WordPress 5.8 has been launched and is available to all publishers. This new release is named in honor of the innovative jazz musician, Art Tatum, reflecting the new version’s creativity and innovation.
### Support for Internet Explorer 11 Dropped
This version drops support for Internet Explorer 11 due to security risks. The content management system becomes leaner and faster as a result of the reduced code in the core.
### Blocks
Blocks introduce a modern and updated method to edit the look and feel of WordPress. This feature has been gradually integrated across the WordPress system.
### Widget Area Blocks
The widget area can now be fully edited with Blocks, offering new customization options.
> “Now you can add blocks both in widget areas across your site and with live preview through the Customizer.”
### Query Loop Block
This feature allows publishers to display posts based on custom criteria, such as limiting displayed posts to a selected category. It’s more powerful than the traditional Latest Posts functionality.
### Edit Templates from the Post Screen
This new functionality allows publishers to switch from the post editing screen to a block-based page editing screen, giving them more control over template editing within the context of post editing.
> “Switch from editing your posts to editing your pages and back again, all while using a familiar block editor.”
### List View
List View provides an overview of all the blocks on a page, allowing publishers to toggle between the regular view and List View and navigate to specific blocks.
### Pattern Transformations Tool
This feature suggests block patterns and is available in the Query Block and the Social Icon Block.
### Duotone Filters
This design feature allows publishers to colorize images or videos, adding creative flair to pages. It’s similar to a black-and-white filter, but with customizable colors for shadows and highlights.
### Theme.json Global Styles and Global Settings APIs
This significant update provides more control over the look and feel of a website. It enables theme developers and publishers to change default style elements and reduce the amount of CSS required for styling.
> “This configuration file enables or disables features and sets default styles for both a website and blocks.”
### Support for WebP
WebP is a new image format that allows for smaller file sizes. WordPress now supports WebP, enabling publishers to create faster-loading websites.
> “From WordPress version 5.8 forward, you can upload and use WebP images like JPEG or PNG images, provided your hosting service supports WebP.”
### Make Better Websites with WordPress
With nearly 300 bug fixes, new features, and improvements, WordPress 5.8 offers substantial advancements.
> “5.8 offers so much more! Over 170 bugs, 96 enhancements and feature requests, and 24 blessed tasks have been marked as fixed in this version.”
WordPress 5.8 is a step forward in modernizing the content management system. It empowers publishers without coding knowledge to make aesthetic changes easily. While some may choose to wait before updating to avoid potential bugs, the release has undergone rigorous testing, suggesting it’s safe to update now.
### Citations
– WordPress 5.8 Tatum
– Introducing theme.json in WordPress 5.8
– WordPress 5.8 Supports WebP
– Dropping Support for Internet Explorer 11
– Block-based Widgets Editor in WordPress 5.8
