WordPress 6.7: What is New and Coming? Release, Features, Screenshots, and More

WordPress 6.7 release today on November 12th 2024. It has come packed with new features and improvements as well as internal changes for users and developers both.

Regardless of whether you are a WordPress developer, site owner, or simply a person interested in WordPress trends, WordPress 6.7 contains features that will help improve the content creation process, increase customization opportunities, work faster, and MORE.

Here is a quick guide to everything you should know about new features, developer-focused improvements, release dates, beta releases, and the WordPress 6.7 roadmap.

Overview

WordPress 6.7 is an important step in the development of the most used CMS in the world. This version is dedicated to improving usability and adding new features for developers, site administrators, and common users.

It brings in an even better default theme, better editor tools, improved APIs, and many other significant changes that would help WordPress to leap forward.

Image shows WordPress 6.7 Beta 3 for testing.

WordPress 6.7 Release Timeline and Development Cycle

The release schedule for WordPress 6.7 has been structured to ensure rigorous testing and a smooth rollout.

There are three beta versions released one after the other to allow users to provide feedback and report problems encountered. More on that and the Release Candidates later.

Source: WordPress.org

Why Do You Need WordPress Latest Version?

While it may be annoying to constantly update WordPress, it is crucial since out of date sites are at a much higher risk for security breaches and glitches.

In each of the new releases, WordPress developers fix the flaws that are reported by other developers and the team. Each release has bug fixes or security vulnerabilities discovered in the prior version.

Most of the updates contain features to improve the security of the software while others are geared towards performance hacks that may not be very obvious.

WordPress 6.7 Major Features and Improvements

WordPress version 6.7 brings a huge number of new features and changes. It pays significant attention to flexibility, ease of use, and design along with functional optimization. Some of these features are as follows:

New Default Theme: Twenty Twenty-Five

The new Twenty Twenty-Five theme is designed to provide a modern and adaptable look for all types of sites.

This theme supports features that enable it to be magic for blogs, portfolios, and business sites among others because it is designed to be as fast, accessible, and intuitive as possible.

It is noteworthy that blogging has been given special importance in Twenty Twenty-Five. This makes it different from previous default themes that were developed to suit a wide range of websites.

WordPress.org

We also observed that Twenty Twenty-Five is very flexible and can be easily adapted to suit any kind of site. You can easily change the color, the fonts and the layout of your work within the shortest time possible.

So, the key highlights include:

✅ Responsive design: The theme is optimized for a fantastic look on every device, sharing the elements with harmony in different screen sizes.

✅ Customization: Users can change colors, font, and page styles to their preferences and their company or their own personas.

✅ Focus on Readability: Choices of typography and spacing are optimal for easy reading and that is its strength.

Site Editor Updates

The Site Editor in WordPress 6.7 has received several improvements, making it more powerful and user-friendly.

Zoom Out View for Site Editing

This one is so cool. The new Zoom Out View enables users to work with the overall layout of their site visible.

This bird’s eye view does make the process of editing and the ability to organize a complex site structure greatly simplified as well as allowing the user a view of what his or her site looks like and easily allowing the user to change the overall appearance of the site.

Enhanced Media File Management

The management of media is very important to avoid inconveniences in the creation process of content.

We saw while testing that WordPress 6.7 is released with new features for media library improvements including HEIC image support, background image changes, and faster loading times.

The image support truly was a relief for me! WordPress 6.7 will convert all pictures stored in the HEIC format to JPEG format to work well on devices and browsers. But, this feature requires your hosting provider to have Imagick installed in order for users to access it (and most already have it).

You can find out if your site supports HEIC conversion by:

Going to Tools > Site Health, and then
Media Files > ImageMagick supported file formats

Plus, you can now customize background images for both individual blocks and your entire site.

Following image is an example of how you can now set global background styles for all blocks that support background images.

WordPress.org

These improvements increase the ease and beauty of managing and presenting media content.

Design Tools

Design tools in WordPress 6.7 are more flexible and centered around the user, adding new possibilities to change the appearance of your website.

Consolidated Block Supports

Block supports have been made leaner, and at the same time more extensible so that block properties can be managed more flexibly across blocks.

Users can easily find and modify frequently accessed block settings from one central location for better time management.

Font Library, Font Size Presets, and Fluid Typography

A new font library improves font usage and organization by enabling users to select and change fonts in their theme in one place.

Further, the option of font sizes provides the options that provide a check for multiple font sizes and therefore, keeps the fonts consistent.

Then there’s fluid typography. Fluid fonts refer to another feature that allows the Web designer to adjust the fonts for different devices for improving readability.

API Updates

WordPress 6.7 introduces several new APIs, giving developers powerful tools to create custom and interactive experiences on WordPress sites.

Preview Options API

This one makes the life of editors easier. The Preview Options API is used to specify the ability of creating previewable content to enable developers to test changes before they implement them.

This API enhances efficiency of the operation between developers and site owners by allowing the developer to work in sandbox thus aiding in real time viewing of the changes.

Registration Templates API

The Template Registration API is an API that has the singular purpose of allowing developers to register templates, which simplifies the process of creating and storing templates that can be used repeatedly.

This API also makes it easier to maintain a consistent look and feel across the different templates to increase design integration and usability.

To test this API for basic customization,

Copy this code to your plugin or use the Code Snippets plugin.

add_action(
  'init',
  function () {
    wp_register_block_template(
      'gutenberg//plugin-template',
      array(
        'title'       => 'Plugin Template',
        'description' => 'A template registered by a plugin.',
        'content'     => '<!-- wp:template-part {"slug":"header","tagName":"header"} /--><!-- wp:group {"tagName":"main","layout":{"inherit":true}} --><main class="wp-block-group"><!-- wp:paragraph --><p>This is a plugin-registered template.</p><!-- /wp:paragraph --></main><!-- /wp:group -->',
      )
    );
    add_action(
      'category_template_hierarchy',
      function () {
        return array( 'plugin-template' );
      }
    );
  }
);

Create a new post category
Make sure that the content “Plugin Template” is visible on the category page
Go to the Site Editor and modify the template, then verify if the modifications are applied on the frontend.

The Interactivity API has been updated to include easier control over asynchronous operations, which no longer cause delays for users.

It is especially useful with complicated apps and with changing content as the smooth transition of interactivity cannot be interrupted.

To try this feature out, add a Gallery block to a page or post, upload two or three images and tick the “Expand on click” box for each.

Then, you can view the images in larger size. Browse only your gallery and then tap on an image with the magnifying glass icon. It’ll be launched in the lightbox so that you can take your time and enjoy the provisions.

Block Bindings

This makes it easier for developers to add custom fields and data sources into blocks due to enhanced block bindings.

This feature is particularly valuable for creating sophisticated content types that depend on new data, which will help to integrate additional features and eye-catching design into WordPress sites.

Refined Query Loop Block

The Query Loop Block has been improved in the past few releases in order to make the display of dynamic content easier and quicker.

This block allows users to retrieve posts, pages or other custom posts or a combination of them in a certain way and display them in a certain manner.

WordPress.org

The redesigned Query Loop Block makes it easier to configure the dynamic content, and this is highly relevant for blogs, news sites, and eCommerce stores.

New Patterns and Block Library Enhancements

The new WordPress 6.7 release extends the library of patterns and improves existing blocks to provide more options.

These updates enable users to get more flexibility in design and do creative layouts without necessarily having to write new code.

From pre-designed block patterns for specific layouts to improved controls on individual blocks, these enhancements make it easier for users to build visually appealing and functional pages.

One example is the Add New Icon button. It is now more usable and will allow you to add borders to the icons.

Another example is of how users can now set a background color for the Buttons block.

Developer-focused Enhancements in WordPress 6.7

With WordPress 6.7, developers are gaining access to a suite of refined features and functionality enhancements designed to improve workflow efficiency, security, performance, and usability. Here’s a rundown of some standout updates:

Improved Functionality and Customization

Enhanced Error Handling and Customization: A new get_user() function maps to get_user_by(), streamlining user queries.Developers now also have a warning prompt when changing $table_prefix on existing databases, adding an extra layer of security.
Bulk Action Feedback: Bulk actions within the WP admin now offer feedback if no items are selected, enhancing clarity during bulk edits.

Performance and Compatibility Enhancements

Optimized Memory Handling: WP Admin memory limits now adaptively increase to meet default limits, optimizing site stability under heavy admin usage.
MySQL 8.4 Compatibility: Preparing for MySQL 8.4 improves database compatibility, especially as MySQL continues to update.
Extended REST API: REST API search functions now support exact match searches, streamlining the retrieval of specific information.

Accessibility and User Experience Improvements

Accessible Pagination Links and Admin Sidebar: Updated pagination links provide accessible labels for improved navigation by users with assistive technologies. Also, the admin sidebar is more compatible with high-contrast Windows modes, catering to visually impaired users.
Docker Environment Flexibility: Docker environments now support easier overrides in config, making it simpler for developers to tailor their setup.
Script Module Data Passing: A new script module mechanism supports server-to-client data passing, empowering developers to handle interactive data more dynamically.
Interactivity API: As mentioned before, the API now allows the inspection of element attributes within derived state props, providing more granular control over interactivity in themes and plugins.

Media and Image Handling Updates

Automatic WebP and JPEG XL Support: Image handling now includes lossless WebP and JPEG XL formats, enhancing visual quality while keeping file sizes manageable.
HEIC Format Conversion: As covered earlier, HEIC images are converted to web-safe formats, making it easier to work with images captured on iOS devices.

Code Quality and API Consistency

PHP Compliance and WPCS Improvements: Updates to wp_delete_file improve PHP and WordPress Coding Standards (WPCS) compliance.
HTML API Enhancements: The HTML API sees notable updates, including normalization methods and text-node splitting functions, making it easier to handle complex HTML structures within WordPress.

WordPress 6.7 Beta Versions

In each beta version, changes are made and focus is given to certain aspects which users should pay attention to. Here’s a breakdown of what each beta offers:

WordPress 6.7 Beta 1

The first beta release is usually the most full-featured one because it presents the main updates to WP 6.7. New features in Beta 1 are the new default theme Twenty Twenty-Five, the Zoom Out view in the site editor, as well as the first API changes.

WordPress 6.7 Beta 2

Beta 2 is mainly centered around improvements of the features, which have been introduced during the Beta 1 phase, bug fixes and small changes based on the feedback received from the community.

Block library, media handling and, in general, the block editor’s performance is the main focus of this release. Users are urged to try it out and report any bugs they come across in order to help in fine tuning.

How to Install WordPress 6.7 Beta 2

To try Beta 2, users can download it using the WordPress Beta Tester plugin, this makes it easy to toggle between the stable and beta versions.

However, users can easily download the zip file from the WordPress.org site and then use the files to install the plugin on a staging site.

WordPress 6.7 Beta 3

The third beta release is more or less about fixing the remaining bugs and fine-tuning WordPress 6.7.

You should definitely test it out!

Install WordPress 6.7 Beta 3

There are two methods to download the third beta:

Use WordPress Beta Tester Beta Plugin
Download the RC3 zip file from the official WordPress.org website.

Test the following things:

Theme and plugin compatibility
Core functionality like comment moderation and media uploads
Customizations
Performance (like loading times)
Security risks

WordPress 6.7 Release Candidates

Following the beta releases, WordPress 6.7 moves to the Release Candidate stage. Every RC version is based on the previous one and includes additional optimizations while keeping the system stable.

WordPress 6.7 RC1

The RC1 is close to the final build of WordPress 6.7, meaning that most features and enhancements are now set in stone.

In this stage, the emphasis is placed on checking the stability of the platform under different conditions and making the last refinements if needed.

WordPress 6.7 RC2

The second release candidate contains the last changes from the RC1 testing, and this build should be very similar to the final public release.

By RC2, WordPress 6.7 should be mostly stable, and all that remains are small-scale bug patches.

WordPress 6.7 RC3: How to Install and Test

Installation of RC3 is like with beta versions that include the usage of the WordPress Beta Tester plugin or download of the newest version by the direct link.

It is suggested that users deploy RC3 in a staging environment before the actual release and report any emerging problems. WordPress will also recommend you to first save all your progress.

WordPress 6.7 RC4: How to Install and Test

RC4 is probably the final step to ensure that WordPress 6.7 is set for a release.

You can download WordPress 6.7 RC4 from your dashboard like the other beta versions and Release Candidates i.e. by using a plugin or the direct link here.

In each of the new WordPress version releases, WordPress developers fix the flaws that are reported by other developers and the team in the previous ones.

WordPress 6.7 is a step forward in improving the user experience while also enhancing the developer’s features. For example, the new Twenty Twenty-Five theme, the improved site editing, and the powerful design tools the user has more creative possibilities than ever.

On the other hand, changes to the API and other enhancements for developers make it easier and faster to build solid sites on the platform.

Since we have tested the Beta version, we are now excited for WordPress 6.7 release on November 12 2024. Let’s see what else is in store!

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