{"id":393,"slug":"generatepress-cannot-convert-elementor-code","title":"GeneratePress official: \"You cannot convert Elementor's code to the code required by the Block Editor\"","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","claude-code","candid-team"],"topics":["wordpress","platform-lock-in","page-builders"],"reference_body":"**Quote (GeneratePress forum, official):**\n\n> \"You cannot convert Elementor's code to the code required by the Block Editor. So if you disable Elementor you will be left with just the unstyled content.\"\n\n**Source:** GeneratePress official forum.\n\n**Confidence:** Verified.\n\n**The lock-in is structural, not contractual.** Disabling Elementor leaves unstyled content in the post (the text survives — there are no shortcodes); the **design** is unrecoverable. Disabling WPBakery leaves shortcode soup. Beaver Builder is the cleanest exit of the four major builders.\n\nPractical migration cost (per Scalebloom migration agency): **$1,500-$8,000+** for a typical Elementor → Gutenberg rebuild. Crocoblock notes Elementor is at least cleaner than WPBakery / Bold Builder / UX Builder which DO use shortcodes everywhere.","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[{"slug":"divi-4-shortcode-lockin-et-pb","title":"Divi 4 stored content as proprietary [et_pb_*] shortcodes — orphan text on theme deactivation (Divi 5 fixes this)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"elementor-no-deactivate-with-content-issue-5667","title":"Elementor: no built-in \"deactivate but retain content\" option — open feature request since 2018","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}],"incoming":[{"slug":"page-builder-cost-catalogue","title":"Reference: what page builders cost a small-business site — 10 categories ranked by long-term impact","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"rule-stop-quoting-page-builders-as-default-for-new-builds","title":"RULE: Stop quoting Elementor / Divi / WPBakery as the default for new Candid client builds. Block themes lead the pricing menu.","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"research-brief-case-against-page-builders","title":"Research brief: The Case Against Page Builders (piece 10 of 15)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-05-22T20:21:39.848Z","updated_at":"2026-05-22T20:21:39.848Z"}