More than 40% of all websites around the internet are based on WordPress. This latest version of WordPress puts more power into the details. It offers new and improved ways to fine-tune and enhance your site-building experience, letting you take control in ways that make it your own. You'll find new ways to manage your site's typography, more comprehensive revisions available in more places, and a collection of Site Editor updates paired with impressive performance gains to help you get things done smoother and faster.
We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time. The core software is built by hundreds of community volunteers, and when you're ready for more there are thousands of plugins and themes available to transform your site into almost anything you can imagine.
To run WordPress we recommend your host supports:
- PHP version 7.4 or greater.
- MySQL version 5.7 or greater OR MariaDB version 10.3 or greater.
- HTTPS support
That's it. We recommend Apache or Nginx as the most robust server for running WordPress, but any server that supports PHP and MySQL will do.
Features
Building with Blocks
The new block-based editor won't change the way any of your content looks to your visitors. What it will do is let you insert any type of multimedia in a snap and rearrange to your heart's content. Each piece of content will be in its own block; a distinct wrapper for easy maneuvering. If you're more of an HTML and CSS sort of person, then the blocks won't stand in your way. WordPress is here to simplify the process, not the outcome.
Freedom to Build, Freedom to Write
This new editing experience provides a more consistent treatment of design as well as content. If you're building client sites, you can create reusable blocks. This lets your clients add new content anytime, while still maintaining a consistent look and feel.
Designed for the block editor
Twenty Nineteen features custom styles for the blocks available by default. It makes extensive use of editor styles throughout the theme. That way, what you create in your content editor is what you see on the front of your site.
Simple, type-driven layout
Featuring ample whitespace, and modern sans-serif headlines paired with classic serif body text, Twenty Nineteen is built to be beautiful on the go. It uses system fonts to increase loading speed. No more long waits on slow networks!
Versatile design for all sites
Twenty Nineteen is designed to work for a wide variety of use cases. Whether you're running a photo blog, launching a new business, or supporting a non-profit, Twenty Nineteen is flexible enough to fit your needs.
Protect
Blocks provide a comfortable way for users to change content directly, while also ensuring the content structure cannot be easily disturbed by accidental code edits. This allows the developer to control the output, building polished and semantic markup that is preserved through edits and not easily broken.
Compose
Take advantage of a wide collection of APIs and interface components to easily create blocks with intuitive controls for your clients. Utilizing these components not only speeds up development work but also provide a more consistent, usable, and accessible interface to all users.
Create
The new block paradigm opens up a path of exploration and imagination when it comes to solving user needs. With the unified block insertion flow, it's easier for your clients and customers to find and use blocks for all types of content. Developers can focus on executing their vision and providing rich editing experiences, rather than fussing with difficult APIs.
What's New
This release was led by Aaron Jorbin and Aki Hamano.
This minor release includes fixes for 49 bugs throughout Core and the Block Editor, addressing issues affecting multiple areas of WordPress including the block editor, mail, and classic themes.
For a full list of bug fixes, please refer to the release candidate announcement.
WordPress 6.9 "Gene"
Each WordPress release celebrates an artist who has made an indelible mark on the world of music. WordPress 6.9, code-named "Gene," honors the American Jazz pianist Gene Harris.
A piano veteran, self taught at the age of six, Harris infused mainstream jazz with elements of soul, blues, and gospel, creating a warm, signature sound that is both elegant and iconic. Harris' bluesy jazz lived at the intersection of worlds, weaving a rich landscape of texture and mood, with a thread of soulfulness that ignited listeners.
Welcome to WordPress 6.9
WordPress 6.9 brings major upgrades to how teams collaborate and create. The new Notes feature introduces block-level commenting when writing posts and pages that streamlines reviews, while the expanded Command Palette makes it faster for power users to navigate and operate across the entire dashboard. The new Abilities API provides a standardized, machine-readable permissions system that opens the door for next generation AI-powered and automated workflows. This release also delivers notable performance improvements for faster page loads and adds several practical new blocks alongside a more visual drag and drop to help creators build richer, more dynamic content.
Introducing Notes: Seamless, Block-Level Collaboration
Collaborate Smarter : Leave Feedback Right Where You're Working
With notes attached directly to blocks in the post editor, your team can stay aligned, track changes, and turn feedback into action all in one place. Whether you're working on copy or refining design in your posts or pages, collaboration happens seamlessly on the canvas itself.
Command Palette Throughout the Dashboard
Your tools are always at hand.
Access the Command Palette from any part of the dashboard, whether you're writing your latest post, deep in design in the Site Editor, or browsing your plugins. Everything you need, just a few keystrokes away.
Fit text to container
Content that adapts.
There's a new typography option for text-based blocks that's been added to the Paragraph and Heading blocks. This new option automatically adjusts font size to fill its container perfectly, making it ideal for banners, callouts, and standout moments in your design.
The Abilities API
Unlocking the next generation of site interactions.
WordPress 6.9 lays the groundwork for the future of automation with the unified Abilities API. By creating a standardized registry for site functionality, developers can now register, validate, and execute actions consistently across any context – from PHP and REST endpoints to AI agents – paving the way for smarter, more connected WordPress experiences.
