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I too got seduced by some of those features and then it turned to dread when I looked at my work in mobile and it's not even close. And now I get spinning ball whenever I try to add classic sections. How they released this without proper testing is mind-boggling. 

Yes and here I am some 15 hours later and I still cannot edit in classic mode, but just get squarespace's spinning ball.  I've lost a day's worth of work and what's amazing is there is no sign of any of these problems in the public forums (perhaps in the circle forums). 

Yes, you can have both types of page sections! Use a classic section to retain the classic editor features and a Fluid Engine section to use the newer features!

Thank Paul. Strangely for about two hours I am unable to add a classic section (I get the spinning circle) so I'm getting support. 

I wish I had the answer for how NOT to work in Fluid Engine ever again as well. I have run multiple squarespace sites for years in complete avoidance of wordpress and others because with squarespace I could always count on looking good in any view - desktop, mobile etc. Worked on a page last night that took twice as long as it should have and looked absolutely horrific on mobile because I didn't realize that I have to SETUP BOTH now...I feel like I'm in a wordpress nightmare not the place I've grown to love through the years.
Please let me turn this off and use the classic editor for ALL sites even the new ones because I can't stand it. Also the little upgrade button on every single section has to go away...please....

Yes! SO SLOW! I thought something was terribly wrong with my computer last night as I was trying to edit and add product to one page only last night. Thought for kicks I'd give the FE a try and literally have never been so frustrated ....I came to squarespace and stayed because it WASN'T frustrating.

I do hope that we can turn this off. It should be optional for sure. We don't all have the time to fully test this roll out for SP. And that's how the current plan appears. That we are doing the functional testing. 

I also spent a number of hours working with Fluid Engine and find that it removed many of the things previously separated SP from other simple web platforms. I know SP as a feature rich, simple to use platform that would predictably produce reliable results, with enough flexibility to take it to the next level if you had more web skills, while still being a no brainer to hand off or recommend to clients with little to no tech skills to manage. 
Not having to worry about the mobile experience was huge. That is no longer the case. It's time consuming and fussy to get consistent layouts and reproduce things as others have said. All in all it's way more fussy and time consuming to work with without any gains from my perspective as someone comfortable working with CSS. 
Other platforms (WIX) do this far better and begs the question why not use WIX if this is the audience you are now targeting? And yes WIX can be time consuming tweaking all the layouts and fussing with the mobile experience too but they've been doing this kind of user interface for a lot longer and have it sorted out -far better than the current state of FE.
I liked SP because it was different from WIX.  I like WIX for what they've done too -but I chose SP.  I've known people in the SP community wondering if they should change to WP due to other challenges, now this FE rollout might just make their decisions easier. There were definite advantages SP had over WIX, that now appear gone, at least at the drag and drop level of development.  Ugh. Please give us back the classic editor. Please consider keeping that as an option as well so we don't have to babysit the mobile experience on every page, with every edit. It's something I chose over WIX that I know my clients like. And yes I know WIX is not necessarily the only alternative to SP but I mention it here because they have a drag and drop editor, it's biggest thing that separated it from SP in my humble opinion. There are a tonne of alternatives out there -many very good web platforms to choose from. In the fairly fast, flexible (design and function), easy-to-use, reliable, mobile-first category SP had an edge. 

THIS 👆 please please make Fluid Engine optional!! A toggle on/off …there are many features which have the *potential* to be great, but for so many reasons we are begging to give us the option to continue to work on 7.1 as it is. 

THIS 👆 please please make Fluid Engine optional!! A toggle on/off …there are many features which have the *potential* to be great, but for so many reasons we are begging to give us the option to continue to work on 7.1 as it is. 

The more I try to come to terms with FE the more I am left speechless ...specifically the MESS that is now mobile. One of SS major pluses and selling points has been mobile responsiveness. For the most part, sites could be left as is on mobile, save for a little CSS if we wanted to remove or rearrange a particular block.

Now, EVERY-SINGLE-ITEM has to be arranged, and rearranged ...even something as seemingly inconsequential as deleting one block and adding another renders the entire mobile view rearranged -according to timeline of addition! Not where the block is placed. 

And while it's nice to be able to re-arrange elements on mobile view without CSS, we cannot change ANY content without it also changing on desktop  (making CSS still necessary) (as example; text size, multiple images that look good on desktop but are too cluttered on mobile)
Overall, the mess and STRESS that is mobile/tablet rendering and 2x the design process negates the pluses given us with being able to rearrange blocks. 

It's great to be able to rearrange blocks for mobile, but we shouldn't HAVE to as part of the design process. Couldn't SS incorporate CE mobile responsiveness with the ability to rearrange blocks?

I really cannot fathom how this "mobile first" philosophy now being implemented is considered more intuitive or user friendly.  It certainly does not make for the quality design that CE did.
Mobile view according to timeline of blocks added simply does not make sense.
 
Again, I/we ask ...do not MAKE us move to FE. Make it a set of advanced design options embedded within CE, and CE permanent, thus making 7.1 the best of both worlds and appealing to an even broader audience.

I can grit my teeth and adjust to most of FE, but the mobile mess makes the whole thing a frustrating and unpleasant experience. -As others have said, it also makes a site challenging in terms of accessibility ...shouldn't we be aiming for more rather than less inclusive?

 

I tried again yesterday to come to terms with FE, spending several hours trying to (re) create classic and basic SS styles using FE + an open mind, and ended up on the verge of leaving Squarespace -EVERYTHING to do with image blocks is gone; image styles (poster, overlap, etc.) animations, the option to add a caption, just trying to get text and buttons to align properly ... and then do the whole thing again anywhere I want that layout. (And then edit for mobile)

And the mobile rendering? 🤯  Yes, it's nice to eliminate or change a section on mobile view without CSS, but to have to check and edit/redesign the entire site as you go because with FE mobile now renders based on timeline (when you added the sections/blocks!) 
It's all over the place ... 
Who are the people FE was tested on that determined it was faster and more intuitive?? For sure not the general DIY population who are the backbone of SS, and not designers ...

There are advanced designers who are loving the flexibility and can use advanced CSS, HTML and Java to make it work for them, but many of us do not fall into that category. I dare say, the majority of SS users do not.

Maybe Im the only one, but I actually really like the option of spacer blocks. I use them to set up my own even grid, and serve many purposes ...they are a fundamental tool. 
As are image block options ...please give us the OPTION to use FE

This forced "migration" to FE is going to be disastrous for many long time loyal SS customers. 
Are you reading these threads?? 
PLEASE make FE a CHOICE! And keep classic not just for a few months, but forever. Just as you have with 7.0 and 7.1 -proving that it's possible.
 
 

THIS 👆 please please make Fluid Engine optional!! A toggle on/off …there are many features which have the *potential* to be great, but for so many reasons we are begging to give us the option to continue to work on 7.1 as it is. 

You are not alone!
Squarespace recently added Fluid Engine sections. Image blocks added to Fluid Engine sections don't have the classic editor layouts like Inline, Poster, Card, Overlap, Collage and Stack. Instead, you can create similar layouts by overlapping image blocks with other blocks, like text blocks and button blocks.
However, if you would prefer to use the Image Block layout options that you have seen in videos, you can add a "classic" section to the page instead, and then add an Image Block to the classic section. You'll find the link to these at the very bottom of the list when adding a section:

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The more I try to come to terms with FE the more I am left speechless ...specifically the MESS that is now mobile. One of SS major pluses and selling points has been mobile responsiveness. For the most part, sites could be left as is on mobile, save for a little CSS if we wanted to remove or rearrange a particular block.

Now, EVERY-SINGLE-ITEM has to be arranged, and rearranged ...even something as seemingly inconsequential as deleting one block and adding another renders the entire mobile view rearranged -according to timeline of addition! Not where the block is placed. 

And while it's nice to be able to re-arrange elements on mobile view without CSS, we cannot change ANY content without it also changing on desktop  (making CSS still necessary) (as example; text size, multiple images that look good on desktop but are too cluttered on mobile)
Overall, the mess and STRESS that is mobile/tablet rendering and 2x the design process negates the pluses given us with being able to rearrange blocks. 

It's great to be able to rearrange blocks for mobile, but we shouldn't HAVE to as part of the design process. Couldn't SS incorporate CE mobile responsiveness with the ability to rearrange blocks?

I really cannot fathom how this "mobile first" philosophy now being implemented is considered more intuitive or user friendly.  It certainly does not make for the quality design that CE did.
Mobile view according to timeline of blocks added simply does not make sense.
 
Again, I/we ask ...do not MAKE us move to FE. Make it a set of advanced design options embedded within CE, and CE permanent, thus making 7.1 the best of both worlds and appealing to an even broader audience.

I can grit my teeth and adjust to most of FE, but the mobile mess makes the whole thing a frustrating and unpleasant experience. -As others have said, it also makes a site challenging in terms of accessibility ...shouldn't we be aiming for more rather than less inclusive?

 

The more I try to come to terms with FE the more I am left speechless ...specifically the MESS that is now mobile. One of SS major pluses and selling points has been mobile responsiveness. For the most part, sites could be left as is on mobile, save for a little CSS if we wanted to remove or rearrange a particular block.

Now, EVERY-SINGLE-ITEM has to be arranged, and rearranged ...even something as seemingly inconsequential as deleting one block and adding another renders the entire mobile view rearranged -according to timeline of addition! Not where the block is placed. 

And while it's nice to be able to re-arrange elements on mobile view without CSS, we cannot change ANY content without it also changing on desktop  (making CSS still necessary) (as example; text size, multiple images that look good on desktop but are too cluttered on mobile)
Overall, the mess and STRESS that is mobile/tablet rendering and 2x the design process negates the pluses given us with being able to rearrange blocks. 

It's great to be able to rearrange blocks for mobile, but we shouldn't HAVE to as part of the design process. Couldn't SS incorporate CE mobile responsiveness with the ability to rearrange blocks?

I really cannot fathom how this "mobile first" philosophy now being implemented is considered more intuitive or user friendly.  It certainly does not make for the quality design that CE did.
Mobile view according to timeline of blocks added simply does not make sense.
 
Again, I/we ask ...do not MAKE us move to FE. Make it a set of advanced design options embedded within CE, and CE permanent, thus making 7.1 the best of both worlds and appealing to an even broader audience.

I can grit my teeth and adjust to most of FE, but the mobile mess makes the whole thing a frustrating and unpleasant experience. -As others have said, it also makes a site challenging in terms of accessibility ...shouldn't we be aiming for more rather than less inclusive?

 

Thanks.  And most likely, so am I.....
 

Site URL: http://worksbyshaun.com
Hello and thank you for your help....
I am having to make a duplicate of my HOME page (WIP - redoing it using Fluid Engine), so it can be edited specifically for mobile devices, because currently there is one huge layout mess of content that appears on any mobile device - it does not resemeble the desktop version at all. Also, If you edit the desktop page in the mobile view and change anything to work on mobile, then it completely messes up the desktop page layout, extremely frustrating.
To get around this, I will create a duplicate of my new HOME page, and change the URL to http://worksbyshaun.com/mobile. Then I will edit this page so it works only on a mobile device. This way the edits won't mess up my main desktop HOME page version.
I am leaving the rest of my website as is, with the classic editor layouts, as these work on mobile devices. It's the new Fluid Engine that completely breaks anything on a mobile device. I need some of the new features present in Fluid Engine just for my new HOME page, hence why this workaround.
What custom code would I add to the "Advanced" default (desktop) HOME page section to accomplish this? Something like this....?
@media (max-width:768px){http://worksbyshaun/mobile {display:none!important}}
 
Also, I wish to hide this custom mobile HOME page from Google search engines, as it's just a duplicate. Will this cause any indexing issues with my main desktop site and Google search engine? I don't want to mess with my sites main landing page and Google searches.
Many thanks for your help.

As you are using Fluid Engine so you should be able to reorder and reposition those blocks for mobile 🙂
See the support guide for more information: Fluid Engine: Mobile Layout.

THIS 👆 please please make Fluid Engine optional!! A toggle on/off …there are many features which have the *potential* to be great, but for so many reasons we are begging to give us the option to continue to work on 7.1 as it is. 

I just needed to add 2 text fields, and two videos (Vimeo links) to a fresh page. I'd be done in less than a minute usually. 
It took close to 20. Everything I added meant I had to move something again. When I switched to mobile, it had basically randomised the layout. I had to resize the video holders, and reorder EVERY element. 
I was a web designer until 5 years ago. I usually don't struggle to pick things up. I loved, and stayed, with Squarespace as it made it quick and easy to keep updating my website and it I didn't have to worry about too much. It just worked. 
Everyone resists a change, it's natural. But the changes add no benefits for my uses. I'm just worried to change anything now as the mobile view it utterly messed up. I don't need that stress. And it will be a deal breaker, I'd rather just host my own WP and feel at home again.

I hate HATE FE. Someone said on here most of us are not versed in Java or whatever. I specifically use SS because it is overly structured. If I wanted FE I design on Wordpress or WIX. 
 When I make a new site and I use a template, I now understand how to turn off FE via Circle Labs panel. However, I don't want to make new pages to use the Classic Editor. That defeats the purpose of using the template. How do I turn it off just generally? I also don't want to have to go back to every single site I've ever done and turn off FE so my clients cant undo all of my work. HELP!
SS stop changing stuff that doesn't make any sense. Your product already worked. Let it be or do a survey to everyone on here asking if it is a good idea if you change stuff. This was a very bad idea.

@paul2009 has started a good thread where valid points like these can be added 🙂 
 
 

Completely agree! I had a client site almost completely finished in the old editor, and now being forced to use Fluid Engine is making the design inconsistent! We need a way to turn it off until we're ready to use it!

Oh thank heavens! Scroll down to the bottom of the add section sidebar on the left. At the bottom there will be a link (in small grey text) to add a section with Classic Editor! The Fluid engine doesn't handle things very well responsively. On mobile things are not in order and get jumbled up. I think the Fluid Engine looks really great and would be a VERY cool custom section for the few times you really need to do a fancy, layered, dynamic layout like a magazine spread, but it's not good for predictable web design.
I upgraded (in a test luckily!) a few of our pages and secitons and it broke the layout horribly on mobile.
What a shame. One of the best things about Squarespace has always been it's more "rigid" column layout that always created predictably great looking sites/pages on any screen. This seems like things will get far less nice looking.
I know it's new and I'll need time to get used to it, but it feels like I have do A LOT more mental overhead work for planning on how to layout a page.
Please keep this option for Classic sections! Thanks!

Please make the Fluid Engine optional.

I'm ready to launch a site today, doing last minute edits, and fluid engine is forced on the site now. (Yes, I can scroll all the way to the bottom when adding a block and click "Looking for sections built with our Classic Editor?" but it's extra steps and time-consuming. 
I don't have time to read the guide right now and learn how Fluid Engine works. I need to deliver this website and get back to work.
Making new tools like fluid engine optional will allow us to use this tool if we want it, and when we want it.  
thanks.