Planning for WordPress 7.0: Initial Scope and Project Overview

wordpress development

Explore the initial scope and key projects planned for WordPress 7.0, covering collaboration, admin enhancements, API advancements, block development, customization, and media improvements, as discussed by core contributors.

Planning for WordPress 7.0

Following the successful release of WordPress 6.9, our collective attention has now shifted towards the upcoming WordPress 7.0. Core contributors, along with Matt and Mary, recently held a discussion to explore ideas and projects for this significant milestone. There was widespread enthusiasm for the release, acknowledging its importance beyond just a version number.

This post serves as a central point for contributors to share their current work and identify areas where they can contribute. A subsequent, more tactical follow-up will detail the release schedule and specific responsibilities, while this post focuses on outlining the initial scope.

How to Interact with This Post

Please note that this post is not intended for feature requests. GitHub and Trac remain the official platforms for sharing feedback, discussing impact, and advocating for issues.

Contributors are encouraged to use this post to outline their current projects, including areas they wish to assist with that are listed here, as well as any unlisted work. Areas marked 'TBD' signify opportunities where contributors are needed; please comment below if you are interested in working on these pieces.

If you are already contributing to an area listed below and do not see your name, please comment so the list can be updated. This post aims to establish transparency regarding ongoing work at this early stage.

It is important to note that this list is neither comprehensive nor a final commitment that all items will be part of WordPress 7.0. Many are in early stages and may not make it into this release. Items where the work is already merged into Gutenberg or the development trunk are specifically noted.

Table of Contents

Collaboration

The project is entering deeper into Phase 3: Collaboration. The 'Notes' feature was a highlight in WordPress 6.9, and several improvements are already planned to enhance its power and resilience.

Real-time Collaboration

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Significant progress has been made in defining the user interface (UI) and the diffing mechanics for reconciling changes. This is in very good shape and requires diligent review and testing, especially concerning compatibility with third-party blocks and plugins.
    • This feature has a stronger dependency on server support and infrastructure than typical WordPress features. Therefore, a clear definition is needed for the baseline experience shipped in WordPress (e.g., peer-to-peer with 1 or 2 connections) and how it can be augmented by WordPress.org, hosting providers, or plugins.
  • Contributors: @acicovic, @aduth, @alecgeatches, @czarate, @ingeniumed, @jsnajdr, @maxschmelingkc, @paulkevan, @shekharnwagh, @youknowriad

Notes i2

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Support for partial selection within block rich text fields.
    • A "suggestions" mode and interface allowing Notes to refer to specific content within a block and apply suggestions.
    • Support for multi-block notes.
    • Add rich text support in comments.
    • Develop a dashboard widget for recent notes.
    • More notification options (responses, follow a note, mentions).
  • Contributors: @adamsilverstein, @jeffpaul, @mamaduka

Admin

Improving Screens Across wp-admin

  • Link: TBD
  • Key considerations:
    • Explore CSS improvements to modernize the look and feel. For example, consider making the "modern" admin color scheme the default.
    • Admin bar and editor "site hub" improvements. Make the W menu item filterable. Potentially start work as an experiment in Gutenberg.
    • Consider a "This time last year" widget for bloggers.
    • Bring grid layout customization to the dashboard experience or other screens (e.g., possible widgets at the top of comments).
  • Contributors: TBD, @fabiankaegy, @karmatosed, @mcsf

DataViews and DataForms Iterations

  • Link: 7.0 iteration issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Design iterations for DataForms, QuickEdit, and the Document inspector.
    • Hierarchical post visualization.
    • Make DataViews screens extensible in the site editor (for templates, pages, etc.).
  • Contributors: @oandregal

Design System

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Components are already being developed in wordpress/ui.
    • Theming system with design tokens using wordpress/theme (work already merged).
    • Start replacing key parts of the editor UI with improved components (tabs, flyout menus).
  • Contributors: @0mirka00, @aduth, @jsnajdr, @mciampini, @wildworks

Font Library Admin Section

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Support for block themes (work already merged).
    • Support for hybrid/classic themes.
  • Contributors: @youknowriad

Revisions

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key tasks:
    • Rethink the revisions interface to be more modern, intuitive, and compatible with blocks.
    • Show visual diffs.
    • Bonus: Potentially tie in with collaborative editing, suggestions, and undo management.
  • Contributors: @adamsilverstein

Customizable Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Build with design system components.
  • Contributors: TBD

APIs

Abilities & Workflows API

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Hybrid abilities.
    • The client-side package (work already merged).
    • Driven by Fields API definitions.
    • Querying and filtering functionality for abilities.
    • Implement some of the abilities outlined in WordPress Core Abilities.
    • Command palette and UI:
      • Differentiation between commands.
      • Ability to support two stages of a command.
  • Contributors: @jorgefilipecosta, @gziolo, @senadir, @youknowriad

Upgrade to React 19

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • A path for the block editor in mobile apps should remove this dependency blocker.
    • Ecosystem impact.
  • Contributors: @aduth, @jsnajdr, @mamaduka, @ralucastn, @tyxla

Block API: Add Validation Levels

  • Links: GitHub issue with initial PR
  • Key considerations:
    • The scope is to drastically reduce instances where users encounter "this block is broken" messages.
    • Impact on Block API.
  • Contributors: @matveb, @mcsf, @youknowriad

Enforced Iframed Editor

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Backwards compatibility, extended testing.
    • Migration guide (work already merged).
  • Contributors: @ellatrix, @wildworks

WP Client AI API

  • Link: GitHub project
  • Key considerations:
    • An AI client and API for WordPress to communicate with various generative AI models using a uniform API.
    • Integration with Abilities API.
    • Strictly no providers included in the core.
    • Decide nomenclature.
    • Ideally, the minimum PHP version should be bumped from PHP 7.2.
  • Contributors: @flixos90, @jason_the_adams

Creating Blocks and Patterns on the Server

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Most tools for a straightforward PHP-only representation of blocks and patterns, including bindings, are ready.
    • Declarative block attributes and form components.
    • Pattern creation and syntax that allows easy construction of blocks and bindings.
  • Contributors: @priethor, TBD

wordpress/build and Routing (Site Editor)

  • Link: GitHub issue; Scripts issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Add extensibility to site editor routing.
    • Dependency on standalone font library.
    • Refactor the site editor to allow plugin authors to add their pages there.
    • Opinionated build tool for plugins (work already merged).
    • Update Gutenberg – Core backport flow.
  • Contributors: @youknowriad

Shortblocks

Block Bindings Iterations

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Open up "Pattern Overrides" and, by extension, internal block bindings to custom dynamic blocks.
    • Filter available source items for a given attribute by format.
    • Align with Fields API as a requirement.
  • Contributors: @bernhard-reiter

Navigation Block

A series of improvements have been identified to simplify the navigation workflow and make the experience of managing menus more intuitive and straightforward.

Simpler Navigation Editing

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Better insertion.
    • Pattern editing and ContentOnly interactivity.
    • Improved presentation of "bound" page items.
  • Contributors: @get_dave, @jeryj

Ability to Customize "Mobile" Overlay

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Implemented as a template part.
    • Ability to customize when the overlay appears (breakpoint settings) specifically for the navigation overlay.
  • Contributors: @get_dave, @jeryj

Customization

Over the past couple of years, we've been iterating on related systems to achieve a more streamlined editing experience for composite blocks and design patterns. Promising directions have been sketched out.

Explore More Intuitive Page Navigation in the Site Editor

  • Link: TBD
  • Key considerations:
    • Modify the title bar to display a pages dropdown instead of an empty command palette. List the pages used in the primary menu with a link to "browse all pages."
    • Exploration of adding next/previous page links in a zoomed-out view, similar to a carousel. See a preview in a zoomed-out state with arrows next to the preview or title bar.
  • Contributors: @ellatrix

Pattern Editing (aka ContentOnly)

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Ensure proper discoverability for entering/exiting this mode.
    • Ensure it works well with synced patterns.
  • Contributors: @aaronrobertshaw, @andrewserong, @isabel_brison, @ramonopoly, @talldanwp

Improve Template Management

  • Link: GitHub PR
  • Key considerations:
    • Direction and user experience (UX) are still TBD and require further exploration.
    • Retain access to template parts across theme switches.
  • Contributors: @ellatrix, @scruffian

Responsive Editing Mode

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Toggle to engage responsive editing mode.
    • Block visibility iteration 2: add ability to hide blocks based on screen size.
    • Allow style changes to be saved and retrieved for different breakpoints.
    • Allow customization of hardcoded breakpoints.
  • Contributors: @matveb, @ramonopoly

Block Supports and Design Tools

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Add text line indent support (GitHub PR).
    • Add gradient support to text color options.
    • Add height block support to dimension.
    • Styles support for text shadow (GitHub PR).
    • Support for text alignment with justify support.
    • Allow Video backgrounds to be 'Fixed'.
    • Balanced line wrap.
    • Text columns (GitHub issue; GitHub issue).
    • Support aspect ratio on wide and full images.
  • Contributors: TBD, @aaronrobertshaw, @matveb, @youknowriad, @wildworks

Blocks

The momentum continues with the addition of new blocks and block tools, expanding the palette and expressiveness available to theme builders and users. There are also refinements to fundamental aspects of blocks to enhance their resilience and consistency.

Group Block Attributes

  • Link: GitHub Issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Adding groups to InspectorControls (similar to BlockControls).
    • Add support for list representation to Block API based on navigation block work.
    • Implement content representation for media and rich text attributes (connected with ContentOnly, bindings, and partially synced patterns work).
  • Contributors: TBD

Cover Block: Video Embeds

Modernize Code Editor + Code Block

  • Link: GitHub link
  • Contributors: @jonsurrell, @westonruter

Lazy Load the Classic Block

  • Link: TBD
  • Key considerations:
    • The main aim is performance – avoid loading TinyMCE by default if not needed.
    • If possible, address moving the freeform block to a separate package in this work too.
  • Contributors: @tyxla

Leverage iAPI for Instant Search Block & Submit Comments Without Full Page Refresh

Writing Flow + Drag and Drop Improvements

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Aim to reach a point where the drag handle from the toolbar can be entirely removed due to improved drag-and-drop functionality.
    • Making multi-selection work on touch devices.
    • Improvements to inline insertion and inline images.
  • Contributors: @ellatrix

Tabs Block

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Contributors: @mikachan (Work already merged)

Release the Table of Contents Block

Playlist Block

Slider Block

Dialog Block

Breadcrumb Block

  • Link: GitHub Issue
  • Team: @ntsekouras (Work already merged)

Add More Dynamic URLs via Block Bindings to Buttons Block and Image Block

Icon Block

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Key considerations:
    • Ship with a default set from wordpress/icons.
    • Allow extenders to register their own sets.
  • Contributors: @mcsf, @welcher

Gallery Block: Add Lightbox Support with the Ability to Switch Between Images

Introduce Heading Levels as Heading Block Variations

Aim to Stabilize Grid Block

Media

Client-Side Media Work

  • Link: GitHub issue
  • Contributors: @adamsilverstein, @ramonopoly

Media Editor

  • Link: Iteration issue
  • Contributors: @aaronrobertshaw, @andrewserong, @isabel_brison, @ramonopoly, @talldanwp

Designers looking across all these projects: @fcoveram, @joen, @jameskoster, @mattmiklic.