencies.
7) Content pass. Clean headings (H2/H3 hierarchy), check internal links, update media, add descriptive alt, and review accessibility.
8) SEO parity. Keep slugs; confirm canonical/robots; migrate schema; verify sitemaps; ensure breadcrumbs remain consistent.
9) QA & performance. Device testing, responsive checks, 404/redirects, forms, search, and speed (LCP, CLS, INP). Compare with baseline.
10) Plan the live switch. Choose a low-traffic window; backup; deploy; re-test; monitor logs/lighthouse; roll back if needed.

SEO & performance guardrails

URLs: keep slugs; if anything changes, add 301s.
Titles & meta: verify per template. Confirm Open Graph/Twitter Cards.
Images: compress, set correct sizes, keep alt text.
Schema: preserve key schema (Org, Product, FAQ, Article). Validate after migration.
Assets: prefer native blocks + theme.json styles; minimize extra CSS/JS.
Measure: re-run Lighthouse and compare to your baseline.

How long does a Divi → Gutenberg migration take?

For a 20–40 page marketing site, expect 1–3 weeks including design system extraction, rebuilds, QA, and SEO parity checks. Complex stores/portals (hundreds of pages, WooCommerce, custom modules) may need 4–8+ weeks with phased deployments. Use staging early to derisk unknowns and choose a gradual, page-by-page approach if stakeholders can’t accept a single cut-over window.

Need expert help?

We handle full migrations, including design-system re-implementation, custom blocks/patterns, QA, and SEO safeguards. Explore our WordPress services at DeveloPress and let’s plan your safest path to Gutenberg.

FAQ.

Don’t see your question? Drop us a message. We’re always happy to help.

Is Divi 5 stable enough to migrate now?

Divi 5 is in Public Alpha (entering Public Beta soon) with frequent updates. Use it on staging first and follow Elegant Themes’ guidance. Divi 5 hub, status.

Does Divi 5 really remove shortcodes?

Yes. Divi 5 replaces Divi 4’s shortcode storage with a block-like format and includes a migrator to convert existing content. Official announcement.

Can I migrate page-by-page instead of all at once?

Yes. Use the Divi Layout Block to embed Divi layouts inside Gutenberg and rebuild pages gradually. Docs.

Which WordPress version should I target?

Target 6.8+. WordPress 6.8 shipped on April 15, 2025, and 6.9 is planned for December 2, 2025 with further editor enhancements. Dev notes, roadmap.

Will SEO be impacted during migration?

If you preserve URLs, meta, schema, and internal links—and re-test performance—SEO should remain stable or improve thanks to cleaner markup. We recommend a staged rollout and close monitoring in Search Console.

Can DeveloPress handle the migration end-to-end?

Yes — from audit and design-system mapping to custom blocks, QA, and SEO parity. See our services and request a scoped plan.

Divi to Gutenberg Migration 2025 – Step by Step Guide

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