New WordPress Features for Content Creators in April, 2026

A new WordPress version is here- May 2026 and it is a ‘whole number’ version 7.0. This means that there will be lots of fear mongering and changes to our beloved WordPress. As small business owners online, our concerns are mostly about the user interface that we use every day, and the cost to upgrade or maintain our current plugins and themes and such. So let’s get into what will change and how that will affect our workflow and our budgets.

See our answer to the question, “Do you still recommend WordPress?”

Better Collaboration

The best upgrade is the new collaboration piece. In WP 7.0, multiple users will be able to edit the same post simultaneously, just like Google Docs. You’ll be able to see when someone else is typing and where their cursor is on the screen.

Notes & Comments on blocks: editors can leave notes on specific blocks, tag team members, and receive replies – in the block editor! If you haven’t switched away from Classic, it’s time!

If you are using page builders, this likely will not work with them. (Another reason to not use page builders!)

Color-coded visual comparisons: green outlines for new blocks, red for removed blocks, yellow if the block settings have changed. For text, added content is green, removed content is red with strikethrough. This makes editorial review so much faster-let me know how you go with this!

AI Integrations

You will likely hear about “AI in WordPress now” however that is not the full story. What is true: there is a channel for connections to AI in WordPress. You will not automatically have AI in the editor. However, you can now add it easier than before. See our instructions to add a Chat bot to your editor and use it to write, rewrite or add images.

What you can do: set up a connection with your favorite AI program, currently available is ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude. The connections are available, this is not the same thing as the AI actually doing anything. There are several layers to this to protect your security and your autonomy. This allows us to stay safe and give it only the permissions that we think is wise.

The channel for connections to AI is called the Connectors and is available under Settings > Connectors. Admins can add, update, and delete external AI connections. Once the connection is set up you can start adding plugins that enable ChatGPT or Gemini in your editor.

New Features!

New Built-in Blocks: New core blocks include an Icons Block (scalable SVG icons), a Breadcrumbs Block, and an enhanced Heading Block with more options.

Block Visibility on Devices: You can now hide or show blocks based on the viewer’s device! Sometimes it is better to hide a few blocks on mobile, or add a new one on desktop. Now that is built in!

Dashboard Design Changes: you will notice a few small improvements – nothing major. Things seem a bit more seamless and cleaner. The color scheme is a tad bit improved different. Everything is still going to be where you expect it though!

The Command Palette aka Omnibar: Cmd+K / Ctrl+K from anywhere in wp-admin gives instant access to global tools like the color palette!

Font Library: no more plugins to add custom fonts. And the big plus here – they are theme agnostic. Just because you switch a layout or theme doesn’t mean your brand fonts change. So now these will be consistent across themes.

PHP Upgrade Required!

PHP is a layer that is managed by your hosting company. And that layer is required for speed and security. And regular operation of your website too! If you have been using an old theme, this is the layer that might break it.

Your PHP (on your hosting server) should now be 8.3 or 8.4. At the bare minimum, you need 7.4 in order to perform this upgrade. Anything older is no longer supported. To find out which PHP version you are on, simply ask your host company.

Support

As always, if you need a hand please contact our support desk. All maintenance clients will be upgraded on their upgrade day and reported in your usual report.