If you have ever tried to upload an SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) file for a logo or favicon in WordPress, you may have been astonished to find that it doesn’t work. There is no core support so users rely on plugins like SVG Support (900K+ installs) or Safe SVG (600k+ installs) to upload SVG files to the…
WordPress.org hasn’t seen a redesign since 2016, when it went from sketches to prototype to live in a matter of a couple weeks. In six years, the software has undergone a metamorphosis by adopting a new block paradigm that should be reflected in its website. Contributors are now looking at giving the homepage and download page a…
In the latest episode of the WP Briefing, titled “Five for the Future’s True Intentions,” WordPress Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy responded to recent public criticism the program has attracted. She referenced a conversation she began in May where she sought to make a clear distinction between ecosystem contributions and core project contributions. More recently,…
Gutenberg 13.6 was released this week with an expansion of full-site editing features and 26 bug fixes. One of the highlights includes the addition of the pattern modal for users when they create new content within a custom post type. WordPress 6.0 introduced the ability to display patterns in a modal when a user creates…
One year ago, WordPress 5.8 introduced support for WebP, allowing users to upload and use WebP images in their content. In March 2022, the Performance Team moved to expand core support for the image format by proposing WordPress enable WebP by default. This would include generating WebP images for new JPEG uploads and using WebP images…
On Thursday Matt Mullenweg responded to an inquiry on Twitter from Jeff Matson, a Pagely employee, about whether Automattic’s Newspack platform had all open open source components or some proprietary elements. In his response, he formally identified GoDaddy as “an existential threat to WordPress’ future.” The response raised more than a few eyebrows on Twitter…
Gutenberg lead architect Matías Ventura has identified refinements to experiences introduced in 5.9 and 6.0 as the main goal for the upcoming 6.1 release. He published the roadmap for 6.1 ahead of the closing session at WordCamp Europe in Porto, where he was scheduled to join Matt Mullenweg and Josepha Haden Chomphosy for a demo.…
WordPress’ Five for the Future program, an initiative that encourages organizations to contribute five percent of their resources to WordPress development, is poised to adopt an official definition for what constitutes pledges and contributions. Two weeks ago, WordPress Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy proposed the program make a clear distinction between ecosystem contributions and core…
Today marks 19 years since 19-year old Matt Mullenweg partnered with Mike Little to release the first version of WordPress based on the b2/cafelog software. The blog where he shared his thoughts on life and tech was starting to get more traffic and he wanted to ensure its future after the b2/cafelog’s main developer disappeared.…
WordPress 6.0 “Arturo” was released today, named for Latin jazz musician and director Arturo O’Farrill, who has 15 albums to his credit. Check out the official release video for a quick overview of some of the most important changes. This release introduces sweeping improvements to the block editor and its utilities and design tools. Most…
Do you remember what it was like to use WordPress 5.0? Three years and ten major releases have radically changed the site building experience, but it’s not always easy to see recognize when focused on some of the smaller, iterative changes that slowly add up. Anne McCarthy, WordPress product liaison at Automattic and co-release coordinator…
For the first time in WordPress’ nearly 19-year history, the software’s usage stats are showing signs of declining market share. Its remarkable ascension to 43.3% market share took a turn in March 2022 and usage has slowly declined since then, according to a new WordPress market share report from Joost de Valk that references stats…
“Welcome to the Block Editor!” Once you have dismissed this notice, why does it keep coming back? For years users have complained about this and the fact that their settings in the editor do not seem to save across sessions. They have taken to the official support forums and Reddit to find out how to…
Anyone who has been watching or participating in the development of the web fonts API can attest that it has been an emotional rollercoaster. At one point, it seemed to be a shoo-in for WordPress 5.9. Then, it was punted to the next release. Sure that it was landing once again, we find ourselves looking…
I once said that full-page patterns were the missing link for block theme development. Theme authors have been able to include such layouts since the patterns feature was rolled out in WordPress 5.5 last year. However, core WordPress has never provided an experience built around them. This may be changing when WordPress 6.0 ships next…