Bug Scrub Schedule for WordPress 6.9

It’s time to get WordPress 6.9 ready for release, and help is needed to ensure it’s smooth and bugbug A bug is an error or unexpected result. Performance improvements, code optimization, and are considered enhancements, not defects. After feature freeze, only bugs are dealt with, with regressions (adverse changes from the previous version) being the highest priority.-free. Whether you’re an experienced contributor or joining in for the first time, everyone is welcome! 🎉

Schedule Overview

Regular bug scrubs are being held twice a week with @wildworks and @welcher leading them in their individual timezones. The goal is to cover as many timezones as possible to encourage as many contributors as possible to participate in the 6.9 release. As the release date approaches and activity ramps up, the number of scrubs may be increased if necessary. These efforts will help ensure everything is on track for a smooth launch. Participation is welcome at any of these sessions, so feel free to join. Bring questions, ideas, and let’s scrub some bugs together!

Continue reading

#6-9, #bug-scrub, #core, #core-test, #props

WordPress 6.9 Release Party Schedule

This post aims to prepare a calendar with the expected start time for each release party and who is involved in the upcoming 6.9 milestone.

The release party schedule will remain unchanged during the Release Candidaterelease candidate One of the final stages in the version release cycle, this version signals the potential to be a final release to the public. Also see alpha (beta). phase and for the final release of WordPress 6.9. This allows contributors to attend and assist with release testing during the final weeks of the release cycle.

As always, there may be last-minute adjustments. The release squad will do its best to communicate any changes promptly.

Join us for the 6.9 release parties in the #core channel on the Making WordPress Slack!

Release Schedule

Date (UTC)MilestoneEmcee / Release LeadRelease Lead The community member ultimately responsible for the Release.Committercommitter A developer with commit access. WordPress has five lead developers and four permanent core developers with commit access. Additionally, the project usually has a few guest or component committers - a developer receiving commit access, generally for a single release cycle (sometimes renewed) and/or for a specific component.SecurityMission Control (Coordination)Communications
October 21, 2025 at 15:00 UTCBetaBeta A pre-release of software that is given out to a large group of users to trial under real conditions. Beta versions have gone through alpha testing in-house and are generally fairly close in look, feel and function to the final product; however, design changes often occur as part of the process. 1@akshayar@ellatrix@davidbaumwald@davidbaumwald
@akshayar
October 28, 2025 at 15:00 UTCBeta 2@akshayar@ellatrix@davidbaumwald@davidbaumwald
@akshayar
November 4, 2025 at 15:00 UTCBeta 3@amykamala@ellatrix@davidbaumwald@davidbaumwald
@amykamala
November 11, 2025 at 15:00 UTCRCrelease candidate One of the final stages in the version release cycle, this version signals the potential to be a final release to the public. Also see alpha (beta). 1@amykamala@ellatrix@davidbaumwald@davidbaumwald
@amykamala
November 18, 2025 at 15:00 UTCRC 2@akshayar@ellatrix@davidbaumwald@davidbaumwald@akshayar
November 25, 2025 at 15:00 UTCRC 3@amykamala@ellatrix@davidbaumwald@davidbaumwald
@amykamala
December 1, 2025 at 15:00 UTCDry Run / 24-Hour Code Freeze@akshayar & @amykamala@ellatrix@davidbaumwald@davidbaumwald@akshayar & @amykamala
December 2, 2025 at 15:00 UTCGeneral Release@akshayar & @amykamala@ellatrix@davidbaumwald@davidbaumwald
@akshayar & @amykamala

How to Join the Party

  • All parties happen in the #core channel on Slack.
  • Everyone is welcome! First-timers, veteran contributors, and all those curious about the process are invited.

You can check for detailed instructions on how to contribute to the release party.

Thank you to every contributor and community member helping make 6.9 a success. See you at the parties!

Props @jeffpaul for proofreading and peer review.

#6-9, #release

X-post: A Month in Core – September 2025

X-comment from +make.wordpress.org/updates: Comment on A Month in Core – September 2025

Summary, Dev Chat, October 8, 2025

Start of the meeting in SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/., facilitated by @audrasjb. 🔗 Agenda post.

Forthcoming releases 🚀

WordPress 6.9 Timeline

WordPress 6.9 is planned for December 2, 2025, with BetaBeta A pre-release of software that is given out to a large group of users to trial under real conditions. Beta versions have gone through alpha testing in-house and are generally fairly close in look, feel and function to the final product; however, design changes often occur as part of the process. 1 beginning October 21.

Bug Scrub Schedule

Regular scrubs are already underway, led by @wildworks and @welcher across time zones.
Full details are in the Bug Scrub Schedule for WordPress 6.9.

Call for Testing 

The Test Team invites testing and feedback on the following upcoming blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. editor features:

Discussion 💬

GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/ subprojects status update

@krupajnanda asked for an update on several Gutenberg subprojects, and @youknowriad provided some useful info about their status:

  • Stretchy Type Block: Already merged. See PR 71904.
  • “Simplified Site Editing” experiment / “content-only patterns” features: They are the same thing with different approach. The latter (content-only patterns) is the most promising approach and is close to land but it is not 100% sure it will be ready for 6.9.

WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. Learn more. Verona’s contributor dayContributor Day Contributor Days are standalone days, frequently held before or after WordCamps but they can also happen at any time. They are events where people get together to work on various areas of https://make.wordpress.org/ There are many teams that people can participate in, each with a different focus. https://2017.us.wordcamp.org/contributor-day/ https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/.

@realloc mentioned that he will lead the CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. table at WordCamp Verona’s contributor day, and asked if there was any specific focus to help during the day. @audrasjb provided a link to the 19 tickets waiting for proper testing in milestone 6.9.

Improving error handling (wp_die() replacements)

@callumbw95 opened ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. #64009, which proposes reviewing and updating existing wp_die() calls that currently result in 500 errors. The goal is to establish a more consistent approach to error handling and reduce unnecessary error entries in logs.

@westonruter agreed on the approach: “Since WordPress has always been about semantic markup, it makes sense that it use semantic HTTPHTTP HTTP is an acronym for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. HTTP is the underlying protocol used by the World Wide Web and this protocol defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and what actions Web servers and browsers should take in response to various commands. status codes as well. In the same way we don’t use <div> for everything, wp_die() shouldn’t use 500 for everything”.

@callumbw95 added that “the added benefit is that the debug logs will reduce in size as there are a lot of errors that can be resolved client side (401, 403, etc) that don’t need to sit in the error logs”.

@johnparis is in the process of reviewing/testing the PR with all the AJAX changes to make sure client side JSJS JavaScript, a web scripting language typically executed in the browser. Often used for advanced user interfaces and behaviors. isn’t impacted.

Open Floor 🎙️

Template Output Buffering

Ticket #43258 (PR#8412) suggests adding a standardized output buffering layer in Core. This could unify caching and optimization flows and reduce pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party conflicts. The risk is considered low, though there are concerns about potential effects on TTFB and plugin behavior. Clear documentation and testing will be needed.

@westonruter asked for feedback: “If anyone has input regarding standardizing template output buffering for the sake of optimization or caching, or if anyone has experience with streaming the HTMLHTML HyperText Markup Language. The semantic scripting language primarily used for outputting content in web browsers. for templates specifically without output buffering, I’d appreciate your feedback on that thread, or the ticket #43258, or the PR“.

#6-9, #core, #dev-chat

What’s new in Gutenberg 21.8? (8 October)

“What’s new in GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/…” posts (labeled with the #gutenberg-new tag) are posted following every Gutenberg release on a biweekly basis, showcasing new features included in each release. As a reminder, here’s an overview of different ways to keep up with Gutenberg and the Editor.

What’s New In
Gutenberg 21.8?

Gutenberg 21.8 has been released and is available for download!

This version introduces BlockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. Visibility controls, along with several improvements to Block Comments, Accordion, and Time To Read blocks.

  1. Block Visibility Control Support and UI
  2. Block Comments Improvements
  3. Accordion and Time To Read Blocks
  4. Changelog

Block Visibility Control Support and UIUI User interface

A new visibility control feature has landed!
You can now hide blocks directly in the editor when they won’t be displayed on the frontend. This marks the first UI for Block Visibility, paving the way for more granular design control in future releases.

Block Comments Improvements

Block Comments received another round of enhancements:

  • Better messaging when no related block exists
  • Visual highlighting of the referenced block
  • Improved comment thread outline and UI polish
  • Simplified code and better performance

Accordion and Time To Read Blocks

Both of these blocks have been refined for a smoother experience:

  • Time To Read: now includes range and word count options, plus migrationMigration Moving the code, database and media files for a website site from one server to another. Most typically done when changing hosting companies. support for older blocks.
  • Accordion: improved structure, naming, and accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility).

Changelog

Features

Block Editor

  • Section block multi-selection: Disable transforms and inspector controls. (71708)

Enhancements

Block Comments

  • Improve comments panel close icon label. (71701)
  • Add Discussion Field with tracksback and comment status agreagetd on Post/Page Quick Edit. (71949)
  • Fields package: Add Storybook examples. (71864)
  • Block Comment: Display message when there is no related block. (71968)
  • Block Comment: Improve comment thread outline. (71961)
  • Block Comment: Improve related block highlighting. (71932)
  • Block Commenting: Add block-comments as a new post type support. (71682)
  • Block Commenting: Change date format depending on comment date. (71835)
  • Block Commenting: Show date or human-readable time diff code. (71667)
  • Block Comments: Apply border color to avatarAvatar An avatar is an image or illustration that specifically refers to a character that represents an online user. It’s usually a square box that appears next to the user’s name.. (71917)
  • Block Comments: Highlight the related block. (71308)
  • Block Comments: Match the comment form UI to the design. (71898)
  • Block Comments: Match the show more replies button UI to the design. (71884)
  • Block Comments: Simplify action callbacks. (71892)
  • Block Comments: Update ‘Actions’ menu design. (71877)
  • Block Comments: Update editing flow. (71889)

Block Library

  • Accordion Blocks: Organize block supports. (71823)
  • Accordion HeaderHeader The header of your site is typically the first thing people will experience. The masthead or header art located across the top of your page is part of the look and feel of your website. It can influence a visitor’s opinion about your content and you/ your organization’s brand. It may also look different on different screen sizes.: Add content role to title attribute. (71762)
  • Accordion Header: Remove textAlignment and textAlign. (71875)
  • Accordion Header: Use withoutInteractiveFormatting instead of hardcoded formats. (71745)
  • Accordion: Add example block preview. (71365)
  • Accordion: Rename block names. (71978)
  • Add paragraph level option to post type label block. (71947)
  • Enhance Term Description Block with Context Support. (71525)
  • Terms Query inspector controls revamp + add subterms option. (71633)
  • Time To Read: Add a range option. (71606)
  • Time To Read: Add a word count option. (71841)
  • Time To Read: Make display as range the default, and allow older blocks to migrate to this setting. (71842)
  • Time to Read: Replace toggles with block variations. (71897)

DataViews

  • Add number field. (71797)
  • Add support for elements validation in DataForm’s array fields. (71194)
  • Export DataViewsPicker from dataviews package. (71836)
  • Prevent hiding the last visible field. (71625)
  • DataViews: Expose FiltersToggled subcomponent. (71907)

Block Editor

  • Add configurable timeout parameter to flashBlock. (71752)
  • Link Control: Update button text from Save to Apply. (72005)

Global Styles

  • Add reset button to BackgroundControlsPanel. (71928)
  • Site Editor: Make less prominent Addtional CSSCSS Cascading Style Sheets. UI. (71550)

Block bindings

  • Communicate supported block attributes from server side. (71820)
  • Image block: Conditionally remove empty <figcaption>. (71893)
  • Navigation Link: Use block bindings to dynamically fetch the URLURL A specific web address of a website or web page on the Internet, such as a website’s URL www.wordpress.org in the editor and on front end. (71630)

Write mode

  • Try adding content roles to navigation blocks. (71747)

Components

  • Textarea Component: Add default resize vertical rule. (71736)

Post Editor

  • PostTypeSupportCheck: Handle support keys sub-features. (71723)
  • Post Editor: Add the back button animation similar to the site editor. (71929)

Patterns

  • Block Inspector: Add content tab for section blocks. (71714)

Icons

Interactivity APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways.

  • iAPI Router: Update router regions inside elements with data-wp-interactive. (71635)

MetaMeta Meta is a term that refers to the inside workings of a group. For us, this is the team that works on internal WordPress sites like WordCamp Central and Make WordPress. Boxes

  • Add ability to toggle meta box pane open and closed. (71623)

New APIs

Block API

  • Add block visibility control support and UI. (71203)

Bug Fixes

  • Add decodeEntities for CollabSideBarContent errors. (71909)
  • Block Comment: Make blockCommentId as part of the metadata. (71921)
  • Block Commenting: Don’t show unpinnable sidebarSidebar A sidebar in WordPress is referred to a widget-ready area used by WordPress themes to display information that is not a part of the main content. It is not always a vertical column on the side. It can be a horizontal rectangle below or above the content area, footer, header, or any where in the theme. on mobile viewports. (71834)
  • Block Comments: Fix canceling the form for a selected block. (71862)
  • Block Comments: Fix translationtranslation The process (or result) of changing text, words, and display formatting to support another language. Also see localization, internationalization. comments to say participants in toolbar indicator. (71890)
  • Consistently show (no title) as a fallback for pages and templates with empty titles. (71945)
  • FilterFilter Filters are one of the two types of Hooks https://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API/Hooks. They provide a way for functions to modify data of other functions. They are the counterpart to Actions. Unlike Actions, filters are meant to work in an isolated manner, and should never have side effects such as affecting global variables and output. comment clause based on current query. (71712)
  • Fix comment counts with filter. (71874)
  • Template activation: Don’t set site option on edit. (71811)
  • Template activation: Fix saveEntityRecord with theme ID. (71798)
  • Template activation: redirect theme templates urls to wp_registered_template (72003
  • Template activation: add meta to all newly created templates (72156
  • Template activation: reduce templates listed as options for post/page (72141
  • Template activation: call get_block_templates filter when short-circuiting (71840
  • Template activation: allow empty array to be set (72011
  • Template activation: fix /lookup endpoint to use custom resolve function (72049
  • Template activation: ignore templates not associated with active theme (72029

Block Library

  • Accordion Block: Hide “Add” button when multiple blocks are selected. (71750)
  • Accordion Header: Fix toggle icon position in the editor. (71859)
  • Accordion Header: Skip serialization correctly. (71804)
  • Accordion Panel: Add role=region. (71902)
  • Accordion Panel: Fixes block visibility when the panel is collapsed. (71866)
  • Fix Navigation Block default link consistency across all insertion methods. (71899)
  • Fix accordion gradient background. (71802)
  • Fixes Accordion block width issue when applying padding. (71809)
  • Post Author Block: Add default avatar fallback for editor display outside postId context. (71775)
  • Table of Contents: Add aria label to the nav element. (71586)
  • Terms Query: Fix console errors. (71795)
  • Time to Read: Change word count character based on word count type. (71920)
  • fix: Hide accordion icon position setting when show icon is disabled. (71748)

Patterns

  • Fix incorrect block editing mode assigned in some cases. (71970)
  • contentOnly unsynced patterns experiment: Ensure a tab is selected when clicking Edit contents. (71987)

DataViews

  • DataViewsPicker Grid layout: Support hiding the title. (71865)
  • Fix: Exclude non-hideable fields from the Properties list in the view configuration. (71729)

Site Editor

  • Fix creating templates for posts with long slugs. (71838)
  • Fix the PHPPHP The web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher warning for the URL query. (71753)

Write mode

  • Accordion Block: Hide Add button in write mode. (71941)

Interactivity API

  • iAPI: Fix nested data-wp-each directives using the same items key. (71870)

Block bindings

  • Fix pattern override bugbug A bug is an error or unexpected result. Performance improvements, code optimization, and are considered enhancements, not defects. After feature freeze, only bugs are dealt with, with regressions (adverse changes from the previous version) being the highest priority., editing was allowed on non enabled overrides blocks. (71813)

Components

  • Button: Fix incorrect padding with text and right icon. (71464)

Accessibility

  • Block Comments: Improve input labels. (71843)
  • Block Comments: Make comment thread focusable and improve keyboard navigation. (71883)

Block Library

  • Accordion Block: Add additional keypress handlers for navigation. (71786)
  • Accordion: Remove label from Add button. (71756)
  • Added default focus and hover states to accordion header. (71937)
  • Fix: Add aria-hidden to accordion toggle icon. (71783)
  • Update: Accordion heading level synchronization. (71895)

Performance

  • Block Comments: New ‘useBlockComments’ hook and perf improvements. (71869)

Experiments

Block API

  • Allow registering PHP-only blocks. (71794)

Documentation

  • DataForm: Update visibility example in storybook. (71771)
  • Docs: Use gutenberg instead of Gutenberg in package name. (71790)
  • Fix examples with elements in field type story. (71971)
  • Update validation story to cover number field type. (71980)

Code Quality

  • Backportbackport A port is when code from one branch (or trunk) is merged into another branch or trunk. Some changes in WordPress point releases are the result of backporting code from trunk to the release branch. changelog: Update for 9702 (to 9949). (71849)
  • Block Comments: Unfold custom styles. (71766)
  • Create an AGENTS.md file. (71796)
  • JSONJSON JSON, or JavaScript Object Notation, is a minimal, readable format for structuring data. It is used primarily to transmit data between a server and web application, as an alternative to XML. Schema: Update block.json apiVersion to 3. (71852)
  • Refactor block-inspector: Improve maintainability and readability. (71608)

Block Library

  • Accordion Block: Simplify script module enqueueing. (71742)
  • Accordion Blocks: Standardize CSS class names. (71785)
  • Accordion Header: Don’t use flex-direction:Reverse. (71737)
  • Accordion Header: Remove hardcoded inline styles and unused CSS class. (71731)
  • Comments: Fix potential PHP warning. (71860)
  • Extract shared Controls component for Navigation Link and Submenu blocks. (71994)
  • Navigation Block: Use path for all navigation toogle icons. (71829)
  • Post Date: Combine ‘coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.-data’ store selectors. (71846)
  • Social Icon: Removed extra spaces in color styles. (71900)
  • Time to Read: Simplify edit function. (71965)

Block Variations

  • Group block: Simplify variations’ isActive fields. (63100)

Tools

Testing

  • Block Comments: Add general end-to-end test coverage. (71844)

First-time contributors

The following PRs were merged by first-time contributors:

  • @Drivingralle: Navigation Block: Use path for all navigation toogle icons. (71829)
  • @epeicher: Button: Fix incorrect padding with text and right icon. (71464)
  • @ritoban23: Accordion Blocks: Organize block supports. (71823)
  • @theaminuli: Post Author Block: Add default avatar fallback for editor display outside postId context. (71775)
  • @Utsav-Ladani: Add paragraph level option to post type label block. (71947)

Contributors

The following contributors merged PRs in this release:

@aaronrobertshaw @adamsilverstein @Adi-ty @andrewserong @cbravobernal @DAreRodz @dinhtungdu @Drivingralle @elazzabi @ellatrix @epeicher @getdave @himanshupathak95 @jorgefilipecosta @jsnajdr @juanfra @karthick-murugan @kmanijak @levinbaria @MaggieCabrera @Mamaduka @mikachan @n2erjo00 @nani-samireddy @nerrad @ntsekouras @oandregal @ockham @peterwilsoncc @priethor @R1shabh-Gupta @ramonjd @ritoban23 @scruffian @shail-mehta @shimotmk @sirreal @stokesman @sunyatasattva @t-hamano @talldan @tellthemachines @theaminuli @theminaldiwan @Utsav-Ladani @yashjawale @youknowriad

Props @krupajnanda and @mosescursor for peer review.

#block-editor, #core-editor, #gutenberg, #gutenberg-new

Performance Chat Summary: 7 October 2025

The full chat log is available beginning here on Slack.

WordPress Performance TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress. tickets

  • @westonruter mentioned ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. #63636 related to BFCache was punted due to an unresolved Chromium bugbug A bug is an error or unexpected result. Performance improvements, code optimization, and are considered enhancements, not defects. After feature freeze, only bugs are dealt with, with regressions (adverse changes from the previous version) being the highest priority. around Clear-Site-Data: "cache" headers.
  • @westonruter identified ticket #43258 on output buffering as the current biggest blockerblocker A bug which is so severe that it blocks a release.. He explained that while there’s been significant discussion both on the PR #8412 and in Slack, the debate centers around the trade-offs between enabling full-page buffering (to allow post-render optimization) versus keeping the door open for streaming, which could improve initial load performance. He provided further context on how classic themes already stream via procedural rendering, while blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. themes generally do not.
    • @westonruter noted that while streaming isn’t widely adopted in WordPress today, it could become valuable in the future, and care should be taken not to block its evolution. He also shared a WPDirectory search of flush() usage across coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress., noting they appear mostly in adminadmin (and super admin) and XML-RPC contexts rather than template rendering.
    • @westonruter asked if anyone has insights into this area and can contribute thoughts on how we can bridge these two perspectives, allowing for a default output buffer while also enabling streaming if the application wants it. He’d be most thankful.
  • @b1ink0 brought up PR #9867 related to footer script module support and noted that @jonsurrell had provided thoughts around dependency handling.

Performance Lab PluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party (and other performance plugins)

  • @westonruter mentioned new guidance on AI-generated contributions now available in the Performance repo, including a new AGENTS.md file and updated PR template instructions with PR #2193. He explained that this was prompted by a recent increase in AI-assisted PRs, some of which indicated the AI’s output wasn’t being carefully reviewed by the contributor.

Open Floor

  • @westonruter introduced Trac ticket #64066, proposing that WordPress default to moderate eagerness for Speculative Loading, when caching is detected. He noted the idea could provide a performance boost in WordPress 7.0 by improving preload efficiency on cached sites, but also acknowledged the need to weigh sustainability concerns around increased server load.
    • @mukesh27 asked whether a second opinion was needed, and whether any Google team members had provided feedback.
    • @westonruter replied that he had received positive input from Google, though their priorities don’t always align with those of hosts and site owners. He noted that moderate eagerness can increase bandwidth usage due to unnecessary preloads and may lead to added hosting costs.
    • @gilbertococchi shared his thoughts, emphasizing that moderate eagerness could be significantly more impactful than conservative loading, especially with Chrome’s recent introduction of a Viewport Heuristic, but stressed the importance of safeguards like persistent object caching to mitigate server load.
    • @mukesh27 summarized that @gilbertococchi was supportive of the proposal and encouraged moving the ticket into the 6.9 milestone for visibility.
    • @westonruter clarified that while he wasn’t necessarily aiming for inclusion in 6.9, he agreed to milestone the ticket for tracking purposes, with the understanding that it may still be punted.

Our next chat will be held on Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 15:00 UTC in the #core-performance channel in Slack.

#core-performance, #hosting, #performance, #performance-chat, #summary

Dev Blog editorial meeting summary, October 2, 2025

Summary of the WordPress Developer Blogblog (versus network, site) meeting, which took place in the  #core-dev-blog channel on the Make WordPress SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/.. Start of the meeting on Slack

Summary from last meeting on September 4, 2025 – props to @webcommsat

Site updates and new posts

New posts

@webcommsat: the What’s New for Developers series is a very useful tool and how we are using tags, making it easier to find the information.

Movements on some articles in progress

shout-out to @davidperez who is about to publish his first blog post next week, @magdalenapaciorek who will push her long-simmering article over the finish line 

There are two approved articles that still need a writer:

If you know someone who might be a good fit, let @bph know, and we can onboard them quickly. @bph has been doing outreach to previous writers and those who have open issues.

New topic ideas

The next three are for a new topic categoryCategory The 'category' taxonomy lets you group posts / content together that share a common bond. Categories are pre-defined and broad ranging. on the Developer Blog—Artificial Intelligence and WordPress coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.. This will feature some areas from the new AI core team.

@webcommsat highlighted as a potential to add to the list of useful posts for meetups.

@psykro – personal plan is to get the Abilities post published close to the 6.9 release, the MCP adapter post soon after, and then follow up with the PHPPHP The web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher AI SDK post. The aim is to try to build something that ties all three together so they can be read as a three-part series or individually. The proposal by @juanmaguitar for templates was suggested to be used as an example.

The new content items approved and @bph will create the issues later next week and assign them to writers.

It was agreed that WordPress 6.9 had some great feature in store for developers

Next meeting

The next Developer Blog editorial group meeting will be on November 2, 2025, at 15:00 UTC in the #core-dev-blog channel.

Props to @bph for reviewing the notes.

#dev-blog, #summary

Dev Chat Agenda – October 8, 2025

The next WordPress Developers Chat will take place on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at 15:00 UTC in the core channel on Make WordPress Slack.

The live meeting will focus on the discussion for upcoming releases, and have an open floor section.

The various curated agenda sections below refer to additional items. If you have ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. requests for help, please continue to post details in the comments section at the end of this agenda or bring them up during the dev chat.

Announcements 📢

Call for Testing

The Test Team invites testing and feedback on two upcoming blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. editor features:

The linked posts include detailed instructions on how to test, how the features behave in the editor, and how to report any issues.

Forthcoming releases 🚀

WordPress 6.9 Timeline

WordPress 6.9 is planned for December 2, 2025, with BetaBeta A pre-release of software that is given out to a large group of users to trial under real conditions. Beta versions have gone through alpha testing in-house and are generally fairly close in look, feel and function to the final product; however, design changes often occur as part of the process. 1 beginning October 21.

Bug Scrub Schedule

Regular scrubs are already underway, led by @wildworks and @welcher across time zones.
Full details are in the Bug Scrub Schedule for WordPress 6.9.

Discussions 💬

The discussion section of the agenda is for discussing important topics affecting the upcoming release or larger initiatives that impact the CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. Team. To nominate a topic for discussion, please leave a comment on this agenda with a summary of the topic, any relevant links that will help people get context for the discussion, and what kind of feedback you are looking for from others participating in the discussion.

Improving error handling (wp_die() replacements)

@callumbw95 opened ticket #64009, which proposes reviewing and updating existing wp_die() calls that currently result in 500 errors. The goal is to establish a more consistent approach to error handling and reduce unnecessary error entries in logs.

Open floor  🎙️

Any topic can be raised for discussion in the comments, as well as requests for assistance on tickets. Tickets in the milestone for the next major or maintenance release will be prioritized.

Please include details of tickets / PRs and the links in the comments, and indicate whether you intend to be available during the meeting for discussion or will be async.

#6-9, #agenda, #core, #dev-chat

X-post: Call for Testing: Accordion Block

X-comment from +make.wordpress.org/test: Comment on Call for Testing: Accordion Block

X-post: Call for Testing: Ability to Hide Blocks

X-comment from +make.wordpress.org/test: Comment on Call for Testing: Ability to Hide Blocks

Summary, Dev Chat, October 1, 2025

Start of the meeting in SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/., facilitated by @benjamin_zekavica. 🔗 Agenda post.

Announcements 📢

WordPress 6.8.3 is now available!

This is a security release that includes two fixes. We strongly recommend updating your sites immediately. For more details, you can find the information here.

What’s new in GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/ 21.7? 

Gutenberg 21.7 is now available. The release post provides a full overview of the changes and enhancements. 

Forthcoming releases 🚀

WordPress 6.9 Timeline

WordPress 6.9 is planned for December 2, 2025, with BetaBeta A pre-release of software that is given out to a large group of users to trial under real conditions. Beta versions have gone through alpha testing in-house and are generally fairly close in look, feel and function to the final product; however, design changes often occur as part of the process. 1 beginning October 21.

Bug Scrub Schedule

Regular scrubs are already underway, led by @wildworks and @welcher across time zones.
Full details are in the Bug Scrub Schedule for WordPress 6.9.

Discussion 💬

Editorial Comments

The team discussed how editorial (pre-publishing) comments should appear in the adminadmin (and super admin). Ideas included labels in the posts list, filters for unresolved feedback, or views by post type. Concerns were raised about mixing these with public comments. Naming suggestions included “Editorial Comments,” “Notes,” or “Discussions.”

CSSCSS Cascading Style Sheets. Class Names

PR #10043 proposes separating the handling of CSS class names from the class attribute. This would make iteration cleaner, avoid explode() logic, and handle duplicates or unusual spacing more reliably.

Refactor of wp_kses_hair()

Ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. #63724 explores normalizing attribute values (for example decoding entities) to better align with browsers and the HTMLHTML HyperText Markup Language. The semantic scripting language primarily used for outputting content in web browsers. spec. This could simplify edge cases but may raise backward compatibility concerns.

wp_html_split()

PR #9270 aims to improve how shortcodes are parsed when $ignore_html = true. The discussion centered on whether CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. should follow the HTML spec or keep legacy behavior.

Template Output Buffering

Ticket #43258 (PR#8412) suggests adding a standardized output buffering layer in Core. This could unify caching and optimization flows and reduce pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party conflicts. The risk is considered low, though there are concerns about potential effects on TTFB and plugin behavior. Clear documentation and testing will be needed.

Open Floor 🎙️

@coryhughart raised the nesting and inheritance issue for the experimental Terms Query blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience.. The proposed change introduces a fundamental shift in how the block handles queries, aligning it more closely with the Query LoopLoop The Loop is PHP code used by WordPress to display posts. Using The Loop, WordPress processes each post to be displayed on the current page, and formats it according to how it matches specified criteria within The Loop tags. Any HTML or PHP code in the Loop will be processed on each post. https://codex.wordpress.org/The_Loop. while remaining extensibleExtensible This is the ability to add additional functionality to the code. Plugins extend the WordPress core software.. Feedback on the linked PR is encouraged.

Props to @audrasjb for review.

#6-9, #core, #dev-chat