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Bug #16318

closed

Unable to Access block editor or embed YouTube videos in new pages, in one site only

Added by Syelle Graves over 1 year ago. Updated over 1 year ago.

Status:
Resolved
Priority name:
Normal
Assignee:
Category name:
WordPress Themes
Target version:
Start date:
2022-06-29
Due date:
% Done:

0%

Estimated time:
Deployment actions:

Description

Hi all,

I'm getting a strange error/lack of access to normal editors in new pages and posts in https://iletc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/

Is it a bug in the Page Builder plugin? (The only editor consistently available.) I've tried to open the editors in multiple ways, including "Switch to Block editor." I've only noticed this yesterday, 6/28/22.

Some examples:
https://iletc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/wp-admin/post.php?post=4822&action=edit&classic-editor__forget.
https://iletc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/wp-admin/post.php?post=4849&action=edit&classic-editor__forget
Here is a screencast showing my attempt to switch to Gutenberg, and embed a YT video https://gc-cuny-edu.zoom.us/rec/share/Z8nEOh6xkYjtkANSZ2VDviVcAFU_ebqOkjDniFwW3S0QIUsSRGEHk7MMrKGBOxk6.atfLMxG0CDCnHRKV?startTime=1656459744000>

Scott says "I see the issue also. I went to create a new page, used the page builder, and then tried to switch to the block editor. It took me to the Classic Editor and I published the page, but the page does not resolve (gives a 400 error.) I think you should open a ticket on Redmine."

Thank you!


Files

Actions #1

Updated by Colin McDonald over 1 year ago

Hi Syelle, thanks for reporting this. I am project manager for the Commons and am looping in a couple of our developers. We'll get back to you as soon as we can.

Actions #2

Updated by Raymond Hoh over 1 year ago

There appears to be a bug with how the Make theme detects whether to use the Block Editor or not for new pages when the Classic Editor plugin is also activated. There are several reports on the wordpress.org forums about users having the same problem.

Anyway, I traced the problem down to Make's Block Editor detection code. The Classic Editor plugin actually has precedence over many plugins (a priority of 100), so I bumped the priority for Make's code up over the Classic Editor to priority 101. (I've sent an email to the Make theme developers so they are aware of this.)

This appears to fix things to allow new pages to use the Block Editor. However, you have to click on the "Use Gutenberg On This Page" button when creating new pages. I've attached a screenshot of the button. Let me know if that works for you.

For existing pages using Make's Page Builder / Classic Editor, it's not possible to switch to the Block Editor in the interface currently. I believe Make did this to prevent content removal when switching editors.

Actions #3

Updated by Syelle Graves over 1 year ago

Thanks, Ray...

But we don't really need to use block editor, if it's not available. I've only been trying to embed a YouTube video, which suddenly has not worked for days. That's why I tried to switch to block and noticed that we couldn't switch to block either, so it seemed like two bugs.

Also, I did try "Use Gutenberg On This Page" button before I opened the ticket; it did not work either, and now, it no longer shows.

We actually need classic editor the most, and right now, I can no longer open the page in classic. I cannot switch to classic. The page's content is also gone.

Does this mean we cannot embed YouTube videos in classic anymore?

We need to restore the page, open it in classic editor, and embed a YouTube video in it.

We're on a bit of a deadline due to a report we need to link to this. I'm not sure what to try next. I'll start with attempting to create a new page, restoring the lost content from memory and notes, and see if videos embed now?

Have other sites in other themes lost the ability to embed YT videos?

Actions #4

Updated by Syelle Graves over 1 year ago

The other issue is that, in new pages, I frequently get no block or classic! It just happened again. The "Use Gutenberg" button does not work.

See screenshot

Actions #5

Updated by Syelle Graves over 1 year ago

(I'm so sorry I wasn't clearer about the video embedding bug as the source of all this in my original ticket.)

Actions #6

Updated by Raymond Hoh over 1 year ago

Hi Syelle,

Can you pass the YouTube link that you're trying to embed as well as the page(s) you want to embed the YouTube video in?

Actions #7

Updated by Syelle Graves over 1 year ago

I started from scratch, and I was able to get the Classic editor open in a new page, and embed the video!

Here is a link to a page draft that shows no editors except Page Builder. Maybe it will help? https://iletc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/wp-admin/post.php?post=4872&action=edit&classic-editor

Actions #8

Updated by Syelle Graves over 1 year ago

Raymond Hoh wrote:

Hi Syelle,

Can you pass the YouTube link that you're trying to embed as well as the page(s) you want to embed the YouTube video in?

The video suddenly embeds now...

Actions #9

Updated by Raymond Hoh over 1 year ago

Hi Syelle,

The video suddenly embeds now...

That was me! I've updated the two pages referenced in the original ticket to embed the two YouTube videos that I believe you were trying to embed.

When you want to embed a YouTube video in Classic Editor, for best results, you should use the "Text" tab instead of the "Visual" tab. Then you have to paste the link to the YouTube video on a separate line. I've attached a screenshot.

Here's the WordPress article about embedding videos in the Classic Editor: https://wordpress.org/support/article/embeds/#usage.

Actions #10

Updated by Syelle Graves over 1 year ago

Syelle Graves wrote:

I started from scratch, and I was able to get the Classic editor open in a new page, and embed the video!

Here is a link to a page draft that shows no editors except Page Builder. Maybe it will help? https://iletc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/wp-admin/post.php?post=4872&action=edit&classic-editor

I published this test page. It still has neither editor for adding any content.
And clicking on the hyperlink only takes me to a preview screen https://iletc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/?page_id=4872&preview=true

It seems that the ability to create new pages is still sort of hit or miss...

Actions #11

Updated by Raymond Hoh over 1 year ago

I published this test page. It still has neither editor for adding any content.

Have you tried expanding the "Page Builder" metabox? I've attached a GIF.

Actions #12

Updated by Syelle Graves over 1 year ago

Raymond Hoh wrote:

Hi Syelle,

The video suddenly embeds now...

That was me! I've updated the two pages referenced in the original ticket to embed the two YouTube videos that I believe you were trying to embed.

When you want to embed a YouTube video in Classic Editor, for best results, you should use the "Text" tab instead of the "Visual" tab. Then you have to paste the link to the YouTube video on a separate line. I've attached a screenshot.

Here's the WordPress article about embedding videos in the Classic Editor: https://wordpress.org/support/article/embeds/#usage.

But ten minutes ago, I created a new page and embedded a YT video in the Visual tab with no problem. Is it supposed to be inconsistent like that? I embed YT videos in the visual tab in the classic editor all the time, and have been on Commons sites for year.

And re: the other bug, right now, I can no longer create new pages in any editor, except Page Builder, like before.

Actions #13

Updated by Syelle Graves over 1 year ago

Raymond Hoh wrote:

I published this test page. It still has neither editor for adding any content.

Have you tried expanding the "Page Builder" metabox? I've attached a GIF.

Right--that's the problem. The Page Builder is the only editor available. We need Classic, like we usually have. I'm not sure what you're asking--sorry! The Classic editor has never been unavailable like this before.

Actions #14

Updated by Raymond Hoh over 1 year ago

If you want to use Classic Editor, you have to change the Page Template back to the Default Template. I've attached a screenshot.

I was able to find this out through trial-and-error. It's a little confusing, but that's how the Make theme and Page Builder works. I would probably use another theme, but that's just me.

Actions #15

Updated by Raymond Hoh over 1 year ago

But ten minutes ago, I created a new page and embedded a YT video in the Visual tab with no problem. Is it supposed to be inconsistent like that? I embed YT videos in the visual tab in the classic editor all the time, and have been on Commons sites for year.

To be absolutely sure, you should always use the "Text" tab to embed video. The "Visual" tab can contain quirks especially when you are copying and pasting content, which can introduce adding whitespace as well as paragraph or other HTML tags to the video link, which would cause the video to not embed automatically.

Actions #16

Updated by Syelle Graves over 1 year ago

Raymond Hoh wrote:

If you want to use Classic Editor, you have to change the Page Template back to the Default Template. I've attached a screenshot.

I was able to find this out through trial-and-error. It's a little confusing, but that's how the Make theme and Page Builder works. I would probably use another theme, but that's just me.

YES that worked! Is there some chance the default got switched over to Builder, after some kind of update? I add to this site all the time, and this has never happened!

And I fully agree about the Make theme! I was not around when it was decided upon, and it has always made me nervous. I wish we could change it, but I think too much of the site's content /design is dependent on it. If you have any tips on a way to change the theme, and a recommended alternative, I welcome tips!

Thank you for everything.

Actions #17

Updated by Boone Gorges over 1 year ago

  • Category name set to WordPress Themes
  • Status changed from New to Resolved
  • Assignee set to Raymond Hoh
  • Target version set to Not tracked

Thanks all for the work here - it looks like we tracked down the idiosyncrasy in the Make theme.

Actions #18

Updated by Syelle Graves over 1 year ago

Boone Gorges wrote:

Thanks all for the work here - it looks like we tracked down the idiosyncrasy in the Make theme.

Yes, thank you, Boone!

I think the only remaining question is why YouTube videos have been embedding so inconsistently in the classic editor. Ray offered the solution to use the Text tab, but that doesn't explain why the embedding works sometimes in the Visual tab and sometimes not, which is new behavior.

I was wondering if this could be related to the times when the Commons gets very slow, as of late? The reason all of this happened, initially, is because the YouTube videos were suddenly not embedding for us, even when I waited several minutes. So it was almost as if the process simply timed out?

Or could the video embedding inconsistencies also be a glitch in the Make theme?

Actions #19

Updated by Raymond Hoh over 1 year ago

YES that worked! Is there some chance the default got switched over to Builder, after some kind of update?

From checking out some of the support docs on Make's site (https://thethemefoundry.com/docs/make-docs/page-builder/creating-builder-page/), it looks like the Builder Template has always been the default.

There was an update to the Make theme in April, but that didn't have anything to do with the Page Builder.

If you have any tips on a way to change the theme, and a recommended alternative, I welcome tips!

I haven't had to build a site in awhile, but I'd probably try a Block Editor-based theme.

Since the ILETC site doesn't look that complicated layout-wise, it should be pretty easy to just simply switch the theme to something else and switch back if there are problems. However, to be safe, you can export your site's content under "Tools > Export" in the admin dashboard. Then, you can create a new site and import the content to experiment with a new theme.

Ray offered the solution to use the Text tab, but that doesn't explain why the embedding works sometimes in the Visual tab and sometimes not, which is new behavior.

If the YouTube link is wrapped with a paragraph tag (<p>), then the embed will not work. This can somestimes happen when copying-and-pasting content from a Word document or another rich-text source into the Visual Editor, which is why I recommend to always use the Text Editor if you are having problems embedding. Also, sometimes the author of the YouTube video can disable embedding as well.

Actions #20

Updated by Syelle Graves over 1 year ago

Raymond Hoh wrote:

Ray offered the solution to use the Text tab, but that doesn't explain why the embedding works sometimes in the Visual tab and sometimes not, which is new behavior.

If the YouTube link is wrapped with a paragraph tag (<p>), then the embed will not work. This can somestimes happen when copying-and-pasting content from a Word document or another rich-text source into the Visual Editor, which is why I recommend to always use the Text Editor if you are having problems embedding. Also, sometimes the author of the YouTube video can disable embedding as well.

Hm. I doubt that was it...
  • I was familiar with the issue you mention--especially to make sure the YT video link is not in a bullet, not hyperlinked, etc.
  • I copy the link from the URL itself, not a Word doc
  • We own this particular video on YT, so embedding was not disabled :)
  • I was able to embed the exact same video link in the same way, page, and editor a few days later.
  • The day you embedded it for us by using the Text tab (thank you!), I tested it out a few more times, and I believe it was working for me, too, in the Visual tab, by that day, though I'm not 100% sure.

Screenshot here, taken from the screencast, shows how the link just hung out there until it timed out. I eventually had to save the draft and give up. The issue persisted for about three days. In order to make a report deadline, we had no choice but to hyperlink out to the YouTube video for that time. The screencast shows how the page also would not update or save any other changes for chunks of time as well.

I hope this helps in case it happens again to others! Today, embedding video links is still extremely slow, but it does work eventually. Hopefully, it was just a fluke, and there isn't much to be done when we can't replicate it. :)

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