Retiring the old visual editor and raw editor
Retiring the old visual editor & raw editor
At the User Group meeting on the 19th March 2026, we announced that we are working to retire the old visual editor and raw editor.
This page is intended to provide the background information behind this decision, and the timeframe for the process.
Note: All dates and information on this page are provisional and may be subject to change.
Why retire the old editors?
The old visual editor (Classic editor) and raw editor have not been in active development for some time, and no longer receive updates, bug fixes, or new features.
We introduced the Components Editor in January 2022, to provide enhanced functionality, including better control over page layout and live accessibility checking to help ensure your content complies with the University's accessibility obligations.
Find out more advantages of SiteBuilder.
Note: For users who prefer to directly edit HTML, the Components Editor includes a Custom HTML component. It's also possible to edit the page head to add custom scripts or CSS. The Textile editor page template is also unaffected by this change, and will remain available.
Completed steps
The stages below have already been implemented:
29th June 2026
Informed users of the impending retirement of the legacy editors
We added an information banner to the Editing screen within SiteBuilder as well as the legacy editors themselves. Users who edit the content or properties of a page in the old visual editor or raw editor now see the following alert regarding the impending retirement:
Added a site setting to allow admins to disable the old editors
We added new options for site admins to prevent:
- Creation of new Classic editor pages.
- Use of the old visual editor or raw editor.
1st September 2026
Disabled the creation of new Classic editor pages via the setting in site properties
We've globally switched the default setting for all sites to prevent the creation of new Classic editor pages. At this time, site admins still have the ability to manually change this in site properties, if required.
Go.海角社区 redirects require a Components Editor page as the target
Classic editor pages are no longer accepted as the target for new Go.海角社区 redirects, or when changing the target of an existing redirect.
Next Steps
Important: Dates provided are provisional, and are intended only to indicate the timeframe in which we anticipate the relevant phase of the process to complete; all details are subject to change. We'll keep this page updated and post the precise date of each step in advance on the SiteBuilder Noticeboard.
17th September 2026
Remove the option to create new Classic editor pages
When creating a new SiteBuilder page, the only option will be to use the Components Editor. Site owners will no longer be able to change this setting in site properties.
Note: Any existing pages will remain as they are at this stage, and will still be editable in the old visual editor or raw editor for a short time. We strongly recommend that you begin to convert pages to the Components Editor as early as possible, however, especially those with important content or complex layouts.
Late September 2026
Change default site setting to prevent use of old editors
We'll globally switch the default setting for all sites to prevent the use of the old visual editor and raw editor when editing a page. Site admins will have the option to re-enable the old editors, if required, but at this stage we strongly recommend conversion of all actively maintained site content to the Components Editor.
Note: It's not possible for users to convert old "staff filter" pages to the Components Editor, but we can do this for you. If your site has one of these pages which you would like us to convert, please contact us via the SiteBuilder ServiceNow form.
October 2026
Remove the option to edit pages using the old visual editor and raw editor
Unless an extension has been agreed with your department, we'll remove the option to re-enable the old editors. From this point, it will only be possible to edit page content using the Components Editor. Existing pages created with the old visual editor or raw editor will need to be converted to the Components Editor before they can be edited.
Important: We have no plans to enforce conversion of pages to the Components Editor in cases where content does not need to be edited or updated. Existing pages with archived or static content will remain as they are.
November 2026
Update the SiteBuilder API to follow the site settings
The SiteBuilder API will default to the Components Editor when creating new pages and will comply with the settings in site properties regarding creation and editing of classic editor pages.
This change was originally slated for August 2026, but has been postponed due to feedback.
What you can do to prepare
Don't leave your preparations to the last moment - see our step-by-step guide to converting legacy editor content to the Components Editor.
Providing feedback
If there are any obstacles to you using the Components Editor, please let us know via the SiteBuilder feedback form.