[Regression] Site Editor landing view shows blank page instead of front-page.html when static homepage is configured

[369work]

Description

This issue was previously reported and marked as fixed in Gutenberg 16.4 (#53264)
and again in 16.6.0 (#55431), but the problem is still reproducible in current
versions of WordPress and Gutenberg.

When a block theme includes front-page.html and the site is configured to display
a static homepage under Settings → Reading, the Site Editor landing view
(/wp-admin/site-editor.php) renders only the page title with no content —
effectively a blank canvas. The front-page.html template is not loaded on
the initial view, even though it takes precedence over all other templates per
WordPress template hierarchy.

This is a Site Editor-only issue. The frontend renders correctly.

Why this is not a duplicate of #53264 or #55431

Both previous issues were closed as resolved, but the regression persists:

Issue	Reported fix	Status
#53264	Fixed in GB 16.4 via #53169	Regression — still reproducible
#55431	Fixed in GB 16.6.0	Regression — still reproducible

The root cause appears not to have been fully addressed: the Site Editor
determines its landing template based on the assigned static page rather than
respecting front-page.html template hierarchy.

Expected behavior

The Site Editor should load and preview front-page.html, since that template
takes precedence over all others on the homepage per WordPress template hierarchy.

Navigating to Editor → Templates → Front Page does correctly display
front-page.html — confirming the template exists and is valid.

Actual behavior

The Site Editor landing view renders only the page title (e.g. "Front") with no
content. It appears to load the static page's content rather than the
front-page.html template.

The frontend (/) renders correctly using front-page.html.

Impact

This inconsistency between the Site Editor preview and the actual frontend output
causes significant confusion, particularly for:

• Non-technical users who assume their theme is broken and begin unnecessary
  debugging
• Theme authors testing templates in the Site Editor
• Site builders
  who have no clear way to diagnose the discrepancy

Because the frontend renders correctly, users often cannot determine whether the
issue is with their theme, their configuration, or the editor itself.

Additional notes

• Navigating directly to Editor → Templates → Front Page shows the correct
  template — the issue is isolated to the initial landing view of the Site Editor
• This suggests the landing view URL resolution logic does not account for
  front-page.html taking priority over a static page assignment

Related issues: #52388, #53264, #55431, #63783

Step-by-step reproduction instructions

1. Use a block theme that includes a front-page.html template
2. Go to Settings → Reading and set "Your homepage displays" to A static page
3. Assign a page (e.g. "Front") as Homepage, and another (e.g. "Blog") as
   Posts page
4. Navigate to Appearance → Editor (/wp-admin/site-editor.php)

Screenshots, screen recording, code snippet

Environment info

• WordPress: 7.0, RC2, 7.0 beta 5
• PHP: 8.4
• Theme: [twentytwentyfive] (includes front-page.html)
• Browser: Chrome

Please confirm that you have searched existing issues in the repo.

• Yes

Please confirm that you have tested with all plugins deactivated except Gutenberg.

• Yes

Please confirm which theme type you used for testing.

• Block
• Classic
• Hybrid (e.g. classic with theme.json)
• Not sure

[karthikeya-io]

The Site Editor landing view renders only the page title (e.g. "Front") with no
content. It appears to load the static page's content rather than the
front-page.html template.

When I tested it, it showed both the title and the content from the page, which I feel is the appropriate behavior if the front-page template is absent. In that case, pages fall back to using the page template. Showing the template instead of the page with these settings could confuse users.

I also feel that if a theme has a front-page template, showing the page at /wp-admin/site-editor.php instead of the template could confuse new users, especially if most of the frontend content comes from the template or if the front-page template does not include a content block. It might be a good idea to show the front-page template instead of the page even when a static page is set, if the theme includes a front-page template.

From what I have observed, if the settings are configured to show the latest posts, the template is loaded; otherwise, the page is loaded. If "Show Template" is enabled, that can also help reduce confusion.

Screen.Recording.2026-04-01.at.4.25.50.PM.mp4