April 15, 2025WordPress version 6.8The 6.8 version is released on schedule. Unlike previous major updates, version 6.8 does not introduce a lot of dazzling new features, but focuses on polishing the user experience and simplifying the editor operation,Classic Themessupport enhancements, as well as background performance and security enhancements. Here's to take you through the highlights of this update in full.

I. Editor experience upgrade: smoother content creation process

1. New "Show Templates" toggle in preview drop-down menu

The current version has the ability to toggle the preview drop-down menu directly from the top toolbar of the article editor "Show Template View". In the past this feature was only available in the right sidebar, the current version operates on a shorter and more efficient path.

2. Data Views improvements (Data Views)

The Data View feature, introduced since 6.5, continues to be optimized in version 6.8. Pages, templates, template parts and style modes can be viewed more intuitively in the site editor, and more fields are supported for display, such as preview images, parent pages, discussion settings, password-protected status, and more.

Added "Density Control"Choose the most suitable interface layout among the three table display styles of "Comfortable, Balanced and Compact", which is suitable for different content management needs.

II. Enhancements to new and existing blocks

1. New Query Total blocks

This new block can displayInquiry resultsIt is designed for use in Query Loops to increase the flexibility of paging content display. It is designed to be used in Query Loop to increase the flexibility of displaying paged content.

2. Query Loop supports ignoring articles with top status.

Previously, you could only select "Include", "Exclude" or "Show Only" top articles, but now there is a new option of "Ignore Status". Now there is a new "Ignore Status" option, which better fits the actual behavior of key queries. Top articles can also be displayed naturally according to the sorting rules, instead of always appearing at the top of the list.

3. Image block supports direct setting of featured images

WordPress version 6.8, which adds the ability to add a new feature from thePicture BlocksYou can set the current image to be in theArticle Featured ImageThe right-hand sidebar is a great way to simplify the operation process without having to switch to the right-hand sidebar.

4. Fine-tuning of navigation blocks

• Display of menu names for enhanced recognition
• New "Clear" button for color picker
• Non-interactive formatting allowed within links and submenus

These improvements make navigating the blocks more intuitive and easier.

III. Design and thematic support: classic themes receive modernization and enhancement

1. global style panel optimization

The Global Styles panel in WordPress 6.8 can be accessed directly from the site editor main menu and connects to the Style Book style preview in real time. Click on any style category (e.g.calligraphic styleAfter the preview module has been created, it will automatically jump to the corresponding preview module (color, spacing, etc.), so what you see is what you get.

2. Style Book supports classic themes

This feature, which was originally only available for block themes, has finally been extended in 6.8 to classic themes (which also support theadd_theme_support( 'editor-styles' )or containing theme.json file configuration). If you do not use the Gutenberg PluginAs of WordPress 6.8, you can start from theexterior condition>devise>typeAccess global styles and style books in classic themes. Get a modernized style preview experience even if you're using a classic theme like Twenty Twenty-One.

The image below shows a preview of the typography and colors in the stylebook of the classic Twenty Twenty-One theme in WordPress 6.8.

The style preview includes details such as fonts, colors, and more to further bridge the functionality gap between the Classic and Block themes.

IV. Performance and security: a faster and safer site experience

1. Speculative Loading

Based on the browser's Speculation Rules API, WordPress 6.8 introduces a speculative loading mechanism that speeds up page opening by preloading (prefetch) or prerendering pages.

Preloaded + conservative mode configuration by default for major Chromium browsers (Chrome, Edge, Opera). Does not work with Firefox and Safari, but does not have a negative impact.

WordPress users who want toWordPress websiteAddSpeculative loading function, you can use the speculative loading plugin provided by the WordPress performance team. This plugin provides the performance benefits of the Speculative Rules API by automatically pre-loading or pre-rendering the WordPress front-end URL.

In WordPress 6.8, theSpeculative loading formally integrated into core functionalityThe introduction of theTwo functions,A filterrespond in singingAn action hookThe purpose is to improve page loading performance and reduce waiting time, especially for front-end scenarios that are accessed by unlogged-in users.

Introduction to core functions:

• wp_get_speculation_rules_configuration()
  Gets the current speculative loading configuration, including loading mode (prefetch / prerender) and loading aggressiveness (conservative / moderate / aggressive). The default configuration is prefetch + conservative, which is consistent with Cloudflare's settings and controls resource wastage. The example usage outputs this configuration to the front-end HTML footer:

add_action('wp_footer', function() {
    $config = wp_get_speculation_rules_configuration();
    echo '
';
    print_r($config); echo '
'; print_r($config)
    echo '

'; }).

• wp_get_speculation_rules()
  Generate a complete JSON rule object based on the current configuration, which can be used by the front-end to actually execute the speculative loading logic. Sample code:

add_action('wp_footer', function() {
    if (function_exists('wp_get_speculation_rules')) {
        $rules = wp_get_speculation_rules();
        if (!empty($rules)) {
            echo '<h4>Speculation rules.</h4><pre>';
            echo esc_html(json_encode($rules, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT));
            echo '</pre>'; } else {
        } else {
            echo '<p>The rule is empty or invalid.</p>';
        }
    } else {
        echo '<p>function is not available.</p>';
    }
});

Customizable configuration:

• It is possible to use wp_speculation_rules_configuration (machine) filter Customize loading behavior, such as pre-rendering only a few specific pages:

add_filter('wp_speculation_rules_configuration', function($config) {
    $config['mode'] = 'prerender';
    $config['eagerness'] = 'eager';
    $config['urls'] = [
        'source' => 'list',
        'urls' => [
            home_url('/page-1/'),
            home_url('/page-2/')
        ]
    ];
    return $config.
}).

• wp_load_speculation_rules Action Hooks Allows more custom rules to be added in addition to the original rules.
• wp_speculation_rules_href_exclude_paths (machine) filter Then you can exclude paths where you do not want to perform speculative loading.

The official developer notes state that websites with speculative loading enabled saw an average increase in Largest Contentful Paint time in most cases. Approx. 1.9%, which is a very sizable boost for a single feature optimization.

WordPress 6.8's speculative loading feature brings system-level improvements to site performance optimization, allowing developers to customize their resource preloading policies with simple hooks and functions for a faster, smoother user experience while maintaining browser compatibility and resource control. This is a great new feature to enable for sites looking to optimize Core Web Vitals metrics.

2. bcrypt encryption instead of phpass: enhanced password security

WordPress 6.8 upgrades the default password hash algorithm from phpass to bcrypt to increase cracking resistance. At the same time, application passwords, retrieval links, private data request keys, etc. will use the faster and more secure BLAKE2b algorithm.

Users do not need to do this manually, it is automatically re-encrypted after the first login or password change. Old passwords remain compatible and may be extended to encrypt article passwords in the future.

In summary: steady progress, another step towards a modernized experience

WordPress 6.8 doesn't go for "feature stacking", but rather focuses on optimizing the actual user experience:

• editor (software)Smoother, more centralized functionality
• Further enhancement of block capacity
• Classic themes get modernization support
• Performance Optimization Down to the Core
• Full upgrade of security encryption

Whether you're a regular user, developer, or site administrator, WordPress version 6.8 provides a more efficient workflow and peace of mind. We recommend upgrading as soon as possible to get these new experiences.

Contact Us
Can't read the tutorial? Contact us for a free answer! Free help for personal, small business sites!	Customer Service
① Tel: 020-2206-9892
② QQ咨詢：1025174874
(iii) E-mail: info@361sale.com
④ Working hours: Monday to Friday, 9:30-18:30, holidays off