Published on 17 June 2022 (Updated 29 February 2024)
Version 6.0 of WordPress will correct the side effects of version 5.9. After all, new features always imply new defects. Indeed, version 5.9 came with a considerable amount of modifications and new functions. We wrote an article regarding WordPress 5.9 when it was released. If you haven’t read it yet, find out now.
Roadmap
WordPress is under continuous development.
Phase 1 of Project Gutenberg aimed to find a new block editor, which was released at the same time as WordPress 5.0.
Phase 2 of Project Gutenberg consists of incorporating this block editor throughout the website. The “full site editing” will allow its users to customize not only posts and pages, but the whole site itself (as the name suggests 😁).
Website editor
WordPress 6.0 will improve the site editor by introducing the following new features:
- Text selection in multiple frames – This enhancement allows you to select the text you want from multiple blocks, which was not supported by WordPress 5.9.
- Block style retention – When you change one block to a different block, this new feature retains the style of the previous one, including its color and typography. For example, the color of the text in a header block will remain the same if you change it to another. This style retention feature also applies to the button block when you add more buttons to the content.
- New Block Templates – WordPress 6.0 will offer more options for creating new blocks such as post comments, ‘read more’ buttons, a block when the query is empty, the post author’s biography and his/her avatar.
- Change theme style – With just one click, users can change the theme styles easily. Simply click the Style button at the top right corner, then switch to the Browse Styles tab to see the styles available in your theme.
- Export your block theme – The new theme editor – Full Site Editing – allows you to create your own templates, customize styles, and create attractive layouts. If you want to copy all of them to another WordPress site, it will now be possible to export all the changes you’ve made.
- Locking reusable blocks – A major problem with reusable blocks is that if a user wishes to modify one of these blocks, the modifications will be saved and therefore applied to all other reusable blocks of the same type.
- Responsive Blocks and Columns – You can choose the behavior of your blocks and columns according to different screen sizes.
Improving Accessibility
Each version of WordPress continues to improve its usability by making it more accessible to its users. Similarly, WordPress 6.0 will also improve the user experience for those with accessibility needs.
Here are some of the most significant accessibility improvements:
- The post title will be used as ALT text for featured images if no other ALT text is provided.
- Better tabulation in blocks with reserved space elements.
- Search announcement in block search.
- Read the description of blocks with a placeholder setting.
- Text labels in the admin bar will be readable by screen readers with smaller screens.
For a more detailed review, please see the Accessibility Improvements in WordPress 6.0.
Enhancements for Developers
WordPress 6.0 will also bring many changes that developers can explore and use in their own themes, plugins and projects.
Here are some of the changes under the bonnet:
- The Webfonts API will provide theme authors with a more efficient way to manage local fonts via PHP or theme.json.
- An API to prevent blocks from appearing on the Widgets screen.
We hope this article has given you a taste of what’s to come in WordPress 6.0!
