The WordPress coreCoreCore is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. development team builds WordPress! Follow this site for general updates, status reports, and the occasional code debate. There’s lots of ways to contribute:
Found a bugbugA 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.?Create a ticket in the bug tracker.
“What’s new in GutenbergGutenbergThe 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-newtagtagA directory in Subversion. WordPress uses tags to store a single snapshot of a version (3.6, 3.6.1, etc.), the common convention of tags in version control systems. (Not to be confused with post tags.)) 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 Editor.
This release covers typography, patterns, images, and responsive design. The Font Library now works with classic and hybrid themes. Pattern Overrides expanded to custom blocks. The Image blockBlockBlock 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. got focal point controls. And there’s an experimental feature for hiding blocks based on screen size.
Classic and Hybrid Theme Support for the Font Library
The Font Library and Global Styles now work with classic themes (#73971, #73876). Like the Media Library, you can access the Font Library as a modal or through a dedicated adminadmin(and super admin) section—regardless of your theme type.
Pattern Overrides: Custom Block Support
Custom blocks can now use Pattern Overrides. (#73889)
Since WordPress 6.5, Pattern Overrides let you create synced patterns where the layout stays consistent but specific content can change per instance. The catch? Only four coreCoreCore is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. blocks supported it: Heading, Paragraph, Button, and Image.
Not anymore. Any block attribute that supports Block Bindings now supports Pattern Overrides by default. Block authors can opt in through the server-side block_bindings_supported_attributesfilterFilterFilters 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.. This closes a long-requested enhancement and opens up synced patterns to custom blocks.
Image Block: Focal Point Controls
The Image block now has focal point controls. (#73115) Set a focal point on any image to control which part stays visible when the image is cropped for different screen sizes or aspect ratios. The picker is built into the Image block settings, so you can adjust it without leaving the editor.
Block Visibility Based on Screen Size (Experimental)
A new experimental feature lets you hide or show blocks based on screen size. (#73949, #74249, #74379)
Site builders have been asking for this forever—control block visibility across devices without writing CSSCSSCascading Style Sheets.. The feature includes a viewport modal for setting visibility rules, backend support for generating CSS, and visual indicators showing which blocks are hidden at different screen sizes. It’s experimental for now and requires enabling the experiment flag.
Other Notable Highlights
A few more highlights worth mentioning:
Real-Time Collaboration is no longer experimental. (#74562) The code has moved out of experimental status ahead of planned inclusion in WordPress 7.0. Note that a default provider isn’t in place yet.
Verse and Quote blocks can now transform into each other. (#73068) Finally fixes the annoyance of similar blocks not being interchangeable.
Dimension presets for width and min-height. (#73811) Theme developers can define preset dimension values in theme.jsonJSONJSON, 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. that appear when users set block widths or minimum heights.
Query LoopLoopThe 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. block can exclude terms. (#73790) Much easier than the old workaround of manually adding every term except the one you don’t want.
Paragraph block supports wide and full alignment. (#73958) Useful for theme developers working with wide and full alignment CSS in block layouts.
Notes appear even when template lock is enabled. (#74577) The Notes feature (added in WordPress 6.9) now shows up regardless of template lock mode.
Changelog
Features
Collaboration
Real-time collaboration: Move collaborative editing from experiments to default Gutenberg pluginPluginA 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 experience. (74562)
Add autoComplete attribute to prevent browser autocomplete. (74595)
Add list view inspector tab for pattern editing. (74574)
Block Inspector: Update the design of the style variation to use ToolsPanel. (74224)
Block variation transformation: Change position and threshold. (74251)
ContentOnlyControls: Polish headerHeaderThe 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. style. (74260)
Enhance Notice actions to allow more props like disabled and onClick with URLURLA specific web address of a website or web page on the Internet, such as a website’s URL www.wordpress.org. (74094)
Preview drop down: Align preview editing widths with common breakpoints. (74339)
Block APIAPIAn 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.
Annotations: Maintain active formats after applying. (73575)
Block Bindings: Remove caption from edit on EditWithGeneratedProps. (73552)
Command Palette: Fix in the font library page and site editor experiment. (74232)
Core Merge: Deduplicate Font Library page and routes. (74381)
Customize: Preserve CSS cascade for Additional CSS in classic themes. (74593)
DataForm: Fix panel field inaccessible when empty with labelPosition none or top. (74264)
Fix document title htmlHTMLHyperText Markup Language. The semantic scripting language primarily used for outputting content in web browsers. entities. (74027)
Fix punctuation and formatting in README.md. (74440)
Fix the dataviews experiment locked fields position on toggle. (74326)
Fix: Menu_order validation to allow zero and negative values. (74282)
Font Library: Allow the sidebarSidebarA 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. to be scrolled in boot powered pages like fonts. (73960)
Image Cropper package: Add reactReactReact is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to reason about, construct, and maintain stateless and stateful user interfaces. https://reactjs.org/. peer dependencies. (74402)
Preferences: Add TypeScript types to package.json exports. (73276)
Theme: Fix design-tokens.js entrypoint to specify types and CJS variants. (74129)
[create-block] Updates variant handling for missing directory files. (73986)
api-fetch: Add named export to fix TypeScript callable issues. (74576)
Editor: Remove extra comma from offline error notices. (73907)
Scroll to previous location in document with editor back button. (73737)
Block Library
Block Fields: Remove normalization code and tidy up. (74532)
Block Library: Fix discussion settings data selection. (74026)
Categories Block: Fix CSS collision with labels. (73862)
Comments Title Block: Fix double quotes in non-English locales. (74330)
Remove block selection clearer handling from iframeiframeiFrame is an acronym for an inline frame. An iFrame is used inside a webpage to load another HTML document and render it. This HTML document may also contain JavaScript and/or CSS which is loaded at the time when iframe tag is parsed by the user’s browser.. (73753)
Replace default block on paste if it has no content. (73951)
Rich Text: Make inline toolbar more reactive for proper positioning. (73853)
WidgetWidgetA WordPress Widget is a small block that performs a specific function. You can add these widgets in sidebars also known as widget-ready areas on your web page. WordPress widgets were originally created to provide a simple and easy-to-use way of giving design and structure control of the WordPress theme to the user. Group: Remove parent outline. (74107)
Fix: Align Document Outline padding in List View sidebar to match surrounding panels (#73576). (73595)
Global Fonts: Convert relative font URLs to absolute theme URLs in font-face styles. (74115)
Global Fonts: Correctly convert relative font URLs to absolute theme URLs in font-face styles. (74137)
Site editor global styles settings: Ensure generated global styles are correct in canvas between views. (73952)
Site editor global styles settings: Preserve non-global styles in default site editor settings. (74088)
Theme_JSON_Resolver: Defensively cover against situations where the post is null. (74124)
Components
Add checkerboard pattern for background in featured imageFeatured imageA featured image is the main image used on your blog archive page and is pulled when the post or page is shared on social media. The image can be used to display in widget areas on your site or in a summary list of posts. preview. (74091)
Fix DateTimePicker timezone handling for non-string values. (73887)
Fix InputControl label overflow for long translations. (74301)
Improve memoization in the overrides panel. (74407)
Fix bindableAttributes only being returned for the selected block. (74061)
AccessibilityAccessibilityAccessibility (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)
Block Editor
Update: Use 12px as minimum font size for warning on fit text. (74387)
@wordpress/keycodes: Add ariaKeyShortcut and shortcutFormats exports. (74205)
Stretchy Text: Accept very small font sizes, and show a warning. (73730)
Components
Validated form controls: Suppress native popover. (73471)
Performance
Block Library
Blocks: Cache URL root when registering assets. (74451)
Add experiment for hiding blocks based on screen size. (73949)
Block Visibility: Fix block position shift when toggling. (74535)
Block visibility: Incorrect argument passed to hasBlockSupport in isBlockHidden. (74151)
Block visibility based on screen size: Add backend block support. (73994)
Block visibility support: Use CSS range syntax for media queries. (74526)
Block visibility based on screen size: Add rules to hide on viewport size. (74379)
Block visibility: Add viewport modal and controls UI. (74249)
Block visibility: Add visibility notice for hidden blocks in the block inspector. (74180)
Block visibility based on screen size: Basic clientside state. (74025)
Block Library
PHPPHPThe web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher-only blocks: Generate inspector controls from attributes. (74102)
PHP-only blocks: Use HtmlRenderer to ensure fontend & editor consistency. (74261)
Refine overlay edit button UI: Move to link variant and add tooltip. (73957)
Render custom overlay template parts in Navigation block (behind experiment). (73967)
Update navigation-overlay-close block to be used as server side rendering. (74579)
Add Navigation Overlay close block (behind experiment). (73724)
Add create new overlay button to Navigation block. (73919)
Navigation Overlay: Fix area and icon name. (74520)
Real-time collaboration: Add type guard for rich-text attributes. (73946)
Real-time collaboration: Fix persisted document metaMetaMeta 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. and add tests. (73985)
Real-time collaboration: Improve type safety with YMapWrap. (73948)
Real-time collaboration: Use alternative diff in quill-delta, provide incremental text updates. (73699)
Real-time collaboration: Allow post-locked-modal to be overridden when collaborative-editing is enabled. (72326)
Create a reverse map for faster itemBlock lookups. (73930)
Site Editor
Add extensibleExtensibleThis is the ability to add additional functionality to the code. Plugins extend the WordPress core software. site editor experiment. (74123)
Extensible Site Editor: Design improvements and page rename. (73962)
Extensible Site Editor: Fix the dashboard link. (74231)
Extensible Site Editor: Lift template activation restriction. (74197)
Build: Rename extensible site editor page to avoid conflicts. (74221)
Extensible Site Editor: The Canvas should share the same ThemeProvider as all the surfaces. (74125)
Routing: Add title support to php generated pages. (73877)
Docs: Fix callout notices layout and clarify GitHubGitHubGitHub is a website that offers online implementation of git repositories that can easily be shared, copied and modified by other developers. Public repositories are free to host, private repositories require a paid subscription. GitHub introduced the concept of the ‘pull request’ where code changes done in branches by contributors can be reviewed and discussed before being merged be the repository owner. https://github.com/ vs handbook links. (74252)
Enhance Block Bindings Documentation as per WP 6.9 updates: Customizing supported attributes an getFieldsList. (73763)
Fix documentation title for wordpress/build package. (74541)
Fix formatting in block bindings documentation: Corrected links to core sources by adding hyphens. (74414)
Fix invalidinvalidA resolution on the bug tracker (and generally common in software development, sometimes also notabug) that indicates the ticket is not a bug, is a support request, or is generally invalid. theme.json color value in Global Styles documentation. (73999)
Fix typo in Tutorial: Build your first block. (74050)
Update the copyright licensecopyright licenseCopyright holders may grant a license with various allowances including the ability to modify or distribute the copyrighted material. Also see GPL. to 2026. (74306)
Update the useCommandLoader example to fix the syntax error and add missing imports. (73660)
Validated form controls: Add stories for validation in popovers. (71282)
Code Quality
wordpress/theme: Update color ramp generation snapshots. (74281)
Fix: Use WP_Theme_JSON_Gutenberg instead of WP_Theme_JSON class. (74294)
Theme: Enable color ramp tests and update snapshots. (74403)
TypeScript: Convert notices package to TypeScript. (67670)
TypeScript: Migrate packages/jest-puppeteer-axe package to TypeScript. (70523)
TypeScript: Migrate shortcodeShortcodeA shortcode is a placeholder used within a WordPress post, page, or widget to insert a form or function generated by a plugin in a specific location on your site. package to TS. (74522)
Block support: BackportbackportA port is when code from one branch (or trunk) is merged into another branch or trunk. Some changes in WordPress point releases are the result of backporting code from trunk to the release branch. anchor support changes in core. (74341)
Plugin
Bump minimum required WordPress version to 6.8. (74218)
Template Activation: Try fixing still flaky test. (74216)
Test: Update URLs in tests to use example.org/com instead of test.com. (74246)
Tests: Add unit tests for Button block __experimentalLabel functionality. (74186)
Theme: Ensure build artifacts are synced in version controlversion controlA version control system keeps track of the source code and revisions to the source code. WordPress uses Subversion (SVN) for version control, with Git mirrors for most repositories.. (73894)
end-to-end tests: Restore removal of settings path in preload tests. (74375)
wordpress/theme: Disable color ramp unit tests. (74347)
Template Activation: Make template edit test less flaky again. (74066)
Template Activation: Make template edit test less flaky. (73975)
Data Layer
Cleanup the dependencies in the root package.json. (74212)
Update package version after an unfinished publish. (74413)
npm Packages
Packages: Add support for publishing stable release of pre-release package. (74332)
Packages: Avoid bumping the major version on prerelease packages. (74285)
As with the 6.7, 6.8, and 6.9 release cycles, WordPress 7.0 will continue the approach of forming a smaller, focused Release Squad. This streamlined structure places more emphasis on collaboration with the various Make Team Reps, who are encouraged to help coordinate efforts from within their respective teams. The goals are to reduce the overhead on the Release Squad while still ensuring each Make Team’s contributions and priorities are represented throughout the cycle, and to reduce overlap between a Make Team RepTeam RepA Team Rep is a person who represents the Make WordPress team to the rest of the project, make sure issues are raised and addressed as needed, and coordinates cross-team efforts. and that team’s Release Squad Leads. Noteworthy Contributors will be captured from Team Reps towards the end of the release cycle. A special thank you to the Docs team for already identifying that @sajib1223 and @milana_cap will be leading efforts from their perspective!
The number of volunteers far exceeded the available squad roles, so we selected folks whose experience and focus best aligned with the needs of the 7.0 release. If you weren’t selected this time, your contributions are still incredibly valuable, and there are plenty of ways to stay involved throughout the release cycle, including testing, bugbugA 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. scrubs, triage, documentation, and more. Every contribution helps move WordPress forward, and we’re grateful for your continued participation.
Big thanks to everyone who volunteered for the release squad, and heartfelt appreciation to everyone helping move WordPress 7.0 forward through testing, triage, documentation, bug scrubs, and more. Your efforts make this release possible, and there’s a lot to be excited about as WordPress 7.0 comes together!
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 ticketticketCreated 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 📢
Nominations for CoreCoreCore is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. Team Reps 2026
The nomination process for Core Team Representatives for 2026 is now open. Please submit your nomination here.
Dropping support for PHPPHPThe web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher 7.2 and 7.3
The WordPress 6.9.1 maintenance release is planned on February 3, 2026. See the release schedule announcement for more information.
Discussions 💬
The discussion section of the agenda is for discussing important topics affecting the upcoming release or larger initiatives that impact the Core 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.
Since WordPress 6.9 was released, contributors have kept a close eye on incoming reports to the WordPress.orgWordPress.orgThe 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/ Support Forums, TracTracAn open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress., and the GutenbergGutenbergThe 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/ repository on GitHubGitHubGitHub is a website that offers online implementation of git repositories that can easily be shared, copied and modified by other developers. Public repositories are free to host, private repositories require a paid subscription. GitHub introduced the concept of the ‘pull request’ where code changes done in branches by contributors can be reviewed and discussed before being merged be the repository owner. https://github.com/. The volume and severityseverityThe seriousness of the ticket in the eyes of the reporter. Generally, severity is a judgment of how bad a bug is, while priority is its relationship to other bugs. of tickets mean that the maintenance release should be prepared sagaciously.
Specific times for RCrelease candidateOne 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). and General release will be announced in the 6.9 Release Leads room and will be based on availability of individuals helping with the release.
Targeted Fixes
WordPress 6.9.1 is intended as a bugbugA 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.-fix only maintenance release. Tickets will be included provided they are issues introduced during the 6.9 cycle or intentionally deferred at the end of the 6.9 cycle. You can follow trac report 4 or the 6.9.x editor tasks board for proposed fixes.
Bug Scrubs will happen in the #core room during the times posted above. Each of the open tickets is going to require development work along with testing and review. You can also run your own scrubs to help ensure that all of the correct tickets are fixed in this release. Additionally, some locales have strings in 6.9 in need of translation.
General coordination for the release will happen in the #6-9-release-leads channel and decisions around code for the release will be made in the #core room.
If you are interested in volunteering for WordPress 7.0, please comment here by January 16.
Nominations for CoreCoreCore is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. Team Reps 2026
The nomination process for Core Team Representatives for 2026 is now open. Please submit your nomination here.
Dropping support for PHPPHPThe web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher 7.2 and 7.3
Support for PHP 7.2 and 7.3 will be dropped in WordPress 7.0. Here you can find more information.
6.9 Release Retrospective
The 6.9 release retrospective is open to all contributors, not only release squad members. Broader feedback helps improve future release processes. The form and comments will be open until January 15.
Discussions 💬
PHP Extensions List – filter
The topic was about the PHP filter extension and if it should be default. It was noted that the extension already exists on almost all PHP installs. The idea was to move it from optional to built-in (default), so no extra checks are needed. It was also noted that WordPress Core barely uses it, except in PHPMailer, and that filter functions, especially for email checks, are not very reliable.
The full chat log is available beginning here on Slack.
WordPress Performance TracTracAn open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress. tickets
@westonruter shared that an issue related to Modern Image Formats in coreCoreCore is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. had surfaced, pointing to #60480.
@westonruter highlighted #64066 as potentially the most impactful open ticketticketCreated for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker., which proposes changing Speculative Loading’s default eagerness from conservative to moderate when caching is detected. @westonruter noted that no negative feedback has been received so far but acknowledged the change could be controversial and planned to ask for additional feedback in the #hosting channel.
@mukesh27 asked about the status of the Adminadmin(and super admin) View Transitions work. @westonruter replied that this is tracked in #64470, with an active PR #10699 opened by @flixos90.
@westonruter shared that the change looks close to being ready, but an unexpected E2E test failure still needs investigation. @mukesh27 shared that the implementation looks solid overall, and @westonruter mentioned he had merged the latest trunktrunkA 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. changes and planned further debugging, including testing behavior with unminified scripts if the failure persists.
Performance Lab PluginPluginA 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)
@SarthakJaiswal shared that he has been working on PR #2321, plans to review feedback, and will implement required changes soon, while also asking whether there are additional polishing improvements worth considering.
Open Floor
@mukesh27 asked who would be attending WordCampWordCampWordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. Asia this year. @westonruter shared that he is looking forward to the Core Performance table at Contributor DayContributor DayContributor Days are standalone days, frequently held before or after WordCamps but they can also happen at any time. They are events where people get together to work on various areas of https://make.wordpress.org/ There are many teams that people can participate in, each with a different focus. https://2017.us.wordcamp.org/contributor-day/https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/. and noted that, since the conference will correspond with WordPress 7.0, either team could land some very early things for WordPress 7.1 or focus on Performance Lab.
This post kicks off the formal election process with a call for nominations for the 2026 CoreCoreCore is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. Team Reps. For 2025, Francesca Marano (@francina), Jb Audras (@audrasjb) and Benjamin Zekavica (@benjamin_zekavica) have served as the elected Core Team Reps.
The Role
In the WordPress open-source project, each team has on average one or two representatives, abbreviated as reps. For the historians out there, the role go way back to 2012.
Historically with the Core team, the team repTeam RepA Team Rep is a person who represents the Make WordPress team to the rest of the project, make sure issues are raised and addressed as needed, and coordinates cross-team efforts. duration was around a year, though some reps stuck around longer if there was a specific need.
It is not called team lead for a reason. It’s an administrative role. While people elected as team reps will generally come from the pool of folks that people think of as experienced leaders, the team rep role is designed to change hands regularly.
This role has a time commitment of at least one or two hours a week.
Keeping up with the current releases (mainly WordPress major and minors and GutenbergGutenbergThe 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/ bi-weekly releases) and communicating updates.
Keeping a watch on the moving parts of the team to report for quarterly updates (example).
How the election works
Please nominate people in the comments of this post. Self-nominations are welcome. The deadline is January 31, 2026 at 23:59 UTC. If there are fewer than 2 nominees who have accepted their nominations, the deadline will be extended.
Once the nomination period expires, a poll will be opened for voting. It will stay open for two weeks. The new reps will start their role in February 2026.
Disclaimer: if you are nominated, please don’t feel like you have to agree to say yes. The election poll will only include the names of the people who have agreed to be nominated. So feel free to reply with a “Thank you, but no thank you”.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments or speak to the current team reps. Finally, for reference, these are the 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 nomination posts.
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 ticketticketCreated 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 📢
WordPress 7.0 Call for Volunteers
If you are interested in volunteering for WordPress 7.0, please comment here by January 16.
Nominations for CoreCoreCore is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. Team Reps 2026
The nomination process for Core Team Representatives for 2026 is now open. Please submit your nomination here.
Dropping support for PHPPHPThe web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher 7.2 and 7.3
Support for PHP 7.2 and 7.3 will be dropped in WordPress 7.0. Here you can find more information.
6.9 Release Retrospective
The 6.9 release retrospective is open to all contributors, not only release squad members. Broader feedback helps improve future release processes. The form and comments will be open until January 15.
Discussions 💬
The discussion section of the agenda is for discussing important topics affecting the upcoming release or larger initiatives that impact the Core 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.
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.
Support for PHPPHPThe web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher 7.2 and 7.3 will be dropped in WordPress 7.0, currently scheduled for release in April 2026. The minimum recommended version of PHP will remain at 8.3, but the new minimum supported version of PHP will be 7.4.0.
Historically, the project has used 5% as the baseline usage percentage that a PHP version must fall below before it can be considered for a well-earned retirement. Now that usage of PHP 7.2 and 7.3 combined has fallen well below that, the process to increase the minimum supported PHP version can proceed.
The goal of increasing the minimum supported version of PHP is to ensure the long-term maintainability of WordPress. The benefits to increasing the minimum supported PHP version manifest over time across multiple areas, including the pluginPluginA 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 theme ecosystem, tooling and libraries for AI, the long-term perception of the WordPress project, developer relations, and eventually within the WordPress codebase itself, including its developer tooling and automated testing infrastructure.
WordPress coreCoreCore is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. is fully compatible with PHP 8.0 to 8.3 and is beta compatible with PHP 8.4 and 8.5.
Sites that are running PHP 7.2 or 7.3 will remain on the 6.9 branchbranchA 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". of WordPress once 7.0 is released. While only one branch officially receives security updates, fixes are backported down to WordPress 4.7 as a courtesy when possible.
What about the GutenbergGutenbergThe 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?
There are no plans to bump the minimum supported PHP version on a set schedule. The Core team will continue to monitor PHP version usage and work with the Hosting team to encourage users and hosting companies to upgrade their versions of PHP as swiftly as possible. The 5% usage threshold will continue to be used as the standard for the foreseeable future.
Props to all those that have contributed to this discussion recently. Thanks to @desrosj, @westonruter, and @jorbin for feedback and proof-reading this post.
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