WordPress shipped two major releases in 2026. 7.0 "Armstrong" landed on 20 May, and 7.1 followed in August, with maintenance releases since (7.1.3 arrived on 6 October). If your site is still on 6.x, this is the short version of what changed and how we handle the upgrade for clients.
First, 6.9 set the stage
WordPress 6.9 "Gene" (December 2025) was a speed release. Block themes got noticeably faster first paints, classic themes started loading block CSS only when needed, and the editor gained Notes, threaded comments attached to blocks. It also introduced the Abilities API, which 7.0 builds on.
7.0: AI is now part of core
The headline of 7.0 is a provider-agnostic AI client in core, plus a Connectors screen where a site owner can plug in a provider such as OpenAI, Google Gemini or Anthropic. Plugins can then ask for text or images through one interface instead of each bundling its own API code.
What this means for you: AI features in plugins should get more consistent, and you control which provider and key your site uses in one place.
A redesigned admin and new blocks
- A refreshed admin colour scheme with smoother view transitions.
- DataViews replacing the old list tables on Posts, Pages and Media.
- A Font Library page for managing type.
- New blocks including Breadcrumbs and Icons, viewport-based visibility controls, a Gallery lightbox and video backgrounds on Cover.
The PHP floor went up
7.0 dropped PHP 7.2 and 7.3. The minimum is now PHP 7.4, and newer PHP 8 versions are recommended. Many older shared hosts are still on 7.x, so check this before anything else.
# on the server or in your host's terminal wp core version wp eval 'echo PHP_VERSION;' wp plugin list --update=available
7.1: polish and better blocks
7.1 focused on the editor: a native Tabs block, Playlist and Table of Contents blocks, responsive styling with breakpoints, hover and focus states, richer Notes with @mentions, and client-side image processing that handles formats like AVIF and HEIC in the browser. Developers got an expanded Abilities API and React 19 in the editor.
Our upgrade checklist
- Take a full backup (files and database) and confirm you can restore it.
- Move PHP to a supported 8.x version on a staging copy first.
- Update plugins and the theme on staging, then WordPress core.
- Click through checkout, forms and any custom blocks.
- Push to live outside business hours and keep the backup for a week.
If that sounds like a chore, it is exactly what our WordPress care plans cover.
