Skip to content

WPBakery to Gutenberg

Clear the shortcodes out of your content.

WPBakery, once called Visual Composer, came bundled with thousands of premium themes. Many of those themes are no longer updated, and the content is locked inside [vc_row] and [vc_column] shortcodes that only make sense while the plugin is active.

We rebuild WPBakery sites on the block editor, clean the shortcodes out of every page and post, and replace the abandoned theme that usually comes with it.

Stuck on an old theme?

Replies within one business day.

Why teams make this move

An abandoned theme.

The bundled theme stopped getting updates, and WPBakery came with it.

Security and compatibility.

Old bundled plugin versions and PHP warnings after every WordPress update.

Shortcode lock-in.

Turn WPBakery off and every page fills with raw code.

What moves, what gets rebuilt, what stays behind

Moves across

Comes across as it is

  • Every page and post, same URL
  • Text, images, links, headings
  • SEO plugin settings
  • Menus, categories, media
Gets rebuilt

Built again on the new platform

  • Layouts, as blocks and patterns
  • Header, footer and templates in a block theme
  • Sliders, tabs, accordions, grids
  • Contact forms
Stays behind

Left on the old platform

  • WPBakery and its add-ons
  • The old bundled premium theme
  • [vc_*] shortcodes in the database
  • Theme-specific shortcodes

How we run it

  1. 01Scan the databasefor every shortcode in use, WPBakery and theme-specific, and count where each one appears.
  2. 02Crawl and list every page,with traffic from Search Console, so high-value pages go first.
  3. 03Choose the new base:a block theme, or Kadence if editors want more controls.
  4. 04Build a block libraryfrom the recurring sections.
  5. 05Rebuild pagesand convert simple posts in bulk where the structure allows, then check each one.
  6. 06Remove leftover shortcodesand confirm none remain with a second database scan.
  7. 07Swap the theme, check every URL, and watch Search Console.

Where this usually goes wrong

Theme shortcodes nobody listed.

The old theme adds its own shortcodes on top of WPBakery’s.

Blog posts forgotten.

Old posts built with WPBakery break when it is switched off.

Updating the old theme instead.

It postpones the problem and keeps the lock-in.

What we won’t promise

A clean automatic conversion. Tools can strip shortcodes, but they also strip the layout. We use them for simple posts and rebuild everything else.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to just deactivate WPBakery?+

No. Pages will show raw shortcodes. The content has to be rebuilt or cleaned first.

Do we need a new design?+

Not necessarily. We can recreate the current look on the block editor, or refresh it while we are there.

Will our URLs change?+

No. Only the theme and the page markup change.

Can this be done in stages?+

Yes. WPBakery and the block editor can coexist, so we can move page by page before removing it.

Ready to leave WPBakery?

Send your site URL. We will scan what is in use and tell you what the rebuild involves before you commit.

Replies within one business day.