With the release of Divi 5, many users are hearing that “shortcodes are going away” and worrying that they’ll no longer be able to use their favorite shortcodes from plugins or custom code. Don’t worry—this is a misunderstanding! The change in Divi 5 only affects how the Divi Builder modules work, shifting from shortcodes to blocks. In this post, I’ll clarify what’s changing and reassure you that WordPress shortcodes will still continue to work exactly as before.
▶️ Please watch the video above to get all the exciting details! 👆
The Big Confusion: “Are All Shortcodes Going Away in Divi 5?”
There’s a common misconception that all shortcodes are disappearing or will no longer work in Divi 5. This isn’t the case! What’s actually changing is how Divi handles its builder modules, not WordPress shortcodes in general.
Divi 4 Builder: Shortcode-Based
In Divi 4, builder elements such as sections, rows, and modules were stored as shortcodes. If you ever disabled the Divi theme or a third-party module plugin, you may have noticed these shortcodes displayed as brackets with lots of gibberish code visible on the page.
Divi 5 Builder: Block-Based
Divi 5 introduces a block-based system instead of using shortcodes. This modern approach enhances performance and aligns with WordPress’s future direction. The transition is easy for existing websites with Divi’s built-in migration tool, which automatically converts Divi 4 shortcodes into blocks. New Divi 5 sites will use blocks from the start, with no need for migration.
WordPress Shortcodes Are Safe
To summarize clearly, WordPress shortcodes from plugins or custom code will continue to function in Divi 5 just as they do now. Whether you’re embedding a form, slider, or custom content, shortcodes remain fully supported as a core feature of WordPress.
Using Divi Library Items With Shortcodes
In Divi 4, you could easily create shortcodes for Divi Library layouts using plugins like Divi Assistant. This feature is particularly useful when you want to embed a Divi layout into another module, like nesting a section or row inside a module. All you need to do is enable the “Use Divi Library Layouts Anywhere With Shortcodes” setting under the Utility Helper.
Once enabled, a unique shortcode will appear next to each Divi Library layout, making it simple to copy and paste that layout anywhere within Divi.
A common use case is when you want to nest a section, row, or module inside another module—for example, inserting a saved Divi layout into the content area of a Tabs or Accordion module.
The good news is, nothing will change in Divi 5! Your existing shortcodes for Divi Library layouts will continue to work just as they do now. Even though the backend is shifting from shortcodes to a block-based system, the shortcodes you’re already using will still display Divi Library content without any extra effort on your part.
Wrapping Up: No Need to Worry About Shortcodes
To wrap things up, the transition to Divi 5’s block-based system only changes how Divi Builder modules function. WordPress shortcodes, whether from plugins or custom code, will continue to work just like before. If you’re embedding Divi Library layouts or external plugin content, there’s no need to worry—everything will remain intact. Divi’s evolution is simply behind the scenes, helping future-proof your workflow.
For a deeper dive into Divi 5, check out our full guide on the new interface below, and be sure to subscribe here on the blog and on our YouTube channel for more Divi 5 content!
💭 I would also love to hear your thoughts on all the changes, so let’s discuss it in the comments!
Phew! I haven’t had chance to play around with D5 yet but thanks for clearing that up, Nelson! I have some plugins that aren’t integrated as Divi modules so that’s a relief that their shortcodes will still work! I’ll be checking everything on staging sites first plus backups, in case anything conflicts though as I’m a bit nervous about upgrading.
Hi Emily,
You are welcome, glad I could help! Sounds like a great plan, there is no rush to switch existing sites to Dvii anyhow, and testing on staging will be a critical step.