{"id":4875,"date":"2026-04-25T13:08:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T13:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/frontlinenewsng.org\/?p=4875"},"modified":"2026-04-25T13:08:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T13:08:16","slug":"gutenberg-times-wordpress-7-0-on-may-20-gutenberg-23-0-and-more-weekend-edition-364","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frontlinenewsng.org\/?p=4875","title":{"rendered":"Gutenberg Times: WordPress 7.0 on May 20, Gutenberg 23.0 and more \u2014 Weekend Edition 364"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi there, <\/p>\n

Good news, dear friends. WordPress 7.0 has a new release date! May 20, 2026. Announced on Friday, the post featured the updated release party schedule<\/a>: All release parties happen in the Make #core Slack channel<\/a>. Everyone is welcome to join. <\/p>\n

This week, I also traveled to Salzburg, Austria to discuss WordPress 7.0 features with the local community. It was a great joy to meet so many fellow community organizers from WordCamps Vienna, Europe and Kampala, as well as the local meetup organizers and participants from Salzburg. <\/p>\n

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Auf dem Weg nach Salzburg zum WordPress Meetup heute abend https:\/\/t.co\/vQbGHHN8vv<\/a>
Wir werden uns \u00fcber die \u00c4nderungen in WordPress 7.0 unterhalten und die neuen Features vorstellen #WordPress<\/a> Es sind noch Pl\u00e4tze frei! pic.twitter.com\/FqgjsaOYjA<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Birgit Pauli-Haack (@bph) April 22, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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Such a beautiful privilege to be able to work from the train traveling through the Bavarian landscape. #myofficetoday<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/FdV5A6SaaR<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Birgit Pauli-Haack (@bph) April 23, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Enjoy the hopefully restful weekend. <\/p>\n

Yours, \"\ud83d\udc95\"
Birgit<\/em><\/p>\n

Developing Gutenberg and WordPress<\/h2>\n

Ray Morey<\/strong>, The Repository has the skinny about WordPress 7.0 Gets a New May 20 Release Date<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Jonathan Desrosiers<\/strong> and Max Schmeling<\/strong> of the WordPress Core team has published Distributed RTC performance testing<\/strong><\/a>, a bash\/PHP load-testing tool for the real-time collaboration HTTP polling endpoint coming in WordPress 7.0. Hosting providers can run scenarios \u2014 baseline, single idle, sustained polling, burst concurrency, and two-client editing \u2014 then submit results directly to WordPress.org. Only curl and bash are required, with WP-CLI optional. If you\u2019re a host and need reporting credentials, ping Jonathan Desrosiers (@desrosj)<\/code> or Amy Kamala (@amykamala<\/code>) in the #hosting Slack channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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JuanMa Garrido<\/strong> introduces the WordPress Core Dev Environment Toolkit<\/strong><\/a>, a desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux that eliminates the painful setup that burns through Contributor Days before anyone writes a line of code. Powered by WordPress Playground, it bundles Git, Node, and npm as JS\/WASM \u2014 so you install the app, click a button, and you\u2019re cloning wordpress-develop<\/code>, running a dev server, and generating Trac patches without touching a terminal. <\/p>\n

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The latest Dev note arrival brings you Roster of design tools per block (WordPress 7.0 edition<\/strong>)<\/a>. I updated a previous version for WordPress 7.0, summarizing design support changes across the last ten releases. WordPress 7.0 adds seven new blocks \u2014 Accordion, Breadcrumbs, Icon, Math, Post Time to Read, and the Term Query family \u2014 and renames Verse to Poetry. I also removed the Pattern Overrides\/Block Bindings column, since both features are now opt-in per block and attribute, making a single checkbox no longer meaningful. <\/p>\n

\"screenshot:<\/a><\/figure>\n
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Gutenberg 23.0<\/a> <\/strong>ships a revisions panel for templates, template parts, and patterns (experimental), and completes the Site Editor\u2019s Design \u203a Identity panel with Site Title and Tagline fields alongside the existing Logo and Icon. Real-time collaboration gets legacy meta box compatibility via a new opt-in flag, plus reliability fixes for concurrent edits and corrupted sync updates. 174 PRs merged, with 8 first-time contributors.<\/p>\n

For the Gutenberg Changelog episode 130, Tammie Lister<\/strong> and I chatted about AI in Art and WordPress, WordPress 7.0 and Real-tine collaboration and Gutenberg plugin release 22.9 and 23.0. The episode will drop in your favorite podcast episode over the weekend. I hope you listen in and enjoy our conversation. <\/p>\n

\"Tammie<\/figure>\n
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\"\ud83c\udf99\" The latest episode is Gutenberg Changelog #129 Artificial Intelligence, WordPress 7.0 and Gutenberg 22.8<\/a> with Beth Soderberg, of BeThink Studio <\/p>\n

\"Beth<\/figure>\n
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Plugins, Themes, and Tools for #nocode site builders and owners<\/h2>\n

Brian Coords<\/strong>, developer advocate at WooCommerce, walks you through a prototype plugin called WP Content Types<\/a><\/strong>, a block-native take on custom post types and fields built directly into the WordPress interface using Data Views and Data Forms. You\u2019ll see AI generate a Recipe content type, configure fields with core components, connect templates through block bindings, and explore a \u201cFields Only\u201d modern UI. It\u2019s a V1 vision for content modeling that leaves legacy backwards compatibility behind. <\/p>\n

Coords implementation goes much further than a similar project \u201cCreate Content Model\u201d Autumn Fjeld and Candy Tsai demo\u2019d at WordCamp Asia 2025 in Manila, Philippines. Their repo is available on GitHub<\/a> including links to the talk and demo video. <\/p>\n

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In his latest video, Wes Theron<\/strong> walks you through using block dimensions to control layout in WordPress<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 without touching any CSS. You\u2019ll learn how to find the dimensions panel in the editor and learn when to reach for padding (space inside a block), margin (space around it), block spacing (gaps between child blocks), and minimum height. Each setting gets a practical demo so you can confidently build cleaner, more polished pages with better visual hierarchy.<\/p>\n

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Alex de Borba<\/strong> makes a pointed case in Why Developers Keep Reaching for Builders Over Block Themes<\/strong><\/a> that the \u201cblock themes can\u2019t compete\u201d narrative is more habit than fact. With theme.json<\/code> v3, register_block_style()<\/code>, synced patterns, and wp_enqueue_block_style()<\/code>, you can build design systems, reusable components, and performant layouts without proprietary tools \u2014 and without locking your clients into someone else\u2019s ecosystem when developer relationships change.<\/p>\n

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At WordCamp Asia, the WordPress Speed Build Challenge<\/strong><\/a> returned for a second round: experienced builders had 30 minutes, a surprise brief revealed live on stage, and nothing but the Full Site Editor \u2014 no page builders, no custom code. Watch how they tackle layout, content, styling, and real-time problem-solving under pressure while narrating their decisions. A fun, unscripted window into smart site editor workflows for anyone curious about block-based building. The recording is now available on WordPressTV.<\/p>\n

Upcoming Events<\/h3>\n

The 6th annual Web Agency Summit<\/strong><\/a> runs April 27\u201330, 2026. It\u2019s free, virtual, and built for agency owners ready to stop winging it. Hosted by Vito Peleg<\/strong>, Stephanie Hudson<\/strong>, and Andrew Palmer<\/strong>, four days of live expert sessions cover the full agency arc: Build, Expand, Scale, and Thrive. Speakers include Eugene Levin from Semrush and Karim Marucchi of Crowd Favorite. Think of it as a week-long podcast you keep open while you work.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re in New York on April 29, dev\/ai\/nyc with Hilary Mason<\/strong><\/a> is worth your evening. Hilary Mason \u2014 CEO of Hidden Door, founder of Fast Forward Labs, and former Chief Scientist at bit.ly \u2014 joins Jesse Friedman, who leads WP Cloud at Automattic, for a fireside chat on AI, creativity, and human-computer interaction. Doors open at 5:30 PM at Automattic\u2019s NoHo space on Crosby Street, with drinks and bites after. Registration is on Luma<\/a>. The event is free of charge. <\/p>\n

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The Checkout Summit<\/strong><\/a> in-person event just wrapped up in Palermo, Sicily \u2014 don\u2019t be sad you missed the arancine and Aperol Spritz. Organizer Rodolfo Melogli<\/strong> of Business Bloomer will reassemble 18+ speakers for the online edition, {Reloaded}<\/strong>, on May 7\u20138, 2026 starting at just \u20ac20. The WooCommerce-focused lineup covers SEO after AI, MCP integrations, hosting security, Shopify comparisons, and scaling strategies \u2014 practical sessions, zero fluff, built for developers and agency pros.<\/p>\n

Rae Morey<\/strong>, The Repository has the skinny for you in Can\u2019t Make It to Palermo? Checkout Summit Is Going Online in May<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n

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Uganda\u2019s biggest annual student web design competition, Website Projects Competition 2026<\/strong><\/a>, takes place on June 9, 2026<\/strong> at Busoga College, Mwiri. Under the theme \u201cFueling Innovation Through WordPress,\u201d 20 student teams across three age categories \u2014 Cubs (12 & under), Rising Stars (13\u201318), and Explorers (18+) \u2014 compete by building and pitching WordPress websites to a live audience of 200+. Sponsored by Automattic and Woo. Registration and sponsorship are open.<\/p>\n

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WordPress Accessibility Day 2026<\/strong><\/a> is a free, 24-hour global livestream on October 7\u20138, 2026<\/strong>, dedicated to accessibility best practices for WordPress developers, designers, and content creators. The volunteer-led nonprofit event includes live captions and ASL interpretation for all sessions, with corrected transcripts published afterward. It\u2019s pre-approved for IAAP continuing education credits. Sponsorships are now open,<\/a> ranging from $150 Microsponsors to $5,000 Platinum packages.<\/p>\n

Theme Development for Full Site Editing and Blocks<\/h2>\n

Gina Lucia<\/strong>, freelance writer, published a beginner-friendly walkthrough on what WordPress block patterns are and how to use them<\/a> <\/strong>for OllieWP. You\u2019ll learn how patterns differ from synced patterns, templates, and template parts, why block themes unlock their full potential for headers, footers, and full-page layouts, and how to browse, preview, insert, and customize curated patterns in Ollie\u2019s pattern library. A handy primer if you\u2019re moving from classic themes into the full site editing experience.<\/p>\n

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Nathan Wrigley<\/strong> sits down with Brian Gardner <\/strong>to talk block themes, AI, and the future of WordPress design<\/a>. The Genesis co-creator argues that many developers are still judging the block editor by a five-year-old experience \u2014 and missing how far it\u2019s come. He shares his work on Powder<\/a>, explores how tools like Ollie and Miles are bridging AI-generated design with native WordPress blocks, and asks the question keeping him up at night: do we still need hundreds of themes, or is one solid base theme plus vertical-specific patterns actually the future?<\/p>\n

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JC Palmes,<\/strong> WebDev Studios and regular guest on the Gutenberg Changelog, makes the case that block themes can replace one-off chaos with repeatable consistency<\/a> on large team projects. The approach: start with a shared starter theme, build a reusable pattern library, and centralize design decisions in theme.json<\/code>. She also tackles the less glamorous side \u2014 onboarding developers, running QA, and finding the right balance between editorial freedom and long-term maintainability. Practical and team-focused, it\u2019s a playbook worth your time if you\u2019re managing multi-site or multi-developer WordPress work.<\/p>\n

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Anne Katzeff<\/strong> walks you through using the Cover block as a Hero section<\/a> <\/strong>with a Call to Action. Starting from default settings, she shows how alignment (wide or full width), overlay color and opacity, minimum height, focal point, and inner block layout work together to create a polished hero. <\/p>\n

Katzeff also created a companion video tutorial<\/a> to follow along with how she manipulates the cover block for her purposes. All very practical and beginner-friendly.<\/p>\n

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\u201cKeeping up with Gutenberg \u2013 Index 2025\u201d<\/a> <\/strong>
A chronological list of the WordPress Make Blog posts from various teams involved in Gutenberg development: Design, Theme Review Team, Core Editor, Core JS, Core CSS, Test, and Meta team from Jan. 2024 on. Updated by yours truly.\u2002<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The previous years are also available:
<\/strong>2020<\/a> | 2021<\/a><\/strong> | 2022<\/a><\/strong> | 2023<\/a><\/strong> | 2024<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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AI in WordPress<\/h2>\n

Automattic\u2019s head of global expansion James Grierson<\/strong> argues in WordPress: The Operating System of the Agentic Web<\/strong><\/a> that WordPress\u2019s open-source transparency, 90,000+ plugin ecosystem, REST API, and MCP support make it the ideal foundation for AI agents. WordPress.com\u2019s full MCP write capabilities \u2014 launched in March 2026\u2014let agents create and manage content via natural conversation. Challenges remain around legacy code, inconsistent plugin quality, and PHP perception, but Grierson sees AI itself as the solution to those very problems.<\/p>\n

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Inspired by a trip to WordCamp Asia 2026 in Mumbai, Chandra Patel<\/strong> built the WordPress REST API Playground<\/a> \u2014 a free plugin developed entirely with Claude Code in just 2\u20133 hours. The three-panel interface lets you browse all registered REST API routes, build requests with schema-driven form fields, and view syntax-highlighted responses with timing info. A handy Code tab generates ready-to-use JavaScript, PHP, and cURL snippets for every request. Available on GitHub<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Pablo Postigo<\/strong> used Studio Code<\/a>, Automattic\u2019s new AI coding agent for building WordPress sites locally, to finally redesign Govoid.es<\/a>, a geek news blog he co-founded in 2009 that\u2019s been dormant since 2013. He used Claude to craft a detailed design brief, fed it to Studio Code (running Claude Opus 4.7), and got a complete minimalist dark-mode block theme generated in one shot, with only a couple of hours of refinement before pushing straight to production. Studio Code<\/a> is still in alpha, there will be dragons \"\ud83d\udc32\"<\/em><\/p>\n

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Need a plugin .zip from Gutenberg\u2019s master branch?<\/a><\/strong>
Gutenberg Times provides daily build for testing and review.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Now also available via WordPress Playground<\/a>. There is no need for a test site locally or on a server. Have you been using it? Email me <\/a>with your experience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Questions? Suggestions? Ideas? <\/em>
Don\u2019t hesitate to send them via email<\/a> or<\/em>
send me a message on WordPress Slack or Twitter @bph<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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For questions to be answered on the Gutenberg Changelog<\/a>,
send them to changelog@gutenbergtimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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Featured Image: <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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