All the bans that had been placed on members of the WordPress Community will be lifted in the coming days.

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

Hello, I’m Alicia Ireland, and you’re listening to WPpodcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.

In this episode, you’ll find the information from April 21st to 27th, 2025.

The judicial processes are still ongoing—and in plural—as there are now two open cases related to the same situation that’s been unfolding since last September. One, the better known, is WP Engine’s case against the blockages placed upon them. But there’s also Keller v. Automattic, which approaches the issue from a viewpoint more closely related to users and the community.

And this explains why, in relation to all these judicial proceedings, all the bans placed on members of the WordPress Community are being lifted. This means all users blocked on social networks (primarily X), Slack, and WordPress.org will be unblocked, allowing everyone to contribute again, thus reducing judicial pressure.

Upcoming versions of WordPress Core continue forward, in this case as minor versions.

To start testing their functionality, the release of WordPress 6.8.1 is scheduled for April 30, including three minor fixes, although additional fixes may still be added.

This has also led to opening the branch for WordPress 6.8.2, to which potential tickets have already been added.

The semi-automated synchronization process between WordPress.tv and the official YouTube channel has resumed after a pause initiated in October 2024 to reevaluate the video strategy.

In the first quarter of 2025, there was 38% less subscriber growth on YouTube and a notable drop in average watch time compared to the same period in 2024, highlighting the importance of reactivating this synchronization. WordPress’s official YouTube channel recently surpassed 110,000 subscribers.

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

Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!

With the arrival of WordPress 6.8, a period of uncertainty opens regarding future major and minor releases, as no decisions have been made yet on the topic.

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

Hello, I’m Alicia Ireland, and you’re listening to WPpodcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.

In this episode, you’ll find the information from April 14th to 20th, 2025.

Cecil Taylor is the jazz pianist chosen as the namesake for WordPress 6.8, Cecil—a release focused on refining some of the most frequently used tools, enhancing the Style Book, and improving compatibility with classic themes. The rest of the update includes many behind-the-scenes improvements, such as speculative loading, switching password encryption to the bcrypt standard, and numerous performance optimizations.

Interestingly, this release was preceded by an unexpected fourth release candidate to fix two minor issues.

From this point forward, there’s uncertainty about how minor releases will be managed, as they’ll now include not only bug fixes but also small new features that do not significantly impact the overall functionality of the current version. This decision has been met with opposition from most core contributors, as expressed across various social media platforms and community discussions.

As previously announced, regarding performance improvements, one of the most notable advancements is the introduction of speculative loading—a technique that anticipates which resources might be needed and preloads them in advance, providing users with a smoother browsing experience.

Significant enhancements have also been implemented in the block editor, frontend interactivity, block type registration, and query caching. Overall, version 6.8 includes 24 performance-related improvements: 1 new feature, 14 enhancements, and 9 bug fixes.

There are also improvements related to WP_Query aimed at optimizing performance, particularly for sites without persistent caching. The primary update is an optimization enabling queries with equivalent arguments—even if ordered differently—to share the same cache. This prevents identical queries from running multiple times during a single page load, reducing resource usage.

However, this enhancement might affect themes and plugins that use filters within WP_Query, especially if arrays are directly compared within the code.

On another note, bbPress 2.6.13 has been released to fix an incompatibility issue with WordPress 6.8 related to database calls.

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

Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!

With the arrival of WordPress 6.8, and applied retroactively, the “compatible with exceptions” label for PHP 8 has been removed.

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

Hello, I’m Alicia Ireland, and you’re listening to WPpodcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.

In this episode, you’ll find the information from April 6th to 13th, 2025.

After releasing the third release candidate of WordPress 6.8, if everything goes according to schedule, the stable version of this new branch will be released on April 15. As previously announced, this will likely be the last major release of 2025.

This is prompting several teams to reconsider their release cycles for plugins or projects within the community. For example, Gutenberg is considering shifting from releases every two weeks to monthly releases, while Performance Lab will focus more on gathering data and preventing regressions, enhancing the plugin’s impact on future major versions.

The WordPress development team has decided to remove the “compatible with exceptions” label for PHP 8.0 and 8.1 versions, declaring that WordPress 6.3 and later now fully support them. Additionally, WordPress 6.6 and later versions are fully compatible with PHP 8.2.

This decision aims to provide greater clarity and confidence to users and hosting providers, encouraging upgrades to newer PHP versions.

The “compatible with exceptions” label has been retroactively removed from all previous versions. Moving forward, the documented support for any PHP version will transition directly from beta to compatible once established criteria are met.

By removing this label and officially documenting full support, the adoption of newer PHP versions is expected to increase. Currently, support for PHP 8.3 and 8.4 remains in beta for WordPress 6.7 and the upcoming 6.8 release.

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

Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!

WordPress 6.8 is going to be the last version for a season… at least until the arrival of 2026, suggesting an annual release cycle.

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

Hello, I’m Alicia Ireland, and you’re listening to WPpodcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.

In this episode, you’ll find the information from March 31th to April 6th, 2025.

On March 27, there was a meeting of 30 people who contribute to and manage the open source WordPress project, where it was noted that in the last 6 months, the tickets for Gutenberg and the WordPress core have been flat, although the closing work has dropped since the release of WordPress 6.7 at the end of 2024.

This led to the meeting focusing on whether the number of WordPress releases should be reduced, from the usual 3 releases per year to only 1.

The article refers to some points in favor and against this change, although in these days when there is so much noise and fake news, data verification is needed to clearly see that most of the advantages presented are not true.

Regarding the reduction of workload and coordination, it is true that a slower release pace would relieve the current pressure on contributors and teams, which is especially relevant at a time when availability and sponsored hours have decreased significantly.

As for the improvement in documentation and infrastructure, this point is realistic, since one of the current challenges is precisely the incomplete documentation and outdated infrastructure, something that a slowdown could clearly improve.

Regarding the greater automation of processes, it is plausible and logical that less pressure would allow time to be invested in automation, a need already expressed by the core team on several recent occasions. However, it must be noted that the ones who can perform these tasks are the people from Automattic who are currently not contributing to the project.

Still, the anxiety in the face of larger releases does match reality, especially for a community that has grown accustomed to small, frequent changes, where substantial modifications can raise concerns about compatibility and stability.

That allowing larger features to be included—avoiding versions that only contain fixes—is technically true, but the recent decrease in contributions, partly due to the legal conflict between Automattic and WP Engine and its side effects, could make it difficult in practice to achieve major releases due to a lack of resources.

It is mentioned that there is alignment with the pace of organizations like eBay or Airbnb, and although some large companies adopt slow cycles for quality, the context of WordPress, an open community project, is not entirely comparable to large private companies.

A main focus would be on concentrating on canonical plugins and individual components, which, while positive, does not necessarily guarantee success, as it would depend greatly on how the project is organized and on the real support each component or plugin receives in times of crisis like the current one.

Regarding the idea that fewer releases may slow down feedback—although this is theoretically true—the recent reality shows that feedback cycles are already slow due to the decrease in contributions, regardless of the release pace.

There would be a greater difficulty in justifying sponsored time and resources, which is partially false since there is already difficulty justifying sponsorships, and it is likely that this situation will worsen even more if the perception arises that the project is losing speed or relevance due to internal conflicts.

And regarding the notion that there will be less visible momentum towards the project’s goals, that is something that is already happening. The reduction in contributions and the ongoing legal battle have affected the external perception of the project, so the real problem already exists, regardless of whether a slower cycle is adopted or not.

What is the proposal?

Following the discussions, it has been decided that WordPress 6.8 will be the last major version of WordPress during 2025. Although there will be no major releases until 2026, the Gutenberg plugin will continue receiving minor updates every two weeks, as it currently does, which implies that if improvements in the editor—both for Site and Content—are desired, it will have to be installed to enhance editing.

Furthermore, minor versions of WordPress will continue to be published throughout the rest of the year, which will include small improvements and necessary fixes, while maintaining the current rule of not adding new files in these minor releases.

Regarding the official plugins, canonical plugins, maintained by the community—such as preferred languages, two-factor authentication (2FA), and performance-related plugins—allow for incorporating and updating functionalities without depending on the annual major release. Two key areas for improvement were identified: effective gathering of feedback by seeking new ways to collect more meaningful comments than the simple metric of active installations, possibly including telemetry to better understand usage and the perceived value by users, something that will need to be examined in detail as it could violate certain international regulations, such as the GDPR. This would be accompanied by better promotion and visibility of these plugins, either through posts on the official blog, mentions at important events (such as State of the Word), or better utilization of underused spaces in the admin panel, such as the “Tools” section.

Another important task, which has been discussed for many years, is the urgent need to improve the management of the enormous current backlog with more than 12,000 tickets, moving the majority of them to minor releases, regardless of the main cycle. It is also proposed to close or postpone old or irrelevant tickets using the resolution “maybelater,” something that previously generated debate regarding who decides what is important or not in the project. Thus, since a large backlog negatively affects the external perception of the project’s quality and maintainability, efforts will be made to reduce this perception through more efficient management.

In addition, various areas to be improved were mentioned to strengthen the development and maintenance of the project, such as placing greater emphasis on testing by promoting the extended use of beta and nightly versions through educational initiatives and specific collaborations with hosting providers.

Reviewing the flow between SVN/GitHub repositories is also on the table, to explore ways to simplify and optimize the current release processes for both the core and Gutenberg. This could lead to reducing the release frequency of Gutenberg plugin updates to once a month if the volume of changes continues to decrease.

Clarifying the responsibility of maintainers and giving greater autonomy to teams and components is another focus. This would involve defining clear expectations for volunteers responsible for components, motivating them to participate more consistently, and having the Release Squads act as facilitators, thereby driving greater autonomy and active participation among the project’s individual teams and components.

Regarding accessibility and other standards and regulations, it is necessary to clarify which accessibility requirements are mandatory and which additional practices are desirable but not blocking.

And finally, there is a need to involve more non-technical profiles, as several have left the community in recent months. Additional channels should be established to actively engage collaborators with profiles other than development, such as design, testing, or product.

Undoubtedly, it is an interesting and important moment for the project, while outside the official channels alternatives to the project’s governance are being prepared, now that it seems that, since the departure of the former executive leadership of the project, there is no defined roadmap.

And with the second release candidate of WordPress 6.8, and with the third still pending, the final version of this new branch of WordPress—which appears to last a few months—will be released on April 15.

And in the monthly Core summary, we can see how India and other Asian countries continue to grow in contributions to the WordPress core, while others, such as the United States, continue to decline.

On this occasion, in the final stretch of the launch of a new version, when contributions typically increase, in March the number of people who contributed has been reduced to fewer than 200 even though the number of open tickets has increased.

The Community team has announced an update that allows volunteer badges to be awarded on profiles to those who collaborate at WordCamp events. These badges aim to publicly recognize the importance of volunteer work, highlighting those who contribute to the organization of these global WordPress conferences.

Previously, only organizers and speakers received badges on their profiles, but now volunteers will also be able to display this official recognition. The badges will be assigned by the organizers of each WordCamp through the event’s dedicated website.

WordCamp Europe 2025 is approaching and the schedule is already available, which, as in previous years, will feature a first day of Contributor Day followed by two days of talks and workshops.

The specific topics of the European Union, on accessibility and cybersecurity, stand out in the schedule, which is composed of 52 speakers from 23 countries.

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

Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!

The release candidate phase of WordPress 6.8 has already begun, which includes the Field Guide, final translations, and a change in the readme.html.

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

Hello, I’m Alicia Ireland, and you’re listening to WPpodcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.

In this episode, you’ll find the information from March 24th to 30th, 2025.

WordPress 6.8 has reached its release candidate phase, and that means the 300 new strings are already available for translation, in addition to having the Field Guide document which gathers all the official documentation with the new changes of this version.

A highlighted element is the change in the readme.html file, which will include a noindex and the correction of the cafelog link, which disappears.

And several versions of BuddyPress, in branches 14.3, 12.5, and 11.4, have been released to fix two security issues that restrict mass notifications to the owner and to improve status messages.

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

Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!

The release candidates for WordPress 6.8 are approaching and all the documentation about what this version will finally include is here.

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

Hello, I’m Alicia Ireland, and you’re listening to WPpodcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.

In this episode, you’ll find the information from March 17th to 23rd, 2025.

The latest beta version of WordPress 6.8 is available while we wait for the release candidates to start coming out, which should begin by April 8.

What will WordPress 6.8 incorporate? Let’s review each of the new features:

The global styles are in the main sidebar of the Site Editor

The limited styles panel is replaced by a full one that allows granular, site-wide control over style variations, color palettes, and typography. This gives users a broader ability to customize the overall appearance of the site in WordPress 6.8.

The templates improve their show/hide functionality in a more agile way

It is now easier to toggle between editing templates and content. With the new “Show Template” switch in the dropdown menu of the top bar, it becomes easier to focus on the content by being able to hide the template structure.

The Style Book offers an organized view of colors, typography, and block styles, allowing one to preview and adjust the theme elements. In WordPress 6.8, its access is improved from the left sidebar for global editing and the patterns in classic themes have been relocated to Appearance -> Design -> Patterns, integrating all the design functionality.

The Zoom Out view allows one to apply and explore different section styles directly from the toolbar, showing the full page context. In addition, quick access is included through keyboard shortcuts and the block options menu is simplified to only four actions.

The design tools have been expanded, offering more precise controls for borders, spacing, and colors in different blocks. WordPress 6.8 incorporates improvements in blocks such as Comments, Page, RSS, among others, allowing detailed adjustments that enrich the visual customization of the content.

Regarding the blocks included in the core editor, there are also some new features:

The Buttons now have the property box-sizing: border-box; added to their style. This ensures that the total width and height include borders and padding, ensuring that the button fits correctly in its visual “frame.”

The background images in the Cover blocks now include resolution controls, which allow modifying their size for both uploaded images and featured images, offering greater control for designers and developers.

The Details block is now more flexible and easier to use. A field for name attributes has been added in the Advanced panel, which allows connecting and styling groups of Details blocks. In addition, the summary content is used as a label in list view, making its identification and reordering easier, and anchor support for direct links has been added. Developers can control the allowed blocks within it using the attribute allowedBlocks.

The Files block allows content-only editing, offering the possibility to update directly the file name text and the download button text.

Each image in the Gallery now shows multiple options for link behavior. The “Expand” option has been added in the toolbar to open all images in a lightbox effect with a single click.

The methods for manipulating images now show success notifications at the bottom of the editor, accompanied by an undo link. In addition, an option has been incorporated in the block menu to set the image as the featured image and the overlay (filter) styles have been optimized for more efficient application.

The experience of the Navigation block has been refined: now the menu names are shown in list view to facilitate orientation and a “Clear” option has been added in the color picker. Non-interactive formats and additional options from the dropdown menu of the toolbar have also been enabled.

A “Formats” filter has been added to create lists or templates based on the different post formats (image, video, etc.) of the Query Loop. For pages, options for ascending and descending order according to the page_order attribute have been added. In addition, the patterns of the Query Loop have been moved to a dropdown menu and an option to ignore sticky posts has been introduced.

The new block, Query Total, designed to be used alongside the Query Loop, shows the total number of results or the current range in paginated results, including border controls for its customization.

Designers can choose between a 

The Discord icon has been incorporated among the Social Icons and a “Clear” button has been added to reset the color options. In addition, support for content-only editing has been implemented, simplifying the insertion of URLs with a single press of the arrow key.

And in general, as improvements of the editor, we have some like the following:

An inline Reset button has been incorporated to reset block colors and global styles with one click. In addition, the shadow and duotone panels have their own reset button, which allows designers to start over without having to remove each individual setting.

In the block options menu, the Cut action has been added alongside the Copy option, facilitating the reorganization and editing of content directly from the editor.

Two commands have been added to the Command Palette:

A new pattern category called Starter Content is introduced, which groups the page designs available in the New Page modal. This allows access to these designs even if the user has disabled the initial content pop-up. In addition, the inserter always shows the complete list of available patterns.

Developers can now organize patterns into subfolders according to their function (for example, “header”, “footer”, “testimonials”, etc.), making it easier to manage and organize them within the theme.

Several improvements have been implemented in Data Views:

The Interactivity API improves the wp-each directive, making it more flexible and reliable. It now accepts any iterable value (strings, arrays, maps, sets, generator functions) and even handles null or undefined values, automatically updating when the value becomes iterable.

Work continues on the Block Hooks API to allow the dynamic insertion of blocks into the content of posts, which facilitates block extensibility even in synchronized patterns.

Among the most important updates is the change to using bcrypt for password hashing. This affects both user passwords, security keys, and application passwords, reinforcing the protection of the platform.

Integrated into the WordPress core, the speculative loading uses the Speculation Rules API to dynamically preload URLs based on user interaction. This improves performance metrics such as the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and allows developers to adjust its behavior through filters.

Optimizations have been applied in the block editor and the site editor to improve responsiveness. Among these improvements are:

WordPress 6.8 includes 26 accessibility improvements, reinforcing the user experience for people with diverse needs. A development note will be published in the Field Guide to detail these improvements starting from the release candidate.

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

Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!

With the release of the first beta versions, we’re beginning to learn about the performance improvements in this release.

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

Hello, I’m Alicia Ireland, and you’re listening to WPpodcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.

In this episode, you’ll find the information from March 10th to 16th, 2025.

The release of WordPress 6.8 is progressing, with Beta 2 now available, and Beta 3 scheduled for Tuesday, March 18, with the final release targeted for April 15.

This new version will incorporate significant internationalization improvements. The update now properly localizes PHPMailer error messages thanks to an extended, adjusted class and modifies plugin update emails to be sent in the administrator’s configured language. In addition, the “just-in-time” translation loading system is expanded to all plugins and themes, eliminating the need for manual calls to load text domains.

It also introduces an improvement in block type registration, by adding a new function that automatically registers multiple blocks based on a manifest generated during the build process. This innovation extends the functionality introduced in version 6.7 and removes the need for individual block registration calls, thereby simplifying plugin and theme development and maintenance.

Changes continue in Five for the Future with an even further reduction in contributions. This time, Newfold—a group of WordPress-licensed companies—has also reduced its contribution to 20 hours per week at Matt’s request.

This has also led to the proposal of having only one annual release, which would mean that this year WordPress 6.8 would be released, in 2026 WordPress 6.9, and at the end of 2027, coinciding with the Automattic vs. WP Engine trial, WordPress 7.0 would launch.

The Core Committers have a different vision, particularly regarding stability, security, PHP code updates, and they are calling for a much clearer roadmap, better testing systems, and an emphasis on boosting canonical plugins.

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

Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!

WordPress 6.8 will include a speculative loading feature that makes site navigation smoother for users by attempting to preload pages they are likely to visit.

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

Hello, I’m Alicia Ireland, and you’re listening to WPpodcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.

In this episode, you’ll find the information from March 3rd to 9th, 2025.

As expected, last Tuesday the first beta version of WordPress 6.8 was released, kicking off the release cycle that will conclude on April 15, 2025, with the final launch.

WordPress 6.8 beta 1 includes 370 improvements and 520 bug fixes for the editor, which cover design enhancements, Query Loop optimization, as well as 230 core tickets.

Among the most notable enhancements in this version is the introduction of the Style Book in classic themes, which will allow users to easily view colors, typography, and styles in blocks.

Another major new feature, which has been extensively documented, is support for the Speculation Browser API, better known as speculative loading. By default, a link will be preloaded when hovered over, so that if the user clicks it, the page loads much faster.

Last but not least, security is a key focus. This version is centered on bug fixes and on changing the internal user password system to use BCrypt.

As always, users are encouraged to test and verify its functionality, report any security issues, and participate in the upcoming releases, including both beta and release candidates, and, of course, the final version.

Another release is Gutenberg 20.3, which brings some noteworthy experiments, such as the ability to ignore sticky posts or a variation of the Discord icon.

Additionally, Gutenberg 20.4 has been released, which will be the final version included in WordPress 6.8.

The Support team has published an explanation about the “Spectator” role in the forums, which is assigned to brand or shared accounts—such as those used by companies or plugin owners. These accounts are not allowed to post in the forums to avoid security and liability issues, since shared usage makes it difficult to identify the person responsible for each contribution.

To participate in the forums, each plugin representative is required to use an individual account, which may be under a pseudonym, ensuring greater transparency and accountability.

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

Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!

Starting Tuesday, March 4, the first beta version of WordPress 6.8 will be available, revealing the initial details of the upcoming major release.

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

Hello, I’m Alicia Ireland, and you’re listening to WPpodcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.

In this episode, you’ll find the information from February 24th to March 2nd, 2025.

On Tuesday, March 4, WordPress 6.8 beta 1 will be released, marking the beginning of the 8-week cycle leading up to the final release.

Although no major changes are expected, there will be plenty of bug fixes—primarily in the editor—and at least 8 performance improvements.

It is also known that this version will be compatible with exceptions for PHP 8.0, 8.1, and 8.2, and that it will be beta compatible with PHP 8.3 and 8.4.

On the Developer Blog, a new article has been published that explains in general how to customize embeds in WordPress so they naturally integrate with your theme’s design. The post highlights the importance of adjusting these embedded contents to achieve a consistent and uniform appearance across the site, thereby enhancing the visual experience and user interaction.

It’s a practical guide that includes code examples and useful recommendations to adapt embeds to your needs. Additionally, it covers some best practices to ensure that the embedded content is responsive and behaves appropriately on different devices, making the integration of third-party content harmonious with your theme.

The bbPress team has announced the release of bbPress 2.6.12, a minor version that fixes two issues.

The first issue is a security vulnerability responsibly reported through WordPress’s HackerOne bounty program. This vulnerability specifically affects WordPress installations running in single-site mode, with versions greater than 5.3.0, that have “Anyone can register” enabled and are using bbPress. Although there is no active exploitation, it is recommended to update to avoid potential risks.

The second issue is a bug in the search system introduced in version 2.6.11, which affected the accuracy of search results.

WordCamp Europe 2025 has announced that Lua Salazar will be the recipient of the diversity scholarship to attend WordCamp Europe, highlighting her track record and the impact of her participation in the WordPress community.

And WordCamp Asia 2025 has established itself as a flagship event in the region, reflecting the commitment and passion of the WordPress community. The event brought together experts, developers, and enthusiasts in an atmosphere of idea exchange, innovation, and collaboration, marking a turning point for the ecosystem in Asia.

During the weekend, participants enjoyed days filled with conferences, workshops, and networking sessions, with cutting-edge sessions and debates aimed at shaping the future of technology and web development. The organization and enthusiasm of the attendees ensured the event ran smoothly and memorably, reaffirming the strength and diversity of the community.

It has been announced that WordCamp Asia 2026 will be held in Mumbai, India, which promises to further expand the reach and influence of the event. With this decision, the organizers aim to boost WordPress’s presence in the region and continue offering a dynamic platform that drives innovation and inclusion in the digital world.

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

Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!

The strategy of the Core team up to WordPress 7.0 will focus on maintaining the platform with few changes in new features, while continuing to advance the editor.

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

Hello, I’m Alicia Ireland, and you’re listening to WPpodcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.

In this episode, you’ll find the information from February 17th to 23th, 2025.

At WordCamp Asia 2025, the Core table met to emphasize the need to reorient WordPress development toward smaller, more concrete projects, with a short-term outlook and a strong focus on maintaining the system. It was agreed that instead of undertaking large, long-term initiatives, the upcoming releases—from 6.8 to 7.0 and beyond—will concentrate on targeted improvements that ensure the ecosystem’s stability and security.

This strategy aims to facilitate the implementation of gradual changes and reduce the risks associated with major updates. By focusing on smaller-scale projects, the goal is to ensure a more controlled evolution and a rapid response to technical and security challenges, such as the adoption of new algorithms for password hashing.

However, during the meeting, there was also a strong emphasis on the growing concern over the lack of active contributors to the project. The scarcity of collaborators makes it difficult to execute even small-scale projects, which could slow down the pace of updates and the resolution of critical issues. This situation underscores the urgent need to expand and energize the developer community.

The future of WordPress is shaping up with a shift in focus: moving away from large, long-term projects to adopt smaller, more specific, short-term maintenance initiatives. This new direction, while promising continuous and sustainable improvement, must be complemented by a renewed effort to attract and retain new contributors who will drive the system’s growth and innovation.

The Core team has announced that WordPress 6.8 will adopt bcrypt for password hashing, replacing the previous method with one recognized for its greater security and resilience against attacks. This update reinforces the protection of credentials by employing a more robust algorithm, ensuring that users’ login data is better safeguarded.

The implementation will be carried out gradually and in a backward-compatible manner, so that existing passwords will continue to work correctly while they are progressively updated to the new standard. This careful transition ensures that the user experience remains unaffected while improving the integrity and security of password storage.

The Plugins team has explained that a plugin author’s information in the directory is now directly linked to the public WordPress.org profile of the owner, instead of being extracted from the plugin metadata. This change ensures that the displayed name and link correspond to the identity established in the profile, offering a more accurate and consistent attribution.

With this change, all author attribution in the directory will update automatically, affecting both new and existing plugins. The modification does not prevent the inclusion of external links on plugin pages, and the possibility to list other contributors in the “Contributors and Developers” section remains.

The Training team has proposed to centralize all Learn WordPress resources in one place to avoid having materials scattered across personal platforms like Dropbox or Google Drive, which often makes it difficult to correct errors or update content. The current dispersion prevents easy modification of details such as typos or outdated content, as access to these files is restricted to the original creator.

The initiative aims to create a centralized repository where creators can upload their files, thus enabling more consistent management and the possibility to update or correct the material easily. In addition, this measure will make it easier for others to reuse the resources, providing users with more direct and coherent access to updated educational materials.

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

Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!