Get ready to elevate your website game with the groundbreaking features of WordPress 6.2!
As the most popular Content Management System (CMS) continues to evolve, it brings unparalleled ease of use, flexibility, and performance enhancements to millions of users worldwide.
In this comprehensive guide, we will dive into the exciting new features and updates that will make WordPress 6.2 the go-to choice for bloggers, business owners, and web developers alike. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a WordPress newbie, this latest release is packed with innovations designed to streamline your website-building experience and boost your online presence like never before.
Read on to discover the incredible benefits of WordPress 6.2 and learn how to harness its full potential for your digital success.
The Release of WordPress 6.2
Although WordPress 6.2 was supposed to be released on March 28, it was finally launched on March 29, 2023, due to a date format error.
However, during the 24-hour freeze, contributors found a flaw with date formats that they think might have a big impact on features like date permalinks, reservations, and e-commerce businesses.
On the morning of March 28, it was decided to postpone the release of 6.2 RC5 with patches to perform a rollback. Tonya Mork, WordPress 6.2 Core Tech Co-Lead, suggested reverting to a minor version with a deferred repair because the impact seemed too great to deploy today.
All the New Features in WordPress 6.2
Now that WordPress 6.2 has finally been released, let us discover its mind-blowing features. We believe each of the new features will enhance the user experience level. They will find WordPress customization and implementation easier now.
Without further ado, let’s start with the first feature on our list,
01. The Removal of the ‘Beta’ Label
The first noticeable change is the removal of the ‘beta’ tag from the Editor. In previous versions up to WordPress 6.1, the editor was accessed through
Appearance -> Editor (beta)
This update goes beyond a simple name change, as it follows thorough discussions and multiple releases since version 5.9. The result is a polished and fully-featured editor.
Moreover, the site editor will now receive all bug fixes and improvements, just like the other components of WordPress.
02. The Distraction-Free Mode is Now Available
This update also debuts a distraction-free writing mode, allowing you to view the full-screen editor with the title and content of the page or post you are editing.
While WordPress 5.4 features a full-screen editor by default, it lacks a distraction-free mode, which is why WordPress 6.2 offers a more streamlined interface for writing and editing. Upon activating this mode, all editor control elements will be hidden and toolbars will be less prominent, ensuring your attention remains on the content.
This mode can be toggled on or off according to your needs. Ultimately, it provides a clean and focused writing experience for users.
03. Preview of Templates and Template Parts
This release also boasts a notable feature that displays previews of templates and template parts before editing. This enables you to choose the precise section you want to modify.
In earlier WordPress versions, this was not possible, as the site editor loaded the home template as the default theme. This proved challenging, particularly for beginners attempting to edit specific template parts.
To address these concerns, WordPress 6.2 introduces the option to load a template preview window first, allowing you to browse multiple templates and gain a better understanding for subsequent editing.
The process is as follows:
- Navigate to Appearance -> Editor.
- Observe the options for Templates and Template Parts.
- Click the “Edit” button after selecting a template.
- Drag and drop the template components.
- Click Save after making the necessary edits to view the live preview.
- To open the sidebar of the template browser, click the WordPress logo (located in the top-left corner).
04. Block Control is Now Divided into “Styles” and “Settings”
In WordPress 6.2, block settings are divided into two sub-panels, which are “Settings” and “Styles.”
Previously, only one block setting could be accessed at a time, making it time-consuming to locate specific settings or styles. Besides, it was challenging for beginners to familiarize themselves with all styles or setting controls.
WordPress 6.2 now separates these settings, providing a clearer view of each block’s capabilities within the two individual sub-panels. This change saves time by reducing unnecessary scrolling to find the desired features.
Ultimately, dividing the settings into two categories enables more precise customization and management of block settings.
05. Color Labels for Reuseable Blocks and Template Parts
Excitingly, the WordPress 6.2 release introduces unique color-coded labels for template parts and reusable blocks, making identification a breeze!
This feature was missing in earlier WordPress versions, which made it challenging to comprehend the changes made when revisiting the editor after a significant amount of time.
To facilitate easy recognition and avoid unintentional modifications, the color-coded labels in WordPress 6.2 will undoubtedly prove beneficial.
Colorization factors will be relevant for:
- Inspector (The Icon in the Block Description)
- Inserter (The Block Icon)
- Block Toolbar
- The Canvas
- Header or Footer
- List View (Active or Hover state)
06. Improved Navigation Menu
The WordPress 6.2 release places emphasis on menu navigation functionality, offering an enhanced Navigation Menu for creating and managing menu items more effectively.
In earlier versions, users had to add navigation menus within the full site editor. To streamline this process, the new release incorporates a subpanel under the Navigation block.
Consequently, you can add, edit, and remove new menu items directly from the navigation block, rather than editing them inline.
To use this feature:
- Navigate to Appearance → Editor.
- Select the Header template for editing.
- Choose the Navigation block.
- Click the Add block (+) to add a new menu item.
- Add page links and custom links.
- Set their properties, and edit or rearrange the items.
- Click the three-dot icon to create a new blank menu or reload a previous one.
07. The Style Book
In addition to other settings and control adjustments, the WordPress 6.2 release introduces a new Style Book that allows you to view a block with all styles combined.
To access the style book, go to –
Styles -> Browse Styles -> Choose a variation to alter the appearance of the site
The primary purpose of this style book is to help users understand the impact of changes on a block and provide a better understanding of block styles, aiding them in deciding which style or customization best fits their needs.
The Style Book includes five elements:
- Theme – Displays styles for the site logo, title blocks, and site navigation.
- Text – Presents the styling of text-based content such as headings, paragraphs, tables, and more.
- Media – Offers a preview of inserted media files, including images, videos, and audio.
- Design – Illustrates the designs of columns, buttons, and groups.
- Widgets – Showcase previews of widgets like calendars, page lists, archives, and more.
08. Inserting Block Pattern is Easier Now
Streamlining block pattern insertion is another significant enhancement in the WordPress 6.2 release.
Block patterns serve as the foundation for crafting content layouts on WordPress websites. Previously, these patterns featured a drop-down menu for toggling between pattern categories. However, this interface has been revamped in the 6.2 updates.
WordPress 6.2 simplifies the process by displaying pattern lists, allowing you to preview a pattern before incorporating it into your page or post.
Furthermore, two new categories have been added for the header and footer sections. By clicking on these categories, you can view available patterns and easily insert them into your post with a single click.
09. Enhanced Option to Insert CSS for Specific Blocks or for the Whole Site
The WordPress 6.2 release enables you to craft a more dynamic and sophisticated design by incorporating custom CSS across your entire site or a particular block.
You can add extra CSS in two ways using the Styles menu. Firstly, you can include custom CSS for your entire site:
- Click on the “More Styles Action” menu item.
- Choose “Additional CSS.”
Secondly, you may customize certain blocks by applying custom CSS:
- Go to Styles -> Blocks.
- Select the block you wish to apply custom CSS to.
- Input the CSS code by selecting the Additional CSS field.
You can also include custom CSS for individual blocks in theme.json using the styles.blocks.block.css property:
| “styles”: { “blocks”: { “core/button”: { “css”: “background: #FF0000” } }} |
10. Integrating Openverse is Offered
The integration of Openverse in the WordPress 6.2 release is truly an exciting addition. Openverse is a repository of free photos and audio.
This update allows you to incorporate over 300 million openly licensed and public domain images from Openverse onto your website.
To insert these free media files:
- Log in to WP admin, then go to Page/Post -> Add New.
- Click the block inserter.
- Choose a new “Media” tab.
- Select Openverse.
- Scroll or search for your desired media files.
- Select the file to insert into the post.
This remarkable feature enables you to display images directly on your website, enhancing its appearance and dynamism while also saving you time in searching for suitable images.
11. Seamless Implementation Between Templates and Widgets
A final noteworthy feature in the WordPress 6.2 release notes is the ability to import widgets as template parts in block themes.
In earlier WordPress versions, users would lose their legacy widgets when transitioning to a block theme. To address this problem, WordPress 6.2 provides a seamless fallback to convert legacy widgets into theme components.
To import classic widgets into a Template Part in the Block theme:
- Navigate to Appearance -> Site Editor -> Template Parts block.
- Choose a preset part or create a new Template Part.
- Choose the block settings and go to the “Advanced” section.
- Choose the widget from the “IMPORT WIDGET AREA” list.
- Click “Import.”
You’re all set! Overall, this method of generating template parts from a widget is incredibly smooth and flexible.
Other Mentionable Features of WordPress 6.2
WordPress 6.2 also adds some other intriguing features in addition to these eleven significant feature updates. These include the following:
Sticky Positioning
The Position block support now includes a “Sticky” option, which keeps a block visible within the viewport while still allowing users to scroll through the content. This functionality is particularly useful for displaying countdowns, status messages, or promotions.
When sticky positioning is enabled, the HTML tag receives an is-position-sticky class, and certain CSS rules are applied to the related element:
| .wp-container-6 { top: calc(0px + var(–wp-admin–admin-bar–position-offset, 0px)); position: sticky; z-index: 10;} |
The great thing about this “Sticky” feature is its compatibility with both the block editor and the front end, delivering a truly WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) experience.
Copy and Paste Block Styles
With the 6.2 version, the process has become more straightforward and versatile. You can effortlessly copy a style from one block and paste it into another.
Block Settings has a New Icon
The gear icon for the settings panel has been updated, now featuring a sleek new icon to represent the settings.
Media Files Can Be Downloaded From Links
In the new WordPress 6.3, a download file link is displayed on the media screen when browsing in the list view.
Global Block Style
By utilizing the global block style for WordPress sites, you can update all blocks with just a single click.
To activate this feature, go to the “Advanced” settings and click “Publish.” You will see an option to publish all the styles that have been applied. This functionality streamlines the style updating process, making it more straightforward and efficient.
You can also implement a “Shadow” pop-up in Global Styles. To witness this feature in action, enable the Twenty Twenty-Three theme, go to,
Styles -> Blocks -> Button
Then, click on the “Shadow” button.
A “Shadow” pop-up will appear, enabling you to choose a shadow from the theme presets. Theme developers and advanced users can also add a shadow to blocks using theme.json. The following definition applies a 4px black shadow to Button blocks:
| “styles”: { “blocks”: { “core/button”: { “shadow”: “4px 4px #000000” } }}, |
Additionally, you can define presets to allow theme users to select one from the Styles interface:
| “settings”: { “shadow”: { “presets”: [ { “shadow”: “4px 4px #FF0000”, “name”: “Red”, “slug”: “red” }, { “shadow”: “4px 4px #00FF00”, “name”: “Green”, “slug”: “green” }, { “shadow”: “4px 4px #0000FF”, “name”: “Blue”, “slug”: “blue” } ] },} |
Ending Note on WordPress 6.2
In conclusion, WordPress 6.2 is a powerful and user-friendly CMS that offers a wide range of new features and enhancements to help you create a beautiful and functional website. Whether you are a blogger, business owner, or simply looking to create a personal website, WordPress 6.2 has everything you need to get started.
So, if you haven’t already upgraded to WordPress 6.2, now is the time to do so and take your website to the next level!
