Throughout March, the WordPress core team was busy preparing for the first major release of the year, WordPress 6.2, working on various release candidate versions and making last-minute changes to ensure bug-free core functionality.
But that’s not the only thing that happened in March. Gutenberg and WooCommerce have also rolled out updates to enhance the block editing experience. Additionally, various security patches have been released to protect content management systems from attackers.
WordPress news and updates, as well as new WordPress tools to help you develop your website. There’s a lot to cover in this month’s WordPress roundup. Let’s take a quick look.
wordpress update
Along with the release of WordPress 6.2, there have been other great updates to improve the site editor and Gutenberg, such as a distraction-free Gutenberg mode and improvements to WooCommerce blocks.
WordPress 6.2
WordPress 6.2, which concludes Phase 2 of the Gutenberg project, has a revamped Site Editor interface and is out of beta. This effectively means that the block editor is more stable than ever and will become a staple of site editing going forward.
The update is detailed in our WordPress 6.2 overview article. Here’s a quick summary:
- Browse modeA new interface allows users to browse and preview templates and template parts, seamlessly switch between them, and start editing.
- style bookAll website elements with a particular style variation are displayed so you can easily see the impact on your site.
- Open verse integrationA new interface allows users to search and select free-to-use stock images directly from the block editor.
- Improved navigation blockA new UI for the navigation block tool is now available. It helps you manage your menu items more easily from the block settings panel.
- distraction modeA new ability to remove all panels and toolbars from the editor canvas allows users to focus on creating content.
Gutenberg update
WordPress 6.2 was released this month, but developers still have two Gutenberg updates to roll out. 15.3 and 15.4.
Please note that these versions are not included in the WordPress 6.2 core backport. If you want to see what’s new, Install and activate the plugin.
- Read time block (15.3)This block displays an estimated reading time so visitors can decide whether to save the article for later reading.
![Time to read block in editor](https://www.hostinger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/04/The-time-to-read-block-on-the-editor.png)
- Global Duotone Filter (15.3)The global block style panel now includes duotone global settings, allowing site-wide filter application customization.
![Filter options in the Global Styles panel](https://www.hostinger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/04/The-filters-option-in-the-global-styles-panel.png)
- Cover block color (15.4)You can now customize the inner block color with one setting.
- Template description (15.4). New template descriptions for improved documentation.
woocommerce update
WooCommerce deployed Version 7.5.0 This month we have the following updates:
- Block global style supportYou can now customize the product button, product rating, and product price blocks using the settings panel in the core editor.
- Stylebook supportA WooCommerce tab has been added to the StyleBook showing various WooCommerce blocks.
![A style book showing a preview of the WooCommerce block](https://www.hostinger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/04/The-style-book-showing-WooCommerce-blocks-preview.png)
Besides improving existing blocks, WooCommerce also introduced three new blocks.
- save breadcrumb blockBlocks display breadcrumb navigation to let visitors know where they are on your website and give them quick access to parent pages.
- Product result count blockBased on your query, you will see the number of products displayed and the total available products. This is useful if you have a large product collection.
- catalog sort blockVisitors can sort the displayed products based on several criteria. This is useful if you have many product categories.
![Save breadcrumbs, product result counts, and catalog sorting blocks in the editor](https://www.hostinger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/04/Store-breadcrumbs-product-results-count-and-catalog-sorting-blocks-on-the-editor.png)
Gutenberg Phase 3 plans
WordPress 6.2 concludes Gutenberg Phase 2 and the project enters Phase 3 centered around real-time collaboration.
This phase is still in the planning stage, but the development team has already Preliminary Overview of Phase 3Mat Mullenweg made many points in his State of the Word 2022 presentation. Here are some highlights:
- real-time collaborationCollaborate with colleagues in real time using the WordPress editor.
- Asynchronous collaborationCollaborate with teams around the world with draft sharing and inline-block comments, regardless of time zone or physical location.
- Issuing processFrom time-saving flow improvements to easy editing, the publishing experience needs further improvement.
WordPress security news
Maintaining the WordPress ecosystem with rich customization is not the only purpose of the community. WordPress has always been the target of security threats and developers are always working to keep WordPress secure.
WooCommerce Payments Vulnerability
a WooCommerce Payments plugin vulnerability On March 22, 2023, it was discovered to affect over 500,000 websites. This can be exploited by unauthorized third parties to gain access to administrative areas and take over the site.
Affects websites using WooCommerce Payments version 4.8.0 To 5.6.1A security patch has been released. Version 5.6.2.
The WooCommerce team worked with the WordPress.org Plugins team to force the affected websites to update. However, if you use this plugin, we recommend that you check the plugin version and update immediately if necessary.
Elementor Pro vulnerabilities
a Critical vulnerabilities in Elementor Pro has also been discovered. This allows unauthorized third parties to create administrator accounts on the fly.
This vulnerability affects Elementor Pro versions of websites 3.11.6 Or earlier with WooCommerce installed.version 3.11.7 addressed this issue. If you use plugins, make sure they are up to date.
State of the Patch Stack for WordPress Security 2022
Interested in WordPress security stats for 2022? State of the Patch Stack for WordPress Security 2022 Please read the white paper carefully.
This document is a compilation of all WordPress security facts, statistics and trends for 2022 and is of great value to anyone building a WordPress website or developing an extension.
Here are some highlights:
- 26% Unpatched plugins with critical vulnerabilities.
- there was 328% Increase in security bug reports in 2022.
- largely 30% The percentage of security bugs in 2022 will be Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF), followed by Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). 27%.
One of the best features of the WordPress ecosystem is the wealth of tools and extensions that help you develop your website. Here are our top picks for WordPress tools this month:
docs_dangit
![docs_dangit interface to display post search results](https://www.hostinger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/04/docs_dangit-interface-showing-search-results-for-post.png)
a Cloudfest 2023 Hackathon Project Started by Milana Cap, docs_dangit is a search engine that helps WordPress developers find code examples from various documentation resources. Simply enter keywords such as PHP variables, WP-CLI commands, function snippets, and see the results.
docs_dangit currently relies on WP Code Reference, WP Dev Notes, WP-CLI Documentation, and PHP Docs as references.
Inspiro Block Theme
![Inspiro Blocks Theme in Editor](https://www.hostinger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/04/The-Inspiro-Blocks-theme-on-the-editor.png)
Released in mid-February INSPIRO BLOCK WPZOOM themes already have over 1,000 active users, and with good reason.
This theme has 6 style variations and 23 built-in patterns, so you have plenty of design options for your entire site. Combined with a modern and minimalist design, this theme is perfect for those looking to quickly build a portfolio or business website.
WordPress AI Tools
AI is a growing trend in web development and the WordPress ecosystem is no exception. A few weeks ago, I covered how to build a WordPress website using ChatGPT, showing how AI has become a useful tool for WordPress development.
This month, we introduced some interesting AI tools that can simplify the creation of WordPress content.
AIOSEO AI Title/Description Generator
Meta titles and descriptions can make or break a content marketing campaign. A good meta title helps you rank higher in search engines, and a meta description encourages readers to click on your post.
Writing a good meta title and description can be difficult.that’s why Ioseo We have launched a new feature called AI title/description generator – The result of a partnership with OpenAI, creators of ChatGPT.
Its features are very simple. In his AIOSEO section of the post editor, clicking the robot icon next to the post title and meta description fields will generate five suggestions for him based on the content.
![The AIOSEO section of the post editor. The AI Generator button is highlighted.](https://www.hostinger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/04/The-AIOSEO-section-on-the-post-editor-with-the-AI-generator-buttons-highlighted.png)
One caveat for this feature is that it is only available in the premium version. So if you want to use this new AI tool, choose one of the premium plans below. $49.6/year.
All Alts
Alternate text helps visually impaired readers. Alt text is effectively a textual description of the image. Setting alt text for images is mandatory to ensure that the content is accessible.
All Alts I can help you with this. Generates alt text suggestions based on the provided image. Simply drag and drop images into the interface to generate changeable text.
Here’s an example of an image with alt text generated by EveryAlt.
![Example image with alternate text generated by EveryAlt](https://www.hostinger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/04/An-example-of-an-image-with-the-alt-text-generated-by-EveryAlt.png)
Free accounts currently get 25 image credits.it takes $9.99 To get permission for 1,000 images.
of EveryAlt WordPress plugin, is currently in beta. Once fully released, you can expect the same convenience in your WordPress admin panel.
What’s planned for April
WordPress 6.2 is finally out, but that doesn’t mean the community is on the decline. For example, there are thousands of WordPress plugins and themes that have not yet completed compatibility testing with WordPress 6.2.
Keep an eye on your WordPress update admin panel and update your plugins and themes whenever new versions are available.