Download WordPress 5.6

Version 5.6 of WordPress has been released. With this program, which is made available under a GPL license, it is possible to set up and maintain a website or blog. WordPress is easy to set up and can be up and running within five minutes if a server with PHP and MySQL is already available. There are possibilities to further extend the functionality of WordPress with plugins and the look with themes to adjust. The most important changes made in version 5.6 are listed below for you:

More flexibility in the layout

Bring your stories to life with more tools to edit your layout with or without code. Single-column blocks, designs with different widths and columns, full-width headers and videos in your cover block – make small changes or big statements with the same ease!

More block patterns

In selected themes, pre-configured block patterns make setting up default pages on your site a breeze. Discover the power of patterns to streamline your workflow, or share some of that power with your customers and save yourself a few clicks.

Upload video captions directly in the block editor

To help you add subtitles or captions to your videos, you can now upload them in your post or page. This makes it easier than ever to make videos accessible to anyone who needs or prefers subtitles.

Twenty Twenty-One is here!

Twenty Twenty-One is a blank canvas for your ideas and the block editor is the best brush. Built for the block editor, it’s packed with brand new block patterns that you can only get in the default themes. Try out different layouts in seconds and let the theme’s eye-catching yet timeless design make your work shine.

Additionally, this default theme puts accessibility at the heart of your site. It complies with the WordPress accessibility-ready guidelines and covered several more specialized standards of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at level AAA. It helps you meet the highest level of international accessibility standards when you create accessible content and choose plugins that are accessible too!

A rainbow of soft pastels

Perfect for the new year, Twenty Twenty-One brings you a range of pre-selected pastel color palettes, all meeting AAA standards for contrast. You can also choose your own background color for the theme, and the theme will automatically choose accessible text colors for you! Need more flexibility than that? You can also choose your own color palette from the color picker.

Extended auto updates

For years, only developers could update WordPress automatically. But now you have that option, right in your dashboard. If this is your first site, you now have auto updates ready to go! Upgrade an existing site? No problem! Everything is the same as before.

Accessibility statement template

Even if you’re not an expert, you can let people know that your site is committed to accessibility with the click of a button! The new function plugin contains a template copy that you can update and publish, and it is written to support different contexts and jurisdictions.

Built-in patterns

If you haven’t had a chance to play with block patterns yet, all default themes now have a range of block patterns that help you master complex layouts with minimal effort. Customize the patterns to your liking with the text, images, and colors that match your story or brand.

REST API authentication with application passwords

The API’s new Application Passwords authorization feature allows third-party apps to connect to your site seamlessly and securely. With this new REST API feature, you can see which apps connect to your site and control what they do.

More support for PHP 8

5.6 marks the first steps towards WordPress Core support for PHP 8. Now is a good time to plan how your WordPress products, services, and sites can support the latest PHP version. For more information about what to expect, read the PHP 8 developer note.

jQuery

Updates to jQuery in WordPress come in three releases: 5.5, 5.6, and 5.7. When we have reached the middle of this process, enter the update test plugin to check your sites for errors beforehand. If you’re having trouble with the way your site looks (e.g. a slider doesn’t work, a button is stuck – that sort of thing), install the jQuery Migrate plugin.