We have been closely following the development of WordPress 6.7 and testing the beta version of this release, which will bring some exciting updates and several new features.
For example, we have been excited to discover that this upcoming release will ship with a brand-new default theme and massive improvements to both the block editor and site editing experience.
In this article, we will walk you through the key features coming in WordPress 6.7. Each feature will help you get more out of your website-building experience.
Note: You can try out the beta version on your computer or a staging environment using the WordPress Beta Tester plugin. Remember that some features in the beta may not make it to the final release.
Here’s a quick overview of changes coming in WordPress 6.7:
- New Default Theme – Twenty Twenty-Five
- Zoom Out View for Site Editing
- Media File Improvements
- Preview Options API
- Refined Query Loop Block
- Font Library, Font Size Presets, and Fluid Typography
- Interactivity API Enhancements
- Block Library & Patterns
- Refined Data Views
- Manage Block Bindings Directly
- Under the Hood Changes in WordPress 6.7
New Default Theme – Twenty Twenty-Five
We’ve seen WordPress release a new default theme each year, and the tradition continues with Twenty Twenty-Five in WordPress 6.7.
In our experience, each default theme offers something unique, and Twenty Twenty-Five is no different. This theme is built around the philosophy that “simple things should be easy and intuitive, and complex things possible.”
From what we’ve tested, it includes a variety of pre-designed block patterns and beautiful style variations. These ready-to-use templates make it easier for users to adapt the theme to their needs without spending hours customizing everything from scratch.
One of the standout features we’ve noticed is its focus on the blog layout as the default view.
This sets Twenty Twenty-Five apart from recent default themes, which were more geared towards general business or multipurpose use.
If you’re a blogger, you’ll love how it puts your content front and center.
The theme performs exceptionally well on all devices thanks to its lightweight design and focus on accessibility. While testing, we loved how easy it was to customize the new theme. You can adjust colors, fonts, and layouts with just a few clicks, making the entire process hassle-free.
Zoom Out View for Site Editing
Like many users, we often felt that editing longer pages with multiple patterns, sections, and blocks requires too much scrolling up and down.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could zoom out to see more of your content layout?
The new zoom-out view feature in WordPress 6.7 will do just that. It allows users to edit patterns on a broader scale. Simply click the Zoom-out button in the top right toolbar.
Media File Improvements
If you’ve ever tried uploading photos directly from your iPhone, iPad, or other Apple devices, you know HEIC files can be a challenge.
One of the major updates coming with WordPress 6.7 is the support for HEIC image uploads.
Your WordPress website will automatically convert HEIC images to JPEG for better compatibility across devices and browsers.
However, this feature requires your server to install Imagick with support for HEIC files (most WordPress hosting companies already have it installed).
You can see if your website supports HEIC conversion by going to the Tools » Site Health page and switching to the ‘Info’ tab.
Scroll down to the Media Handling » ImageMagick supported file formats section and look for HEIC.
While testing, we noticed that the quality of images didn’t degrade, which is a big win for users who want to share high-quality photos.
WordPress will display the JPEG version of your image. However, if you link the image to the attachment file, your users will be able to download the original HEIC image.
Another improvement we liked is the enhanced handling of background images. You now have more control over background images at the individual block level and globally.
Finally, WordPress 6.7 continues to refine lazy loading. From our experience, this feature boosts performance by ensuring images only load when needed.
These improvements enhance media compatibility and performance. They can help you manage your content more effectively without worrying about technical constraints.
Preview Options API
The new Preview Options API allows developers to add custom preview settings in the editor. This makes it easier to see how content will look before publishing.
During our testing, we found that this API allows for smoother workflows. For example, developers can create custom preview formats tailored to specific user needs.
This is especially useful for websites with multiple layouts or environments where different views are essential for the final look.
Refined Query Loop Block
In previous versions, setting up a Query Loop required manual configuration, which could be tricky for some users.
WordPress 6.7 will allow the Query Loop block to automatically inherit queries from the template by default.
We noticed that it dramatically simplifies the process. Your posts will automatically display in both the editor and on the front end without additional setup.
Font Library, Font Size Presets, and Fluid Typography
WordPress 6.7 introduces significant improvements to the Styles interface, particularly font customization.
Users now have more control over font size presets, which makes creating and applying custom sizes throughout their sites easier.
One of the most exciting updates is the introduction of fluid typography. This feature allows text to scale dynamically, adjusting to different screen sizes.
This ensures that your text remains responsive and readable across devices, whether it’s a smartphone or a desktop.
With the new Font Library, managing fonts has also become more efficient. This saves time, especially for users managing a variety of custom fonts on their websites.
You can now group fonts by their source. The interface even allows you to activate or deactivate multiple fonts simultaneously.
Interactivity API Enhancements
WordPress 6.7 will include updates to the Interactivity API, which was first introduced in WordPress 6.5. Developers will appreciate this feature’s focus on handling asynchronous tasks.
This release makes the API more stable and efficient, helping with features like lazy loading and directive code splitting.
Users can see it in action by adding a Gallery block with a few images and linking them to ‘Expand on click’.
After that, just preview your gallery in a browser tab and click on an image.
The images that are supposed to expand will show the enlarge icon. Clicking on them will open them in a lightbox popup.
The updates improve the performance of the interactivity API. We believe that in the future, we will see more plugins and themes using the API for dynamic features.
Block Library & Patterns
WordPress 6.7 will bring several improvements to the Block Library. Here are some of the most useful changes.
1. Background Image Support for Quote and Group Block
You will now be able to add background images to both the Quote and Group blocks. This can be handy for adding more visual interest to your blog posts.
2. The Social Icons
The Add New Icon button is now more usable, and you can add borders around your social icons block.
3. The Buttons Block
You can now set a background color for the Buttons block.
4. The Image Block
Users will be able to drag and drop multiple images onto an Image block, and it will automatically convert into a Gallery block.
There are many other improvements to several blocks. Overall, WordPress 6.7 will bring consistency to block settings panels and significantly improve user experience.
Refined Data Views
WordPress 6.7 continues to refine the Data Views feature introduced in earlier releases. Data Views provides users with a powerful way to filter and manage content in the editor.
One key improvement is reordering fields directly within the Data View configuration user interface. This makes it easier for users to customize how data is displayed and managed.
We’ve also noticed improvements to bulk actions and the user interface.
For instance, the bulk actions menu has been moved to the footer, merging it with the floating toolbar and improving its overall usability.
The refined Data Views feature simplifies organizing, filtering, and acting on data, making the editor more powerful.
Manage Block Bindings Directly
The Block Binding API, introduced in WordPress 6.5, will receive a significant update in WordPress 6.7. This update will improve developers’ ability to manage custom fields and attributes within blocks.
One of the biggest changes is the new user interface (UI) that allows users to create and manage bindings directly within the block editor.
This means you no longer need to use the Code Editor to link block attributes to custom fields. Instead, users can select metadata from the new UI in block settings.
Under the Hood Changes in WordPress 6.7
WordPress 6.7 introduces a range of behind-the-scenes improvements focused on performance, stability, and new API features for developers. These changes boost the overall experience for both developers and site administrators:
- PHP 8.x Compatibility: This release includes more refinements for PHP 8.x support, removing deprecated code specific to older PHP versions and ensuring compatibility with modern PHP environments. (Core Trac: #59654)
- Template Registration API: A new API makes it easier to register templates and template parts programmatically. This removes the need for filters and simplifies how plugins handle custom templates. Learn more about the API.
- Script Loader Enhancements: Obsolete polyfills, including
wp-polyfillandregenerator-runtime, have been removed, reducing unnecessary script dependencies for modern browsers. (Core Trac: #60962).
Overall, WordPress 6.7 includes more than 500 enhancements and over 200 bug fixes for the editor and Core. Huge thanks to everyone who contributed—you all rock! 🎉
We hope this article gave you an overview of what’s coming in WordPress 6.7 and the features you’ll want to explore. We’re particularly excited about the data views and the improvements to the Block API, which will make customizing your site even easier.
While testing WordPress 6.7 beta, be sure to check out our WordPress troubleshooting guide or read our article on how to properly update WordPress.
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The post What’s Coming in WordPress 6.7 (Features and Screenshots) first appeared on WPBeginner.
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