WordPress 6.8.2 RC1 is now available

WordPress 6.8.2 Release Candidaterelease candidate One of the final stages in the version release cycle, this version signals the potential to be a final release to the public. Also see alpha (beta). 1 (RC1) is available for testing! Some ways you can help test this minor releaseMinor Release A set of releases or versions having the same minor version number may be collectively referred to as .x , for example version 5.2.x to refer to versions 5.2, 5.2.1, 5.2.3, and all other versions in the 5.2 (five dot two) branch of that software. Minor Releases often make improvements to existing features and functionality.:

  • Use the WordPress Beta Tester pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party
    • As this is a minor RCrelease candidate One of the final stages in the version release cycle, this version signals the potential to be a final release to the public. Also see alpha (beta). release, select the Point ReleaseMinor Release A set of releases or versions having the same minor version number may be collectively referred to as .x , for example version 5.2.x to refer to versions 5.2, 5.2.1, 5.2.3, and all other versions in the 5.2 (five dot two) branch of that software. Minor Releases often make improvements to existing features and functionality. channel and the Nightlies stream. This is the latest build including the RC and potentially any subsequent commits in trunktrunk A directory in Subversion containing the latest development code in preparation for the next major release cycle. If you are running "trunk", then you are on the latest revision..
  • Use WP-CLIWP-CLI WP-CLI is the Command Line Interface for WordPress, used to do administrative and development tasks in a programmatic way. The project page is http://wp-cli.org/ https://make.wordpress.org/cli/ to test: wp core update https://wordpress.org/wordpress-6.8.2-RC1.zip
  • Directly download the Beta/RC version.

What’s in this release candidate?

6.8.2 RC1 is a release candidate for a maintenance release with a focus on bugs introduced in WordPress 6.8 and small enhancements or bugfixes. In total, this RC features fixes 20 issues throughout Core and 15 for the Block Editor.

WordPress 6.8.2 is led by @audrasjb@estelaris and @zunaid321.

The following coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. tickets are included:

  • #63399 – Twenty Twenty-Five: editor style isn’t enqueued
  • #14110 – Expose height and width attributes to ‘wp_get_attachment_image_attributes’ filterFilter Filters are one of the two types of Hooks https://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API/Hooks. They provide a way for functions to modify data of other functions. They are the counterpart to Actions. Unlike Actions, filters are meant to work in an isolated manner, and should never have side effects such as affecting global variables and output.
  • #42007 – rpc.pingomatic.com still using HTTPHTTP HTTP is an acronym for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. HTTP is the underlying protocol used by the World Wide Web and this protocol defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and what actions Web servers and browsers should take in response to various commands.
  • #47595 – Re-evaluate whether comment form should still get the HTML5 novalidate attribute
  • #61941 – Removing app.screencast.com as an oEmbed provider
  • #62995 – Uploading Mac screenshots results in broken images, due to question marks inserted in filenames
  • #63029 – Better align restore revision buttons on mobile devices
  • #63073 – Twenty Twelve: theme’s figcaption styles do not apply in the editor
  • #63254 – Introduce development mode for blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. editor styles
  • #63308 – tinymce cache key should be updated
  • #63324 – Update Twemoji to v16.0.1
  • #63377 – Pin specific GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/ plugin version for E2E tests in 6.6 branchbranch A directory in Subversion. WordPress uses branches to store the latest development code for each major release (3.9, 4.0, etc.). Branches are then updated with code for any minor releases of that branch. Sometimes, a major version of WordPress and its minor versions are collectively referred to as a "branch", such as "the 4.0 branch".
  • #63390 – Add version number tests for package-lock and composer files.
  • #63424 – Twenty Sixteen: Quote block Plain style has border in the editor
  • #63520 – Twenty Fourteen: Latest Comments block link color does not belong in Content SidebarSidebar A sidebar in WordPress is referred to a widget-ready area used by WordPress themes to display information that is not a part of the main content. It is not always a vertical column on the side. It can be a horizontal rectangle below or above the content area, footer, header, or any where in the theme.
  • #63543 – Environment variable WP_CONFIG_PATH should be set on cli container in wordpress-develop env
  • #63564 – Dev environment should incorporate enhancements from wp-env for speed and non-interactive usage
  • #63588 – do_blocks(): Free up transient memory leak
  • #63595 – Cease support for 4.1 – 4.6
  • #63613 – Twenty Twenty-One: menu toggle is not responsive until after “load” event

The following Gutenberg PR are included:

  • #69627 – Navigation Link: Don’t check validity when block editing is disabled
  • #69631 – Navigation Link: Optimize ‘getBlockParentsByBlockName’ selector call
  • #69633 – Navigation Link: Improve performance by only requesting entities when selected
  • #69698 – Query LoopLoop The Loop is PHP code used by WordPress to display posts. Using The Loop, WordPress processes each post to be displayed on the current page, and formats it according to how it matches specified criteria within The Loop tags. Any HTML or PHP code in the Loop will be processed on each post. https://codex.wordpress.org/The_Loop.: Don’t overwrite the ‘query.inherit’ attribute value
  • #69741 – Block Editor: Remove truncation from media tab preview tooltips
  • #69985 – Image: Avoid stale URLURL A specific web address of a website or web page on the Internet, such as a website’s URL www.wordpress.org when reselecting the same image from the library
  • #70020 – Post Template: Don’t rely on the default ‘ignore_sticky’ REST APIREST API The REST API is an acronym for the RESTful Application Program Interface (API) that uses HTTP requests to GET, PUT, POST and DELETE data. It is how the front end of an application (think “phone app” or “website”) can communicate with the data store (think “database” or “file system”) https://developer.wordpress.org/rest-api/. value
  • #70043 – MediaPlaceholder: Fix Regressionregression A software bug that breaks or degrades something that previously worked. Regressions are often treated as critical bugs or blockers. Recent regressions may be given higher priorities. A "3.6 regression" would be a bug in 3.6 that worked as intended in 3.5. with media URL input type to allow a local URL path
  • #70051 – DOM: Add summary element to focusable elements
  • #70054 – Button: Limit scope of width style for link
  • #68741 – Details: Enable all non-interactive formats
  • #70056 – Details Block: Fix keyboard accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) issues and allow list view selection to show up inner blocks
  • #70078 – URL: Handle HTMLHTML HyperText Markup Language. The semantic scripting language primarily used for outputting content in web browsers. entities and ampersand in ‘cleanForSlug’
  • #70480 – Remove screencast.com embed block variation
  • #70553 – Fix Floating UIUI User interface packages dependencies

What’s next?

Reminder: the dev-reviewed workflow (double committer sign-off) is required when making changes to the 6.8 branch.

The final release is expected on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. This date is subject to change if any issues with RC1 are discovered. Coordination will happen in the WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/ SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. #6-8-release-leads channel, and releases are always packaged and tested in #core.

A special thanks to everyone who reported issues, helped test, and helped create patches. The success of 6.8.2 depends on proper testing, so please lend a helping hand.

Thanks to @audrasjb, @zunaid321, @wildworks and @tacoverdo for pre-publication review.

#6-8, #6-8-x, #minor-releases, #releases

Dev Chat Agenda – July 9, 2025

The next WordPress Developers Chat will take place on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, at 15:00 UTC in the core channel on Make WordPress Slack.

The live meeting will focus on the discussion for upcoming releases, and have an open floor section.

The various curated agenda sections below refer to additional items. If you have ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. requests for help, please continue to post details in the comments section at the end of this agenda or bring them up during the dev chat.

Forthcoming releases 🚀

WordPress 6.8.2 RC1 is scheduled on Tuesday 8, 2025.

Discussions 💬

The discussion section of the agenda is for discussing important topics affecting the upcoming release or larger initiatives that impact the CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. Team. To nominate a topic for discussion, please leave a comment on this agenda with a summary of the topic, any relevant links that will help people get context for the discussion, and what kind of feedback you are looking for from others participating in the discussion.

Open floor  🎙️

Any topic can be raised for discussion in the comments, as well as requests for assistance on tickets. Tickets in the milestone for the next major or maintenance release will be prioritized.

Please include details of tickets / PRs and the links in the comments, and indicate whether you intend to be available during the meeting for discussion or will be async.

#6-8-2-2, #agenda, #dev-chat

Proposal: Remove the “beta support” label from PHP 8.3 for WordPress 6.8

Update: This change has been agreed and implemented.

WordPress 6.4 to 6.8 are labelled as having “beta support” for PHP 8.3. The coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. software itself is compatible and has been since November 2023, but due to the acknowledgement that WordPress is rarely used in isolation (without any theme or plugins) this support is labelled as “betaBeta A pre-release of software that is given out to a large group of users to trial under real conditions. Beta versions have gone through alpha testing in-house and are generally fairly close in look, feel and function to the final product; however, design changes often occur as part of the process. support”.

Last month, combined usage of PHP 8.3 and higher surpassed 10% of all WordPress websites. I am proposing two small adjustments to the criteria for removing the “beta support” label from each PHP version:

  1. Remove the “for at least 3 months” clause from the “Enough sites” indicator. 10% of all WordPress sites is somewhere well north of 3 million and the 3 month clause seems unnecessary at that scale.
  2. Allow the label to be retroactively removed from the current major releasemajor release A release, identified by the first two numbers (3.6), which is the focus of a full release cycle and feature development. WordPress uses decimaling count for major release versions, so 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, and 3.1 are sequential and comparable in scope.. There is no need to wait for the next major release to update the support status if its only remaining criteria is based on usage numbers.

With these two small adjustments, the “beta support” label for PHPPHP The web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher 8.3 can be removed from WordPress 6.8. If there are no objections then I’ll make this change this week.

What does this change mean for users and extenders?

Declaring PHP 8.3 as fully supported will help continue to provide clarity and confidence to users and to encourage web hosts and users to continue updating to newer versions of PHP. Users and extenders of WordPress can be confident using and recommending more up to date versions of PHP when the WordPress project continues to test, support, track, and encourage use of newer versions both in the core software and throughout the ecosystem.

What about PHP 8.4?

PHP 8.4 was released in November 2024 and its usage is currently at 1.5%, therefore its “beta support” status will remain in place for now.

What about PHP 8.5?

Hold your horses, PHP 8.5 is still in development and its release is planned for November 2025.

Thanks to @jorbin for proof-reading and suggestions prior to publishing.

#php, #php-8-0, #php-compatibility

Summary, Dev Chat, July 2, 2025

Start of the meeting in SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/., facilitated by @audrasjb. 🔗 Agenda post.

Announcements 📢

Forthcoming releases 🚀

Discussion 💬

PHPStan Code Quality Improvements

Over 15 small pull requests have been submitted under #63268, addressing code quality issues revealed by PHPStan. While a few contributors have been handling most of the reviews and commits, additional committers are invited to help reduce the workload. Coordination has so far been informal, with contributors commenting on tickets and pull requests to avoid overlap.

PHPUnit Test Suite Updates

Ongoing work on #53010 (namespacing test classes) and #62004 (updating for PHPUnit 10–12 compatibility) aims to modernize the test suite. These tasks are considered related to the ongoing PHPStan efforts. A suggestion was made to form a dedicated team to accelerate progress, though the main blockerblocker A bug which is so severe that it blocks a release. remains limited commit time and unresolved technical feedback.

PHPStan Integration into CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.

A proposal is in progress to formally integrate PHPStan into the Core test suite. Current efforts are manual and patchpatch A special text file that describes changes to code, by identifying the files and lines which are added, removed, and altered. It may also be referred to as a diff. A patch can be applied to a codebase for testing.-based. The upcoming proposal will aim to provide a sustainable and automated approach for ongoing code analysis.

Multisitemultisite Used to describe a WordPress installation with a network of multiple blogs, grouped by sites. This installation type has shared users tables, and creates separate database tables for each blog (wp_posts becomes wp_0_posts). See also network, blog, site Privacy Tools and Feature PluginFeature Plugin A plugin that was created with the intention of eventually being proposed for inclusion in WordPress Core. See Features as Plugins. Consideration

#43738 suggests extending personal data export/delete tools to support networknetwork (versus site, blog)-wide functionality. Discussion focused on whether the scope of the enhancementenhancement Enhancements are simple improvements to WordPress, such as the addition of a hook, a new feature, or an improvement to an existing feature. justifies building a feature plugin. While the feature could be useful for multisite operators, it was noted that it does not address a critical GDPR requirement and may not meet the criteria for core inclusion. Prototyping the feature as a pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party was recommended to assess usage and value.

Handling of .git-blame-ignore-revs

The .git-blame-ignore-revs file, used to exclude formatting-only commits from blame output, was discussed. While a few entries have been added manually, the file is not systematically maintained. Suggestions were made to either update it regularly or de-prioritize it due to limited practical impact.

Props to @audrasjb for review.

#6-8, #core, #dev-chat, #summary

Proposal: Introduce Maintenance Mode For Components

This proposal aims to introduce the concept of legacy components and a process of managing them in a way that is intentional and accountable.

Once something is committed and released in WordPress CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress., it comes with an implicit promise of backward compatibility for the foreseeable future. But it’s not clear what to do when a feature becomes outdated, unused, or deprioritized. These features often remain in Core instead of being removed or moved to a pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party, where bugbug A bug is an error or unexpected result. Performance improvements, code optimization, and are considered enhancements, not defects. After feature freeze, only bugs are dealt with, with regressions (adverse changes from the previous version) being the highest priority. reports and feature requests can be more appropriately handled, as was done with PressThis.

In the past, components have been reorganized or removed when no longer relevant, but removing a component is not always appropriate and there’s a missing middle ground.

Defining Maintenance Mode

Maintenance mode would be an official status for components that should continue to be supported, but are no longer actively developed. Components might qualify for this status for reasons such as:

  • Low priority
  • No Maintainer
  • Better, more modern options available
  • Being replaced in the near future

These components would:

  • Continue to receive security updates when necessary.
  • Continue to consider and evaluate all bug reports on an individual basis.
  • Stop accepting feature or enhancementenhancement Enhancements are simple improvements to WordPress, such as the addition of a hook, a new feature, or an improvement to an existing feature. requests, unless they are necessary to maintain backward compatibility or prevent breakage in new WordPress or PHPPHP The web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher versions.

Maintenance mode could be removed from components in the future if conditions change.

What does maintenance mode look like?

When in maintenance mode, components would continue to have maintainers and regular triaging should continue. They would be marked clearly in TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress. and the Components page.

How would maintenance mode be declared for a component?

The process for placing a component in maintenance mode would be flexible and decided on a case by case basis. The process should be transparent and involve open discussions with the contributor community. The process could work like this:

  • A discussion is opened with (or by) current component maintainers about placing a component into maintenance mode. 
  • A call for proposal and call for feedback on Make Core is published detailing why the component(s) are being considered for maintenance mode.
  • The component is placed in maintenance mode after sign off from leadership.

While a proposal to add the maintenance mode label will usually come from maintainers, it can also be proposed by any Core contributor. Contributors can perform regular audits of all components to try and identify any that are appropriate for maintenance mode.

What are the benefits of placing components in maintenance mode?

  • Clarifies which features are actively maintained, helping contributors and developers focus their efforts where they’re most impactful.
  • Reduces triagetriage The act of evaluating and sorting bug reports, in order to decide priority, severity, and other factors. noise by lowering the volume of low-priority feature requests (there are currently over 8200 open tickets in Trac).
  • Prevents contributor frustration by setting clear expectations before time is spent on patches that are unlikely to be accepted.
  • Establishes precedent for responsible deprecation of features without requiring immediate removal.
  • Supports long-term maintenance by allowing legacy components to receive targeted attention without open-ended development pressure.
  • Facilitates better communication with users and extenders about Core’s direction and future support levels.

Current Maintenance Mode Candidates

Here are a few components that are possible candidates for the proposed maintenance mode state.

TinyMCE

TinyMCE no longer powers the blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. editor and only remains in Core to maintain Classic Editor support and backwards compatibility. There’s currently only 5 tickets in the component on Trac, and updating to more recent versions of the library does not have enough benefit to justify contributors’ time and effort. Its low ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. volume, lack of active development, and functional redundancy make it a strong candidate for maintenance mode.

Customize

The CustomizerCustomizer Tool built into WordPress core that hooks into most modern themes. You can use it to preview and modify many of your site’s appearance settings. served WordPress well, but has effectively been replaced by the block editor and full site editing. Sites with block themes no longer have access to the Customizer by default. Despite having 184 open tickets, development has slowed significantly with most activity focused on bug triage rather than feature enhancements.

Shortcodes

Shortcodes played a huge role in WordPress’ evolution, but today blocks offer a more modern and flexible alternative. No new features should be added to shortcodes. In fact, the APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways.’s brittle nature has historically led to bugs from even minor changes (see #58333). There are currently 54 open tickets in this component (5 feature requests and 11 enhancements).

Pingbacks/Trackbacks

Pingbacks and trackbacks are a big part of blogging, so they should remain for the foreseeable future. It could be replaced by Webmentions in the future should that mature a bit. The last enhancement ticket was merged over 5 years ago now (see #36576), and there has only been one feature ticket in the history of the component (#34420).

XML-RPC

XML-RPC is essential to many external apps and services that interact with WordPress, so it can’t be deprecated. But, the spec has remained largely unchanged for over a decade. There have been no new enhancement or feature requestfeature request A feature request should generally begin the process in the ideas forum, on a mailing list, as a plugin, or brought to the attention of the core team, such as through scope meetings held for each major release. Unsolicited tickets of this variety are typically, therefore, discouraged. tickets closed as fixed since 2017 (term metaMeta Meta is a term that refers to the inside workings of a group. For us, this is the team that works on internal WordPress sites like WordCamp Central and Make WordPress. support, see #40916) and 2012 (retrieving post terms, see #18434).

Conclusion

Labeling components as legacy and placing them in maintenance mode helps set accurate expectations, reduce unnecessary churn, and focus contributor efforts on current project priorities. A documented process also gives maintainers a framework for making intentional, accountable decisions about the level of support each component receives.

If adopted, this approach could help scale WordPress Core’s maintenance model while staying true to the project’s principles.

Props @peterwilsoncc, @priethor, @karmatosed, and @4thhubbard for peer review.

#component-maintainers, #components

X-post: A Month in Core – June 2025

X-comment from +make.wordpress.org/updates: Comment on A Month in Core – June 2025

What’s new in Gutenberg 21.1? (2nd July)

“What’s new in GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/…” posts (labeled with the #gutenberg-new tag) are posted following every Gutenberg release on a biweekly basis, showcasing new features included in each release. As a reminder, here’s an overview of different ways to keep up with Gutenberg and the Site Editor project (formerly called Full Site Editing).


What’s New In
Gutenberg 21.1?

Gutenberg 21.1 has been released and is available for download!

This release contains improvements to the Interactivity APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways., refinements to blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. tools, and more extensibility features. Below is a curated summary of the most notable changes in this release.

Developers can now add new icons to the Social Links block by registering additional block variations. The pull request description has code examples for anyone interested.

Now you can add links for all your pet’s socials:

ToolsPanel refactoring continues

Similar to the last release, more blocks have had their settings panels updated to a newer UIUI User interface. This includes the Author, AvatarAvatar An avatar is an image or illustration that specifically refers to a character that represents an online user. It’s usually a square box that appears next to the user’s name., Post Navigation Link and Site Logo blocks.

Changelog

Enhancements

Block Library

  • Author Block: Refactor Settings panel to use Toolspanel. (67965)
  • Avatar: Refactor settings panel to use ToolsPanel. (67952)
  • Comments Pagination: Remove unwanted bottom margin from links. (70360)
  • Navigation Block: Flip submenu indicator icon on submenu expansion. (70307)
  • Navigation Block: Rotate submenu indicator icons on submenu expansion. (70442)
  • Navigation Link: Add dropdownMenuProps and a resetAll function. (70505)
  • Post Navigation Link: Refactor settings panel to use ToolsPanel. (70276)
  • Refactor Site Logo “Settings” Panel to Use ToolsPanel. (67972)
  • [ Experimental Form ]: Add example block previews. (70436)

Interactivity API

  • iAPI Router: Add support for new router regions with attachTo. (70421)
  • iAPI Router: Support new styles and script modules on client-side navigation. (70353)
  • iAPI: Export NavigateOptions and PrefetchOptions types. (70315)
  • iAPI: Introduce AsyncAction and TypeYield type helpers. (70422)

Extensibility

  • Social: Allow custom link icons using block variations. (70261)

Bug Fixes

  • CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. data: getHomePage: Do not return object until resolved. (70345)

Block Library

  • Fix : Calendar block: Colors do not change between global styles and theme.json. (70184)
  • Form Block: Apply class names correctly in the block editor. (70394)
  • FormFileUpload: Extend audio accept MIME types for iOSiOS The operating system used on iPhones and iPads. compatibility. (70354)
  • Image: Fix outdated accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) hint on native component. (70346)
  • Image: Fixed resetAll to return image resolution to default value. (70398)
  • Revert “Flip submenu indicator icon on submenu expansion (#70307)”. (70427)
  • Social Links: Allow icon size to be reset and honor theme.jsonJSON JSON, or JavaScript Object Notation, is a minimal, readable format for structuring data. It is used primarily to transmit data between a server and web application, as an alternative to XML. styles. (70380)
  • Video Block: Guard against duplicate tracks. (70295)

Interactivity API

  • Fix image lightbox issues in new full client-side navigation logic. (70416)
  • iAPI Router: Fix dynamic imports on new visited pages. (70489)
  • iAPI: Fix captured errors in withScope generators. (70303)
  • iAPI: Fix duplicated nested regions. (70302)
  • iAPI: Fix parsing of comments without siblings. (70304)

Global Styles

  • Fix: Global styles affect all form elements ( Form Block ). (70392)
  • Implement uniform headerHeader The header of your site is typically the first thing people will experience. The masthead or header art located across the top of your page is part of the look and feel of your website. It can influence a visitor’s opinion about your content and you/ your organization’s brand. It may also look different on different screen sizes. layout. (70464)

DataViews

  • Data forms: Achieve vertical spacing with vertical spacing rather than cell padding. (70435)

Post Editor

Media

  • Invalidate entities when new media is uploaded. (70405)

PluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party

  • Fix: Incorrect style handle in RTL style registration for wp-list-reusable-blocks. (70402)

Data Layer

  • Add private selector support to resolveSelect and suspendSelect. (52036)

Accessibility

Templates API

  • Templates: Add back button & fix focus loss when navigating through template creation flow. (70091)

Performance

Block Library

  • Avatar: Optimize user control query. (70511)

Documentation

  • Add isPostSavingLocked  example to doc block. (70370)
  • Commands: Add stylesheet requirements to README. (70323)
  • Create Block: Add documentation for custom block namespace. (70215)
  • Docs: Fix broken links on Developer.WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/. (70473)
  • Fix some typos. (70419)
  • Fix typo folder-structure.md. (70375)
  • block-attributes: Add role attribute explanation. (70361)

Code Quality

  • Patterns: Delete unused property. (70321)
  • TypeScript: Converts HtmlEntities Package to TS. (69326)
  • TypeScript: Migrate deprecated package to TS. (70362)
  • TypeScript: Migrate is-shallow-equal package to TS. (70407)
  • iAPI: Fix the changelog to include PR 70296 in 6.25. (70309)

Block Editor

  • Media List: Use ‘placement’ prop for popover positioning. (70350)
  • Refactor: URLInputButton component to functional reactReact React is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to reason about, construct, and maintain stateless and stateful user interfaces. https://reactjs.org/. component. (70384)
  • Warning: Replace popoverProps.position to popoverProps.placement. (70347)

Components

  • Circular Option Picker: Use ‘placement’ prop for popover positioning. (70359)
  • FormFileUpload: Remove temporary fix for selecting .heic file in Chromium browsers. (70383)

Post Editor

  • PostAuthorCombobox: Simplify ‘onFilterValueChange’ debounced callback. (70512)

Interactivity API

  • iAPI: Minor fixes to the Interactivity and Interactivity Router comments. (70420)

Block Library

  • Social Link: Use placement prop for popover positioning. (70348)

Tools

Testing

  • Test: Improve document settings sidebarSidebar A sidebar in WordPress is referred to a widget-ready area used by WordPress themes to display information that is not a part of the main content. It is not always a vertical column on the side. It can be a horizontal rectangle below or above the content area, footer, header, or any where in the theme. locator. (70331)
  • Ensure the actual tests environment is used for end-to-end tests. (70280)
  • Skip falling end-to-end tests. (70460)
  • end-to-end Tests: Add test case for Link color support. (69141)
  • end-to-end Tests: Minor code quality improvement in some tests. (70382)

Various

Block Library

  • Remove screencast.com embed block variation. (70480)

First-time contributors

The following PRs were merged by first-time contributors:

Contributors

The following contributors merged PRs in this release:

@alejandrogonzalvo @BugReportOnWeb @DAreRodz @dd32 @ellatrix @himanshupathak95 @iamsandeepdahiya @im3dabasia @Infinite-Null @jsnajdr @karthikeya-io @kushagra-goyal-14 @Maikuolan @Mamaduka @Mayank-Tripathi32 @NidhiDhandhukiya74 @peterwilsoncc @ramonjd @Rishit30G @SainathPoojary @SantosGuillamot @shimotmk @shrivastavanolo @t-hamano @talldan @USERSATOSHI @vk17-starlord @Vrishabhsk @westonruter @yashjawale @yogeshbhutkar

Props @ramonopoly, @isabel_brison and @andrewserong for peer review. Props @karmatosed for visual assets.

#block-editor, #core-editor, #gutenberg, #gutenberg-new

Performance Chat Summary: 1 July 2025

The full chat log is available beginning here on Slack.

WordPress Performance TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress. tickets

  • @westonruter mentioned that the PR adding fetchpriority support for scripts (PR #8815) needs additional reviews if it is to land in the next minor releaseMinor Release A set of releases or versions having the same minor version number may be collectively referred to as .x , for example version 5.2.x to refer to versions 5.2, 5.2.1, 5.2.3, and all other versions in the 5.2 (five dot two) branch of that software. Minor Releases often make improvements to existing features and functionality.. But if WordPress 6.9 really is coming later this year then, the feature may be better suited as a major enhancementenhancement Enhancements are simple improvements to WordPress, such as the addition of a hook, a new feature, or an improvement to an existing feature. for WordPress 6.9.
    • @flixos90 suggested that if WordPress 6.9 is going to be released this year, ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. #61734 should be moved from the 6.8.2 milestone to 6.9, as there would no longer be a reason to allow enhancements in a minor release.
    • @westonruter noted that he added this topic to the agenda for the coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. committercommitter A developer with commit access. WordPress has five lead developers and four permanent core developers with commit access. Additionally, the project usually has a few guest or component committers - a developer receiving commit access, generally for a single release cycle (sometimes renewed) and/or for a specific component. meeting later that day, asking whether the temporary relaxation of the minor release policy should be reconsidered if WordPress 6.9 is happening this year.
  • @flixos90 emphasized the need to start triaging tickets targeted for WordPress 6.9, noting many lack assigned owners or updates. Prompt action was encouraged to ensure timely progress.
  • @rollybueno raised questions regarding caching improvements for the ticket #63045.
    • @flixos90 acknowledged the point about using more readable cache keys but noted that this would break a convention used consistently throughout WordPress Core. He suggested that this requires further discussion to decide if breaking that convention is worthwhile and, if so, whether other cache keys across Core should also be updated for consistency.
    • @spacedmonkey added that ticket #59592 should ideally land before #63045 as they are related.

Performance Lab PluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party (and other performance plugins)

  • @flixos90 shared that he addressed feedback on View Transitions PR #2037, and it is now ready for another round of review.
    • He also announced plans for a new release of the View Transitions plugin soon, highlighting several significant enhancements and bugbug A bug is an error or unexpected result. Performance improvements, code optimization, and are considered enhancements, not defects. After feature freeze, only bugs are dealt with, with regressions (adverse changes from the previous version) being the highest priority. fixes currently pending in open PRs.
  • @mukesh27 shared an update regarding the Auto Sizes plugin, confirming successful smoke testing and announcing the release of Auto Sizes version 1.5.0, which improves calculation of image sizes in nested blocks such as Group and Columns.

Open Floor

  • @b1ink0 asked for volunteers to lead the upcoming Performance Bug Scrub scheduled for July 8, 2025. Interested contributors were invited to sign up on the schedule spreadsheet.

Our next chat will be held on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 15:00 UTC in the #core-performance channel in Slack.

#core-performance, #hosting, #performance, #performance-chat, #summary

Dev Chat Agenda – July 2, 2025

The next WordPress Developers Chat will take place on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at 15:00 UTC in the core channel on Make WordPress Slack.

The live meeting will focus on the discussion for upcoming releases, and have an open floor section.

The various curated agenda sections below refer to additional items. If you have ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. requests for help, please continue to post details in the comments section at the end of this agenda or bring them up during the dev chat.

Announcements 📢

Highlighted Post

Proposal: Clarifying Core’s Database Support Policy

Forthcoming releases 🚀

WordPress 6.8.2 is underway.

Discussions 💬

The discussion section of the agenda is for discussing important topics affecting the upcoming release or larger initiatives that impact the CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. Team. To nominate a topic for discussion, please leave a comment on this agenda with a summary of the topic, any relevant links that will help people get context for the discussion, and what kind of feedback you are looking for from others participating in the discussion.

Open floor  🎙️

Any topic can be raised for discussion in the comments, as well as requests for assistance on tickets. Tickets in the milestone for the next major or maintenance release will be prioritized.

Please include details of tickets / PRs and the links in the comments, and indicate whether you intend to be available during the meeting for discussion or will be async.

#6-8, #agenda, #dev-chat, #wceu-25

Proposal: Clarifying Core’s Database Support Policy

TL;DR Over 37% of WordPress sites are running a version of database software that has reached end of life and is no longer receiving maintenance or security updates. To encourage broader adoption of secure and supported database versions, WordPress should clarify that only LTS releases of MySQLMySQL MySQL is a relational database management system. A database is a structured collection of data where content, configuration and other options are stored. https://www.mysql.com/. and MariaDB are officially supported by excluding those with short lifespans or no guarantee of backward compatibility.

As a community, we frequently champion efforts to keep software and tools updated to their latest versions. This typically surfaces for users in the form of PHPPHP The web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher upgrades, and for contributors with tools like Node.js and npm. Database software is equally important to site health but has historically received far less attention.

The release models followed by supported database types have changed quite a bit since the early days of WordPress. With that comes a need to update the project’s official policy for clarity. A clearer policy lends to a wider understanding of the expectations and requirements for maintaining WordPress sites.

But before getting into the changes being proposed, let’s define the various types of releases and examine current usage data before outlining a few things for discussion.

Note: If you’re already familiar with the release models of MariaDB and MySQL, you can skip the context directly to the proposal part of the post.

Supported Database Software

There are currently two types of database software officially supported for running WordPress: MySQL and MariaDB. While it’s true that SQLite powers Playground, standard installs of WordPress do not currently support SQLite without installing the feature plugin, which is being actively developed and tested.

Release Types

Both software projects have made several changes to the terminology used to reference releases, making it confusing and inconsistent. For the sake of clarity, here are the different terms associated with releases of MySQL and MariaDB.

Note: All asterisks (*) below indicate versions that have reached end of life (EOL) and are no longer supported upstream. Also, EOL does not always equal “unsupported by WordPress” (more on that later).

Long Term Support (LTS)

LTS versions are published by both projects. These are the most common versions found in the wild. They are actively supported for 5 years from the initial release. After initial release, data formats are not changed, no new functionality is introduced, and no features are removed.

While MariaDB aims to release a new LTS version annually, MySQL publishes a new LTS version every 2 years (starting with 8.4). The list of releases labelled as LTS to date is as follows:

VersionProjectInitial ReleaseEOL Date
8.4MySQLApril 30, 2024April 2032
8.0MySQLApril 19, 2018April 2026
11.8MariaDBJune 5, 2025June 2030
11.4MariaDBNovember 22, 2024May 29, 2029
10.11MariaDBFebruary 16, 2023February 16, 2028
10.6MariaDBJuly 6, 2021July 6, 2026
10.5*MariaDBJune 24, 2020June 24, 2025
10.4*MariaDBJune 18, 2019June 18, 2024

The following releases were treated as LTS versions, but were not explicitly labelled as such:

VersionProjectInitial ReleaseEOL Date
5.7*MySQLOctober 21, 2015October 21, 2023
5.6*MySQLFebruary 5, 2013February 5, 2021
5.5*MySQLDecember 3, 2010December 3, 2018
5.1*MySQLNovember 14, 2008December 31, 2013

Innovation Releases

Though both projects use this classification, only the MySQL project actively uses it as described in this section (see the next section for how MariaDB currently uses the designation). Innovation releases aim to provide early access to new features and improvements without having to wait the full 2 years for the next MySQL LTS version to be published.

The following types of changes are included in new innovation releases:

  • New features planned for the next LTS
  • Security fixes
  • Bug fixes
  • New deprecations
  • Removal of features
  • Behavior changes.

These releases are Generally Available and are acceptable to use in production environments. They are published once per quarter (every 3-4 months). When the next innovation release is published, all support for the previous one is dropped, including security fixes. Because the lifespan of each innovation release is extremely short, consistent regular attention is required to remain supported and secure.

The following is a list of MySQL innovation releases.

VersionInitial ReleaseEOL Date
9.3April 15, 2024July 2025
9.2*January 21, 2025April 15, 2025
9.1*October 14, 2024January 21, 2025
9.0*July 1, 2024October 15, 2024
8.3*January 16, 2024July 1, 2024
8.2*October 25, 2023January 16, 2024
8.1*July 18, 2023October 25, 2023

MariaDB used this label for about 2 years. During that time, they also published a new innovation release every quarter. However, their innovation releases were supported for 1 year after initial GA release. These releases also differed from MySQL in that caution was advised when using these. As of the publish date of this post, all MariaDB innovation releases have reached EOL.

VersionInitial ReleaseEOL Date
11.2*November 21, 2023November 21, 2024
11.1*August 21, 2023August 21, 2024
11.0*June 7, 2023June 6, 2024
10.10*November 17, 2022November 14, 2023
10.9*August 22, 2022August 22, 2023
10.8*May 21, 2022May 20, 2023
10.7*February 14, 2022February 9, 2023

Rolling GA (MariaDB only)

Though they’re similar in some ways, MariaDB now has replaced innovation releases with rolling GA releases. Rolling GA releases are published every quarter (3-4 months) and receive no patchpatch A special text file that describes changes to code, by identifying the files and lines which are added, removed, and altered. It may also be referred to as a diff. A patch can be applied to a codebase for testing. versions (the GA release is final). All support for the previous rolling release is dropped once a new one is published.

The term innovation release is still used but now refers to the preview (X.Y.0) and RCrelease candidate One of the final stages in the version release cycle, this version signals the potential to be a final release to the public. Also see alpha (beta). (X.Y.1) pre-release versions for each rolling release. Rolling GA releases are intended for production use, but the innovation releases are not.

Rolling Release VersionsInitial ReleaseEOL Date
12.1 (currently in preview innovation release)TBD
12.0 (currently RC innovation release)TBD
11.7*February 13, 2025May 12, 2025
11.6*November 22, 2024February 13, 2025
11.5*August 15, 2024November 21, 2024
11.3*February 19, 2024May 16, 2024

Major Releasemajor release A release, identified by the first two numbers (3.6), which is the focus of a full release cycle and feature development. WordPress uses decimaling count for major release versions, so 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, and 3.1 are sequential and comparable in scope.

MySQL refers to major versions in the same way as WordPress (X.(Y+1)).

For MariaDB, this term has meant different things during different timeframes.

10.3 and earlierX.(Y+1)Every new release
10.4-11.2X.(Y+1)Each version was considered major because of binary incompatibility and the addition of new features. LTS or short-term become more common descriptors as they indicate length of support (similar to WordPress).
Current day *(>= 11.3)(X+1).0Only when the first number changes (similar to PHP).

While the LTS designation did not exist yet, versions 10.3 and earlier were treated in a similar way.

  • Supported for 3-5 years (sometimes longer)
  • Bug fixes and security updates were provided
  • New features were sometimes included in minor (X.Y.(Z+1)) releases, but compatibility was always maintained.

All MariaDB major releases <= 10.3 have reached EOL. They’re listed below for completeness:

MariaDB Major Versions <= 10.3Initial ReleaseEOL Date
10.3*May 25, 2018May 25, 2023
10.2*May 23, 2017May 23, 2022
10.1*October 17, 2015October 17, 2020
10.0*March 31, 2014March 31, 2019
5.5*April 11, 2012April 11, 2020
5.3*February 29, 2012March 1, 2017
5.2*November 10, 2010November 10, 2015
5.1*February 1, 2010February 1, 2015

While some online resources show the LTS label next to these versions, they were never officially labelled as such.

Short-term (MariaDB Only)

This term was eventually replaced by innovation release. This applied to MariaDB 10.4 in addition to the MariaDB versions listed above under Innovation Releases. As of the publish date for this post, all short-term releases have reached EOL.

Current Database Usage Data

Here is the usage data according to the WordPress.org Stats page as of June 18, 2025 summarized in a few different ways:

By Software

VersionUsage
MariaDB – all versions52.8%
MySQL – all versions47.2%

By Version Type

Release TypeUsage
MariaDB LTS (includes old major releases without LTS official designation)51.17%
MySQL LTS (includes old major releases without LTS designation)46.74%
MariaDB Innovation/Short-term/Rolling Releases1.52%
MySQL Innovation Releases0.07%
Other0.5%

By Support Status

Support StatusUsage
EOL versions (MariaDB)11.43%
EOL versions (MySQL)26.01%
Supported (MariaDB)41.56%
Supported (MySQL)21.05%

Observations

There are a few interesting things that stand out from the usage data.

  • As of March 2025, MariaDB now powers more WordPress sites than MySQL. This is particularly interesting because as of January 2024, the split was ~63%/37% in favor of MySQL. Increases in licensing costs and changes to widely used distributions during 2023 and 2024 are likely the considerable drivers of this surge.
  • Over 37% of WordPress sites are running a version of database software that has reached end of life and is no longer receiving maintenance or security updates.
  • The highest adoption of any innovation/short-term/rolling release was MariaDB 11.3, which reached 0.15%.
  • No other innovation/short-term/rolling releases have surpassed more than 0.10% adoption at any given point in time.

Current State of Database Support in WordPress

Despite MySQL and MariaDB having different release models that drop support in different ways in non-sequential order, WordPress has a very binary support policy. As of the publish date of this post, the support policy is as follows:

  • Recommended: MySQL >= 8.0 OR MariaDB >= 10.6
  • Required: MySQL OR MariaDB >= 5.5.5

A few notes:

  • MariaDB 10.5 reached EOL on June 24th. The recommended version was updated to >= 10.6 on June 18, 2025 (see #60319 and #meta-8013).
  • The minimum required version was last bumped in late 2023 (see [57173]).

The policy as currently stated is lacking any guidance around which types of releases are supported. As demonstrated above, this is complicated and convoluted. The policy should be expanded a bit to cover release types and not just versions.

Proposal: Clarify Supported Release Types

While described as production-grade, innovation releases have several shortcomings when considering the majority of WordPress sites.

  • Features and changes included in innovation/rolling releases are considered stable, but they can be modified or even removed entirely in future releases. No functionality can be considered supported until included in an LTS release.
  • Their ephemeral nature makes it very difficult to ensure compatibility with WordPress when released. Depending on how release timelines overlap, there could be 2 (or more) innovation/rolling versions published in between major WordPress releases.
  • Their extremely short lifespans could potentially leave large numbers of sites running insecure versions.
  • Updating database software is often tied to factors out of the site owner’s control (waiting for server distributions to be updated and made available through your hosting, platform compatibility limitations, compliance/licensing requirements, etc.).
  • For both projects, updating these release types is complicated. Updates must be applied sequentially. For example, upgrading from 9.1 to 9.3 is not supported (9.1 must first be updated to 9.2 before updating to 9.3). This is not required when upgrading to the next LTS.
  • Over the last two years, these release types have not shown significant usage, even when combining the numbers across database types.
  • Because the changes in these releases are not guaranteed to be backwards compatible, committing to full compatibility with these releases is not a good use of contributor time and could result in making code harder to maintain.

Changes to the Database Recommendations

This proposal is suggesting that the recommendations for running WordPress be updated as follows:

  • No change: The oldest LTS versions actively supported upstream should continue being used as the recommended minimums.
  • Add to the Requirements page, CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress./Hosting/Support/Other? Handbooks: Innovation and rolling GA releases are explicitly not recommended for production sites. 
  • Add to the Hosting Handbook: Hosting companies are explicitly advised not to use Innovation and Rolling GA releases as the default for new sites.

The WordPress PHPUnit testing workflow currently runs the test suite using the most recent MySQL innovation and MariaDB rolling GA releases. This practice helps to make contributors aware of potential incompatibilities and breaking changes so they can be addressed prior to the next LTS version. This practice will continue.

Because of this, it’s reasonable to expect WordPress to have very few (if any) issues when running these releases. However, this is not guaranteed as contributors must weigh the benefits of making changes for the sake of compatibility with the non-zero chance that the feature is changed or removed before the next LTS release.

Because innovation and rolling GA releases are never supported, only LTS versions are eligible as new minimums when considering changes to the minimum required versions of MariaDB/MySQL to run WordPress in the future. 

In summary, someone is free to run innovation and rolling GA releases, but they do so at their own risk.

Other Considerations

As a part of this, ways to further educate and empower the user should also be explored.

  • Should servehappy be expanded to display a dashboard notice to the user when their site is running an outdated or unsupported version of MariaDB/MySQL (see #63634)?
  • Can there be additional context for the database checks in Site Health to detect innovation/rolling GA releases explaining why they should consider using an LTS version instead?
  • Are there ways to enhance WP-CLIWP-CLI WP-CLI is the Command Line Interface for WordPress, used to do administrative and development tasks in a programmatic way. The project page is http://wp-cli.org/ https://make.wordpress.org/cli/ to properly advise about these risky release types?
  • Are any metaMeta Meta is a term that refers to the inside workings of a group. For us, this is the team that works on internal WordPress sites like WordCamp Central and Make WordPress. changes required to better inform the site that these release types are not explicitly supported?
  • Do the auto-update related classes require any changes?

Working Together

Reliable and supported database software is foundational to the performance, security, and longevity of WordPress a site. Historically, efforts to promote upgrades among hosts and site owners have been limited and inconsistently prioritized. Clarifying the types of database releases that WordPress supports and is compatible with marks an important first step. It enables contributors, hosts, and site owners to move toward more secure and sustainable versions of MariaDB and MySQL.

Props @johnbillion, @flixos90, @l1nuxjedi, and @annezazu for peer review.

#database, #mariadb, #mysql, #site-health