Title: Make WordPress Core – WordPress Development Updates --- [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joefusco/) [Joe Fusco](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joefusco/) 6:36 pm _on_ October 12, 2026 Tags: [collaboration ( 4 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/collaboration/), feature-presence-api, [presence-api ( 3 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/presence-api/), [summary ( 981 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/summary/)    # 󠀁[Presence API meeting summary: October 12, 2026](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/10/12/presence-api-meeting-summary-october-12-2026/)󠁿 The Presence 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. meeting took place on Monday, October 12, 2026 at 15:00 UTC in [#feature-presence-api](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/feature-presence-api/). It also hosts the real-time collaboration (RTC) work. This week’s focus was the feature pluginFeature Plugin A plugin that was created with the intention of eventually being proposed for inclusion in WordPress Core. See [Features as Plugins](https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/about/release-cycle/features-as-plugins/) merge criteria, and which gaps are left before a coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. proposal. [Start of the meeting in Slack](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C0ASCNMB7FZ/p1791817559800629) ## Announcements * [Presence API: What’s new](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/10/02/presence-api-whats-new/) went up on Make/Core on October 2. * [Presence API 0.17.0](https://wordpress.org/plugins/presence-api/) shipped October 8. A site can now switch off each piece it doesn’t want, and the presence functions take an `$args` array ([#789](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/pull/789)). * The debugger and DB viewer moved into their own presence-debugger 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/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. ([#760](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/pull/760)), and Presence Scenes gained arrivals, coming-back and fading-out scenes ([#775](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/pull/775)). ## Follow-ups * 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/](https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/) Sync Engines (GSE) is drafting a Make post to be published this week. * The collaborator-liveness work left over from [#647](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/issues/647) now lives in GSE: a second tab is [GSE#147](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg-sync-engines/issues/147), and another device is [GSE#148](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg-sync-engines/issues/148). [#815](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/pull/815) gives [GSE#148](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg-sync-engines/issues/148) a way to tell a second browser from a second tab. ## Merge criteria Each item from the handbook’s [feature plugin criteria](https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/about/release-cycle/features-as-plugins/) is tracked on [#550](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/issues/550). * [@huzaifaalmesbah](https://profiles.wordpress.org/huzaifaalmesbah/) linted the CSSCSS Cascading Style Sheets. ([#811](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/pull/811)), and [@rejaulalomkhan](https://profiles.wordpress.org/rejaulalomkhan/) linted the PHPUnit tests ([#817](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/pull/817)). * [@iamchitti](https://profiles.wordpress.org/iamchitti/) is taking Firefox and WebKit end-to-end runs, scoped to the tab coordination specs ([#808](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/issues/808)). * Inline CSS in the PHPPHP The web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher files moves into stylesheets( [#807](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/issues/807)). * [@iamchitti](https://profiles.wordpress.org/iamchitti/) took touch devices ([#821](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/issues/821)), keyboard-only checks ([#822](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/issues/822)) and the feature with JavaScriptJavaScript JavaScript 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](https://www.javascript.com/) off ([#823](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/issues/823)). * Nobody has claimed HTMLHTML HyperText Markup Language. The semantic scripting language primarily used for outputting content in web browsers. validation or a security audit yet, and neither has an issue. Comment on [#550](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/issues/550) to take one. ## Path to core Post locks are the first consumer, and GSE is the first outside project on the API. The readiness gate on [#550](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/issues/550) asks for three outside projects and eight weeks without a breaking API change, counted from 0.17.0, so December 3 at the earliest. Anyone building on the API, or considering it for a plugin or host, is welcome to get in touch. ## Open floor * Private security reporting is now enabled on the repository, thanks to [@huzaifaalmesbah](https://profiles.wordpress.org/huzaifaalmesbah/). * [@iamchitti](https://profiles.wordpress.org/iamchitti/) asked where the TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress. proposal draft is, and offered to review it this week. ## Since the meeting [Presence API 0.18.0](https://wordpress.org/plugins/presence-api/) shipped with the session hash ([#815](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/pull/815)) and core’s copy of each API function winning once it exists ([#805](https://github.com/WordPress/presence-api/pull/805)). ## Next meeting Monday, October 26, 2026 at 15:00 UTC in [#feature-presence-api](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/feature-presence-api/). [#collaboration](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/collaboration/), [#presence-api](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/presence-api/), [#summary](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/summary/) * [Login to Reply](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fmake.wordpress.org%2Fcore%2F2026%2F10%2F12%2Fpresence-api-meeting-summary-october-12-2026%2F%23respond&locale=en_US) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/lucasmdo/) [lucasmdo](https://profiles.wordpress.org/lucasmdo/) 1:26 pm _on_ October 12, 2026   # 󠀁[Call for feedback: the W and the site name in the Toolbar](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/10/12/call-for-feedback-the-w-and-the-site-name-in-the-toolbar/)󠁿 Since WordPress 7.1 the Toolbar is also displayed in the Post Editor and the Site Editor ([#65091](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/65091), [dev note](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/07/13/consistent-navigation-in-wordpress-7-1-with-persistent-toolbar/)). That change made an old problem more visible: the first two items of the Toolbar, the W and the site name, do not behave the same everywhere. [#66258](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/66258) proposes to fix that. This post outlines the change, the reasons, and asks for feedback before a 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. is written. * TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress. ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker.: [core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/66258](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/66258) * [Try it in Playground](https://playground.wordpress.net/#eyIkc2NoZW1hIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wbGF5Z3JvdW5kLndvcmRwcmVzcy5uZXQvYmx1ZXByaW50LXNjaGVtYS5qc29uIiwibGFuZGluZ1BhZ2UiOiIvd3AtYWRtaW4vIiwibG9naW4iOnRydWUsInByZWZlcnJlZFZlcnNpb25zIjp7InBocCI6IjguMyIsIndwIjoibGF0ZXN0In0sInN0ZXBzIjpbeyJzdGVwIjoiaW5zdGFsbFBsdWdpbiIsInBsdWdpbkRhdGEiOnsicmVzb3VyY2UiOiJnaXQ6ZGlyZWN0b3J5IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9naXRodWIuY29tL2xtZW5kZXMtZGVzaWduL3Rvb2xiYXItbGlua3MtdGVzdC5naXQiLCJyZWYiOiJtYWluIiwicGF0aCI6IiJ9LCJvcHRpb25zIjp7ImFjdGl2YXRlIjp0cnVlfX1dfQ==) * [Test plugin (zip): toolbar-links-test.zip](http://playground.wordpress.net/?blueprint-url=%E2%80%A6/toolbar-links-test/main/blueprint.json) * Source: [github.com/lmendes-design/toolbar-links-test](http://github.com/lmendes-design/toolbar-links-test) ### Current behavior * A click on the W goes to the About WordPress page. * A click on the site name goes to the site in the adminadmin (and super admin), and to the Dashboard on the front end. * The site name menu also changes. In the admin it has only Visit Site. On the front end it has Dashboard, Plugins and Themes. * In the editors, the Toolbar has no link to the Dashboard. ### The proposal Two fixed links. * The W always goes to the Dashboard. Dashboard is the first item of the W menu. About WordPress and the other items stay in the menu. On small screens the W stays visible. Today it is hidden under 600px. * The site name always goes to the site. The menu is the same everywhere: Visit Site, Plugins and Themes. On 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**, Manage Site comes after Visit Site. Classic themes keep Widgets, Menus, Background and 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.. The Dashboard has one place, under the W. Please, check following images:  [[ [[ [[ ### Why * The W is the most visible item of the Toolbar, and today it goes to a page people rarely need. With this change it gets a useful click. There is no learned behavior to unlearn. * One click to the Dashboard from everywhere. So, we can build the right mental model. * One behavior to learn. People do not need to check where they are before they click. * Two clear places. The W is the admin. The site name is the site front end. * It works on multisite. My Sites stays next to the W, as today. In the Networknetwork( versus site, blog) Admin, the W goes to the network Dashboard. ### How to test it Open the [Playground link](https://playground.wordpress.net/?blueprint-url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lmendes-design/toolbar-links-test/main/blueprint.json). It loads WordPress with the test 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/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. active and lands on the Dashboard. Or [download the plugin](https://github.com/lmendes-design/toolbar-links-test/releases/latest/download/toolbar-links-test.zip) and install it on a test site. Deactivate it to compare with the current behavior. It stores nothing in the database. What to look for: * The admin, the front end, the Post Editor and the Site Editor. The W and the site name do the same thing in all of them. * A window under 600px. The W is visible and goes to the Dashboard. * A multisite, if you have one. The Network Admin and a sub site. * A classic theme. Widgets, Menus, Background and Header stay in the site name menu. * A plugin that adds items to the W menu or the site name menu. The node IDs do not change, so they should keep working. **Leave feedback by October 16th** Please leave feedback in the Trac ticket, so it stays in one place. Comments on this post are welcome too. The deadline is October 16th, ahead of the 7.2 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. 1 on October 20th 😊 * [Login to Reply](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fmake.wordpress.org%2Fcore%2F2026%2F10%2F12%2Fcall-for-feedback-the-w-and-the-site-name-in-the-toolbar%2F%23respond&locale=en_US) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/psykro/) [Jonathan Bossenger](https://profiles.wordpress.org/psykro/) 3:46 pm _on_ October 10, 2026 Tags: [feature-notifications ( 50 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/feature-notifications/) # 󠀁[Feature Notifications: status update and plan for 0.3.0](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/10/10/feature-notifications-status-update-and-plan-for-0-3-0/)󠁿 [Feature Notifications](https://github.com/WordPress/wp-feature-notifications) is the project exploring a unified notifications system for WordPress ([#43484](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/43484)). It has been quiet since version 0.2.0 shipped in April 2023. This post covers where the project stands today and the plan to get to version 0.3.0, with the goal of shipping 0.3.0 alongside the WordPress 7.2 release in December. ## Why 0.3.0 matters The [0.3.0 milestone](https://github.com/WordPress/wp-feature-notifications/issues/302) was always meant to be the first live preview: a working system that creates, stores, displays, and dismisses notifications. That makes 0.3.0 the project’s first functional MVPMinimum Viable Product "A minimum viable product (MVP) is a product with just enough features to satisfy early customers, and to provide feedback for future product development." - [WikiPedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_viable_product) rather than a maintenance release. ## Where things stand I’ve spent some time auditing the codebase and putting together a [detailed release plan](https://github.com/WordPress/wp-feature-notifications/blob/0.3.0-release-plan/drafts/RELEASE-PLAN-0.3.0.md). In short: * **The foundations are solid.** The data models, factories, channel registry, and database schema are well designed and have unit tests. The notification hub UIUI User interface in the adminadmin (and super admin) bar is in place. * **The system isn’t wired up end to end yet.** The persistence layer is still a set of stubs, the 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/](https://developer.wordpress.org/rest-api/) returns empty responses, dismissing a notification doesn’t save anything, and the REST controller tests are skipped. A few subtle bugs (in the schema, the factory, model serialization, and the client-side data store) mean wiring things up isn’t enough. They need fixing first. * **The release tooling has drifted.** Version numbers disagree across files, the readme and changelog are out of date, internationalization doesn’t work end to end, and some CI checks pass without testing anything. * **Recent maintenance:** the tooling has been brought in line with current WordPress standards (#559), and dependencies are up to date. ## Major Kudos It would be remiss of me not to share massive kudos and thanks to the contributors who stepped in to keep the project moving when I had to step away in 2023, especially [@sephsekla](https://profiles.wordpress.org/sephsekla/), [@bitmachina](https://profiles.wordpress.org/bitmachina/), and [@erikyo](https://profiles.wordpress.org/erikyo/), and everyone who has contributed to the project so far. I hope you can all join in some way as we work toward getting this merged into coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.. ## Next steps The work is split into phases, and much of it can happen in parallel: 1. **Clean up the workspace.** Triagetriage The act of evaluating and sorting bug reports, in order to decide priority, severity, and other factors. the open pull requests, including the existing polling PR (#397), and move the relevant issues into the 0.3.0 milestone. 2. **Build the MVP.** Ship a schema update with a working upgrade path, implement the notification and subscription repositories, add a PHPPHP The web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher 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. for emitting notifications to a channel, flesh out the REST endpoints with a proper capabilitycapability A **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). model, fix the client-side store, and add polling and persistent dismissal. A 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/](http://wp-cli.org/) [https://make.wordpress.org/cli/](https://make.wordpress.org/cli/) command to seed sample notifications will make all of this easier to test. 3. **Fix correctness and security issues.** These include an open permission check on the subscriptions endpoint, output escaping, URLURL A specific web address of a website or web page on the Internet, such as a website’s URL www.wordpress.org validation on notification actions, and timezone handling. 4. **Get internationalization working**, from text domains through to generating the`. pot` file and shipping translations in the zip. 5. **Tidy up the release.** Align version numbers, set minimum requirements to WordPress 6.7 and PHP 8.1, write the changelog, and fix the release workflow and test matrix. 6. **Release 0.3.0** as a GitHubGitHub GitHub 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 by the repository owner. [https://github.com/](https://github.com/) release, submit it to 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/](https://wordpress.org/) 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/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. directory, and invite everyone to start testing. You can find more details about the release plan in this [Markdown document](https://github.com/WordPress/wp-feature-notifications/blob/0.3.0-release-plan/drafts/RELEASE-PLAN-0.3.0.md), which will help focus the work that needs doing. The target date for this release is 1 December 2026, to align with the final WordPress 7.2 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)](https://make.wordpress.org/core/?utm_source=chatgpt.com&output_format=md#alpha-beta).. ## Get involved If you’d like to help, whether through code, testing, design feedback, or reviewing pull requests, join the [#feature-notifications](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/feature-notifications) channel in [Making WordPress Slack](https://make.wordpress.org/chat/). I’ll post regular updates there as the work moves forward, and it’s the best place to find out where help is needed. You can also follow along on the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/WordPress/wp-feature-notifications). [#feature-notifications](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/feature-notifications/) * [Login to Reply](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fmake.wordpress.org%2Fcore%2F2026%2F10%2F10%2Ffeature-notifications-status-update-and-plan-for-0-3-0%2F%23respond&locale=en_US) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/tyxla/) [Marin Atanasov](https://profiles.wordpress.org/tyxla/) 6:13 pm _on_ October 9, 2026 Tags: [7.2 ( 20 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/7-2/), [database ( 7 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/database/), [dev-notes ( 648 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/dev-notes/), dev-notes-7-2    # 󠀁[NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES SQL mode is now turned off by default in WordPress 7.2](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/10/09/no_backslash_escapes-sql-mode-is-now-turned-off-by-default-in-wordpress-7-2/)󠁿 WordPress 7.2 adds `NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES` to the list of SQL modes that WordPress doesn’t support. WordPress already turns off some modes, such as `STRICT_ALL_TABLES`,` TRADITIONAL` and `ANSI`, when it connects to the database. This mode is now on that list too. ## Why this change? WordPress uses the backslash character (`\`) to escape special characters in SQL queries. When `NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES` is on, 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](https://www.mysql.com/) reads the backslash as a normal character, not as an escape character. Queries with escaped values can then fail or return the wrong data. Some hosts or server setups may turn this mode on. Before this change, sites on those servers could have hard-to-find database problems. For more details, see [Ticket #66185](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/66185). ## What changes? When WordPress connects to the database, `wpdb::set_sql_mode()` now removes `NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES` from the session’s SQL modes. This affects only the WordPress database connection. It doesn’t change the server’s global settings. Most sites won’t notice any difference. ## What if I need this mode? If your site really needs `NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES`, you can keep it with the existing` incompatible_sql_modes` filterFilter Filters are one of the two types of Hooks [https://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API/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.: ```notranslate add_filter( 'incompatible_sql_modes', function ( $modes ) { return array_diff( $modes, array( 'NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES' ) ); } ); ``` WordPress connects to the database before plugins load, so add this code in a `db. php` drop-in. Code in a normal 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/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/) or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. or a must-use plugin runs too late. Please note that WordPress CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. may not work correctly with this mode turned on. Props to [@mcsf](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mcsf/) for reviewing this post. [#7-2](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/7-2/), [#dev-notes](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/dev-notes/), [#dev-notes-7-2](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/dev-notes-7-2/), [#database](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/database/) * [Login to Reply](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fmake.wordpress.org%2Fcore%2F2026%2F10%2F09%2Fno_backslash_escapes-sql-mode-is-now-turned-off-by-default-in-wordpress-7-2%2F%23respond&locale=en_US) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/dmsnell/) [Dennis Snell](https://profiles.wordpress.org/dmsnell/) 7:57 pm _on_ October 7, 2026 Tags: [html-api ( 7 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/html-api/), [html-api-progress-report ( 2 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/html-api-progress-report/), progress-report    # 󠀁[Progress Report: `wp_kses()`](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/10/07/progress-report-wp_kses/)󠁿 Since its inception, WordPress has relied on the KSES^([1](https://make.wordpress.org/core/?utm_source=chatgpt.com&output_format=md#fn-1e84fd31-badc-41d8-8b6e-2aae1aae060a)) subsystem to sanitize HTMLHTML HyperText Markup Language. The semantic scripting language primarily used for outputting content in web browsers.. Its purpose has grown and changed over time, but primarily serves two purposes: correct aesthetic defects that are likely the result of typos or pasting errors; and remove security risks that might appear in untrusted inputs. The original `kses` library was written before HTML5 fully-formalized HTML parsing and at a time when it was common to “ hand type” HTML. Today, however, there is no such thing as “seriously malformed^( [2](https://make.wordpress.org/core/?utm_source=chatgpt.com&output_format=md#fn-e7609e07-da47-43de-9f5a-b8815311246b))” HTML and most people author content through rich editors, such as WordPress’ 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. This means that today, the primary purpose of `wp_kses()` is to prune out risks from untrusted inputs, and it’s time for it to get an overhaul. As part of [#66208](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/66208), [PR#13271](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/pull/13271) replaced the implementation of `wp_kses()` with a new one based on the [HTML API](https://make.wordpress.org/core/components/html-api/). This update replaces a complicated chain of functions, string processing, PCRE regular expressions, and outdated logic to ensure that WordPress can perform its sanitization role reliably and comprehensibly. [Continue reading →](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/10/07/progress-report-wp_kses/#more-126106) [#html-api](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/html-api/), [#html-api-progress-report](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/html-api-progress-report/), [#progress-report](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/progress-report/) * [Login to Reply](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fmake.wordpress.org%2Fcore%2F2026%2F10%2F07%2Fprogress-report-wp_kses%2F%23respond&locale=en_US) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/afercia/) [Andrea Fercia](https://profiles.wordpress.org/afercia/) 1:09 pm _on_ October 7, 2026 Tags: [codingstandards ( 8 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/codingstandards/), [core-css ( 192 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/core-css/), [proposal ( 40 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/proposal/) # 󠀁[Proposal: Minor updates to the WordPress Core CSS Coding Standards](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/10/07/proposal-minor-updates-to-the-wordpress-core-css-coding-standards/)󠁿 The purpose of this proposal is to introduce minor changes to [the WordPress CSS Coding Standards](https://developer.wordpress.org/coding-standards/wordpress-coding-standards/css/) required to integrate Stylelint into CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.. Please keep any feedback focused on the scope of these minor changes. On TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress. ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. [#29792](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/29792) a proposal has been made to introduce a CSSCSS Cascading Style Sheets. linter to check for syntax errors and enforce the CSS Coding Standards for Core. A [versioned version](https://github.com/WordPress/wpcs-docs/blob/a9ffaa51e7c8d3bdf8732deeaea8f38e2d18ab15/wordpress-coding-standards/css.md) of the _current_ standards is available on the WordPress Coding StandardsWordPress Coding Standards The Accessibility, PHP, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, etc. coding standards as published in the WordPress [Coding Standards Handbook](https://developer.wordpress.org/coding-standards/). May also refer to [The collection of PHP_CodeSniffer rules](https://github.com/WordPress/WordPress-Coding-Standards/)( sniffs) used to format and validate PHP code developed for WordPress according to the PHP coding standards. Docs repository. While syntax errors are already caught by postcss, the coding standards aren’t currently enforced. There is now [a proposal to introduce Stylelint](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/pull/12934) as a tool to enforce them. Stylelint has been used in the 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/](https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/) editor repository for several years, and is widely used in the tech industry. It’s a flexible and powerful tool that will help make sure no new standards errors are introduced, for better compliance and future maintainability. To introduce Stylelint in Core and in the WordPress Continuous Integration pipeline, a minor update to the CSS Coding Standards must happen first. [A pull request is ready](https://github.com/WordPress/wpcs-docs/pull/162) on the related repository for the proposed update. ## The proposed changes Two changes are relevant, while others are minor or purely cosmetic changes. The rest of the Stylelint configuration matches the current coding standards. ### Blank lines The sentence `Add two blank lines between sections and one blank line between blocks in a section` is changed to `Add one blank line between sections and between blocks in a section`. Rationale: Stylelint can’t distinguish between blank lines that come before sections and blocks in a section. As such, the rule is simplified to require one blank line everywhere. ### The order property and the reverse values In the Properties and in the Values sections, two new bullet points are added to require avoiding the usage of the `order` property and the `*-reverse` values. Note that this matches the rules that are already in use in the Gutenberg repository. Rationale: the `order` property and the `*-reverse` values are known to be potentially harmful for 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). For accessibility reasons, visual, reading, and DOM order must match. Only use `order` and the reverse values when they do not affect reading order, meaning, and interaction. Quoting from [the W3C CSS Display Module Level 3](https://www.w3.org/TR/css-display-3/) and [the W3C CSS Flexible Box Layout Module Level 1](https://www.w3.org/TR/css-flexbox-1/): > _Authors must use order only for spatial, not logical, reordering of content. > Style sheets that use order to perform logical reordering are non-conforming._ > _Authors must not use order or the *-reverse values of flex-flow/flex-direction > as a substitute for correct source ordering, as that can ruin the accessibility > of the document._ ## Minor and cosmetics changes Added explicit exceptions to lowercase values for: * `currentColor` * `optimizeLegibility` Changed the sentence `Things that are not yet used in core itself, such as CSS3 animations ...` by removing the part: `such as CSS3 animations` because CSS3 animations are now used in Core. Entirely removed the following bullet point: * `An exception is made for the wp-admin.css file in core, as it is very large and each section essentially represents a stylesheet of its own. Media queries are therefore added at the bottom of sections as applicable.` because `wp-admin.css` is no longer split into sections. Other changes are purely cosmetic, for example long sentences have been split into bullet points for better readability. ## Proposed timeline I would like to propose leaving this proposal open for comments for one week to gather feedback and any concerns. After a week, in the absence of significant objections, I suggest proceeding with the update. Any feedback and comments are welcome. ## Note on future plans Once Stylelint will be in place, WordPress will have a solid baseline for further Core CSS improvements. If the CSS Coding Standards require major changes, they can be considered based on actual data provided by Stylelint. This could be addressed in a future, more wide-ranging proposal. Props to [@joedolson](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joedolson/) for review and feedback. [#codingstandards](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/codingstandards/), [#core-css](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/core-css/), [#proposal](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/proposal/) * [Login to Reply](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fmake.wordpress.org%2Fcore%2F2026%2F10%2F07%2Fproposal-minor-updates-to-the-wordpress-core-css-coding-standards%2F%23respond&locale=en_US) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/amykamala/) [Amy Kamala](https://profiles.wordpress.org/amykamala/) 12:40 am _on_ October 7, 2026 Tags: [7.1 ( 68 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/7-1/), [7.2 ( 20 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/7-2/), [agenda ( 1,149 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/agenda/), [core ( 756 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/core/), [dev chat ( 932 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/dev-chat/) # 󠀁[Dev Chat Agenda – October 7, 2026](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/10/07/dev-chat-agenda-oct-07-2026/)󠁿 The next WordPress Developers Chat will take place on [Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 15:00 UTC](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20261007T1500) in the [core](https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/core/) channel on [Make WordPress Slack](https://make.wordpress.org/chat/). 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 📢 * [7.1.3 Security release 10/6/26](https://wordpress.org/news/2026/10/wordpress-7-1-3-maintenance-and-security-release/) * [WordPress 7.2 release party schedule](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/10/06/wordpress-7-2-release-party-schedule/) * [Core Trac and Github spring cleaning](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/10/02/core-trac-and-github-team-spring-cleaning-southern-hemisphere-edition/) * [Presence API: What’s new](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/10/02/presence-api-whats-new/) * [What’s new in Gutenberg 24.1 9/30/26](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/09/30/whats-new-in-gutenberg-24-1-30-september/) ## 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. [#7-1](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/7-1/), [#7-2](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/7-2/), [#agenda](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/agenda/), [#core](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/core/), [#dev-chat](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/dev-chat/) * [Login to Reply](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fmake.wordpress.org%2Fcore%2F2026%2F10%2F07%2Fdev-chat-agenda-oct-07-2026%2F%23respond&locale=en_US) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/b1ink0/) [Aditya Dhade](https://profiles.wordpress.org/b1ink0/) 4:28 pm _on_ October 6, 2026 Tags: [core-performance ( 152 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/core-performance/), [hosting ( 57 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/hosting/), [performance ( 419 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/performance/), [performance-chat ( 345 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/performance-chat/), [summary ( 981 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/summary/)    # 󠀁[Performance Chat Summary: 6 October 2026](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/10/06/performance-chat-summary-6-october-2026/)󠁿 The full chat log is available beginning [here on Slack](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02KGN5K076/p1791302442213739). ## **WordPress Performance TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress. tickets** * [@westonruter](https://profiles.wordpress.org/westonruter/) shared that prefetching has finally been committed in [changeset 64120](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/64120). The next step is to default script and style concatenation to off outside development environments in [PR #13090](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/pull/13090). After that, the plan is to remove `load-scripts.php` and `load-styles.php`, along with the concatenation and compression logic that has been problematic for many years. ## **Open Floor** * [@westonruter](https://profiles.wordpress.org/westonruter/) noted performance gains in PHPStan 2.3.0: a full uncached analysis of WordPress coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. went from 60 seconds to 8 seconds. He shared the [PHPStan 2.3.0 release post](https://phpstan.org/blog/phpstan-2-3-leap-in-performance). **Our next chat will be held on [Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 16:00 UTC](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20261020T1600) in the [#core-performance channel](https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/core-performance/) in [Slack](https://make.wordpress.org/chat/)**. [#core-performance](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/core-performance/), [#hosting](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/hosting/), [#performance](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/performance/), [#performance-chat](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/performance-chat/), [#summary](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/summary/) * [Login to Reply](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fmake.wordpress.org%2Fcore%2F2026%2F10%2F06%2Fperformance-chat-summary-6-october-2026%2F%23respond&locale=en_US) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/davidbaumwald/) [David Baumwald](https://profiles.wordpress.org/davidbaumwald/) 1:12 pm _on_ October 6, 2026 Tags: [7.1 ( 68 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/7-1/), [release ( 40 )](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/release/)    # 󠀁[WordPress 7.2 Release Party Schedule](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/10/06/wordpress-7-2-release-party-schedule/)󠁿 WordPress 7.2 is scheduled for release on **December 8, 2026**! Below is the proposed calendar with expected start times for each release party, and the release squad contributors involved in release parties for the upcoming [7.2 milestone](https://make.wordpress.org/core/7-2/). This release party schedule will stay in effect during the 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)](https://make.wordpress.org/core/?utm_source=chatgpt.com&output_format=md#alpha-beta). phase and the final release of WordPress 7.2. This enables contributors to attend and assist with release testing during the final weeks of the release cycle. As always, there may be last-minute adjustments. The release squad will do its best to communicate any changes promptly by publishing a post on the change, and updating this post as the canonical reference. **Join us for the 7.2 release parties in the **[**#core channel on the Making WordPress Slack**](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RQBWTW)**!** ## Release Schedule | **Date (UTC)** | **Milestone** | **Emcee / Release LeadRelease Lead The community member ultimately responsible for the Release.** | **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.** | **Security** | **Mission Control (Coordination)** | | [October 20, 2026 at 15:00 UTC](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20261020T1500) | 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. 1 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | | [October 27, 2026 at 15:00 UTC](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20261027T1500) | Beta 2 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | | [November 3, 2026 at 15:00 UTC](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20261103T1500) | Beta 3 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | | [November 10, 2026 at 15:00 UTC](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20261110T1500) | Beta 4 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | | [November 17, 2026 at 15:00 UTC](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20261117T1500) | 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)](https://make.wordpress.org/core/?utm_source=chatgpt.com&output_format=md#alpha-beta). 1 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | | [November 24, 2026 at 15:00 UTC](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20261124T1500) | RC 2 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | | [December 1, 2026 at 15:00 UTC](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20261201T1500) | RC 3 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | | [December 7, 2026 at 15:00 UTC](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20261207T1500) | Dry Run / 24-Hour Code Freeze | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | | WordPress 7.2 Final Release [December 8, 2026 at 15:00 UTC](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20261208T1500) | General Release | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | ## **How to Join the Party** * All parties happen in the [ #core channel on Slack](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RQBWTW). * Everyone is welcome! First-timers, veteran contributors, and all those curious about the process are invited. Here are detailed instructions on [how to contribute to a release party](https://make.wordpress.org/test/2025/03/04/how-to-contribute-to-wp-6-8-release-party/). Thank you to every contributor and community member that helps make 7.2 a success. See you at the parties! _Props to [@jeffpaul](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jeffpaul/), [@audrasjb](https://profiles.wordpress.org/audrasjb/), [@amykamala](https://profiles.wordpress.org/amykamala/), [@mamaduka](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mamaduka/), and [@peterwilsoncc](https://profiles.wordpress.org/peterwilsoncc/) for peer review. [#7-1](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/7-1/), [#release](https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/release/) * [Login to Reply](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fmake.wordpress.org%2Fcore%2F2026%2F10%2F06%2Fwordpress-7-2-release-party-schedule%2F%23respond&locale=en_US) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jorbin/) [Aaron Jorbin](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jorbin/) 5:21 pm _on_ October 2, 2026   # 󠀁[Core Trac and GitHub Team Spring Cleaning (Southern Hemisphere edition)](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/10/02/core-trac-and-github-team-spring-cleaning-southern-hemisphere-edition/)󠁿 Over the last few days, there have been a few actions taken on TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress. and in the WordPress GitHubGitHub GitHub 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 by the repository owner. [https://github.com/](https://github.com/) organization that are aimed at clarifying who is looking after areas of the project, and making it easier for contributors to do their work. ## Maintainer Cleanup The lists of CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. Component Maintainers and Core Bug GardenersBug Gardener A contributor who has been given advanced privileges in Trac. have been updated to remove contributors where they have either moved on from contributing to the project, have not contributed regularly to a given component, or have not [connected their GitHub and WordPress.org accounts](https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/tutorials/linking-your-github-and-w-org-profiles/). If you feel that you were removed in error, please DM [@desrosj](https://profiles.wordpress.org/desrosj/) or [@jorbin](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jorbin/) in SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform [https://slack.com/](https://slack.com/). The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at [https://make.wordpress.org/chat/](https://make.wordpress.org/chat/) or comment below and you can be re-added. As always, anyone is welcome to be a Component Maintainer or [Bug Gardener](https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/testing/bug-gardening/). If you are interested in contributing to the project in these ways, feel free to volunteer in the comments below, share your interest during a [Core Dev Chat](https://make.wordpress.org/core/weekly-developer-chats/) or in [#core](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RQBWTW), or stop by a component meeting in Slack if the one you’re interested in [holds them regularly](https://make.wordpress.org/meetings/). Additionally, please ensure your [GitHub and WordPress.org accounts are connected](https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/tutorials/linking-your-github-and-w-org-profiles/). ## WordPress Organization GitHub Teams The following teams have been added to the `[WordPress/wordpress-develop](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop)` repository with triagetriage The act of evaluating and sorting bug reports, in order to decide priority, severity, and other factors.-level access: * `[Gutenberg](https://github.com/orgs/WordPress/teams/gutenberg)`: Contributors with multiple PRs merged to 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/](https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/). This is roughly the Gutenberg equivalent of Trac bug gardeners. * `[WordPress Core Component Maintainers](https://github.com/orgs/WordPress/teams/wordpress-core-component-maintainers)`( newly created): Maintainers have been invited as they are currently listed on the [Components page on Make Core](https://make.wordpress.org/core/components/). * `[WordPress Core Bug Gardeners](https://github.com/orgs/WordPress/teams/wordpress-core-bug-gardeners)`( newly created): Existing Trac Bug Gardeners have been invited. Members of the `WordPress Core PR Triage` team have also been invited to the new` WordPress Core Bug Gardeners`. Since this group’s permissions and purpose align with the responsibilities of being a Bug GardenerBug Gardener A contributor who has been given advanced privileges in Trac., the old team was unnecessary. Assigning triage-level access will allow team members to request code reviews from other members of the WordPress organization, assign labels, and [generally help garden pull requests](https://docs.github.com/en/organizations/managing-user-access-to-your-organizations-repositories/managing-repository-roles/repository-roles-for-an-organization). Efforts have been made to ensure all existing component maintainers and bug gardeners are imported to these groups, but some contributors may have been missed. If you received an invitation, it must be accepted within 7 days. Please comment on this post if you believe you were accidentally missed. _Props [@desrosj](https://profiles.wordpress.org/desrosj/), [@jeffpaul](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jeffpaul/), [@lancewillett](https://profiles.wordpress.org/lancewillett/) for pre-publish review._ * [Login to Reply](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fmake.wordpress.org%2Fcore%2F2026%2F10%2F02%2Fcore-trac-and-github-team-spring-cleaning-southern-hemisphere-edition%2F%23respond&locale=en_US) ## Post navigation [← Older posts](https://make.wordpress.org/core/page/2/?utm_source=chatgpt.com&output_format=md)