Every time WordPress updates its core, we see a variety of developments and new features. Likewise, no exception this time either, a handful of modifications and features implemented in WordPress 5.7.
Moreover, this time, WordPress successfully discarded many of its previous limitations and made WordPress 5.7 a flawless system with plenty of developments.
Here are the most significant features and updates that you can enjoy if you upgrade your website to WordPress 5.7.
Gutenberg Block Editor Enhancements in WordPress 5.7
WordPress 5.7 brings some spectacular developments in the Gutenberg block editor. Is it finally ready for the big time? Let’s go through the newly introduced WordPress 5.7 Gutenberg features.
1. Drag & Drop Blocks and Patterns
The Gutenberg Editor has erased one of its significant drawbacks, replacing it with the Drag & Drop feature. Previously, users could only click on a block or pattern to add it to a post. Correspondingly WordPress has added the drag & drop feature to WordPress 5.7 for a smoother Gutenberg editor experience.
2. Autosave Enhancement in Reusable Blocks
Reusable blocks are the best friend for users who aspire to customization. The latest enhancement in WordPress 5.7 automatically saves any changes made to a block. Create your post, edit the block and click Update. WordPress automatically saves the customized block for future use.
3. Font Size Adjustments
WordPress Esperanza offers more control over the fonts in the list and code blocks. Previously it was mandatory to switch different screens to adjust the fonts repeatedly.
However, now you can select the font size from Small, Normal, Large, Huge, etc. options. If not satisfied, then input a custom size.
4. Social Icon Size & Color Customization
From now on, you can change the Social Icon sizes inside a block. WordPress 5.7 provides you with four different size options (Small, Normal, Large, Huge) in the block toolbar. Select and apply the size you want. Unlike the font size adjustment menu, you can’t input any custom size.
Apart from icon resizing, WordPress 5.7 also incorporated color customization for social icons. If you feel like changing an icon color, you can easily change it from the right sidebar, including the background color.
5. Cover Block Customization & Full Height Alignment
The Cover Block now allows you to adjust your cover image height. Selecting the toggle full-height option, you can easily adjust the image size. Besides, multiple significant customization opportunities like content positioning, fixed background, and effects have been added in the block settings.
6. Change Width of Button Blocks
Create bigger and better CTA buttons without writing any code! The newly added Width Setting in the button block allows you to choose the block’s width on the page. You can select from the percentages of the sizes available such as 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%.
7. Block Information Matches Block Variations
The WordPress UI shows detailed information about the block variations in WordPress 5.7, whereas it showed the generic information only in previous WordPress versions. Now the embed blocks and social icons are built as block variations.
8. Semi-Transparent Spacer Block
The Spacer Block now comes with a semi-transparent background replacing the opaque gray color used in the previous versions. It makes the block easily identifiable while using any background color.
Lazy Load iFrames
Previously in WordPress 5.5, you could only lazy load uploaded images. With WordPress 5.7, you can lazy load all embed links on your website page with iframe tags. WordPress will add loading=”lazy” attribute in your iframe tag automatically, having the width and height attributes defined.
One-Click Migration From HTTP to HTTPS
WordPress 5.7 simplifies HTTP to HTTPS migration. Using the one-click move option, you can swimmingly set up HTTPS on your website. Besides, WordPress automatically updates the database URLs while you switch. A hunting and guessing process cut short!
To check your current HTTPS status, navigate to WordPress Dashboard > Tools > Site Health.
New Default Color Palette
Until the recent update, WordPress had a limited set of color schemes at the backend. In resolving that, WordPress has implemented a CSS custom properties system to add custom color schemes in the WordPress background.
Significantly, the newly added color palette collapses all used colors in the WordPress source code down to seven core colors and 56 shades that meet WCAG 2.0 AA recommended contrast ratio when you place them again white or black.
New Robots API
Introducing a new function wp_robots, enables you to manage the robots meta tag on a page with your own filter. Also, the new API provides a setting to control the search engines displaying large media from a website.
Moreover, the API includes max-image-preview:large directive by default allows the search engines to show larger image previews. Thus, it’ll boost your WordPress website traffic. Notably, this tag will remain inactive for websites that are not public.
Ongoing jQuery Cleanup
WordPress is on the verge of jumping to jQuery 3.5.1. The latest jQuery serves to make JavaScript easier on your website, comes with upgraded features and improvised security.
The migration process started on WordPress 5.5, and it’s in the final stage with the release of WordPress 5.7. Unlike WordPress 5.5, jQuery is significantly focused and less interrupting in WordPress 5.7. Thus, It sends only a few messages to the console.
Admin Can Send Password Reset Links
Now the site admin can send reset password links via email to any registered user who cannot access their account. The admin can simply click the Send Password Reset from the Users page to send a password reset link in the user’s email.
Post Parent Related Functions
Two very long-awaited Post Parent related functions come with WordPress 5.7. These functions determine if a post has a parent and get the related parent post object. Both of them are significant, easy to use, and reduce the required logic in themes and plugins.
New template tag: get_post_parent()
It is a conditional tag that retrieves the parent WP_Post object for a post. Here, it uses Post Id or WP_Post object as parameters and uses global variable $post while available.
New Conditional tag: has_post_parent()
It is a conditional tag that checks for the parent in a post and replies using true or false. Like the previous function, it uses post id or WP_Post object as parameters.
New Dynamic Hook to Filter Content of Single Blocks
The WordPress developers can filter a specific block’s content using the newly introduced dynamic hook filter in WordPress 5.7. The new filter render_block_{$this->name} allows a function to hook only a specific block. Here {$this->name} represents the name or the slug of the block.
For example, the paragraph block has a registered name core/paragraph that can utilize the filter using render_block_core/paragraph.
Updating to WordPress 5.7 Right Now?
WordPress is on the verge of breaking the barriers of all its limitations, and the team looks pretty devoted to it. The continual updates and new features prove that. Hence, WordPress is getting better and faster every day.
If you are using WordPress 5.5 currently, considering all the new features and updates, you should treat yourself with the delight of using WordPress 5.7 now.
Before you update, don’t forget to back up your WordPress website.