WordPress 7.0 Beta Highlights, Divi 5 Launch, and Security News
It’s been a busy week across the WordPress ecosystem. We tracked 18 noteworthy developments spanning Core Updates, Themes, Tutorials, Security, and more. Leading the news: WordPress 7.0 Beta 2. From core updates and plugin releases to security advisories and community conversations — here’s everything you need to know, all in one place. We’ve ranked the most impactful stories at the top so you can quickly catch up on what matters most. Let’s dive in.
▌Top Stories This Week
Core Updates · February 26, 2026 · 3 min read
WordPress 7.0 Beta 2
WordPress 7.0 Beta 2 is now ready for testing! This beta version of the WordPress software is under development . Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites. Command Line Use this WP-CLI command: wp core update –version=7.0-beta2 WordPress Playground Use the WordPress Playground instance to test the software directly in your browser. Your help testing Beta and RC versions is vital to making this release as stable and powerful as possible. Catch up on what’s new in WordPress 7.0 : Read the Beta 1 announcement for details and high…
Continue Reading →Core Updates · February 24, 2026 · 2 min read
Iframed Editor Changes in WordPress 7.0
Previous posts on this topic: Preparing the Post Editor for Full iframe Integration (November 2025) Blocks in an iframed (template) editor (June 2021) Current Situation All editors except the post editor (site editor, template editor, all block, template and device previews) are currently already iframed unconditionally. The post editor is currently only iframed in core if all registered blocks (across all plugins) use block API version 3 (or higher). When Gutenberg is active with a block-based theme, the post editor is forced to be iframed regardless of block API versions used. What’s Chan…
Continue Reading →Core Updates · February 20, 2026 · 9 min read
WordPress 7.0 Beta 1
WordPress 7.0 Beta 1 is ready for download and testing! This beta release is intended for testing and development only. Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites. Command Line Use this WP-CLI command: wp core update –version=7.0-beta1 WordPress Playground Use a 7.0 Beta 1 WordPress Playground instance to test the software directly in your browser. Your help testing Beta and RC versions is vital to making this release as stable and powerful as possible. WordPress 7.0 will include new features that were previously only available…
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Themes · February 27, 2026 · 6 min read 🎉 Divi 5 Launch Gift: A Free Design System (Download Now!)The official launch of Divi 5 is here, and we’re celebrating with a free, production-ready Design System you can import into any new Divi 5 site. It includes hundreds of presets, complete page layouts, Theme Builder templates, and a structured system of Design Variables that power everything. That means you can change a single variable and see those updates ripple across presets and layouts that reference it, without manually reworking everything. Once you adjust them to match your brand, the presets and layouts update quickly because they’re built to reference those variables. Import Divi-… Continue Reading → |
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Tutorials · February 25, 2026 · 12 min read What’s Coming in WordPress 7.0? (Features and Screenshots)WordPress 7.0 beta 1 is now available for testing. We have been spending time trying it out, and we believe this is one of the most meaningful updates in recent years. The official release is scheduled for April 9, 2026 and will bring features that will genuinely change how we create and manage content. These include an easier way to integrate AI features into WordPress, an improved dashboard, and potentially real-time collaboration in the editor. AI Web Client API that allows users to save their AI credentials and provides plugin and theme developers a standardized way to integrate AI feat… Continue Reading → |
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Core Updates · February 26, 2026 · 10 min read A better way to test HTML in WordPress with assertEqualHTML()If you’ve written PHPUnit tests for WordPress plugins that produce HTML output — block render callbacks, formatting filters, shortcodes — you know the frustration. WordPress 6.9 introduced a new assertion — assertEqualHTML() — available on WP_UnitTestCase that solves this. The moment a future WordPress version changes attribute serialization order — or you switch to a different parser — the test fails, even though the browser renders the same thing. What assertEqualHTML() does assertEqualHTML() is a method on WP_UnitTestCase added in WordPress 6.9 ( #63527 , PR #8882 ). function my_plugin_m… Continue Reading → |
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Security · February 26, 2026 · 46 min read Wordfence Intelligence Weekly WordPress Vulnerability Report (February 16, 2026 to February 22, 2026)Triple Threat Bug Bounty Challenge Hunt High Threat vulnerabilities and earn triple the incentives! Now through April 6, 2026 , earn three stacked bonuses on all valid submissions from our ‘High Threat Vulnerabilities’ list: 2x all high threat vulnerability bounties (excluding 5,000,000+ installs) +30% bonus for high threat vulnerabilities in software with 30,000+ active installs (excluding 5,000,000+ installs) $300 extra for every 3 High Threat vulnerabilities submitted (minimum of 1,000 installs) Use the Bounty Estimator to see what rewards are possible through the promotion. Last week, t… Continue Reading → |
Community · February 25, 2026 · 45 min read
#206 – Jonathan Desrosiers on WordPress Sustainability, Community Engagement, and Release Strategies
Transcript [00:00:19] Nathan Wrigley: Welcome to the Jukebox Podcast from WP Tavern. Jukebox is a podcast which is dedicated to all things WordPress. The people, the events, the plugins, the blocks, the themes, and in this case WordPress sustainability, community engagement and release strategies. In this episode we discuss how WordPress releases might become more impactful by synchronizing them with flagship community events like WordCamps and State of the Word. We also get into the challenging landscape of the WordPress community, how it’s recovering from the effects of COVID, the struggl…
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Business
Developer Toolkit Update: Automation & UI EnhancementsFeb 28 — At Pressable, we are constantly looking for ways to reduce manual overhead for developers and agencies. This latest update focuses on high impact workflow tools and a modernized interface to keep y… |
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Meet Kinsta at WordCamp Madrid 2026Feb 26 — We’re excited to share that Kinsta is sponsoring WordCamp Madrid 2026 , taking place March 6-7 at the CEU San Pablo University . We can’t wait to visit Madrid again, connect with the Spanish WordPr… |
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Types of DDoS Attacks: Why Automated Edge Protection Beats Manual DefenseFeb 27 — Key Takeaways No single device can take down a modern server. Attackers infect thousands of IoT devices and computers to create “botnets” that fire massive, coordinated traffic at a single IP. |
WP Engine is a Great Place to Work!Feb 26 — At WP Engine, cultivating a world-class workplace culture is a foundational part of who we are. Since earning our first Great Place to Work® certification in 2017, we’ve received more than 40 indiv… |
Security
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BigWetFish Hosting Partners with Patchstack for WordPress SecurityFeb 27 — We’re thrilled to announce that BigWetFish Hosting , a trusted UK & Ireland-based web hosting provider known for fast performance, dependable support, and WordPress-optimized hosting, has integrate… |
Core Updates
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12 WordPress SEO Plugins to Try in 2026 (Manually Tested)Feb 25 — SEO in 2026 means optimizing for both traditional search engines and AI discovery tools — and WordPress gives you the plugin ecosystem to handle both. Figuring out which SEO plugins actually move t… |
Accessibility Team Meeting Agenda: Feb 26, 2026Feb 25 — This is the proposed agenda for the bi-weekly Accessibility Team meeting on Thursday, February 26, 2026, 15:00 UTC WordPress 7.0 Beta 1 is out Beta 2 release this week on the 26th Help test WordPre… |
Plugins
Mailchimp API Maintenance on February 28, 2026Feb 27 — Mailchimp is performing scheduled database optimization maintenance on Saturday, February 28, 2026 . The Mailchimp API will be temporarily unavailable in four separate rounds, with each interruptio… |
Recap of the February 2026 SEO Update by YoastFeb 26 — The February 2026 SEO Update by Yoast is part of our monthly webinar series covering the latest developments in search and AI. Hosted by Carolyn Shelby and Alex Moss , this month’s update focused o… |
Community
My Agile Privacy Review: The WordPress Cookie Consent Plugin That Means BusinessFeb 26 — Many cookie banners do just enough to look compliant without confirming that they actually are. This My Agile Privacy review examines whether the plugin lives up to those claims. |
Wrapping Up
That covers the biggest stories from this week in WordPress. The ecosystem continues to evolve rapidly — from core development and community events to security patches and plugin innovations. Whether you’re a developer keeping up with API changes, a site owner watching for security updates, or a business owner exploring new tools, staying informed is key.
We’ll be back next Monday with another roundup. If you spotted a story we missed, have a tip, or just want to share your thoughts — drop a comment below. Until then, keep building. 🚀
