Introducing Exciting Features: What’s Fresh in WordPress 6.4

WordPress 6.4, the third major release of 2023, has been rolled out with a host of new features, bug fixes, and enhancements aimed at improving the user experience for website creation and management. Here’s a breakdown of what’s new in WordPress 6.4, complete with features that are sure to excite both developers and content creators alike.

9 Features of WordPress 6.4

Here is a list of features that the WordPress 6.4 version has:

1. Meet New Default Theme – Twenty Twenty-Four: The release introduces a new default theme called Twenty Twenty-Four. This multi-purpose theme is designed to be suitable for all kinds of websites and is highly customizable. It comes with six style variations and a range of block patterns to help users quickly create content layouts for posts and pages, including commonly used sections like FAQs, call-to-action sections, services, and more.

2. Improved Pattern Management with Custom Categories: WordPress 6.4 enhances the management of patterns within the site editor. Users can now add custom categories when creating new patterns, making it easier to organize and reuse these layouts across the site.

3.Expanded Design Tools: There are more design tools to build beautiful and functional layouts. For example, you can play with background images in Group blocks and maintain image dimensions consistent with placeholder aspect ratios. Adding buttons to your Navigation block is now code-free.

4. Attachment Pages Disabled By Default: In a move to improve SEO, WordPress 6.4 has disabled attachment pages by default for new websites. These pages, which were created for each media file upload, were not deemed SEO-friendly. Existing sites will continue to function as before, but users can disable attachment pages with a custom code snippet if desired.

5. Display Images in Lightbox Pop: A new feature in WordPress 6.4 is the ability to display images in a lightbox popup within posts and pages. By toggling the ‘Expand on Click’ option in the block settings, images can be enlarged without leaving the page. This feature is basic for now, with more advanced gallery plugins available for those needing more functionality.

6. Redesigned Command Palette: The command palette, introduced in WordPress 6.3, has been improved in this release. It now features a subtle design update for increased contrast and readability, along with new keyboard shortcuts to speed up workflow.

7. Block Editor Improvements: The block editor continues to receive updates, with WordPress 6.4 bringing background image support for group blocks, an improved toolbar for managing parent and child blocks, and an enhanced outline/list view.

8. Block Hooks and Under The Hood Changes: For developers, block hooks are now available, and there are several under-the-hood changes to support the new features and improve overall performance.

9. Accessibility Improvements: WordPress 6.4 continues the commitment to accessibility with several List View improvements, aria-label support for the Navigation block, and admin UI enhancements.

WordPress 6.4 is a major release that requires manual initiation of the update process, unless you are on a managed WordPress hosting service. As always, it’s important to create a complete WordPress backup before updating to safeguard your data.

These features are set to enhance the WordPress experience, offering more flexibility, better management, and improved SEO out of the box. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or a content creator, WordPress 6.4 promises to make your website management smoother and more efficient.

Why it is important to update WordPress Versions?

• Enhanced Security: WordPress updates are crucial for security. They address vulnerabilities and strengthen your website against attacks. Not updating can leave your site exposed to hackers who exploit known security loopholes.
• Bug Fixes: Updates often fix bugs that can affect your website’s functionality. Ignoring these updates can lead to issues that disrupt the user experience and site performance.
• New Features: Each update can bring new features or improvements to existing ones. These enhancements can offer you more tools and options to manage your content effectively and provide a better experience for your visitors.
• Improved Performance: Updates can optimize WordPress to run more efficiently. Faster performance not only improves user experience but also benefits SEO rankings.
• Compatibility: Themes and plugins need to stay compatible with the core WordPress software. Updates ensure that everything works seamlessly together, reducing the risk of incompatibility issues that can break your site.
• Better SEO: Search engines favor websites that are updated and well-maintained. Updates can bring improvements that help with site speed and security, both of which are factors in search engine rankings.
• Community Support: The WordPress community is more inclined to offer support for issues on the latest version of the software. Outdated versions may not receive as much attention or resources for troubleshooting.
• Proactive Maintenance: Regular updates are a form of preventative maintenance. They keep your site running smoothly and can prevent major issues from arising, saving you time and resources in the long run

It’s important to note that before updating WordPress, you should always back up your website. This ensures that you can restore your site to a working version if anything goes wrong during the update process.

Ready to Update your WordPress Version

Now that you understand the importance of WordPress versions, it is crucial to take backups when you are considering updating your site. Avoid doing it yourself. Instead, contact your WordPress development company to handle it for you. This way, you’ll protect your site from potential issues that can arise from self-updates. They will take care of your site.