Category Archives: General

Benjamin Zekavica 8:39 pm on July 16, 2025
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Summary, Dev Chat, July 16, 2025

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

Announcements 📢

WordPress 6.8.2 is now available!

The WordPress 6.8.2 is now available! The release proceeded as planned, resolving 20 TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress. tickets and 15 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/ pull requests. CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. releases 4.1 to 4.6 were also completed successfully, with the exception of 4.6, which encountered a build error in Mission Control. The issue is currently under review. Additional releases for older branches are planned to update certificates (see Ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. #63165).

WordPress 6.9 Planning Proposal and Call for Volunteers

The planning phase for Release 6.9 is now underway.
Applications for the various roles should be submitted here.

Forthcoming releases 🚀

WordPress 6.9 is scheduled on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.

Discussion 💬

Refactoring wp_kses_hair()

#63694: Discussion focused on replacing wp_kses_hair() with the HTMLHTML HyperText Markup Language. The semantic scripting language primarily used for outputting content in web browsers. 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. to improve parsing reliability. Part of the change includes switching tests from assertSame() to assertEqualHTML(). There was a suggestion to split this into a dedicated ticket for clarity. Long-term plans include deprecating the function. Further discussion will continue in the ticket.

Fix for KSES inconsistencies

#63630: A pull request was introduced to correctly handle HTML entities for users without unfiltered_html. The 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 under review, with attention on potential security and compatibility concerns.

Additional tickets

#22114 & #29798: Two open tickets were raised for feedback. For #29798, earlier comments advised against moving forward. The current PR only introduces user-facing messaging. If functional unification is planned, further adjustments will be needed.

Open Floor 🎙️

PHPMailer library proposal

#39714: A proposal to adopt the full PHPMailer library was reintroduced. The ticket has seen no recent activity. Feedback from previous maintainers was requested to move the discussion forward.

is_email() vs isEmail() behavior

#17491 and #24487: Differences between the Core is_email() function and @wordpress/url’s isEmail were brought up. Issues include support for IP address literals and IDNs. Existing related Trac tickets were referenced. The topic is broader and will be continued in the respective tickets.

Props to @audrasjb for review.

#6-9, #core, #dev-chat, #summary

Jeffrey Paul 2:26 pm on July 11, 2025
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WordPress 6.9 Planning Proposal and Call for Volunteers

Planning is underway for WordPress 6.9, and this post outlines a proposed schedule along with a call for volunteers to support the release process.

Following the typical cadence and accounting for holidays later in the year, the proposed final release date for 6.9 is Tuesday, December 2, 2025.  This proposed timeline remains flexible to adjustment by the resulting Release Squad as they determine what timeline works best for their schedule.

Proposed Schedule

MilestoneDate
Alpha BeginsImmediately (trunktrunk A directory in Subversion containing the latest development code in preparation for the next major release cycle. If you are running "trunk", then you are on the latest revision. was open on March 25th)
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. 1Tuesday, October 21
Beta 2Tuesday, October 28
Beta 3Tuesday, November 4
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). 1Tuesday, November 11
Release Candidate 2Tuesday, November 18
Release Candidate 3Tuesday, November 25
Dry RunMonday, December 1
Final ReleaseTuesday, December 2

As always, all dates are subject to change based on development progress.

Call for Volunteers

Each WordPress release depends on contributors from across the project coming together to make it a success.  As with the 6.7 and 6.8 release cycles, WordPress 6.9 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 goal is to reduce the overhead on the Release Squad while still ensuring each team’s contributions and priorities are represented throughout the cycle.

If you’re interested in helping with WordPress 6.9 in one of the following roles, please comment below or reach out in the #6-9-release-leads SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/ channel:

  • Release LeadRelease Lead The community member ultimately responsible for the Release. – Matt Mullenweg
  • Release Coordination – helps manage timelines, cross-team collaboration, and status updates
  • Tech Leads – oversees coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. development (including 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/), triagetriage The act of evaluating and sorting bug reports, in order to decide priority, severity, and other factors., and critical issues
  • Design Lead – ensures consistent, user-focused experiences across new features
  • Triage Lead – help monitor issues, shepherd patches, and guide contributors
  • Test Lead – coordinates testing efforts across the community and test reports

Whether you’ve led a release before or are looking to get involved for the first time, there are many ways to contribute.  Volunteers of all experience levels are welcome!

If you’re interested in volunteering, please leave a comment below noting your preferred area(s) by Friday, July 25th.

Let’s build WordPress 6.9 together!

Props @annezazu @priethor @4thhubbard for reviewing this post.

#6-9, #planning

Benjamin Zekavica 4:11 pm on July 10, 2025
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Summary, Dev Chat, July 9, 2025

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

Highlighted Posts ✨

Forthcoming releases 🚀

WordPress 6.8.2 RC1 Now Available for Testing

The release candidate (RC1) for WordPress 6.8.2 is here! This is your chance to help test and ensure everything runs smoothly before the official release on Tuesday, July 15th. Developers, testers, and contributors are encouraged to get involved — every test helps make WordPress better!

Discussion 💬

Maintenance Mode for Components

The proposal to place under-maintained CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. components into “Maintenance Mode” received broad support. Some contributors found the term unclear and requested transparent roadmaps—especially for components like Bulk Edit, where the future remains uncertain. Frustrations were expressed regarding stalled patches and unclear priorities, highlighting the need for better communication and planning.

Removal of “BetaBeta A pre-release of software that is given out to a large group of users to trial under real conditions. Beta versions have gone through alpha testing in-house and are generally fairly close in look, feel and function to the final product; however, design changes often occur as part of the process. Support” Label for PHPPHP The web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher 8.3

The “Beta Support” label for PHP 8.3 has been officially removed, reflecting its stable support status.

Raising the Minimum PHP Version to 7.4

WordPress 6.9 plans to raise the minimum required PHP version to 7.4. Although not yet finalized, this is likely as less than 5% of users run older versions. The change aims to improve security, performance, and compatibility while reducing maintenance efforts.

Props to @audrasjb and @jeffpaul for review.

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

Mary Hubbard 3:53 pm on July 10, 2025
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Core Committers Check-in – July 2025

This post summarizes key discussions from the most recent coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. committercommitter A developer with commit access. WordPress has five lead developers and four permanent core developers with commit access. Additionally, the project usually has a few guest or component committers - a developer receiving commit access, generally for a single release cycle (sometimes renewed) and/or for a specific component. meeting held with project leadership. As with previous check-ins, the goal is to align on key initiatives, gather feedback, and clarify next steps for the WordPress project.

Note: This meeting followed the Chatham House Rule.

WordPress 6.9 Release Planning

Discussion focused on priorities and scope for a 6.9 release in 2025 (pending alignment on final schedule from @annezazu @jeffpaul). The group explored potential directions for 6.9, including:

  • Completing and stabilizing in-progress features such as:
    • Design tools and writing experience improvements
    • 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. bindings 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., HTMLHTML HyperText Markup Language. The semantic scripting language primarily used for outputting content in web browsers. API, and Interactivity API
    • Enhancements to the command palette
  • Early promotion of a canonical AI-related pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party., focused on foundational APIs (e.g., the Abilities API), rather than bundling AI functionality directly into core.
  • Continued iteration on infrastructure improvements and smaller UXUX User experience wins.

There was broad agreement to continue discussion asynchronously and collaboratively shape a public 6.9 roadmap post.

Adminadmin (and super admin) Redesign / “MP7” Exploration

A significant portion of the meeting centered around evolving wp-admin. There was alignment on the need for wider user testing through 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/ plugin ecosystem, though implementation details are still to be worked out.

Key points:

  • There’s early alignment to test the refresh using the Gutenberg plugin (potentially as an opt-in experiment or a separate “MP7-style” plugin).
  • Using a larger testing base was favored over starting a new plugin from scratch.
  • Additional strategies discussed included:
    • Feature callouts in slash.news
    • Outreach via WordCamps and testing cohorts
    • Reviving structured usability testing programs

The redesign discussion also surfaced interest in expanding collaboration tools like block-level commenting and async workflows, some of which are already underway in Gutenberg.

Follow-up conversation is planned in #core-editor to shape implementation plans and clarify MVPs.

Plugin Classifications & Maintenance

The group discussed distinctions between canonical and feature plugins, and how those classifications inform expectations and maintenance.

Key takeaways:

  • Feature plugins are exploratory, short-term, and may eventually graduate into canonical status. But that’s not a guarantee nor the expectation.
  • Canonical plugins are officially supported, listed as authored by 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/, and expected to have a directly responsible individual (DRIDRI Directly Responsible Individual - the people who are taking ownership or responsibility for a particular project or feature.).
  • Two additional potential types were suggested:
    • Experimental plugins: can still graduate to feature or canonical status if they prove valuable.
    • Support plugins (ie. jQuery Migrate Helper and Memory Bump): these are temporary support focused tools addressing specific issues and may be retired when no longer needed.

Improving discoverability of these plugin types within the directory was raised as a longer-term goal, along with contextual activation within wp-admin (e.g., activating collaborative editing directly from the editor UIUI User interface), and better recognizing the contributors on the plugin pages in the directory.

Maintenance & Version Support Policy

The group discussed the challenges of maintaining older versions of WordPress, particularly as support is officially dropped for 4.1-4.6 later this month.

Discussion began around when it might be appropriate to trim another group of old versions. The next road block will be dropping support for 4.9.

  • Its current usage (~1.5%) is roughly 0.5% higher than every other version < 5.8 
  • A  number of sites are likely intentionally avoiding the block editor

Points raised:

  • Consider aiming for a general sub-5% usage threshold before discussing deprecation.
  • Support drop timing should be coordinated across PHPPHP The web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher/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 minimums, database health efforts, and comms with hosts.
  • Site Health visibility remains a pain point for users who don’t know their host/provider more visibility may be needed.
  • A yearly support-drop cadence could help standardize communication and reduce confusion after catching up.

The security team will continue this conversation with the goal of bringing forward a clear and thoughtful resolution.

Data Liberation & Importers

There was strong interest in reviving data migrationMigration Moving the code, database and media files for a website site from one server to another. Most typically done when changing hosting companies. tooling as a strategic opportunity to support user freedom and growth.

Points discussed:

  • Existing importers focus on legacy platforms (e.g., Movable Type) and are often unmaintained or broken.
  • The importers are often the first plugin someone installs and can make or break whether the user stays with WordPress.  
  • Interest in adding support for platforms like Substack, Squarespace, Wix, and Framer.
  • Approaches include canonical plugins, browser extensions, and API-based importers.
  • Pairing tools with strong documentation and walkthroughs was emphasized as an effective early strategy.
  • This work may also help identify feature gaps in WordPress itself.

The conversation included exploring how importers can influence core improvements, similar to how early Movable Type importers shaped WordPress functionality.

Next steps include creating a shared issue tracker or discussion hub to catalog opportunities and begin prototyping with the North Star metric being the number of sites successfully migrated.

Future of Default Themes

The group revisited the idea of default themes and whether a TT6 release is appropriate this year. There was not a consensus decision, but the following points were raised:

  • Several contributors questioned whether a new theme was necessary this year, citing:
    • Ongoing maintenance burdens for prior themes
    • The opportunity to promote patterns, style variations, and starter templates instead
    • The need to clarify the vision for how the various tools should work together holistically (pattern directory, templates, font library, block plugins, etc.)
  • Others noted that default themes are a valuable way to:
    • Showcase new features
    • Support learning and education efforts
    • Inspire community creativity

While no decision was finalized, there was clear interest in re-evaluating the purpose of default themes and exploring new ways to demonstrate front-end capabilitiescapability 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). across the project.

Campus Programs: Credits & Connect

There was a concern shared about the project potentially being overwhelmed with new contributors due to the Campus Credit pilot program. An update on the Campus Credits pilot was given with the University of Pisa:

  • The pilot includes 25–40 linguistics students contributing this fall.
  • A public announcement is planned soon.
  • Onboarding, mentorship, and scoping work are underway to ensure contributors have a positive and productive experience.
  • Early feedback from Pisa has been positive, and expansion into other departments is being requested.

This pilot is distinct from Campus Connect, which is a separate, events-based program already in motion in multiple regions.

Further planning will take place in public to ensure contributors, mentors, and community members have clear expectations and support.

Additional Topics

  • Theme support forums (particularly for 2025) are understaffed. Need to explore ways to improve coverage, AI-assisted support and better contributor onboarding were mentioned as possibilities.
  • Several participants emphasized the need for a structured user testing program, similar to the original outreach program, to improve onboarding and usability insights.
  • Interest in future tooling like WapuGPT, an LLM-powered support assistant trained on WordPress docs, was raised as a long-term idea.
  • Admin banners and notices were flagged for discussion: fake dismissals, non-dismissible notices, and UX fatigue are causing frustration for users and contributors. Further UX guidance may be needed.

Next Steps / Follow-up

  • Kick off admin redesign technical discussions in #core-editor.
  • Share and collaborate on the 6.9 roadmap draft. (cc @annezazu)
  • Draft plugin classification criteria and expectations for canonical, feature, experimental, and support plugins.
  • Continue public discussion on importer strategy and prioritize modern platforms.
  • Explore policy and timing for ending support for WordPress 4.7 and beyond.
  • Begin scoping something theme related to showcase in 6.8 (a “pattern bundle” or style showcase).
  • Re-engage with prior explorations from the Notifications API and WP Notify efforts to assess paths forward for more consistent, dismissible admin notices and improved admin interactions

Thanks to everyone who participated. These check-ins aim to improve visibility and encourage collaboration across WordPress Core and will continue at a roughly once per quarter cadence. Discussion will continue in Make SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/, P2P2 A free theme for WordPress, known for front-end posting, used by WordPress for development updates and project management. See our main development blog and other workgroup blogs. posts, and upcoming roadmap proposals.

Props: @jeffpaul @annezazu @desrosj

Estela Rueda 3:51 pm on July 8, 2025
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WordPress 6.8.2 RC1 is now available

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

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

What’s in this release candidate?

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

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

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

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

The following Gutenberg PR are included:

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

What’s next?

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

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

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

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

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

John Blackbourn 10:19 am on July 7, 2025
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Proposal: Remove the “beta support” label from PHP 8.3 for WordPress 6.8

Update: This change has been agreed and implemented.

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

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

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

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

What does this change mean for users and extenders?

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

What about PHP 8.4?

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

What about PHP 8.5?

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

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

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

Benjamin Zekavica 7:53 am on July 5, 2025
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Summary, Dev Chat, July 2, 2025

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

Announcements 📢

Forthcoming releases 🚀

Discussion 💬

PHPStan Code Quality Improvements

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

PHPUnit Test Suite Updates

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

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

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

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

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

Handling of .git-blame-ignore-revs

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

Props to @audrasjb for review.

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

Daniel Richards 9:06 am on July 2, 2025
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What’s new in Gutenberg 21.1? (2nd July)

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

What’s New In
Gutenberg 21.1?

Gutenberg 21.1 has been released and is available for download!

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

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

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

ToolsPanel refactoring continues

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

Changelog

Enhancements

Block Library

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

Interactivity API

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

Extensibility

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

Bug Fixes

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

Block Library

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

Interactivity API

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

Global Styles

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

DataViews

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

Post Editor

Media

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

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

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

Data Layer

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

Accessibility

Templates API

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

Performance

Block Library

  • Avatar: Optimize user control query. (70511)

Documentation

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

Code Quality

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

Block Editor

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

Components

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

Post Editor

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

Interactivity API

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

Block Library

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

Tools

Testing

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

Various

Block Library

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

First-time contributors

The following PRs were merged by first-time contributors:

Contributors

The following contributors merged PRs in this release:

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

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

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

Francesca Marano 12:43 pm on July 1, 2025
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Dev Chat Agenda – July 2, 2025

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

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

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

Announcements 📢

Highlighted Post

Proposal: Clarifying Core’s Database Support Policy

Forthcoming releases 🚀

WordPress 6.8.2 is underway.

Discussions 💬

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

Open floor  🎙️

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

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

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

Benjamin Zekavica 10:49 pm on June 25, 2025
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Summary, Dev Chat, June 25, 2025

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

Announcements 📢

Forthcoming releases 🚀

Discussion 💬

CustomizerCustomizer Tool built into WordPress core that hooks into most modern themes. You can use it to preview and modify many of your site’s appearance settings.: Bugfixes Only

The Customizer is no longer under active development. New feature requests will not be considered, though bugfixes are still welcome to ensure compatibility. A manual review of the 78 open tickets is planned—no automatic closures. A proposal to introduce an official “maintenance mode” for legacy components (e.g., Customizer, Widgets, TinyMCE) is in the works.

Unicode Email Addresses 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.

A patch enabling support for Unicode email addresses was introduced and is under review. Initial feedback is positive. Targeted for WordPress 6.9, not for 6.8.x minor releases.

Custom Error Handling Revisited

The long-standing ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. on registering custom error and exception handlers (#59282) was brought back into focus. Progress is stalled but will be revisited for a future release.

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

A suggestion to improve the visibility of Full Site Editing (FSE) plugins was raised. The idea needs clearer definition—whether it’s a metaMeta Meta is a term that refers to the inside workings of a group. For us, this is the team that works on internal WordPress sites like WordCamp Central and Make WordPress. issue or an initiative for contributors remains open.

Next Bug Scrubs: June 26 and June 30

  • A 6.8.2 bugbug A bug is an error or unexpected result. Performance improvements, code optimization, and are considered enhancements, not defects. After feature freeze, only bugs are dealt with, with regressions (adverse changes from the previous version) being the highest priority. scrub is scheduled for Thursday, June 25 at 3 PM GMT.
  • A bug scrub is scheduled for Monday, June 30 at 3 PM GMT to help triagetriage The act of evaluating and sorting bug reports, in order to decide priority, severity, and other factors. and manage open tickets.

Props to @audrasjb for review.

#6-8, #6-8-2, #core, #dev-chat, #summary