Unveiled on August 8, 2023, WordPress 6.3 will mark the end of Phase 2 of WordPress development, significantly improving the website editor.
This update, which is still in beta, enables a more seamless design process and more efficient content management—all within a single interface that requires no coding—and features a new set of tools.
By integrating 10 versions of the Gutenberg plugin into the core, users who do not use Gutenberg will see a significant redesign of the web editor interface. These changes offer a new way to explore block themes and use the editor, thanks to improvements such as optimized navigation, distraction-free mode, block theme previews, and the introduction of a new command palette.
Don't wait any longer—check out all these new features in WordPress 6.3!
Optimizing Navigation in the Site Editor
WordPress 6.3 significantly improves navigation within the site editor, enhancing the editing experience and providing greater control. Building on the improvements introduced in version 6.2, the new update allows users to select and edit templates, pages, styles, and menus directly from the editor interface, making editing more intuitive and user-friendly.
Users can customize theme styles, rearrange navigation menus, and create and manage custom templates more efficiently—all without having to switch tools. WordPress constantly strives to reinvent itself to meet the evolving expectations of its community, making the user experience clearer and more intuitive.
Restructuring the Navigation Menus
Here is a clear and concise summary of the recently updated menus:
Navigation: This menu contains the links in your navigation block, making it easy to rearrange or delete items. However, you cannot add new links.
Styles: This feature lets you select and preview the different style variations of your theme, with shortcuts to the style book and the universal styles panel.
Pages: This menu displays all the pages on your site, including drafts. The new feature is the ability to open and edit a page directly through the site editor, without having to go through the specific page editor.
Templates: This provides access to all available templates and allows you to select them for editing. It also lets you create a new template.
Patterns: Replacing the old pattern parts menu, this menu includes both pattern parts and patterns, whether they are synchronized or not.
Revision Management: Simplified Undoing of Style Changes.
WordPress 6.3 offers an expanded revision feature for Site Editor styles, making it easier to track and undo theme changes. Simply select the style or block you want to edit, click “Revisions,” then “Revision History” to view and revert to a previous version.
The revision history, accessible in the Styles panel, displays a timeline of changes along with details about the author and date. Additional improvements to the revision history are expected in Phase 3.
A system optimized for managing block templates in the editor.
WordPress 6.3 allows for more efficient management of templates through the site editor, organized by category, including synchronized templates (changes applied to all instances) and non-synchronized templates (changes specific to a single instance).
To manage your templates, click “Manage All My Templates.” Reusable blocks are renamed “Synchronized Patterns,” and regular block patterns are renamed “Asynchronous Patterns.” You can create these patterns directly from the site or publication editor.
In addition, block patterns maintain their aspect ratio when an image is replaced, making it easier to replace images within block patterns.
Performance Improvements and Technical Advances for Developers
WordPress 6.3 offers numerous improvements focused on performance and development efficiency. The main updates include:
- The integration of deferred and asynchronous loading into the WP Script API to optimize load time,
- Improving the emoji loader to reduce the script's loading time,
- A recovery option for failed plugin and theme updates,
- The option to ignore lazy loading of images outside the loop in classic themes,
- Improved prioritization of image loading,
- The merging of the get_posts() and get_pages() functions for better data management,
- The end of support for PHP 5 to encourage the use of newer versions,
- Support for the HTML5 "async" and "defer" attributes to improve script loading performance,
- A development mode designed to streamline developers' workflows.
Changes to the cover layout: new layouts, design tools, and expanded support for colors and page layout.
WordPress 6.3, the next update, is packed with improvements and new features that make content creation easier. It also includes the addition of the Footnote and Details blocks, which simplify and enhance the editing experience.
Users will now be able to add notes directly from the toolbar, eliminating the previous time-consuming steps. The "Details" block features clickable content that reveals additional information, which is useful for various types of content, such as FAQs or product details.
The Cover module has been enhanced with several improvements, such as layout options, support for two-color filters, and greater flexibility for text.
Finally, the new "Reading Time" block and an improved Duotone filter enhance the editing experience. WordPress 6.3—an update you won't want to miss!
Securing Updates: Automatic Rollback in WordPress
The rollback feature provides additional security when updating themes and plugins on WordPress. If an update fails, it automatically restores the previous version, ensuring the site remains available.
It avoids resource-intensive processes by relying on file transfers. A backup is created in a temporary folder, which is emptied after the update. In addition, the system checks the available disk space to ensure a safe update.
The upcoming implementation for WordPress 6.4 will also affect automatic updates. It will include a check to ensure that no fatal PHP errors are introduced by a plugin update. These new features are currently being tested through the Rollback Update Failure plugin.
Integration of the New "Command Palette" in WordPress 6.3
WordPress 6.3 introduces a new quick command tool, accessible via CTRL + K (or Command + K on Mac). This tool makes it easier to access frequently used actions by listing search results such as templates, blocks, posts, and more.
With just one click on an item, you'll be taken directly to the site editor for a smoother management experience.
In addition, the command tool lets you add custom commands using the new Command Palette API. There are several types of commands you can save:
- Static commands: Developers can add them using the wp.data.dispatch(wp.commands.store).registerCommand action or the React hook wp.data.useCommand.
- Dynamic commands: These are included in the list of commands based on the search term entered by the user in the command palette's input field, or when a command is available only if certain conditions are met.
- Context-sensitive commands: These commands take precedence in specific contexts, which means they appear automatically when the appropriate context arises (for example, when you edit a template). The "Reset Template" and "Delete Template" commands are examples of context-sensitive commands.
The command tool is initially available in the site and post editors, but is expected to be expanded to the entire administration interface in the future. It is a powerful addition that offers a wide range of use cases and improves the efficiency of site navigation and management.
WordPress 6.3: A Video Overview
To wrap up the new features in WordPress 6.3
The new WordPress 6.3 release, which marks the end of Phase 2: Customization of the Gutenberg development roadmap, brings significant improvements to the editing experience, including new features in the site editor, a more flexible block template system, new blocks, improved performance, and enhancements to accessibility and internationalization.
In November 2023, the next version of WordPress will launch Phase 3: Collaboration, with the primary goal of adding advanced collaboration features to the editor.
Updating your WordPress site to the latest version is crucial not only to take advantage of the latest improvements and features, but also to fix bugs and secure the site against potential vulnerabilities.
The new features in WordPress 6.3 will offer many opportunities to improve the efficiency of site management while maintaining its level of security.
Users are encouraged to test these features in a development environment and share their feedback.
