6. Builder detection uses slugs + post meta with a priority order

Status: Accepted
Date: 2026-08-15

Context

WordPress pages live in different stores: Gutenberg in post_content block markup, Elementor in _elementor_data post meta, Classic as raw HTML. Editing the wrong store means the preview does not change and we do not know why (R6, R13).

Decision

detectBuilder() returns elementor | beaver | divi | gutenberg | classic from theme + active plugin slugs + post meta + content. Priority: elementor (slug + _elementor_edit_mode/_elementor_data) → beaver (_fl_builder_data) → divi (theme + _et_pb_use_builder) → gutenberg (<!-- wp:) → classic.

Options considered

Theme-name-only.
"Elementor is installed" (active plugin only).
Slugs + the meta keys each builder actually writes.

Rejected

Theme-name-only — lies for child themes / Hello Elementor vs Divi.
Active-plugin-only — inactive junk and leftover block markup produce false positives.

Consequences

Elementor wins over leftover Gutenberg markup, matching what a visitor actually renders.
The TypeScript function is the spec; the PHP plugin reimplements the same rules, and site-info reports builder.
Content and design playbooks branch on this field; editing post_content on an Elementor site is a failed test.

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