With the release of Gutenberg 19.1, one of the most anticipated APIs is here: the ability to register a template from a plugin.

Remember that you can listen to this program from Pocket Casts, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts or subscribe to the feed directly.

Hello, I’m Nakul Chandra , and you’re listening to WordPress Podcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.

In this episode, you’ll find the information from August 26th to September 1st, 2024.

With the launch of the experimental plugin Gutenberg 19.1, one of the long-awaited features has been included: the API that allows templates to be added from a plugin.

The system is quite simple to use, as with a single function, you can add the template’s title and description and then register the content, which is essentially the code of a template that can be generated directly from the editor.

Although this might not be the… let’s say, cleanest… way to keep HTML code within PHP code, a system has been created that allows templates to be uploaded as HTML or PHP files, enabling the plugin to read these contents directly from a file, similar to what themes do in WordPress.

One way to test this system is by linking a Custom Post Type with a template, so you can easily connect and display content data with a specific format.

A detailed post explains how to register templates from a plugin in WordPress 6.7, so if you want to start testing for the next major version of WordPress, now is the time.

In the Developers Blog, there’s also a post explaining how to make a plugin interact with elements of the Data Views, which are currently used on screens like Pages, Templates, or Patterns.

The Design team has presented some proposals for features that are pending development or release, such as a new general screen to view all the theme’s typography or general text adjustment controls.

Work is also beginning on pseudo-states like active, hover, or focus, which can be viewed in the Style Book.

Now that the Training team has launched the new version of Learn WordPress, the next step is to attract more students or curious individuals who want to learn.

To this end, various activities are proposed to promote this resource, such as marketing initiatives, greater presence at WordCamps, and creating workshops and events based on the site’s content.

Additionally, strategies such as distributing promotional materials and collaborating with schools, businesses, and communities to integrate the content into their training programs are suggested.

On September 4, the release of BuddyPress 14.1 is scheduled, featuring two fixes and one enhancement.

However, the important step will come with version 15.0, which could include features such as version 2 of the REST API, importing and exporting user data, a new news page, a reorganization of notifications, and adapting the version to PHP 7.0 and WordPress 6.4 as a minimum.

And we now have the date for the State of the Word 2024, which we knew would be in Tokyo at the end of the year.

The final date is December 16 at 09:00 UTC, and it will be live-streamed on YouTube from the Tokyo Node Hall with a capacity of just over 300 people.

And finally, this podcast is distributed under a Creative Commons license as a derivative version of the WordPress Podcast in Spanish; you can find all the links for more information, and the podcast in other languages, at WordPress Podcast .in.

Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!

WordPress 6.6, alias Dorsey, has been released, marking one of the most significant updates to WordPress in many years.

Remember that you can listen to this program from Pocket Casts, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts or subscribe to the feed directly.

Hello, I’m Nakul Chandra , and you’re listening to WordPress Podcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.

In this episode, you’ll find the information from August 19th to 25th, 2024.

Jamie Marsland, a well-known YouTuber for his videos on WordPress, has been recruited by Automattic to become the Head of WordPress YouTube, responsible for the WordPress Community’s YouTube channel.

It was first announced that YouTube content would be enhanced, thanks to the Nonprofit YouTube Partner Program that WordPress belongs to. Since the videos were synchronized with WordPress TV in October 2022, the channel’s growth has been substantial; this growth and management will be led by Jamie following the closure of the marketing team a few months ago, which left social media management behind.

Jamie himself announced from his Twitter account that he was joining the Automattic team and that “it is a real privilege to help share your WordPress stories and showcase the incredible work you’re all doing,” leaving the door open for projects and work to be sent to him to be promoted through the channel.

The ultimate goal is for him to oversee the creation of high-quality content, ensuring that the channel remains an important resource within the WordPress community.

WordPress 6.6.2 is on its way and will arrive on September 10 with several fixes. This version will primarily focus on fixing bugs from the WordPress 6.6 release and other critical issues that may be found.

The Core team has announced that WordPress will update jQuery to version 4.0 in a future release, which, based on timing, could be WordPress 6.8. This change is part of the ongoing effort to keep the platform up to date with the latest technologies and improve performance, security, and compatibility.

The update includes improvements to the API, removal of deprecated features, and changes to jQuery’s default behavior, which will require developers to review and update their custom scripts to avoid compatibility issues.

Regarding Twenty Twenty-Five, the default color palette, font families, spacing settings, and font size presets have been added to the theme.

More changes are expected as templates and patterns are created, although an initial version of the site headers has already been added, and work has begun on footers, the 404 template, some block patterns, and default templates for the homepage, individual posts, pages, archives, and search, thanks to the more than 20 contributors who have participated so far.

The Performance team has 23 tickets in progress for WordPress 6.7, some of which are already completed, such as automatic sizes for lazy-load, or are being worked on, such as systems to reduce CLS or improvements in the calculation of image size attributes.

The Community team announces a significant change in post-event surveys, replacing CrowdSignal with Jotform. This change is in response to the need for a multilingual solution that allows attendees to complete surveys in their language, improving global inclusion. Additionally, between the end of 2024 and early 2025, translations for local event and WordCamp surveys will be implemented.

The change also includes the possibility for event organizers to collaborate in customizing surveys and accessing results while maintaining confidentiality, so local communities are invited to participate in translating the surveys and standardizing the questions.

And finally, this podcast is distributed under a Creative Commons license as a derivative version of the WordPress Podcast in Spanish; you can find all the links for more information, and the podcast in other languages, at WordPress Podcast .in.

Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!

WordPress 6.6, alias Dorsey, has been released, marking one of the most significant updates to WordPress in many years.

Remember that you can listen to this program from Pocket Casts, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts or subscribe to the feed directly.

Hello, I’m Nakul Chandra , and you’re listening to WordPress Podcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.

In this program, you’ll find the information from July 15th to 21st, 2024.

The highly anticipated WordPress 6.6 has been launched in grand style. Following a previous version that focused heavily on laying the correct foundations and fixing many bugs, this version is very focused on functionalities and, above all, on expanding the capabilities of the editor.

WordPress 6.6, also known as Dorsey, is the 50th major release of WordPress, and its name honors the trombonist Tommy Dorsey and the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, formed in 1934.

This release introduces significant improvements in design, performance, and accessibility, allowing for varied design combinations using color and font sets, and offers a new Site Editor design for quickly previewing pages. It also includes automatic plugin updates with safe rollback, ensuring site security.

Performance improvements include the removal of unnecessary dependencies and faster template loading. In terms of accessibility, 58 enhancements have been implemented, making it easier to interact with blocks and patterns.

We must thank the efforts of more than 630 contributors from 51 countries.

And with the release of a major version, we also have the planning for the next minor version, WordPress 6.6.1 which already has a release date: July 23, 2024. The release candidate is now available for testing.

While the machinery never stops, the experimental plugin release Gutenberg 18.8 includes some improvements such as group shadow support, background image support in global styles, container block justification, and individual list item colors.

An article on JSON Schema in WordPress in the Developers Blog explains how this tool improves the validation and structuring of JSON data in projects.

JSON Schema allows defining rules for JSON data, facilitating error detection and autocompletion in code editors. This is especially useful in configuration files like theme.json, block.json, and wp-env.json, which configure themes, blocks, and local environments.

Additionally, JSON Schema plays a crucial role in the WordPress REST API, validating request and response data, and allowing clear API design. The article highlights the open contribution to WordPress JSON schemas, encouraging developers to participate in the continuous improvement of these tools.

The Design team has presented some of the work they are focusing on, such as improving filters, particularly regarding user experience, consolidating bulk tasks, adding a new text auto-adjustment feature, allowing for the use of cutting or not cutting words at the end of the sentence, and creating a new audio block that significantly improves the current player.

The Documentation team continues to advance the localization and translation project for HelpHub. They are testing a process with the Spanish team, which includes creating the project on GitHub, translating and reviewing content, and publishing on GlotPress for approval.

The biggest challenge now is adapting GlotPress to manage long text content and creating plugins to import and export data while maintaining previous versions of translations, considering that some teams already have translated content that should not be lost.

Another highlighted element is the need to improve WordPress.org’s multilingual capability and the possibility of keeping URLs in English to facilitate content synchronization and review.

The Community team has published numerous event-related data referring to the first half of 2024.

Regarding the 66 WordCamps and 11 WordPress events, the goal of achieving 45% new attendees is close, currently at 42%, although only 25% of events manage to have half of their attendees be new. More than 80% of attendees are satisfied with the event.

Regarding Meetups, there are 761 groups with over 537,000 members, although attendance at events has slightly declined.

Nearly $175,000 of the $725,000 available has been spent.

Regarding trends in Meetups, in-person meetings in India have the highest participation, while popular online events focused on SEO, accessibility, and artificial intelligence.

In Asia, there is a strong commitment to in-person events, while Learn WordPress online workshops attract much interest, mainly led by full-time sponsored contributors. Additionally, there is a general trend towards virtual events post-COVID, with popular topics like AI and APIs.

As a summary of the WordCamp Europe Contributor Day, a first conversation addressed the current evolution and challenges of WordPress events, highlighting the need to diversify the user base both vertically and horizontally, with new ideas such as specific events for young people and professionals, as well as improving communication and the use of social media.

The recurrence of attendees has also been considered, and strategies are suggested to make WordPress events more accessible and attractive to a broader audience.

And finally, this podcast is distributed under a Creative Commons license as a derivative version of the WordPress Podcast in Spanish; you can find all the links for more information, and the podcast in other languages, at WordPress Podcast .org.

Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!

Although a minor version of a plugin may not seem important, this version is significant after more than 2.5 years without updates.

Remember that you can listen to this program from Pocket Casts, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts or subscribe to the feed directly.

Hello, I’m Nakul Chandra , and you’re listening to WordPress Podcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.

In this program, you’ll find the information from July 8th to 14th, 2024.

Learning WordPress has always been a headache. We have documentation and, for some time now, we have Learn WordPress, but finding the perfect course or learning path was complicated. Until now.

For a few days, it has been possible to activate the beta version of the new theme on the site, where we will see a theme created entirely with blocks and new functionalities.

On the site, you will find a new homepage with the first steps, whether you want to be a WordPress user or developer, featured courses and lessons, and upcoming online workshops. There is also a “My Courses” section or Lesson Plans, created to help other community members.

The only downside is that most of the content is still in English, although we hope that the project will resume soon.

What’s coming soon is WordPress 6.6, which now has a release date. The release process starts on Monday, July 15, at 15:00 UTC, with the code freeze process beginning an hour later for 24 hours.

The version creation process will begin on Tuesday, July 16, at 16:00 UTC in the #core channel on Slack. During this process, tests are conducted with older server, WordPress, and other component versions, as well as updates from previous WordPress versions.

This is complemented by the Hosting team’s documentation with the WordPress 6.6 Server Compatibility, where the optimal configuration for this WordPress version is provided.

PHP 8.2 is recommended, and for the database, MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.11.

It’s important to remember that this version has a minimum PHP requirement of 7.2.25, following the removal of support for PHP 7.0 and PHP 7.1.

The Themes team has answered frequently asked questions about version 3 of theme.json.

The main point is that the corresponding schema version in the file should be updated according to the minimum supported version. This system will ensure that if you develop something for one version and its name or functionality changes in later versions, compatibility will be maintained.

Additionally, they have started asking what we want to see in the next default WordPress theme: Twenty Twenty-Five.

Some suggestions from the team include using as little custom CSS as possible and trying not to use custom PHP or JavaScript, focusing mainly on doing as much as possible with the editor itself.

The Sustainability team has proposed a small roadmap for the rest of 2024.

Environmentally, the focus will be on creating a plugin and improving the Sustainable Events Handbook. Socially, they plan to work more closely with DEIB or Five for the Future groups. Economically, they will seek funding for the plugin’s creation and look for organizations outside the WordPress ecosystem facing similar challenges in the open-source world.

And, BuddyPress 14.0, “Da Lucia”, has arrived! This version is named after the excellent pizza from a restaurant in Paris, France.

This new version includes 80 changes, with five notable highlights, such as new constants in Site Health, documentation links on most admin screens, unified new user registration management for both single and MultiSite WordPress setups, an improved REST API, and custom translations.

This version has few visible changes but many internal ones to pave the way for the next major version.

And finally, this podcast is distributed under a Creative Commons license as a derivative version of the WordPress Podcast in Spanish; you can find all the links for more information at WordPress Podcast .org.

You can follow the content in Catalan, German, Esperanto, Spanish, French, and Hindi.

Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!

Although a minor version of a plugin may not seem important, this version is significant after more than 2.5 years without updates.

Remember that you can listen to this program from Pocket Casts, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts or subscribe to the feed directly.

Hello, I’m Nakul Chandra , and you’re listening to WordPress Podcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.

In this program, you’ll find the information from July 1 to 7, 2024.

The second release candidate for WordPress 6.6 is now available, featuring 19 editor fixes and 20 core fixes.

As we approach the release of the new version, the preparation for the next one is underway, with the WordPress 6.7 branch already open.

The roadmap is more or less ready. The alpha version has been available since June 25, with the first beta proposed for October 1, the first release candidate on October 22, and the WordPress 6.7 release on November 12.

The complete team for this new version is expected to be formed by July 19.

With 115 changes, Gutenberg 18.7 brings the experimental version of what we will start seeing in the future, with a strong emphasis on the evolution of the Grid Mode and improvements in template part management.

In the Developers Blog, an article has been published on customizing the WordPress Editor and how it can significantly improve the user experience by tailoring the interface to specific needs. By changing the editing environment, content creation can be optimized, clutter reduced, consistency ensured, and relevant tools made available.

This article presents 15 ways to customize the Editor and showcases the various methods currently available in WordPress, including setting configurations in theme.json, disabling specific blocks, overriding block variations and styles, adjusting block supports, disabling the UI for certain functions, and much more to make WordPress work your way.

The Media Corps held their first briefing session providing media partners with an overview of the planned updates for WordPress 6.6. Some upcoming features were demonstrated, and participants’ questions were answered.

A feedback form for the briefing sessions is available for media partners who attended or watched the first session on WordPress 6.6. They are invited to share their opinions to improve future sessions.

The Polyglots team reminds that the WordPress 6.6 release page is now available for translation to all localized WordPress sites and that it is available on GlotPress, so anyone can contribute to its translation before the release.

The Training team successfully concluded the second edition of the Learn WordPress course. Seventeen of the 37 applicants participated, with an average of nine attendees per session. The six-week course was well received, with praise for the clarity and structure of the content. Suggestions included pairing programming and dividing by experience levels.

As previously announced, the Faculty Program will be retired to focus efforts on areas of greater impact, as it is now seen as a barrier for new contributors. It will be replaced with a new administration system, and the team’s history and past contributions will be documented in the handbook, with a transition period from July to September 2024.

The Community team reviewed the latest meetings of the Mentorship Program, highlighting the participation of team members at WordCamp Europe 2024 and the first slide of Matt Mullenweg’s presentation at the event’s closing, which highlighted some program metrics.

The third edition of the program is already being prepared and will take place in October, alongside the release of WordPress 6.7. Pre-introduction workshops, interviews to ensure stable contributions, and the possibility of multilingual mentorship programs have been emphasized.

A project for 2025 is on-demand mentorship, with a structured and asynchronous focus. The current edition-based structure has been proposed, creating a process for 1:1 mentorships and facilitating them on demand with a session booking system and a central repository of assignments.

Regarding WordCamp, the key metric of new attendees at WordPress events has been adopted, aiming for more than 50% first-time attendees.

While this is crucial for community growth, and organizers are recommended to design attractive events and make specific marketing efforts, it’s important to remember that one of the biggest problems is that event organizers are experiencing widespread burnout, adding extra effort.

During a discussion at WordCamp Europe 2024 on global WordPress sponsorship, the difficulty of demonstrating ROI to company management was highlighted, suggesting improved metrics and offerings for sponsors.

The need for more preparation time for events and a reevaluation of budgets, increasing global visibility for sponsors, and reviewing the pros and cons of regional versus global sponsorships were discussed.

The bbPress team has released a new minor version with several patches for small issues from recent years, specifically the 2.5 years without updates.

bbPress 2.6.11 includes 13 fixes, also applied to the 2.7 branch in development, and is now compatible with the latest WordPress versions.

Another version about to be released is BuddyPress, with a release candidate for BuddyPress 14.0, indicating that the functionalities are complete pending possible minor fixes.

A list of deprecated functions has also been released, which will no longer be supported, along with the final adjustments before the release and preparation for version 15.0.

And finally, this podcast is distributed under a Creative Commons license as a derivative version of the WordPress Podcast in Spanish; you can find all the links for more information at WordPress Podcast .org.

You can follow the content in Catalan, German, Esperanto, Spanish, French, and Hindi.

Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!

Various attacks on WordPress user accounts have led to several plugins being compromised, allowing access to thousands of sites.

Remember that you can listen to this program from Pocket Casts, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts or subscribe to the feed directly.

Hello, I’m Nakul Chandra , and you’re listening to WordPress Podcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.

In this program, you’ll find the information from June 24 to 30, 2024.

Is WordPress secure? The answer is clear and simple: yes. However, the users or individuals behind the entire Community are often the weakest link when it comes to IT security.

Earlier this week, some users experienced an attack on their accounts using usernames and passwords previously published in data breaches. At least five plugin developer accounts were compromised due to using the same password as on other hacked sites.

It’s important to note that in April 2021, the Release Confirmation system was launched. This system sends an email each time a change is attempted in the plugin’s repository data, which must be visited and confirmed for the new version to be released.

Additionally, for over six months and following an extended testing period, the option to activate two-factor authentication has been available to users. This means that even if passwords are leaked, a temporary second factor will always be required.

As an additional security measure, an email has been sent to all developers prompting them to “reset their password” when attempting to access WordPress, as passwords have been reset for security reasons.

Regardless of whether you are a developer or not, given the current situation, the best option is to visit login.wordpress.org, click on recover password, follow the process, and change it to a new one you have not used before. If you haven’t already, visit the edit your profile section where you can activate 2FA.

And speaking of security, WordPress 6.5.5 is the headliner for minor versions ranging from WordPress 4.1 to 6.5, addressing up to three vulnerabilities.

It’s important to remember that minor version updates do not change or break the functionalities of that WordPress version, so updating is crucial for the well-being of your site.

Speaking of new versions, the first release candidate for WordPress 6.6 is now available. This version should include all the final features of this release, so it is highly recommended to start testing to validate the compatibility of your site, plugins, and themes with a version scheduled to be released on July 16. This release also freezes text strings for translation and opens the WordPress 6.7 working branch.

With the arrival of this release candidate, the WordPress 6.6 Field Guide has also been released, a document that includes all the technical changes in the version. This version includes many changes in the editor and themes, unlike the previous version which was more focused on performance.

The Core team presents a proposal to introduce block variation aliases. This initiative aims to improve flexibility and consistency in creating and managing block variations within the editor.

Variation aliases would allow the reuse of settings and styles from existing variations, thus simplifying the development and customization process for blocks for both developers and users.

The Design team has presented several proposals they are working on, such as integrating background image editing tools in the editor.

Another important element, still in conceptual mode, could be the possibility of adding new columns to the Data View, with information coming from custom fields. For example, in the user list, being able to include the phone number in the listing, a piece of data that WordPress does not have by default.

The Polyglots team has issued a reminder that the translation of pending strings for WordPress 6.6 is now available.

WordPress 6.6 includes about 300 new strings, many of them coming from the Gutenberg plugin, which should be incorporated into the language pack before the release date, in addition to those from the Twenty Twenty-Four, Twenty Three, and Twenty Two themes.

The Training team is about to begin testing and reviewing GatherPress, a tool designed to facilitate the organization and management of community events in WordPress. They will explore GatherPress functionalities, including the ability to manage event calendars, register attendees, and facilitate communication between organizers and participants.

Regarding the Thread Content project, phase 1 of the content maintenance process update has begun, focused on improving the structure and organization of educational content within WordPress, with the goal of making it more accessible and easier to maintain, ensuring its relevance and accuracy.

The Community team is reopening the project to reactivate inactive Meetups. As was done a couple of years ago, the goal is to identify Meetup groups that have not held events in recent months and contact the organizers and members to try to revive activity.

Additionally, after several previous attempts, and the news that Slack will delete all messages older than 1 year irretrievably, there is a proposal that all local communities with Slack join the global Community Slack Enterprise, allowing access to all the benefits available in this version, providing a centralized communication place for each community.

BuddyPress will allow the recovery of a lost functionality in the new version 14.0: being able to rename elements as you wish. Thanks to the functionality introduced in WordPress 6.5, it will now be possible to change the name of Groups, for example, to Teams. This can even lead to renaming all blocks natively, without installing any external plugins.

In conclusion, a working channel has been opened to address the need to improve collaboration between teams and manage overlapping initiatives within the community, highlighting the importance of aligning efforts to avoid duplication and maximize available resources.

Due to the growth of the community and the diversity of projects, there has been an increase in initiatives that often overlap, which can lead to fragmentation and inefficient use of resources.

One improvement is the need for clearer and more transparent communication between teams, ensuring that everyone is aware of ongoing projects and can collaborate effectively. Additionally, a more organized structure is being promoted to manage and prioritize initiatives, using tools and practices that facilitate coordination and minimize planning conflicts.

In any case, the focus should remain on WordPress’s long-term strategic goals, ensuring that all initiatives contribute significantly to the overall vision of the project, with the need for clear and effective governance to guide team coordination and ensure that each initiative aligns with the community’s values and goals.

And finally, this podcast is distributed under a Creative Commons license as a derivative version of the WordPress Podcast in Hindi; you can find all the links for more information at WordPress Podcast .org.

You can follow the content in Catalan, German, Esperanto, Spanish, and French.

Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!