{"id":10345,"date":"2025-03-17T10:54:04","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T10:54:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fusionmindlabs.com\/blogs\/wp-6-8-new-features\/"},"modified":"2025-03-17T10:54:04","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T10:54:04","slug":"wp-6-8-new-features","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fusionmindlabs.com\/blogs\/wp-6-8-new-features\/","title":{"rendered":"WP 6.8: New Features"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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We are excited to share the upcoming changes in WordPress 6.8, which we have been testing recently. This new release brings several enhancements that make WordPress feel smoother, along with new features that improve its performance and customization capabilities.<\/p>\n

This release includes a major security update, featuring new password hashing using bcrypt, as well as performance improvements through speculative loading, which will significantly enhance page load times.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, there are significant enhancements to major parts of the block editor, aimed at improving the site editing experience for all users.<\/p>\n

If you’re ready to learn more about these changes and how WordPress 6.8 will enhance the overall WordPress experience, keep reading.<\/p>\n

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\u2139\ufe0fNote:<\/strong> You can try out the beta version on your computer or a staging environment<\/a> using the WordPress Beta Tester<\/a> plugin. Please note that some features in the beta may not make it to the final release.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Here’s a quick overview of the changes coming in WordPress 6.8:<\/p>\n

Speculative Loading for Improved Performance<\/h4>\n

Have you ever noticed how some websites load pages almost instantly<\/a>? This is often due to a technique called speculative loading, which will be built into WordPress 6.8, making sites feel faster.<\/p>\n

So, what is speculative loading? Imagine you’re reading a blog post and see a link that you might click next. WordPress anticipates this and starts loading that linked page in the background. Then, when you click, the page appears quickly.<\/p>\n

This is achieved using the Speculation Rules API<\/a>, which allows WordPress to set rules for which links to load ahead of time. For example, if you hover over a link, WordPress takes that as a hint and begins preloading the page.<\/p>\n

Developers can customize this behavior by adjusting which links get preloaded and how early the process starts.<\/p>\n

Style Book Accessibility in Classic Themes \ud83c\udfa8<\/h4>\n

We love how designing in WordPress has become more intuitive with the introduction of the Style Book, initially available for block themes<\/a>. WordPress 6.8 will extend this feature to classic themes as well.<\/p>\n

The Style Book offers a comprehensive overview of your site’s design elements, including colors, typography<\/a>, and block styles. It’s like having a style guide built directly into your WordPress dashboard.<\/p>\n

For classic themes that support it, you will be able to find the Style Book by going to Appearance \u00bb Design \u00bb Styles<\/strong>. This centralized location makes it easier to manage and preview design changes.<\/p>\n

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Additionally, site patterns will be relocated to Appearance \u00bb Design \u00bb Patterns<\/strong>, bringing all design-related settings into one place and making the customization process much easier.<\/p>\n

The Style Book enhances the editing experience by providing a clear and organized layout of your site’s design components, making it easier to maintain a cohesive look and feel.<\/p>\n

Enhanced Design and Editing Tools \ud83d\udd8c\ufe0f<\/h4>\n

WordPress 6.8 will bring several updates that make designing and editing easier in WordPress, from better global styling options to improved block controls.<\/p>\n

Global Styles Panel in Site Editor Sidebar<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Styles panel in the full site editor<\/a> will now offer more control over global design settings, making site-wide changes simpler.<\/p>\n

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Set Image Blocks as Featured Images<\/strong><\/p>\n

WordPress 6.8 will let you set any image block as the featured image<\/a> with just one click, removing extra steps and making featured images easier to manage.<\/p>\n

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Section Styles Selector in Toolbar<\/strong><\/p>\n

A new toolbar option will let users quickly switch between different section styles in zoom-out mode, making it easier to experiment with layouts without digging through menus.<\/p>\n

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Success Notices for Image Editing with Undo Link<\/strong><\/p>\n

After editing an image, WordPress will now show a success message with an Undo button, helping users quickly revert changes if needed.<\/p>\n

\"Success\"Success<\/figure>\n

Introducing the Query Total Block<\/strong><\/p>\n

This new block will let users display the total number of posts in a query loop, which is helpful for showing how many articles match a category or search.<\/p>\n

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Easily Set a Page as the Posts Page<\/strong><\/p>\n

Previously, you were only able to set a page as the homepage<\/a> in the site editor. Now, a new option in the page list view will let users assign any page as their blog posts page<\/a>, making site setup faster and more flexible.<\/p>\n

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Refinements to the Query Loop Block \u267e\ufe0f<\/h4>\n

The Query Loop block is a powerful tool for dynamically displaying posts. In WordPress 6.8, it will receive an important improvement that gives users more control over their post listings.<\/p>\n

Option to Ignore Sticky Posts<\/strong><\/p>\n

By default, sticky posts<\/a> always appear at the top of a Query Loop. This can be useful, but sometimes you want to display posts strictly by date or category.<\/p>\n

WordPress 6.8 introduces a new setting that lets users ignore sticky posts<\/strong> when setting up a Query Loop, giving you more flexibility when designing post layouts.<\/p>\n

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If you’ve ever struggled with sticky posts disrupting your post order, this update will make it easier to control.<\/p>\n

Improved Data Views<\/h4>\n

WordPress 6.8 brings enhancements to Data Views, making content management more intuitive and efficient.<\/p>\n

Unified Layout Behavior<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Data Views will now offer consistent layouts across different views. For instance, you can now set it to show content previews in data views for pages.<\/p>\n

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Density Options in Table Layouts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Users will be able to adjust the density of table layouts in Data Views, allowing for more control over how information is displayed.<\/p>\n

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Security Enhancements<\/h4>\n

WordPress 6.8 will introduce a major upgrade to password security, making websites more resistant to attacks.<\/p>\n

Transition to bcrypt for Password Hashing<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before this update, WordPress stored passwords using the Portable PHP Password Hashing Framework (phpass), which is now considered weak against modern attacks.<\/p>\n

With WordPress 6.8, bcrypt will be the default algorithm for password hashing, providing stronger security.<\/p>\n

\u2139\ufe0fNote:<\/strong> This change will automatically apply itself, and users don’t need to take any action. However, you may also wish to see our complete WordPress security guide<\/a> to further strengthen your website.<\/p>\n

Under the Hood Changes in WordPress 6.8<\/h4>\n

WordPress 6.8 also includes several behind-the-scenes updates to improve performance and make WordPress more accessible:<\/p>\n