WordPress 6.6 “Dorsey”: What’s New You Can Expect from the Upcoming WordPress Update

WordPress has announced the release of version 6.6 in July 2024. They have already rolled out the beta version of it for testing. 

It’s the second major update of the leading CMS platform in 2024. And, being a leading contributor to the WordPress community, we keep a close eye on the upcoming release. 

Are you excited to unveil what’s new in WordPress 6.6?

In the upcoming release, you can expect 97 enchantments and 101 fixes in the editor. In this post, we will talk about the major enhancements that transform the way the WordPress website operates. 

Let’s explore the fabulous features of WordPress 6.6 that WordPress enthusiasts will love. 

What’s Coming? – Key Enhancements You Can Expect from WordPress 6.6

AdvancedData Views in Site Editor

WordPress 6.6 will provide the admin panel with a modern look and feel. 

To simplify the navigation and use of the WordPress platform, they will enhance the site editor’s data view. This will help you improve the layouts. The upcoming version makes it easier to manage patterns and templates in a single place.

You will need just a few clicks to access the management views. This small change boosts the user experience significantly. 

By allowing users to view the data in the full site editor, it will simplify performing the bulk actions.

Enhanced Editing Flow (for Site and Block Editor)

WordPress mainly has two editing areas:

• Block Editor – Allows you to create pages and posts 
• Site Editor – Allows you to create layouts and patterns

Though it’s the same editor, it looks different. WordPress 6.6 is gearing up to bring them closer by creating a consistent editing experience whether you are editing your site or creating a blog post.  

If you check the interface of the post editor, you might have some different options. Moreover, to access the command palette, users will need to click on the post title. 

Overrides in Synced Pattern

Earlier, in WordPress, synched patterns were applied across the entire site. If you edit it in one place, the changes are applied across all the places where you have used the same patterns. 

With overrides, users will have the liberty to use a design pattern across multiple pages and modify the content without changing the overall design. 

For example; you have used a pattern that contains heading, text, image, etc. You can use the same text and image on other pages by ensuring the design consistency on other pages. 

This will be achievable through the simple steps mentioned below. 

Step:1 – Pick a pattern to edit

Step:2 – Go to the block (that you want to make editable)

Step:3 – Go to block settings

Step:4 – Expand “Advanced” tab

Step:5 – Click on the “Enable Overrides” button

Once you complete these steps, you will see a popup. You are allowed to give a name to override. 

For instance, if you want to keep a button text editable, you can add a “Button label” under the Enable Overrides pop-up. To save your pattern, click on “Enable”. 

Now, you can edit a specific area of a single block within your synched patterns. These changes will not affect other instances of that pattern. 

Pattern Management (for Classic Themes)

WordPress 6.6 will make it easier to manage patterns of classic themes on their respective websites. To use the updated user interface, users will need to visit “Patterns” under “Appearance”. 

You will be able to access the updated pattern data views that facilitate users with a friendly UI and allow them to manage and edit the patterns seamlessly. 

Style Variations (Leverage Mix and Match Styling)

Do you think your block theme required style variation for next-level creativity?

WordPress 6.6 will facilitate you with multiple design options that you can use without spending much time on extra setup. 

You will have multiple choices in selecting the appropriate color options and typography styles for your theme. Using these wide palettes, you will be able to leverage the creative mix and match. 

Get the liberty to create out-of-the-box designs that enhance your website look and feel significantly. 

The upcoming release will allow the developers to introduce a section of styles that allows users to pick a unique style for a particular section that is different from the global style in their theme settings. 

Grid Layouts

It is quite easy to create the grid layouts using the different blocks including table, column, and group blocks. You might feel sometimes that you do not provide granular control over the payout. In some cases, when viewed on mobile, the layout presentation does not work effectively. 

The good news is, WordPress 6.6 will introduce a new Grid block. It will allow you to show any blocks that you want in a grid layout. 

In grid layout, each block becomes a grid item. You have the flexibility to adjust the column width and apply styling options to the individual blocks and overall grid blocks. 

Select the “Manual” grid layout type and drag the grid items to stretch them across columns. 

Keyboard Shortcut (for Grouping of Selected Blocks)

With the help of WordPress shortcuts, you can work faster to create a page or posts for your website. 

Version 6.6 will allow you to group multiple blocks. All you need to do is select the blocks you want to group and press Command + G on MacOS and Ctrl + G on Windows. 

Rollback an Auto Update

Many website owners feature an auto-update as there is a possibility of website breaking down. Thus, they prefer manual updates. 

We can expect that WordPress 6.6 will address this challenge by offering automatic rollback of the latest WordPress update. So, if an automatic update breaks your website, then WordPress will roll it back. And, your previous version will be live automatically. 

Set Navigate Margins

Introducing this feature, the coming version will allow users to set the negative margins by entering the negative value manually. 

Are You Excited to Experience WordPress 6.6?

Get ready to supercharge your WordPress experience with the upcoming release of WordPress 6.6! 

As the digital landscape continually evolves, so does WordPress, bringing you more power, flexibility, and ease with each update. 

Curious about what’s new? 

This release is packed with enhancements designed to streamline your workflow and amplify your site’s performance. From improved user interfaces to advanced backend capabilities, WordPress version 6.6 aims to set new standards in content management excellence. 

Dive into our comprehensive guide to discover all the exciting features and improvements that WordPress version 6.6 has in store for you. Let’s explore how this update can transform your website management experience!