What’s Coming in WordPress 6.8? New Features and Improvements

WordPress 6.8 is the next major update to the popular CMS, bringing a range of enhancements focused on user experience, performance, and security. This version primarily improves the block editor, optimizes performance, and makes certain features more accessible to a broader user base. Let’s take a look at the key updates in WordPress 6.8.

Block Editor Improvements

One of the key elements of this new version is the enhancement of the block editor (Gutenberg). WordPress 6.8 introduces several new features and modifications that make content management easier and improve the overall user experience:

• Enhanced Query Loop functionality – Users will now have the option to exclude sticky posts, offering greater flexibility when displaying content.
• Improved navigation in the editor – A streamlined interface makes it easier to access various display options and preview content.
• Faster pattern loading – Developers have optimized the pattern-loading system, significantly improving the editor’s performance.

Style Book for Classic Themes

The Style Book feature, which provides a quick preview of individual block styles, was previously available only for block-based themes. With WordPress 6.8, this feature is now accessible to users of classic themes, provided their theme includes a theme.json file or editor-styles.css. This update brings:

• A comprehensive preview of colors, typography, and block styles – Users can see how elements will appear before inserting them into a page.
• Clearer labels and structure – Style Book now includes better-organized sections, improving navigation when configuring the site’s design.

Speculation Rules API for Faster Loading

WordPress 6.8 introduces support for the Speculation Rules API, a new technology that enables predictive content loading based on user behavior. What does this mean?

• Faster page loading – When a user hovers over a link or interacts with elements, WordPress can prefetch or even prerender the content, reducing load times.
• Efficient resource usage – The default settings optimize performance without overloading the server with unnecessary requests.

Enhanced Security: Transition to bcrypt

Security remains a priority in every WordPress update. In version 6.8, a major change has been made in password encryption:

• Switch to bcrypt – WordPress now uses bcrypt instead of the outdated MD5 hashing method, significantly increasing user account security.
• Stronger resistance to attacks – Modern encryption algorithms reduce the risk of brute-force attacks on passwords.

Additional Improvements and Optimizations

Beyond these major features, WordPress 6.8 includes over 370 improvements and 520 bug fixes in the editor, including:

• Better support for PHP 8.x – Developers have removed deprecated code and improved compatibility with newer PHP versions.
• Enhanced data view previews – Users will have quicker access to relevant information.
• Core optimizations – More than 230 improvements have been made to the core WordPress platform.

Conclusion

WordPress 6.8 marks another step toward a modern and high-performance content management system. With editor enhancements, predictive loading support, and stronger security measures, users can enjoy an even smoother and safer experience. This update is ideal for those looking to stay up to date with the latest technologies and ensure maximum performance and protection for their website.