WordPress 7.2 Roadmap: A Secrets API, Admin Re-Authentication, and the Ipsum Theme
WordPress 7.2 is set for December with a Secrets API, admin re-authentication for sensitive actions, and a new default theme called Ipsum.
WordPress Retires Year-Named Themes for a New Default Called Ipsum
WordPress.org unveiled Ipsum, a minimal blank-canvas theme set to replace year-named defaults starting with WordPress 7.2. Test it now and give feedback.
WordPress.org Now Holds Every Plugin Update for 6 Hours to Scan for Backdoors
WordPress.org now holds every plugin update for 6 hours to scan it for malware. The system already caught a backdoor in a 20,000-site plugin in July.
WordPress Narrows What Counts as a Valid Security Bug Report
WordPress narrowed what counts as a valid bug bounty report after low-severity submissions became unmanageable. Core and Gutenberg rules are unchanged.
WordPress Launches a Core Security Initiative to Keep Up With AI-Driven Bug Reports
WordPress is scaling its security team after bug reports jumped 15x, driven largely by AI-assisted research. Here's the new Core Security Initiative.
WordPress Wants to Stop Plugins From Storing Your API Keys as Plain Text
WordPress plans a Secrets API so plugins stop storing your API keys as plain text. It targets version 7.2, with the settings screen following in 7.3.
WordPress 7.1 'Mary Lou' Is Here With Responsive Styling and a Rebuilt Image Editor
WordPress 7.1 is here with responsive design controls, a persistent admin bar, and a rebuilt image editor. Update now to get the new tools.
WordPress.org Launches an Official Browser Extension for Chrome and Safari
WordPress.org released an official browser extension for Chrome and Safari that hides your admin bar, adds shortcuts, and previews pages on mobile.
WordPress 7.1 Release Candidate 1 Is Out, Final Release Still Set for August 19
WordPress 7.1 Release Candidate 1 is out, with the final release locked for August 19. Test it on a staging site before it reaches your dashboard.
WordPress 7.1 Beta 3 Drops a Feature Over Security Worries, Fixes Media Upload Bugs
WordPress 7.1 Beta 3 drops Unicode email support over security concerns and fixes 71 bugs, including GIF and HEIC upload failures before August 19.
WordPress 7.1 Turns On Infinite Scrolling in Your Media Library
WordPress 7.1 turns on infinite scrolling in the Media Library by default, replacing the Load more button. Switch it back off from your profile page.
WordPress 7.1 Beta 1 Is Out, Final Release Lands August 19
WordPress 7.1 Beta 1 is out for testers only, do not install it on a live site. The final release ships on August 19, 2026.
WordPress 7.0.1 Is Out: 31 Bug Fixes, No Action Required
WordPress 7.0.1 fixes 31 bugs in the block editor, admin UI, and media handling. Sites with auto-updates enabled will update on their own.
WordPress's First AI Leaders Cohort Just Graduated
40 students earned a new AI literacy credential by building real WordPress projects. The program shows what skilled, AI-fluent contributors look like.
Om Malik, an Early WordPress Adopter Who Helped Build Automattic, Has Died
Om Malik, one of WordPress's first users and the person who connected Matt Mullenweg to Automattic's founding team, died Wednesday at 59.
WordPress 7.1 May Give Your Site a Built-In Content Standards Hub
A merge proposal would add a Knowledge post type and Guidelines feature to WordPress 7.1, giving site owners a built-in place to store editorial rules.
The Official WordPress Swag Store Has a New Look
Mercantile, the official WordPress swag store, has been rebuilt on blocks and WooCommerce running WordPress 7.0.
WordPress 7.0 Adds AI Tools, a New Dashboard, and Better Editing Controls
WordPress 7.0 is a major release with AI tools, a refreshed dashboard, new blocks, and stronger design controls.
Issue 1: 7.0 Gets Real
WordPress 7.0 is nearly out. Burst Statistics and Avada Builder both have critical flaws to patch now. The AI plugin for WordPress hits 1.0 this week.