WordPress 6.6, named after legendary American big band leader Tommy Dorsey, brings a range of new features and improvements that will enrich your website experience. This release promises improved performance, accessibility and design flexibility. Whether you're a developer, designer or casual user, WordPress 6.6 offers something for everyone.
What's new in WordPress 6.6?
WordPress 6.6 introduces a host of new features and improvements that will take your website experience to the next level. Below are some of the most important updates:
- Extensive design options for block themes: Create color or font sets to use different design combinations within one theme. These sets offer more manageable design options, allowing visual variation within the site's broader style guide.
- New layout for pages in the Site Editor: See all your pages and preview each selected page with the new side-by-side layout in the Site Editor.
- Automatic plugin updates with rollback options: Enjoy the convenience of automatic plugin updates with the assurance of rollbacks if something goes wrong. This gives your site a new level of security and improved functionality without having to spend time or bandwidth.
- Adjust synced patterns: Make content changes in each instance of a synced pattern while maintaining a consistent style. Set these overrides for Heading, Paragraph, Button, and Image Blocks when placed in a synchronized pattern.
- Performance improvements: Important updates such as removing unnecessary WP_Theme_JSON calls, disabling autoload for large options, and eliminating unnecessary polyfill dependencies. Other highlights include lazy loading of post-embeds, a new 'data-wp-on-async' directive, and templates in the editor that load about 35% faster.
- Accessibility improvements: This release includes 58 accessibility fixes and improvements, focusing primarily on the data view component that powers the new site editing experience and areas such as the Inserter, which provides an important way to work with blocks and patterns.
Block theme design options
With WordPress 6.6 you can now create color or font sets to use different design combinations within one theme. These sets offer more manageable design options, allowing visual variation within the site's broader style guide. This means you can customize your site while maintaining design consistency, creating a more professional look.
New layout for pages in the Site Editor
The new side-by-side layout in the Site Editor makes it easier to view all your pages and preview each selected page. This simplifies your workflow and saves time editing and managing your site. This improved layout allows you to work more efficiently and quickly switch between different pages without losing context.
Automatic plugin updates with rollback options
One of the biggest concerns when updating plugins is the possibility of something going wrong. With WordPress 6.6 you can now perform automatic plugin updates with the assurance of rollbacks if something goes wrong. This gives your site a new level of security and functionality, without you having to spend time or bandwidth on it. You can trust that your site will remain up-to-date and secure, even if unexpected problems arise.
Adjust synced patterns
The new Synced Patterns in WordPress 6.6 allow you to make content changes to each instance of a Synced Pattern while maintaining a consistent style. This means you can customize headings, paragraphs, buttons and images in any pattern without disrupting the overall consistency of your site design. This feature is especially useful for sites with reusable content patterns, as it makes editing content easier and more efficient.
Performance improvements
WordPress 6.6 includes several performance improvements that make your site faster and more efficient. Some of the most important updates include:
- Removing unnecessary WP_Theme_JSON calls: This reduces loading time and improves the performance of your site.
- Disable autoload for large options: This helps reduce memory load and improve performance.
- Eliminating unnecessary polyfill dependencies: This reduces file size and improves loading speed.
- Lazy loading of post-embeds: This ensures that embedded content is loaded only when necessary, improving performance.
- New `data-wp-on-async` directive: This optimizes script loading time and improves your site's performance.
- Templates in the editor that load 35% faster: This provides a smoother editing experience and saves time loading templates.
Accessibility improvements
WordPress 6.6 includes 58 accessibility fixes and improvements aimed at improving the core WordPress experience. These updates focus primarily on the data display component that powers the new site editing experience and areas such as the Inserter, which provides an important way to work with blocks and patterns. These improvements make WordPress more accessible to everyone, regardless of their skills or the technologies they use.
Closing note
WordPress 6.6 “Dorsey” brings numerous new features and improvements that will enrich your website experience. Whether you're a developer, designer or casual user, this release offers something for everyone. Don't forget to check out the full feature overview and explore all the new capabilities WordPress 6.6 has to offer.
With these updates, you can rest assured that your site is faster, more secure, and more accessible than ever before. Discover how WordPress 6.6 can help you take your website to new heights!