According to recent statistics, over 40% of websites globally are powered by WordPress, and keeping up with its latest updates can significantly boost your site’s performance and user experience. Many of the leading WordPress development company, will even tell you the importance of staying updated with the most recent features and enhancements.
WordPress 6.6, which is scheduled for release on July 16, 2024, builds on the technical advancements of 6.5. In this case, the main focus is on new design tools and user experience improvements. This release introduces many important updates, which we are going to discuss in detail in this guide. So, let’s dive in:
WordPress vs. WordPress 6.6: A Comparative Table
If you are looking for WordPress website development service, then you should have an understanding of the basic distinctions between WordPress and WordPress 6.6 as follows:
| Feature | WordPress (General) | WordPress 6.6 |
| Publish Flow | Separate experiences for post and site editors | Unified publish flow with updated designs for title, status, and featured image |
| Block Management | Block inserter context-dependent | Block inserter supports all blocks, enhancing ease of use |
| Style Options | Basic margin and shadow controls | Negative margins and custom shadows for more creative designs |
| Featured Image Block | Basic display options | Customizable box shadows for featured images |
| Media & Text Block | Standard image and text integration | Supports using the post’s featured image for more creative layouts |
| Pattern Management | Basic pattern support | Expanded pattern management for classic themes |
| Group Blocks Shortcut | Manual grouping of blocks | New keyboard shortcut (⌘ + G for Mac, Ctrl + G for Windows) for efficient block grouping |
| Theme Customization (theme.json) | Limited customization options | theme.json v3 with customizable default font sizes, spacing, and aspect ratio presets |
| Grid Layout and Section Styling | Basic layout options | New grid layout for Group blocks and section-specific block styles |
| Custom Fields and Block Bindings | Basic support for custom fields | Edit custom field values directly within blocks with updated Block Bindings API |
| Rollback for Auto-Updates | No automatic rollback for plugins | Automatic rollback feature for plugins to increase site stability |
| Enhanced APIs | Standard API functionality | Improved Interactivity, Block Hooks, and HTML APIs |
| React Integration | Supports earlier versions of React | Preparation for React 19 with deprecation warnings and necessary updates |
| JSX Support | Basic JSX integration | Enhanced JSX integration for a more streamlined development experience |
| jQuery UI | Supports earlier versions of jQuery UI | Updates to jQuery UI 1.13.3 with important fixes and expanded browser testing |
| PHP Support | Supports older versions of PHP including 7.0 and 7.1 | Drops support for PHP 7.0 and 7.1; new minimum supported version is PHP 7.2.24 |
| Multisite Enhancements | Basic multisite support | Support for custom ports in multisites, simplifying local development and CI pipeline configurations |
| New Data Views | Standard UI for managing templates and media | Improved and reusable UI for managing templates, patterns, posts, and media |
| Section Styles and Overrides | Basic styling options | Enhanced styling options for sections with the ability to override synced patterns |
To learn further, all that you need is to hire dedicated WordPress developers who possess WordPress expertise.
What are the New Features Included in WordPress 6.6?
Planning to use WordPress 6.6? First of all, it is important to grab a good know-how about the new set of features included in it. Here are those discussed in detail:
End Users
- Better Block Management
The block inserter in this version is known for effectively supporting all blocks, even those that are restricted in the present context. Thus, this particular feature makes it effortless to find and employ blocks without any sorts of confusion. Ultimately, it helps in improving the overall editing experience. - Unified Publish Flow
The new unified publish flow enhances the experience across post and site editors by offering updated designs for exhibiting crucial information. It typically entails status, title, and featured image. Thus, this change makes the publishing process a lot easier, and thereby offering a cohesive and streamlined experience. - New Style Options
- Negative Margins: Now, one can directly add Negative margins in the editor for blocks that support margin controls, which in turn, provides more flexibility in terms of design. This specific feature, was previously only available through theme.json, facilitates effortless creation of overlapping elements.
For ensuring a balanced UX or user experience, it becomes important to manually enter the negative values. However, it cannot be chosen by dragging. So, it helps in effectively improving the capability to craft dynamic and unique layouts. To learn further, you can reach out to professional WordPress companies.
- Improved Media & Text Block: The Media & Text Block is now known for supporting the usage of the post’s featured image. Thus, it is known for providing improved design options for single post and page templates. So, this update enables more creative layouts by integration of the featured image directly within the media content of the block.
- Custom Shadows: The Featured Image block now supports customizable box shadows. Thus, it facilitates the creation of more eye-striking and creative designs. So, this update brings it in line with the Image block, which, in turn, ensures a cohesive visual style across all images that are there in the website.
These new style options offer users more control over the look of the website. You can hire WordPress experts to leverage the best benefits.
- Group Blocks Shortcut
A new keyboard shortcut allows users to create a group from selected blocks. One can make use of ⌘ + G (Mac) or Ctrl + G (Windows) to group blocks, enhancing efficiency in block grouping.
This mirrors similar functionalities in other design tools and ensures that grouping can only be done on multiple selected blocks, aligning with prevailing behavior for group block transformation. You can opt for the best WordPress developer services, if you are looking for any related aid.
- Pattern Management in Classic Themes
Classic themes now come up with modern pattern management features, which makes it simpler to craft and manage patterns especially within these themes. So, it helps in bringing the power of patterns to a wider range of users.
If you are looking for custom WordPress development services, make sure to hire a WordPress expert from a reputable WordPress development company in the USA.
Theme Authors
- Grid Layout and Section Styling:
Theme authors can utilize the new grid layout for Group blocks and section-specific block styles. So, this particular feature helps in the creation of more complex and visually appealing designs. - Theme.json v3:
The latest version includes options to customize default font sizes and spacing, providing more granular design controls for theme authors. - Aspect Ratio Presets:
Custom aspect ratios can be defined in theme.json, allowing for precise control over image presentation.
Plugin Authors
- Custom Fields and Block Bindings:
The Block Bindings API now allows plugin authors to edit custom field values directly within blocks. It helps in improving data management and integration for custom plugins. - Rollback for Auto-Updates:
An automatic rollback feature for plugins ensures site stability and reduces downtime if an update causes errors.
Agencies offering the best WordPress development solution will provide you more information on this.
Developers
- Improved APIs:
In this case, there has been an improvement in the Block Hooks, Interactivity, and HTML APIs. Thus, it provides more robust and flexible tools for building and enhancing WordPress sites. - JSX Support:
Better integration of JSX effectively streamlines the development procedure, which makes it effortless for plugin authors to craft dynamic features. - React 19 Preparation:
WordPress 6.6 prepares for React 19 with deprecation warnings and necessary updates, ensuring a smooth transition for developers. - jQuery UI Updates:
Version 1.13.3 includes important fixes and a new test runner, preparing for future updates. - PHP Support:
This version no longer supports PHP 7.0 and 7.1. The new minimum supported version is PHP 7.2.24, with PHP 7.4 or greater recommended.
WordPress experts for hire can help you with more information on this.
Website Admins and Enterprise Agencies
- New Data Views:
WordPress 6.6 comes with a better and reusable UI for effective management of templates, posts, patterns, and media. In this case, the utmost focus is on extensibility and efficiency. - Multisite Enhancements:
This version offers support for custom ports in multisites. It facilitates simplifying local development and CI pipeline configurations. - Section Styles and Overrides:
It comes with improved styling options for sections which ensures consistent branding and design across all pages. Overrides in synced patterns allow for customization while also maintaining consistent layouts and styles.
To make the most out of these features, all that you need is to choose the best-in-class WordPress services.
Wrapping Up
Thus, it is seen from this blog post that WordPress 6.6 is loaded with a new set of features and improvements. All of these are designed to boost the user experience, provide more customization options, and streamline site management.
By understanding and leveraging these new features, you can stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of web development. Whenever you seek to hire dedicated WordPress developers for the best WordPress design and development services, knowing about these updates will enhance your capabilities and keep your projects at the cutting edge.
