WordPress 7: what to expect from the next major update

WordPress, the world's most widely used CMS, continues to evolve with every new version. The forthcoming release of WordPress 7 is expected to bring innovative features, performance improvements and artificial intelligence integrations, but also some notable omissions likely to spark debate. In this article, we examine the anticipated changes, AI integration, projected release dates and the role of partners such as Websites 360 in helping you make the transition.

New features expected in WordPress 7

Enhanced block editor

Following the transformation introduced by Gutenberg in WordPress 5.0, WordPress 7 promises an even more intuitive and powerful editor:

• New advanced block patterns for creating preconfigured layouts in just a few clicks.
• Global styles to maintain visual consistency across the website.
• Block-level access controls, ideal for managing editorial teams.

Improved performance

Performance optimisation remains a constant priority:

• Faster loading times thanks to changes to the core.
• Improved built-in caching and more efficient SQL queries.
• Optimised management of complex, high-traffic websites.

Accessibility for everyone

WordPress aims to become increasingly inclusive:

• Improved keyboard navigation
• Broader screen reader compatibility
• Encouraging theme and plugin developers to adopt accessible practices

Stronger security

Protecting data and infrastructure is central:

• Advanced authentication, including 2FA
• More intelligent automatic update management
• Core hardening to mitigate common vulnerabilities

Integrated artificial intelligence

Writing assistance and automatic content generation

WordPress 7 could include AI tools for:

• Style and grammar suggestions while writing
• Automatic text generation based on topics and keywords

Personalised user experiences

• Dynamic recommendations for related articles or products
• Personalised layouts based on visitor behaviour

Enhanced analytics

• Detailed reports on user behaviour
• Predictive analytics to anticipate trends and improve conversions

Lack of native multilingual support

One disappointment for many users is the absence of a native multilingual system like those available in Joomla or Drupal. WordPress 7 will not include this feature: third-party plugins such as WPML or Polylang will still be required to manage multilingual websites.

When will WordPress 7 be released?

Despite the excitement, WordPress 7 will not be released in 2025. According to the timetable described here, the project envisages just one major release per year, with WordPress 6.9 expected in 2026 and WordPress 7 tentatively scheduled for 2027. New features will be frozen approximately one month before release, when developers will focus exclusively on quality and performance.