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.
This guide outlines major developer features and breaking changes in 7.1 and is published during the Release Candidaterelease 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). phase to help inform WordPress extenders, CoreCoreCore is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. developers, and everyone else interested in the latest WordPress development.
There are more than 310 Core Trac tickets included in WordPress 7.1, over 100 of which are enhancements and feature requests, and more than 180 bug fixes. This release includes 40+ tickets focused on the Editor, with the most attention going to 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) (46), UIUIUser interface (40), and administration (28) focuses. Additionally, this release includes almost 600 enhancements and more than 630 bug fixes, coming from 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/.
A quick search of the diff between 7.0.2 and the current 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. (7.1-beta4) reveals 20 new hooksHooksIn WordPress theme and development, hooks are functions that can be applied to an action or a Filter in WordPress. Actions are functions performed when a certain event occurs in WordPress. Filters allow you to modify certain functions. Arguments used to hook both filters and actions look the same. (19 filters and 1 action), 1480 total files changed with 88163 insertions and 18601 deletions. Kudos to everyone who contributed to the 7.1 release, in any way, shape, or form.
Below is a breakdown of the most important developer-related changes included in WordPress 7.1.
Media
WordPress 7.1 continues the modernisation of media workflows across the editor, REST APIREST APIThe 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/, and Media Library. The release introduces client-side processing capabilitiescapabilityA capability is permission to perform one or more types of task. Checking if a user has a capability is performed by the current_user_can function. Each user of a WordPress site might have some permissions but not others, depending on their role. For example, users who have the Author role usually have permission to edit their own posts (the “edit_posts” capability), but not permission to edit other users’ posts (the “edit_others_posts” capability)., improves the handling and registration of image sizes, and changes the default Media Library browsing experience.
Client-side media processing
New client-side media processing APIs allow supported image operations to happen in the browser before a file is uploaded. Related REST API changes support validating image dimensions, selecting size-aware encoding quality, and registering a sideloaded file for multiple image sizes.
#65481 — REST API: Support registering one sideloaded file under multiple image sizes
Media library
Infinite scrolling is enabled by default in the Media Library grid, with a per-user option to restore the previous pagination behaviour. The release also includes fixes for upload counts, duplicate caption IDs, and other media-management details.
#65053 – Correct the media-upload count when uploading multiple files from the post editor
#65315 – Prevent duplicate figcaption IDs when the same image has different captions
Accessibility
WordPress 7.1 includes accessibility improvements across administration screens, list tables, setup flows, widgets, navigation, and editor-related interfaces. The changes improve semantics, keyboard and pointer interaction, focus behaviour, contrast, and the presentation of contextual information.
Administration
Administration improvements make hierarchical relationships and table structure clearer to assistive technologies. They also refine focus behaviour, controls, contrast, and interaction patterns across several screens.
WordPress 7.1 introduces a shared mechanism for accessible name and informational tooltips. Core now uses this mechanism in selected interfaces, giving developers a consistent pattern for presenting supplementary information without relying on inaccessible title attributes or pointer-only interactions.
#51006 — Add a mechanism for accessible tooltips in core
#55343 — Add Tooltip to “Remember Me” (WP Login Form)
#50921 — Consider adding tooltips for metaboxMetaboxA post metabox is a draggable box shown on the post editing screen. Its purpose is to allow the user to select or enter information in addition to the main post content. This information should be related to the post in some way. order buttons
Other accessibility improvements:
#64932 – Make subpage hierarchy in post list tables accessible.
#65027 – Add IDs to section titles generated by the Settings 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.
#65250 – Correct mouse interaction for the first submenu item when “Collapse Menu” is enabled
#65382 – Improve adminadmin(and super admin) colour scheme contrast for the editor chrome.
#65454 – Improve accessibility of setup-config.php and install.php
#47670 – Fix the accessibility problem caused by multiple RSS widgets
Improving visibility, contrast, layout, and overall accessibility in #65419, #65530, #65532, #65630 and more.
Abilities API
WordPress 7.1 builds on the Abilities API introduced in WordPress 6.9, making abilities easier to discover, expose, validate, and integrate with external clients. The release adds filtering to wp_get_abilities(), execution lifecycle hooks, a unified public exposure flag, client-compatible 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. Schema preparation, and several smaller API refinements.
WordPress 7.1 expands the styling tools available to 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. and theme developers, with responsive style variations, configurable viewports, additional interaction states, and text-shadow support. These changes give themes and blocks more expressive styling options while keeping their configuration within the Global Styles system.
The DataViews and DataForm APIs continue to mature in WordPress 7.1, alongside new View Config capabilities for controlling Site Editor screens. Developers can use the expanded APIs to customize data-driven interfaces and filterFilterFilters 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. which views and layouts are available in supported editor contexts.
WordPress 7.1 includes a broad collection of editor improvements spanning block behaviour, extensibility APIs, interface components, styling tools, and the editing environment itself. The sections below highlight the changes most likely to affect block, theme, and 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. developers.
New Block Support
WordPress 7.1 adds block support for background gradients and minimum width, allowing blocks to opt into these design controls through their metadata. The release also improves the Custom HTMLHTMLHyperText Markup Language. The semantic scripting language primarily used for outputting content in web browsers. block by allowing supported blocks to remain editable inside its preview.
WordPress 7.1 completes the move to an 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.-based post editor, including for sites that register legacy 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. boxes. This creates a more consistent editing environment, but plugins that rely on reaching across the editor document boundary should review their JavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript or JS is an object-oriented computer programming language commonly used to create interactive effects within web browsers. WordPress makes extensive use of JS for a better user experience. While PHP is executed on the server, JS executes within a user’s browser.
https://www.javascript.com and CSSCSSCascading Style Sheets. for compatibility.
The editor component library receives new features, refinements, and API updates in WordPress 7.1. Developers building editor interfaces should review the component changes for new capabilities, updated behaviour, and any migrationMigrationMoving the code, database and media files for a website site from one server to another. Most typically done when changing hosting companies. considerations.
WordPress 7.1 introduces a theming foundation for the WordPress Design System. The new approach uses design tokens and shared styles to make interfaces more consistent while giving supported environments a structured way to apply different visual themes.
The WordPress toolbar now remains available while navigating supported editor screens, creating a more consistent path between the front end, administration area, Site Editor, and Block Editor. Developers extending the toolbar should review how their items behave across these contexts and during client-side navigation.
WordPress 7.1 updates bundled third-party dependencies to improve compatibility, maintenance, and security. The most notable change is the update to jQuery UI 1.14.2, which may require testing for plugins that depend on jQuery UI behaviour or styling.
Several developer-facing changes in WordPress 7.1 do not fall under any of the larger feature areas but may still affect existing integrations. These include adjustments to notification filtering and other focused API or behavioural changes.
7.1 offers so much more! More than 180 Core bugs, over 630 Gutenberg bugs, 100 enhancements and feature requests, and more than 20 blessed tasks have been marked as fixed in WordPress 7.1.
The following highlights call attention to smaller changes that may affect integrations, expected return values, generated markup, compatibility, or established developer workflows:
AI – #65504 – AI Client – updates execute_abilities() to mirror has_ability_calls() by checking is_ability_call() before executing, and adds regressionregressionA 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. coverage for mixed ability and non-ability calls.
Comments – #65392 – “Show more comments” fails for comment types other than comment
Editor and blocks:
#64838 – Prevent block pseudo-state styles from being applied to the default state
#65039 – Add context to _doing_it_wrong() messages in WP_Block_Type_Registry::register()
#65373 – 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: add an option to exclude the current post
Formatting and compatibility – #42517 – Make sure get_file_data() recognises headers prefixed by a <? tagtagA 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.).
Login, installation, and multisitemultisiteUsed 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 – #65506 – Fix incorrect HTTPHTTPHTTP 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. URLs in multisite signup and activation when SSLSSLSecure Sockets Layer. Provides a secure means of sending data over the internet. Used for authenticated and private actions. is enabled
Privacy
#44498 – Run _wp_personal_data_cleanup_requests() on cron
#44723 – Return the WP_User_Request user ID as the documented type
REST API and XML
#65536 – XML-RPC: fix the argument mismatch in _multisite_getUsersBlogs
#65670 – Prevent WP_REST_Attachments_Controller::get_attachment_filesize() from failing on non-integer metadata
Themes and templates
#42513 – Improve WP_Theme::get_post_templates() performance for large themes
#64848 – Prevent implicit coercion in WP_Theme_JSON::to_ruleset()
Not every feature explored during the release cycle was ultimately included in WordPress 7.1. The following initiatives were deferred, changed direction, or remained experimental, giving contributors more time to validate their design and implementation before they reach Core.
… as sometimes what we don’t add is more valuable than what we do.
An initial proposal would have hidden the Classic block from the inserter for new content while preserving existing instances. After further discussion and testing, the change was reverted, so the Classic block remains available in WordPress 7.1.
The ReactReactReact is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to reason about, construct, and maintain stateless and stateful user interfaces.
https://reactjs.org 19 upgrade was also deferred beyond WordPress 7.1 and continues as an experiment in the Gutenberg plugin.
Real-time collaborative editing received extensive testing and feedback during the WordPress 7.1 cycle, but it is not enabled in the final release. Work continues on the editing experience, conflictconflictA conflict occurs when a patch changes code that was modified after the patch was created. These patches are considered stale, and will require a refresh of the changes before it can be applied, or the conflicts will need to be resolved. handling, compatibility, and the path toward a future Core integration.
“On This Day” 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.
The proposed “On This Day” dashboard widget was considered during the WordPress 7.1 cycle but was not included in the release. Further work and discussion can continue in the associated TracTracAn open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress.ticketticketCreated for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker.#65801.
Merge proposals
Several projects presented merge proposals during the WordPress 7.1 cycle. Some related foundations were included in the release, while the broader proposals continue to evolve and may be considered again after further testing, documentation, and feedback.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this version of WordPress, whether through code, testing, or something else – your contributions matter and help Make WordPress.
