Tag Archives: 7.0

Jb Audras 9:26 pm on July 1, 2026
Tags: 7.0, , , ,   

Dev Chat summary: July 1, 2026

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 🔗 See the agenda post.

Announcements 📢

7.1

  • Roadmap for 7.1
  • Recent proposals:
  • Recent dev notesdev note Each important change in WordPress Core is documented in a developers note, (usually called dev note). Good dev notes generally include a description of the change, the decision that led to this change, and a description of how developers are supposed to work with that change. Dev notes are published on Make/Core blog during the beta phase of WordPress release cycle. Publishing dev notes is particularly important when plugin/theme authors and WordPress developers need to be aware of those changes.In general, all dev notes are compiled into a Field Guide at the beginning of the release candidate phase.:

7.0.1

General

Discussion 💬

From @amykamala about handbook updates to AI policies

“I’d like to also propose a new policy: disclosure of use of AI in posts and announcements. It can just be a quick sentence at the bottom of the page saying AI tools were used in the creation of this article or something to that affect.”

@westonruter also proposed to apply such a policy to Slack comments, and @desrosj also has some draft for this topic for posts and comments.

@amykamala shared that a draft is being worked on here or here. The coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.-ai update draft could use some feedback. It’s based on Jonathan’s comments and the comments in the thread. The post comment guidelines draft doesn’t have changes to review yet but folks are welcome to work on it.

@audrasjb advised to use a new section for this topic in the Core Handbook.

Dev Chat scheduling during 7.1 cycle

With all the coming release parties scheduled on Wednesday, it looks like we need to move the meeting to another time slot.

@amykamala and @audrasjb suggest to switch the devchat time slot to 15:00 on Thursdays, starting the week of 7.1 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.

@jorbin noted that it will conflict with the monthly Developer Blogblog (versus network, site) Editorial Group meeting, the bi-weekly 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) team meetings and a weekly core-test meeting. Which is not a blockerblocker A bug which is so severe that it blocks a release., but worth taking this into account. He also noted that Tuesdays are more open but this day is not the best for Amy and JB.

@joedolson noted that the Accessibility team moved its meeting for the 7.0 schedule, which was also on Thursdays, and they could do that again.

@amykamala and @audrasjb will come up next week with one or two proposals so a decision can be made.

From @dmsnell about concerns about WPCS discrepancies in GitHub and Trac, and proposed change in the general policy

The concern raised in this thread is especially about the array elements alignment rule.

The attendees agreed that while 90% of the time, alignment is prefered, there are some cases where it makes things worse.

From @joedolson: “It seems to me like the primary point of @dmsnell‘s thread was about misaligned standards between 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/ and Core, but he seemed to walk that assertion back in the thread? Is there a real issue here? If the standards aren’t aligned, one of them needs to change”

#7-0, #7-0-1, #7-1, #core, #dev-chat

Estela Rueda 6:03 pm on July 1, 2026
Tags: 7-0-release-leads, 7.0, , ,   

WordPress 7.0.1 RC1 is now available

WordPress 7.0.1 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-CLI to test: wp core update https://wordpress.org/wordpress-7.0.1-RC1.zip
  • Directly download the Beta/RC version.

What’s in this release candidate?

WordPress 7.0.1 is intended as a 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.-fix only maintenance release. Tickets will be included provided they are issues introduced during the 7.0 cycle or intentionally deferred at the end of the 7.0 cycle. You can follow trac report 4 or the 7.0.x editor tasks board for proposed fixes.

WordPress 7.0.1 is led by @jorbin, @cbravobernal, @estelaris and @masteradhoc

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

  • #64318 – should not be replaced by Twemoji
  • #64742 – PHPPHP The web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher 8.5: Incorrect array access in `wp_get_attachment_image_src`
  • #64900 – Improve `browserslist:update` Grunt task
  • #64937 – Image editor: scale and crop input size mismatch with button and info icon not using new color
  • #64999 – Adminadmin (and super admin) reskin: Form elements are not standardized in the mobile viewport.
  • #65122 – 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 in Visual History
  • #65224 – Add support for testing unmerged changes from 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/
  • #65270 – wp_kses() corrupts valid CSSCSS Cascading Style Sheets. background-image: url(…) declarations into style=”)” 7.0-RC4
  • #65275 – Media Library CSS Bug: Loading spinner misaligned in media modal 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. toolbar
  • #65286 – major publishing action buttons are crowded in the Publish settings
  • #65296 – Library section under Media, search bar shifts position after searching in the WordPress admin area.
  • #65310 – Emoji detection script not being printed in admin
  • #65336 – global-styles-inline-css cannot be removed since 7.0
  • #65352 – networknetwork (versus site, blog) credit.php 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. logo for WordPress 7.0 showing broken
  • #65389 – 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. Visibility: Keep hide-everywhere working after a block opts out of visibility support
  • #65418 – Previously copied files since deleted from the Gutenberg asset are persisting unexpectedly
  • #65428 – Scale button not aligned to dimensions on edit image screen.

The following Gutenberg PR are included:

  • #77530 – Visual RevisionsRevisions The WordPress revisions system stores a record of each saved draft or published update. The revision system allows you to see what changes were made in each revision by dragging a slider (or using the Next/Previous buttons). The display indicates what has changed in each revision.: Accessibility
  • #77750 – Block Editor: Fix blockGap fallback parsing for nested var() values.
  • #78387 – useCopyToClipboard: Always call onSuccess callback.
  • #78393 – Revisions: Use CSS outline as secondary non-color indicator for diff blocks.
  • #78426 – Image: Fix missing aria-label on lightbox trigger button for single images.
  • #78484 – Navigation: Restore block_core_navigation_submenu_render_submenu_icon() as deprecated shim.
  • #78493 – wp-build: Fix black flash on wp-admin pages before hydration.
  • #78547 – Guard PHP unit testunit test Code written to test a small piece of code or functionality within a larger application. Everything from themes to WordPress core have a series of unit tests. Also see regression. to avoid failures on old wp versions.
  • #78571 – Custom HTMLHTML HyperText Markup Language. The semantic scripting language primarily used for outputting content in web browsers.: Fix scrollbar becoming non-functional after switching tabs.
  • #79000 – Avoid dirtying related navigation entities during passive render.
  • #79048 – Navigation: Use block context to determine whether Page List is nested in Submenu.
  • #79181 – Template Part: Remove restriction on tabs / inspector fills.
  • #79350 – Mark all controlled/mode block changes non-persistent.
  • #79691 – Editor: Move focus to revisions slider when entering revisions mode.

What’s next?

Reminder: the dev-reviewed workflow (double committer sign-off) is required when making changes to the 7.0 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"..

The final release is expected on Thursday, July 9, 2026. 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/ #7-0-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 7.0.1 depends on proper testing, so please lend a helping hand.

Thanks to @jorbin, @cbravobernal, and @masteradhoc for pre-publication review.

#7-0, #7-0-1, #minor-releases, #releases

#minor-releases, #release

Amy Kamala 7:04 pm on June 22, 2026
Tags: 7.0, ,   

WordPress 7.0 Release Retrospective

A huge congratulations, and a giant thank you to everyone who helped make WordPress 7.0 happen! The release was only made possible by your dedication and hard work. You all are heroes!

Now that the development cycle is over, it’s time for a retro. You’re invited to share your thoughts on the 7.0 cycle, on processes, squad, or anything else about the release cycle. I know you all have :a lot: to say after that whirlwind, so please do! Feedback loops help uncover what is and is not working so that the release process can be improved. 

Please share your feedback using this form or by dropping a comment below. Even contributors who did not contribute directly to the release are welcome.

Someone who was simply watching the release will have thoughts and opinions that vary from someone who was more heavily involved. It’s important for diverse perspectives to be represented in feedback for big picture clarity. So no matter who you are, please speak up!

The survey is not anonymous, but submissions will be anonymized in the follow up summary. Your 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/ username is only needed for any additional questions.

The form and comments will be open until July 20, 2026, and a summary of feedback will be published soon after.

Thank you for taking the time to give your valuable feedback, and thank you again for your amazing investments in 7.0 “Armstrong”. Together, future release cycles will be even better!

Props to @4thhubbard and @jeffpaul for the pre-publish review.

#7-0, #release, #release-process

Aaron Jorbin 2:59 pm on June 18, 2026
Tags: 7.0, , ,   

WordPress 7.0.1 Release Schedule

Since WordPress 7.0 was released, contributors have kept a close eye on incoming reports 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/ Support Forums, TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress., and 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/ repository on 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/. The volume and severityseverity The seriousness of the ticket in the eyes of the reporter. Generally, severity is a judgment of how bad a bug is, while priority is its relationship to other bugs. of tickets mean that the maintenance release should be prepared phlegmatically.

This release will be co-led by @cbravobernal, @estelaris, @masteradhoc, and @jorbin.

Schedule

Date/TimeEvent
Thursday, June 18, 2026 at 15:00 UTCBug Scrub
Tuesday, June 23, 2026 at 15:00 UTCBug Scrub
Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 20:00 UTCBug Scrub. WordPress 7.0.2 Milestone will be opened, and some tickets may be punted.
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 at 10:00 UTCBug Scrub
Wednesday, July 1, 2026 at 17:30 UTCWordPress 7.0.1 RC1
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at 15:00 UTCBug Scrub.
Thursday, July 9, 2026 at 15:00 UTCWordPress 7.0.1 General Release

Specific times for 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). and General release will be announced in the 7.0 Release Leads room and will be based on availability of individuals helping with the release.

Targeted Fixes

WordPress 7.0.1 is intended as a 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.-fix only maintenance release. Tickets will be included provided they are issues introduced during the 7.0 cycle or intentionally deferred at the end of the 7.0 cycle. You can follow trac report 4 or the 7.0.x editor tasks board for proposed fixes.

One issues already has a hotfix available in plugin form if you are facing them on your site.

Get Involved with 7.0.1

Bug Scrubs will happen in the #core room during the times posted above. Each of the open tickets is going to require development work along with testing and review. You can also run your own scrubs to help ensure that all of the correct tickets are fixed in this release. Additionally, some locales have strings in 7.0 in need of translation.

General coordination for the release will happen in the #7-0-release-leads channel and decisions around code for the release will be made in the #core room.

Props to @cbravobernal @masteradhoc @estelaris for assistance with this post and @jeffpaul @annezazu @4thhubbard for assistance in assembly the squad.

#7-0, #7-0-1, #7-0-x, #minor-releases

Aaron Jorbin 3:35 pm on June 8, 2026
Tags: 7.0, , ,   

Call for WordPress 7.0.x Release Managers

WordPress 7.0.0 was released May 20, 2026. While the work of a 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. team includes people filling many different positions, maintenance release teams generally are considerably smaller, often 1–3 people. 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. managers are responsible for:

  • Triaging bugs in coordination with committers and component maintainers.
  • Drafting announcements for the release.
  • Preparing for and running release day activities.
  • Updating the documentation on minor releases so that it gets better each time.

Members of the 7.0 release cohort are encouraged to stay on as release managers for maintenance releases, but it is not required to have been on a major release squad in order to be on a minor release team.

WordPress 7.0.1 is tentatively targeted for release later in June 2026.

If you are interested in volunteering to be a release manager for the 7.0.x maintenance releases, please comment on this post or message me directly.

Props to @annezazu, @audrasjb, @wildworks for reviewing this post before publication.

#7-0, #7-0-1, #7-0-x, #maintenance

Jb Audras 8:38 pm on May 27, 2026
Tags: 7.0, , , ,   

Dev Chat summary: May 27, 2026

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 🔗 See the agenda post.

Announcements 📢

WordPress 7.0

WordPress 7.0 “Armstrong” was released on May 20th! 🚀

Some new dev notesdev note Each important change in WordPress Core is documented in a developers note, (usually called dev note). Good dev notes generally include a description of the change, the decision that led to this change, and a description of how developers are supposed to work with that change. Dev notes are published on Make/Core blog during the beta phase of WordPress release cycle. Publishing dev notes is particularly important when plugin/theme authors and WordPress developers need to be aware of those changes.In general, all dev notes are compiled into a Field Guide at the beginning of the release candidate phase. were published for 7.0:

WordPress 7.0.1

We have some issues in the milestone, but nothing that deserves an immediate 7.0.1 release (this the below discussion concerning potential hotfixes, though).

@jorbin proposed to publish a call for volunteers in the next couple days to target middle or end of June for the release.

WordPress 7.1

WordPress 7.1-alpha is under active development.

Two posts were published concerning 7.1:

General

Discussion 💬

From @masteradhoc: 3 TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress. tickets/PR are waiting for review:

@audrasjb will review them in the next days.

@desrosj suggested to add a legal review to #65025 and pinged @4thhubbard to organize that.

From @jorbin:

#65286 is the ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. we are discussing. No actions are blocked, but the publishing screen on the non 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 looks extremely messy, so it’s worth cleaning it up while 7.0.1 is being worked on. @desrosj had proposed putting a fix in the Classic Editor plugin which could absolutely work. I was thinking the Hotfix plugin would make sense since it’s possible for this to affect custom post types and people may not be using the classic editor 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. at the same time. There are also other options […] but I think we should pick one and aim to get a solution out sooner rather than later.

@jeffpaul: “if we’ve not confirmed it affects CPTs, then I’m in favor of the classic editor plugin (and also that its low priority in that case)”.

@audrasjb: “I was about to say the same thing, in fact Classic Editor (plugin) seems like a really good option”.

@desrosj: “My thinking about the Classic Editor plugin instead of the Hotfix plugin is that sites that are choosing to remain using the classic editor likely have this plugin installed and activated already. So it fixes a wide number of sites just by pushing the update (provided they have auto-updates enabled, of course). I think we could still include the fix in the Hotfix plugin as well (anyone experiencing the issue without the Classic Editor plugin could install and activate), but it has far fewer users at 4,000+ compared to 9M+.”

@audrasjb: “But it wouldn’t affect websites where the Block Editor is disabled via a hook, or during CPT registration, etc.”

@davidbaumwald confirmed this affects CPTs without the Classic Editor.

@jorbin: “I like the idea of both hotfix and classic editor. I will also say that hotfix should always  have a lot less users than classic editor since one is designed as a short term needed plugin and the other is the hotfix plugin”.

@masteradhoc added that the issue will be fixed on the WP Rocket plugin quite fast, as a ticket is already open there.

@jorbin and @audrasjb noted that the Hotfix plugin should be Featured in the plugins list. @audrasjb added that the plugin should also get a small assets refresh.

In conclusion, there is a path forward for the short term (use both Classic Editor and Hotfix plugins), and @jorbin and @desrosj will coordinate to put this together.

@yaniiliev asked whether there are any changes that the coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. team would like to see on the new profiles page? Anything missing, anything feeling off? This will be discussed during next week’s meeting. Feel free to comment this summary if you have anything to share about this topic.

#7-0, #7-0-1, #7-1, #core, #dev-chat

Amy Kamala 1:11 am on May 27, 2026
Tags: 7.0, , ,   

Dev Chat Agenda – May 27, 2026

The next WordPress Developers Chat will take place on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, 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 📢

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

General announcements

Discussions 💬

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

Open floor  🎙️

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

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

Props to @audrasjb for collaboration and review.

#7-0, #agenda, #core, #dev-chat

Joe Dolson 2:18 pm on May 23, 2026
Tags: 7.0, , ,   

Accessibility Improvements in WordPress 7.0

WordPress 7.0 continues to polish 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) across WordPress CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. and 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/, advancing the goals to meet accessibility standards. WordPress 7.0 includes fixes across the platform, improving media management, usability for voice control, and improvements to color contrast with the new adminadmin (and super admin) color scheme. The editor ships with new blocks and improvements to editor navigation and interaction.

Core

Improvements to WordPress Core include 24 accessibility enhancements and bugbug A bug is an error or unexpected result. Performance improvements, code optimization, and are considered enhancements, not defects. After feature freeze, only bugs are dealt with, with regressions (adverse changes from the previous version) being the highest priority. fixes. Major changes include enhancements to the media library for voice control users and the import of alternative text from image metadata, improvements to control semantics, and fixes to color contrast.

Media

Significant changes to media will improve both the editor and user experience. In WordPress 7.0, using the media library with voice control technology is now possible. Alternative text embedded in photo 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. data will be imported and automatically set as the image text alternative when available.

  • #23562 – Using Speech Recognition Software with the Add Media Panel
  • #55535 – Pre-populate Image Alt Text field with IPTC Photo Metadata Standard Alt Text
  • #63895 – Accessibility: Alt Text Metadata is not imported but Description is
  • #63984 – Assess if the tabpanels in the media modals should receive focus
  • #64374 – Alt text helper text can be more educational and visual indicator of opening in new tab
  • #63980 – Set featured imageFeatured image A featured image is the main image used on your blog archive page and is pulled when the post or page is shared on social media. The image can be used to display in widget areas on your site or in a summary list of posts. button incorrectly coded as link and missing required ARIA attributes

Admin

Improvements to predictability and verbosity for screen reader users have been made across the admin to provide users with a more consistent and stable interface.

  • #23432 – Review usage of target="_blank" in the admin
  • #33002 – List table: avoid redundant Edit links and reduce noise for screen readers
  • #43084 – dashboard confuses published posts count with all posts
  • #64065 – Dragging theme/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. ZIP outside file input field, downloads file instead of uploading.
  • #64375 – Set word-break property in screen reader only css.
  • #64313 – Color Contrast raises errors in automated tests for WordPress Dashboard
  • #64382 – Post search input “close” (×) button should use cursor: pointer
  • #64811 – Zero comment notification in admin toolbar has insufficient color contrast

Themes

Numerous improvements to theme template functions and core themes.

  • #62835 – Remove title attributes from author link functions
  • #62982 – Twenty Twenty-Five: The Written by pattern on single posts has too low color contrast in some variations
  • #64064 – Twenty Ten: remove auto-focus script from 404 template
  • #64594 – 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. Support: Allow serialization skipping for ariaLabel
  • #64361 – Leverage 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 implement block template skip link

Miscellaneous

Improvements in the classic editor, code editing, the CustomizerCustomizer Tool built into WordPress core that hooks into most modern themes. You can use it to preview and modify many of your site’s appearance settings., and login and registration.

  • #63981 – TaxonomyTaxonomy A taxonomy is a way to group things together. In WordPress, some common taxonomies are category, link, tag, or post format. https://codex.wordpress.org/Taxonomies#Default_Taxonomies. meta box tabs not programmatically identified
  • #42822 – CodeMirror: HTML attributes values hints not fully operable with a keyboard
  • #60726 – The WordPress core password reset needs to pre-populate the username to meet WCAGWCAG WCAG is an acronym for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. These guidelines are helping make sure the internet is accessible to all people no matter how they would need to access the internet (screen-reader, keyboard only, etc) https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/. 2.2
  • #63861 – Explore removing wpmu activation styles
  • #64013 – Color contrast below WCAG standards for newly-added items in customizer menus

Gutenberg

Changes within Gutenberg include 16 accessibility fixes and enhancements, including the addition of new interactive blocks that have undergone accessibility reviews. Numerous fundamental components have had accessibility improvements to ensure that interfaces across the editor are more consistent and understandable. 

While there are relatively few accessibility fixes and enhancements in the editor for WordPress 7.0, there are many new interfaces that have undergone accessibility review, per the WordPress commitment to meeting WCAG 2.2 at level AA for all new and updated code. These include the Visual Revisions inspector, Gallery lightboxes, and the new Connectors interface.

Bug fixes: 

  • #75165 – RangeControl: support forced-colors mode
  • #66735 – Resize meta box pane without ResizableBox
  • #74387 – Use 12px as minimum font size for warning on fit text (see also #73730)
  • #74205 – add ariaKeyShortcut and shortcutFormats exports
  • #73674 – Fix block toolbar icon CSSCSS Cascading Style Sheets. when using show icon label preference
  • #73245 – Make DataViews table checkbox permanently visible
  • #72997 – DataViews: Add grid keyboard navigation
  • #70787 – Button: update font-weight to 500 
  • #75689 – DataForm: Fix focus loss and refactor Card layout
  • #75271 – Accordion block: Add list view support.
  • #75407 – Gallery: Add list view block support
  • #73823 – Add Heading level variations

New Features:

  • #62906 – Gallery: Add lightbox support
  • #16484 – Add an Icons block
  • #75833 – Add Connectors screen and API
  • #74742 – Add visual revisionsRevisions The WordPress revisions system stores a record of each saved draft or published update. The revision system allows you to see what changes were made in each revision by dragging a slider (or using the Next/Previous buttons). The display indicates what has changed in each revision.

Reviewed by @amykamala, @sabernhardt

#7-0, #accessibility, #dev-notes, #dev-notes-7-0

Amy Kamala 2:47 am on May 20, 2026
Tags: 7.0, , ,   

WordPress 7.0 Release Day Process

Preparation for the WordPress 7.0 release is underway.

This post shares the release process, including the timeline and how you can help.

Release Timeline Overview

24-Hour Code Freeze

A mandatory 24-hour code freeze will be in effect for the 7.0 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". after the Dry Run finishes on April 14th.

What does this mean?

No source code for 7.0 (i.e., in the 7.0 branch) can be changed during these 24 hours.

What happens if a critical 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. is reported during this period?

The release squad will meet with committers and maintainers to determine if the issue is a blockerblocker A bug which is so severe that it blocks a release..

  • If yes, another 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 happens, and the release process restarts (meaning the Dry Run repeats, and then the 24-hour code freeze clock restarts).
  • If not, then the bug is targeted for 7.1.

The Release Party

The WordPress 7.0 Release Party will start on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 17:00 UTC in the #core Slack channel.

The release party walks through the steps in the Major Version Release process if you want to follow along.

Please note: releasing a major version requires more time than releasing a 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. or 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)..  There are more steps in the process. If any last-minute issues need addressing, those issues will take more time, as well.

How You Can Help

A key part of the release process is checking that the ZIP packages work on all the available server configurations. If you have any of the less commonly used servers available for testing (IIS, in particular), that would be super helpful. Servers running older versions of PHPand 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 will also need testing.

You can start this early by running the WordPress 7.0  RC4 packages, which are built using the same method as the final packages.

During the release party, you will get access to several ways to help test the release package.

Tips on What to Test

In particular, testing the following types of installs and updates would be much appreciated:

  • Does a new WordPress install work correctly? This includes running through the manual install process, as well as 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/ or one-click installers.
  • Test upgrading from various versions.
  • Remove the wp-config.php file and test a fresh install.
  • Test single site and 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/networknetwork (versus site, blog)(both subdirectory and subdomain) installations.
  • Does it upgrade correctly?  Are the files listed in $_old_files removed when you upgrade?
  • Does multisite upgrade properly?

Testing the following user flows on both desktop and mobile would be great to validate each function as expected:

  • Publish a post, including a variety of different blocks.
  • Comment on the post.
  • Install a new 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./theme, or upgrade an existing one.
  • Change the site language.
  • If you’re a plugin developer, or if there are complex plugins you depend upon, test that they’re working correctly.

For a more in-depth list of what features to test, make sure to check the Help Test WordPress 7.0 post.

Props to the following for help contributing to this post: @jeffpaul.

#7-0, #development, #dry-run, #releases

Amy Kamala 7:42 pm on May 19, 2026
Tags: 7.0, ,   

WordPress 7.0 Release Candidate 5

WordPress 7.0 RC5 is ready for download and testing!

This version of the WordPress software is still under development. Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites. Instead, it’s recommended to test RC5 on a test server and site.

WordPress 7.0 RC5 can be tested using any of the following methods:

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.Install and activate the WordPress Beta Tester plugin on a WordPress install. (Select the “Bleeding edgebleeding edge The latest revision of the software, generally in development and often unstable. Also known as trunk.” channel and “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./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). Only” stream.)
Direct DownloadDownload the RC5 version (zip) and install it on a WordPress website.
Command LineUse this WP-CLI command: wp core update --version=7.0–RC5
WordPress PlaygroundUse the WordPress Playground instance to test the software directly in your browser.  No setup is required – just click and go! 

The scheduled final release date for WordPress 7.0 May 20, 2026. The full release schedule can be found here. Your help testing Beta and RC versions is vital to making this release as stable and powerful as possible. Thank you to everyone who helps with testing!

Please continue checking the Make WordPress Core blog for 7.0-related posts in the coming weeks for more information. 

What’s new in WordPress 7.0? Check out the Field Guide for details and highlights.

This is an extra RC

Testing for issues is critical to the development of any software, and testing works!

This RC is being released to test changes prior to the final release of 7.0.

You can browse the technical details for all issues addressed since Beta 5 using these links:

The 7.0 release is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20th. As always, a successful release depends on your confirmation during testing. So please download and test!

How to test this release

Your help testing the WordPress 7.0 RC5 version is key to ensuring that the final release is the best it can be. While testing the upgrade process is essential, trying out new features is equally important. This detailed guide will walk you through testing features in WordPress 7.0.

If you encounter an issue, please report it to the Alpha/Beta area of the support forums or directly to WordPress Trac if you are comfortable writing a reproducible 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. report. You can also check your issue against a list of known bugs.

Curious about testing releases in general? Follow along with the testing initiatives in Make Core and join the #core-test channel on Making WordPress Slack.

A RC5 haiku

Gift for everyone

RC5 shines like the sun

Test it and have fun

Props to @sergeybiryukov, @huzaifaalmesbah for proofreading and review.

#7-0, #development, #release