[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #65091: Toolbar: Display the toolbar in the Site Editor and Block Editor

[WordPress Trac]

#65091: Toolbar: Display the toolbar in the Site Editor and Block Editor
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 Reporter:  lucasmdo                           |      Owner:  (none)
     Type:  enhancement                        |     Status:  new
 Priority:  normal                             |  Milestone:  Awaiting
                                               |  Review
Component:  Toolbar                            |    Version:
 Severity:  normal                             |   Keywords:  needs-patch
  Focuses:  ui, accessibility, administration  |
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 == Problem / Current Behavior ==

 The WordPress Admin Bar (Toolbar) is displayed on the front end and across
 wp-admin screens, but it is '''hidden''' in both the Site Editor and the
 Block Editor. This creates a navigation inconsistency: users who rely on
 the Admin Bar as their primary way to move between areas of WordPress lose
 that affordance the moment they enter either editor.

 As WordPress has evolved, the editors have introduced their own navigation
 patterns, the Site Editor sidebar, the back arrow / WordPress logo button,
 the ''Template · Page Title'' breadcrumb, that differ from the rest of the
 admin experience. The result is multiple, competing navigation models:

  * '''wp-admin screens''': Admin Bar + left sidebar menu.
  * '''Front end (logged in)''': Admin Bar.
  * '''Site Editor''': Custom sidebar (Design panel) with no Admin Bar.
  * '''Block Editor (fullscreen, the default)''': Custom top toolbar with
 no Admin Bar and no wp-admin sidebar.

 This fragmentation means:

  * It is not immediately clear how to '''exit''' the editor and return to
 wp-admin or the front end.
  * Users must learn different navigation patterns depending on which
 screen they are on.
  * The Admin Bar, the one element that is consistent across the front end
 and wp-admin, is absent precisely where users may need it most.


 == Proposed Enhancement ==

 Display the Admin Bar in the Site Editor and Block Editor, just as it is
 rendered on wp-admin screens and the front end. The full Toolbar should
 appear at the top of the viewport, above the editor chrome, preserving all
 standard nodes and any nodes added by plugins.

 This would unify the navigation model across all WordPress contexts:

  * '''wp-admin screens''': Admin Bar + left sidebar.
  * '''Front end''': Admin Bar.
  * '''Site Editor''': Admin Bar + editor sidebar.
  * '''Block Editor''': Admin Bar + editor toolbar.

 The Admin Bar becomes the single, persistent navigation element users can
 always rely on.

 [[Image(site-editor.png)]]

 == Rationale ==

 '''Why Core and not a plugin:'''

  * The Admin Bar is a Core feature and its visibility is a Core decision.
  * Navigation consistency across all of WordPress is a platform-level
 concern, not a plugin concern.
  * The current situation, where Core itself hides Core's own navigation
 element, is an inconsistency that should be resolved in Core.

 '''Who benefits:'''

  * '''All users''': consistent, predictable navigation regardless of
 context.
  * '''New users''': fewer navigation patterns to learn.
  * '''Power users and site administrators''': quick access to ''+New'',
 user menu, and plugin-added toolbar nodes without leaving the editor.
  * '''Plugin developers''': toolbar nodes they register via the standard
 API become available in the editors without extra work.

 '''Supporting context:'''

 Related tickets and issues confirm that editor navigation is a recognized
 pain point:

  * [https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/38554 Gutenberg #38554]:
 Users requesting ''Add New'' access from within the Block Editor, which
 the Admin Bar already provides.
  * [https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/72135 Gutenberg #72135]:
 Proposal to unify the Site Editor layout, including consistency between
 admin and editor views.


 == Backward Compatibility ==

 This change is '''additive'''. No existing functionality is removed or
 altered


 == Future Considerations ==

 If this enhancement is accepted and implemented, follow-up tickets should
 be filed to address editor UI adjustments that ensure visual and
 functional consistency with the Admin Bar present. These may include, but
 are not limited to:

  * Aligning the Block Editor top toolbar layout and spacing with the Admin
 Bar above it.
  * Revisiting the Site Editor sidebar header and back-navigation
 affordances to complement (rather than duplicate) what the Admin Bar
 already provides.
  * Ensuring responsive behavior on smaller screens accounts for the
 combined height of the Admin Bar and editor toolbar.

 Each of these would be filed as a separate ticket and cross-referenced
 back to this one.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/65091>
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