• When will the new theme be launching?
• Do I have to migrate my site?
• Will there be work I need to do in order to migrate?
• Will edits impact my existing site? 
• Will Media Library items automatically come over? 
• What happens with Posts?
• What about plugins?
  • Are vendor plugins compatible with the WordPress Gutenberg editor?
  • Will vendor plugin data come over in the migration? 
  • Will WiscWeb plugins migrate? 
• Can I share my new pages with a non-editor during this time?
• Can I use the same domain as on my existing website?
• What if I need to look back at old content? Can the archived site be un-archived?
• What if my site uses a child theme?

When will the new theme be launching?

At this time, a date has not been chosen. However, we hope to launch the new theme in fall of 2025. We’ll be posting information about launch in the WordPress Users group in Microsoft Teams, so please join that group to stay in the know.

Do I have to migrate my site?

Yes. Support for UW Theme Classic in WiscWeb will eventually end and sites will have to migrate to UW Theme 2.0. We hope to provide at least a year for this process, after initially launching the new Gutenberg theme. Training and support will be provided to our users to aid in the transition.

Will there be work I need to do in order to migrate?

Yes. You will be responsible for the steps outlined in the Migration Process section.

Will edits impact my existing site? 

No. You will be able to play around with content in this new space without it impacting your existing, live website.

Will Media Library items automatically come over? 

Yes, this is included in what will be copied over from the existing website.

What happens with Posts?

Posts do not use page builder functionality in UW Theme Classic. Therefore, these are automatically compatible with the Gutenberg editor and UW Theme 2.0. They will not need to be converted.

What about plugins?

Are vendor plugins compatible with the WordPress Gutenberg editor?

The Gutenberg editor has been available for several years. Therefore, most vendor plugins are already compatible. However, custom WiscWeb plugins (like UW Events and UW Publications) may require some migration effort.

Will vendor plugin data come over in the migration? 

Yes, we believe that vendor content should move over and work as expected. However, we have not yet had a chance to test and confirm this.

Will WiscWeb plugins migrate? 

This will depend on the plugin. We have to rebuild custom WiscWeb plugins for use with Gutenberg and it is not guaranteed that these will be available for launch. We will attempt to keep users informed of any known barriers or issues with plugins.

Can I share my new pages with a non-editor during this time?

Yes, the Public Draft Preview plugin will be available in this environment and will allow you to share a link with users who don’t have editing access to the site.

Can I use the same domain as on my existing website?

It depends! You will not need to change the domain unless:

1. You desire a new domain - If you would like to change your domain, you can request a new one. However, we do recommend limiting this to  cases where your group has undergone a formal name change. 
   
   
2. You are using a non-wisc.edu domain - Groups will not be allowed to publish to a non-wisc domain in the new UW Theme 2.0 infrastructure. Instead, your group will need to forward the .org/.com/etc, to a wisc.edu domain. 

Note: Your old site will be unmapped and archived when you launch your UW Theme 2.0 website.

What if I need to look back at old content? Can the archived site be un-archived?

Yes. An archived site can be un-archived at any time. However, we cannot let the old project site sit in an unarchived state forever.

What if my site uses a child theme?

Migration tools will not be created to support customizations, so there’s a good chance you’ll need to rebuild content manually using the Gutenberg editor. Our team can offer advice to guide you towards close equivalents, where possible.