The beta version of WordPress 6.0 was released recently, with the official launch scheduled for May 24, 2022. This will be the second significant update of 2022, introducing numerous new features and enhancements.
We have been actively following the development process and testing the new features on our staging sites.
In this article, we will provide an exclusive preview of the upcoming features in WordPress 6.0, complete with screenshots.
Important Note:You can explore the beta version on your local machine or in a staging environment by utilizing the WordPress Beta Tester plugin. Please remember that some features in the beta version may not be included in the final release.
If you prefer written instructions, just continue reading.
Enhancements to Full Site Editing
WordPress has been progressively rolling out the new full site editing experience.
With full site editing, you can personalize your WordPress themes using the same block editor that you use for creating posts and pages.
You can implement site-wide modifications to your theme templates and edit them visually using blocks.
Important Note: You will need a block-enabled theme that supports this feature.
WordPress 6.0 introduces a variety of enhancements and exciting new features for the Theme Editor. Here’s a glimpse of what’s new.
Easily Switch Between Theme Styles
With WordPress 6.0, users can effortlessly switch between different theme styles with just one click.
Simply click the Style button located in the top right corner, then navigate to the Browse Styles tab to explore the available styles for your theme.
This feature enables theme developers to offer multiple style presets, allowing users to switch styles with ease.
Export Your WordPress Block Theme
The updated Theme Editor (Full Site Editor) lets you create custom templates, personalize styles, and design stunning layouts. But what if you want to transfer all of these to another WordPress site?
WordPress 6.0 makes it simple to export your theme along with all the modifications you’ve made.
You can then install this theme on any other WordPress site, and it will retain all the changes you applied to the original theme.
New Blocks in the Block Theme Editor
WordPress 6.0 will introduce several new blocks that you can utilize in your themes and templates.
1. Comments
You can now incorporate a comments query loop block, which includes sub-blocks for the comment author’s name, avatar, content, edit link, and more. Each element can be customized individually to enhance the appearance of your comments.
2. Read More
In WordPress 5.9, the Excerpt block allowed you to input text for the ‘Read more’ link.
With WordPress 6.0, a dedicated block will be available, enabling you to select distinct text, background, and border styles for the link, making it stand out more effectively.
3. No Results in Query Loop
When you add a Query Loop block, you can now include a No Results block within it. This block will only appear if your chosen query yields no results.
4. Post Author Biography
A new post author biography block can now be utilized alongside the Post Author and Avatar blocks.
5. Avatar
The avatar block enables you to showcase a user’s avatar (profile picture). You can choose to display the avatar for a specific user or for the current post/page author.
Although the default theme editor continues to improve, it still requires further enhancements to match the capabilities of custom theme builder solutions offered by WordPress page builders.
Block Editor Enhancements in WordPress 6.0
The block editor is the primary interface where website owners create and manage content for their sites.
Every WordPress update introduces valuable enhancements and new features to the content editor. Here are some of the most prominent updates in WordPress 6.0 for the block editor.
Featured Image in Cover Block
In WordPress 6.0, you can easily set the featured image for a post within the cover block, which will automatically display the featured image of the current post or page.
Updating the featured image will instantly change the image shown in the cover block.
Simplified Text Selection Across Multiple Blocks
Currently, selecting text across multiple blocks can be challenging, often resulting in the entire block’s text being selected.
With WordPress 6.0, selecting only the desired text will be much more straightforward.
Locking Reusable Blocks
A common issue with reusable blocks is that any changes made by users are saved, which can be problematic.
To address this, there are plugins available that allow you to lock reusable blocks, preventing unauthorized edits.
WordPress 6.0 will introduce a new feature that allows you to lock reusable blocks, preventing users from editing them directly.
A popup will appear where you can set the locking restrictions.
You can lock the editing, moving, or removal of the block.
Responsive Group and Row Blocks
With WordPress 6.0, you can customize how blocks behave on various screen sizes.
For group blocks, you will have the option to display the contained blocks in either a row or a stacked format.
You can also select multiple blocks and choose to arrange them in a row or a stack layout.
Additional Enhancements to the Block Editor
Here are some more significant improvements to the block editor in WordPress 6.0.
1. Border for Columns Block
You can now add borders around the columns block.
3. Spacing for Gallery Images
You can now modify the spacing between individual images in a gallery block.
4. Quick Shortcut to Add Internal Links
You can quickly insert internal links by typing two square brackets followed by the title of the post or page.
5. Select Multiple Blocks in List View
Users can now select multiple adjacent blocks in the list view by using SHIFT+Click or Shift+Up+Down keys. They can easily move these blocks up or down or execute other actions.
Explore a comprehensive list of useful keyboard shortcuts for WordPress.
Enhancements in Accessibility for WordPress 6.0
Each new WordPress release aims to enhance usability by improving accessibility for all users.
WordPress 6.0 will introduce numerous enhancements designed to elevate the user experience for individuals with accessibility requirements.
Here are some of the key accessibility enhancements to look out for.
- The post title will automatically serve as ALT text for featured images if no alternative text is specified.
- Improved tabbing functionality in blocks that contain placeholder elements.
- Announcement feature for block search functionality.
- Read descriptions for blocks that utilize a placeholder setup.
- Text labels in the admin bar will be accessible to screen readers on smaller devices.
For a comprehensive overview, check out the accessibility improvements in WordPress 6.0.
Behind-the-Scenes Updates
WordPress 6.0 will introduce a variety of changes for developers to utilize in their themes, plugins, and projects.
Here are some of the noteworthy behind-the-scenes updates:
- The Webfonts API will allow theme developers to manage local fonts more effectively using PHP or theme.json. (See details)
- A new API has been introduced to prevent blocks from showing up on the Widgets screen. (#55301)
- Enhancements to
get_the_author_linkhave been made to make it pluggable. (#51859) - The sticky post query has been improved for better performance. (#36907)
We hope this article has provided you with insights into the upcoming features of WordPress 6.0.
Share your thoughts in the comments! Let us know which features you find exciting and what you would like to see in future WordPress updates.
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