WordPress 6.6 “Dorsey” has officially launched, bringing refinements and improvements to several features introduced in previous versions. It also adds exciting new capabilities, pushing WordPress further along in its phase 3 development journey.
This release includes 299 Core Track tickets, 392 enhancements, 462 bug fixes, and 46 accessibility improvements for the Block Editor. Now you can explore the power of pattern overrides, syncing style and structure site-wide while keeping content customizable for each instance. WordPress 6.6 delivers on the promise of a better web by bringing style, finesse, and a suite of creative possibilities to your site-building experience.
This version helps you do more with ease, putting enhanced tools at your fingertips and giving you unprecedented power behind the scenes. You will find more ways to create beautiful, coherent design elements across your site, a new layout for quick page previews in the Site Editor, and the safety of automatic rollbacks for failed plugin auto-updates—among many other highlights.
In addition to the new features, “Dorsey” continues to deliver the performance and accessibility gains you can expect from every WordPress release. Explore what WordPress 6.6 has to offer and get ready to let its features take your sites to new heights.
What’s New in WordPress 6.6?
Expand Your Theme Design Options
Easily enhance block themes with new color and font sets, offering more design flexibility while staying within your site’s overall styling. These sets allow you to introduce visual variety without compromising brand consistency.
Streamline Your Workflow in the Site Editor
Simplify your page management with the new side-by-side layout in the Site Editor. Now you can see all of your pages at once, along with a preview of any selected page, making editing faster and more intuitive.
Worry-Free Plugin Auto-Updates
Keep your plugins up to date with ease, thanks to the new auto-update feature. If anything goes wrong, you’ll have rollbacks to ensure your site stays safe and functional without requiring extra effort from you.
Customized Content in Synced Patterns
Easily update content in each instance of a synced pattern while keeping the overall style intact. Customize Heading, Paragraph, Button, and Image blocks within synced patterns to maintain consistency and flexibility across your site.
Performance Enhancements
WordPress 6.6 brings major performance improvements, including faster template loading (up to 35%), reduced redundant WP_Theme_JSON calls, and streamlined plugin dependencies. Plus, lazy-loading post embeds and new data-wp-on-async directives further boost site speed and efficiency.
Accessibility Improvements
With 58 new accessibility enhancements, this release makes WordPress even more user-friendly. Updates focus on key areas like the Site Editor’s data views component and the Inserter tool, offering smoother interactions with blocks and patterns.
And More!
Explore all the exciting new features and enhancements in WordPress 6.6 by visiting the feature showcase. Developers can also explore the 6.6 Field Guide for the latest updates. For complete installation details, file changes, fixes, and updates, read the official 6.6 release notes.
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