Tag: wordpress updates

Whatâ€™s New in WordPress 6.3 (Features and Screenshots)
WordPress 6.3 has been released as the second major WordPress release of 2023.

This new WordPress version has several significant updates, new features, enhancements, and bug fixes that make WordPress even more powerful and useful.

In this article, we’ll show what’s new in WordPress 6.3 and which features you should try after the update.

Note: WordPress 6.3 is a major release, and unless you are on a managed WordPress hosting service, you’ll need to manually initiate the update. Follow our guide on how to safely update WordPress for instructions.

Important: Don’t forget to create a complete WordPress backup before the update.

That being said, here is a breakdown of what’s new in WordPress 6.3
New Site Editor Navigation

WordPress 6.3 introduces a more polished navigation experience for the site editor.

The left column will now show Navigation, Styles, Pages, Templates, and Patterns. Users can easily locate the section they want to edit from here.

The new navigation interface includes a search button at the top. Clicking on it will bring the new command palette (more on this later).

You’ll also notice that Template Parts are not among the main navigation items. That’s because they are moved under the Patterns.

Improved Pattern Management

WordPress 6.3 now includes an improved pattern management experience in the Site Editor. Starting with the Site Editor navigation, which now has Patterns as one of the main navigation items.

Clicking on Patterns shows synced and unsynced patterns along with template parts.

Reusable blocks are now called Synced Patterns. You can find your reusable blocks under the My Patterns tab. These can be used across your website, and changing them affects all places where the pattern is used.

Unsynced patterns are those that can be used anywhere, and changing them doesn’t affect the original pattern.

You can also click on the Add (+) button to create a new pattern or template part.

At the bottom of the navigation column, you will find links to manage all your patterns and template parts.

Edit Pages in The Site Editor

A lot of folks coming from other web platforms may want to add or edit a page when editing their website.

WordPress 6.3 makes creating and editing pages directly from the site editor easy.

Simply click on the Pages menu in the Editor navigation, and it will show you a list of your pages.

You can click on a page to start editing it or click on the add (+) button to create a new page draft.

Manage Navigation Menus in The Site Editor

WordPress 6.3 also introduces a new way to manage navigation menus inside the Site Editor.

Previously, users had to add a navigation block and then edit it. Now users can create, edit, and manage menus by clicking on the Navigation tab in the site editor.

This will show you all the navigation menus you have created on your website.

To edit a menu, click to open it in the site editor.

First, you will see the menu items as a list in the navigation column. If you just want to rearrange them, you can move the menu items up and down.

To edit a menu, click the edit button or the editor canvas and start editing the menu in the site editor.

Easily Switch Theme Styles in The Site Editor

Earlier, theme styles were tucked away under the Styles panel inside the site editor. This made them a little less noticeable for beginners.

Now users can see the styles in the site editor navigation itself. This way, they can start with the style they prefer and immediately start editing it to their liking.

Preview Themes in The Site Editor

Before, users were able to preview WordPress themes using Theme Customizer. This allowed users to preview a theme without activating it on their website.

WordPress 6.3 will allow you to preview block themes inside the site editor. Go to the Appearance page in the admin area and click the Live Preview button below a block theme.

This will open the theme in the site editor with a live preview of how your content would appear in the new theme.

You can also edit the theme, try different styles, use your own colors, and make any changes before actually choosing the theme. However, to save those changes, you’ll need to activate the theme.

Note: Classic themes without site editor support will still show the live preview using the old theme customizer.

Style Revisions to Easily Undo Changes

WordPress saves multiple revisions of your content while you work on it. This allows you to easily undo changes to your posts and pages.

Similarly, WordPress 6.3 now allows you to see revisions for your styles and easily undo any changes.

Simply select a style or block that you want to edit in the Styles panel. Click on the â€˜Revisionsâ€™ button and then select â€˜Revision historyâ€™.

This will show you the changes you have made to that particular style or block. You can move between different revisions to see how an item looked at that time.

To undo changes, simply click on the Apply button, and WordPress will restore that revision.

Introducing the New Command Palette Tool

Keyboard shortcuts help you become more productive by quickly doing things without taking your fingers away from the keyboard.

WordPress comes with a bunch of keyboard shortcuts already, but with WordPress 6.3, it now has a command palette tool too.

To give it a go, simply edit a WordPress post or page or open the site editor. Once you are in the editor, press the CTRL+K or Command+K keys on your keyboard.

It will show a search popup where you can find keyboard shortcuts to toggle panels, create new posts or pages, navigate to the site editor, and more.

The command palette tool also has an API that allows third-party developers to add their own commands to the tool.

Two New Blocks in The Block Editor

The block editor in WordPress 6.3 ships with two brand-new blocks that you can use.

Footnotes Block

Footnotes are the easiest way to provide references to resources at the bottom of your article. However, WordPress users had to create them manually or use separate plugins to add footnotes.

Now, with WordPress 6.3, you can just use the Footnotes block. Simply select the ‘Footnote’ option using the three-dot menu in the toolbar.

The Details Block

Details block allows you to hide content requiring users to click on an item to reveal the hidden content.

Simply add the Details block and provide the content you want users to see. Below that, you can provide content that will be revealed when users click on the visible content.

You can add any kind of block to be hidden, including paragraphs, images, media, blocks added by plugins, and more.

You can also add multiple detail boxes together to create a FAQ section, trivia questions, info panels, and more.

Better Padding and Margin Tools

Previously, when users unlinked padding and margin tools, they took up a lot of space.

The new padding and margin tools now take up much less space and are more user-friendly.

Select Aspect Ratio for Your Images

WordPress 6.3 allows users to select the aspect ratio to display an image. Instead of resizing and cropping an image, users can now choose an aspect ratio that looks good across devices.

Improved Top Toolbar

WordPress shows a toolbar over the block you are working on in the post editor.

It also has the option to move the toolbar to the top for a cleaner editing experience.

However, the top toolbar appeared just below the toolbar on the top.

It took up more space and didn’t look great.

WordPress 6.3 now includes an improved toolbar on the top panel for easier and quicker access.

Cover Block with Layout and Color Options

The Cover block also has also received a facelift in WordPress 6.3.

Just like the Group block, users can now choose the Layout for the Cover block.

It also includes more design options in the block settings panel.

You can also use Duotone filters with a Cover block like the Image block.

Link Control Enhancement in WordPress 6.3

Link control is the tool used by the block editor to add links. WordPress 6.3 comes with improved Link control settings.

For instance, you can now create a page directly from the link control popup.

WordPress 6.3 has also moved the toggle to open a link in a new tab or window.

It is now located under the Advanced settings when adding a link.

Under The Hood Changes

WordPress 6.3 also includes several changes intended for developers. Here are some of the most significant under-the-hood changes.
- Image performance enhancements to improve page load speeds and resolve some of the common core web vital issues such as rendering of the LCP and prioritizing images in users’ viewport. (Details)
- Improved emoji loader to reduce the time spent on loading the emoji script. (#58472)
- Defer and async support added to the WP Scripts API. (#12009)
- Fetch priority support was added for images. (#58235)
- Skipping lazy loading for images outside the loop in classic themes. (#58211)
- Attempt rollback for failed plugin and theme updates. (#51857)
- Merge get_posts() and get_pages(). (#12821)
We hope this article helped you discover what’s new in WordPress 6.3 and which new features to try out. We are particularly excited about all the changes to the site editor and performance improvements.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to ourÂ YouTube ChannelÂ for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us onÂ TwitterÂ and Facebook.

The post Whatâ€™s New in WordPress 6.3 (Features and Screenshots) first appeared on WPBeginner.
10.08.2023
How to Disable Automatic Update Email Notification in WordPress
Do you want to disable automatic update email notifications in WordPress?

By default, WordPress sends email notifications for automatic updates of WordPress plugins, themes, and the core itself. These notification emails can get annoying.

In this article, we will show you how to easily disable automatic update email notifications in WordPress.

About Automatic Update Notifications in WordPress

WordPress is an open-source content management platform that is regularly maintained and updated.

Some of these updates are automatically installed, and you will receive an email notification that your site has been updated.

Similarly, WordPress also allows you to enable automatic updates for WordPress plugins and themes. This means that you can spend less time updating plugins and more time growing your business.

You can enable automatic updates for plugins that you trust by visiting the Plugins Â» All Plugins page in your WordPress admin dashboard.

Simply click on the ‘Enable auto-updates’ link next to the plugin that you want to update itself.

For WordPress themes, you can visit the Appearance Â» Themes page and click on a theme.

This will bring up a theme information popup where you must click on ‘Enable auto-updates’.

WordPress will send you an email notification when any of your plugins, theme, or WordPress core is updated.

This can get annoying, particularly for users who manage multiple WordPress websites. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could control and turn off these email notifications?

Let’s take a look at how to easily disable automatic update email notifications in WordPress. You can use the quick links below to jump to the method you want to use:
Method 1: Disable Automatic Update Email Notification Using Code (Recommended)

This method requires you to add code to your WordPress files. If you haven’t done this before, then take a look at our beginner’s guide on pasting snippets from the web into WordPress.

You can manually add the code below to your theme’s functions.php file. But this can be tricky since a mistake can bring down your whole website. Plus, if you update your theme, then any custom code snippets will be erased.

We will show you a better approach below, which is using a code snippets plugin.

1. Disable Auto Update Notification Emails for WordPress Core, Themes, and Plugins

Luckily, there is an easy and safe way to disable auto update notification emails in WordPress, and that’s using the WPCode plugin.

WPCode lets you easily add custom code snippets in WordPress without editing your theme’s functions.php file.

Plus, it has a full code library inside the plugin that includes ready-to-use, verified code snippets for popular feature requests like disabling automatic update emails, removing the WordPress version number, disabling comments, and more.

First, you need to install and activate the free WPCode plugin. For step-by-step instructions, see our tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Once the plugin is activated, you need to go to Code Snippets Â» Library from your WordPress admin dashboard.

Then, search for the ‘Disable Automatic Updates Emails’ snippet and click on the ‘Use snippet’ button.

WPCode will then automatically add the code and set the proper insertion method.

The snippet has three filters, with one for each type of auto-update email: WordPress core, WordPress plugins, and WordPress themes.

If you don’t want to use a particular filter, simply add a // at the beginning of the filter line.

For example, if you still want to get auto-update emails for WordPress plugins, add a // to the plugin, and the filter will stop it from executing.

After that, all you have to do is toggle the switch from ‘Inactive’ to ‘Active’.

Then, click the ‘Update’ button.

Now you will no longer get automatic update emails from WordPress.

2. Disable Auto Update Notification Emails for Core Updates

You can also use WPCode to disable notification emails for automatic WordPress core updates. Instead of choosing an existing code snippet, you will need to add this code as a custom snippet:
```
add_filter( 'auto_core_update_send_email', 'wpb_stop_auto_update_emails', 10, 4 );

function wpb_stop_update_emails( $send, $type, $core_update, $result ) {
if ( ! empty( $type ) && $type == 'success' ) {
return false;
}
return true;
}
```
Hosted with â¤ï¸ by WPCode

1-click Use in WordPress
For more instructions, you can see our guide on how to add custom code in WordPress.

3. Disable Auto Update Notification Emails for Plugins

Just add the following code to disable notification emails for automatic updates of WordPress plugins:
```
add_filter( 'auto_plugin_update_send_email', '__return_false' );
```
Hosted with â¤ï¸ by WPCode

1-click Use in WordPress
4. Disable Notification Emails for WordPress Theme Updates

Finally, you can add the following code to disable notification emails for automatic updates of WordPress themes:
```
add_filter( 'auto_theme_update_send_email', '__return_false' );
```
Hosted with â¤ï¸ by WPCode

1-click Use in WordPress
Method 2: Disable Automatic Update Email Notification Using a Plugin

Next, we will show you how to disable automatic update email notifications using two different email plugins.

1. Manage Notification Emails

The first thing you need to do is install and activate the Manage Notification Emails plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to visit the Settings Â» Notification emails page. This is where the plugin allows you to manage all WordPress notification emails, including auto-update notifications.

Simply scroll down to the auto-update options and uncheck the box next to the notifications you want to disable.

Finally, don’t forget to click on the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.

2. WP Mail SMTP

Another plugin you can use to disable automatic update email notifications is WP Mail SMTP. It’s the best SMTP service for WordPress and ensures your emails are delivered to your inbox.

WP Mail SMTP lets you easily manage the emails sent by WordPress through its Email Controls. However, you will need the WP Mail SMTP Pro license to unlock the Email Controls option.

Next, you will need to install and activate WP Mail SMTP Pro on your website. You can check out our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin for more details.

Once the plugin is active, navigate to WP Mail SMTP Â» Settings from your WordPress admin panel and click the ‘Email Controls’ tab.

After that, scroll down to the ‘Automatic Updates’ section and disable email notifications for plugins, themes, WP core status, and full log.

When you are done, don’t forget to click the ‘Save Settings’ button.

That’s all. You have successfully disabled WordPress auto-update email notifications for your website.

Rolling Back WordPress Updates if Something Goes Wrong

Because WordPress plugins run on many independent WordPress hosting and server configurations, sometimes a plugin update may break a feature on your website or make it inaccessible.

This is easy to troubleshoot and fix. First, you need to figure out which plugin has caused the issue by deactivating all WordPress plugins and reactivating them one by one.

Once you have isolated the plugin causing the issue, you can use the WP Rollback plugin. It allows you to switch to the previous version of a WordPress plugin or theme.

For details, you can see our guide on how to roll back WordPress plugins and themes with step-by-step instructions.

Improving WordPress Email Deliverability

Even if you disable WordPress auto-update emails, there are other WordPress notification emails that you may not want to miss.

For instance, if you run a WooCommerce store, then you will want to receive notifications when a new order is placed.

Similarly, if you sell an online course or run a membership website, then you might want to receive email alerts when new users sign up.

You will also want to make sure that emails sent to users are delivered, including forgotten password emails, payment receipt emails, and order confirmation notifications.

To send emails, WordPress uses the PHP mail function. This function is easily misused by spammers, and your emails may end up in the spam folder.

To make sure all your important WordPress notification emails reach your users’ inboxes, you will need a proper SMTP service to send emails.

This is where the WP Mail SMTP plugin comes in. It uses an SMTP service to send all your WordPress notification emails.

You can use it with a paid SMTP service provider or a free SMTP service like Gmail combined with the free version of the WP Mail SMTP plugin.

For more details, see our guide on How to set up WP Mail SMTP on your WordPress site.

We hope this article helped you learn how to disable automatic update email notifications in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to get a free business email address and our comparison of the best email marketing services to grow your sales.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to ourÂ YouTube ChannelÂ for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us onÂ TwitterÂ and Facebook.

The post How to Disable Automatic Update Email Notification in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.
17.07.2023
How to Enable Automatic Updates in WordPress for Major Versions
Do you want to enable automatic updates for major WordPress updates?

Automatic updates are enabled for minor releases on WordPress. This means that the WordPress.org team can automatically install security updates without requiring user input.

However, it does not automatically update your website when there is a new major release. Luckily, you can easily turn on automatic updates for major releases as well.

In this article, we’ll show you how to enable automatic updates in WordPress for major versions.

How WordPress Automatic Updates Work

The automatic updates feature was introduced in WordPress 3.7. This allowed WordPress to automatically install new minor releases to improve the security of your WordPress website.

There is an option to disable automatic updates in WordPress. However, we recommend that you keep automatic updates enabled because they usually address crucial security issues and vulnerabilities.

Now if you just run one or two WordPress websites, then you can simply follow our guide to safely update your WordPress site when there is a new major WordPress release. However, updating WordPress manually can be time-consuming if you manage multiple sites.

Luckily, managed WordPress hosting providers like WP Engine automatically update WordPress for all new releases, not just minor ones.

You can also enable auto-updates on a shared hosting provider like Bluehost and SiteGround. But first, you’ll just need to make sure that you have a proper backup system in place in case something goes wrong.

With that being said, let’s take a look at how to easily set up automatic updates for major WordPress releases. Here’s what we’ll cover in this tutorial:
Preparing for Automatic Updates in WordPress

The most important layer of security you can add to any website is to set up a backup system. Whether you turn on automatic updates or not, you should always have an automatic backup system in place for every WordPress website.

There are several helpful WordPress backup plugins that you can use to set up automatic backups on your WordPress site.

We recommend using Duplicator because it is the best WordPress backup plugin on the market, and it’s free. Duplicator allows you to easily set up automatic backups of your complete WordPress website.

It also allows you to automatically store your backup files in a remote location such as Google Drive or Dropbox or Amazon S3.

Once you have set up automatic WordPress backups, you can go ahead and turn on automated WordPress updates for major releases.

Method 1: Enable Automatic Updates for Major Releases From Dashboard Â» Updates

When you visit the Dashboard Â» Updates page in your WordPress admin area, you will see the message, â€˜This site is automatically kept up to date with maintenance and security releases of WordPress only.â€™ These are the minor releases we mentioned above.

If you would like all WordPress updates to be handled the same way, then simply click the link labeled â€˜Enable automatic updates for all new versions of WordPress.â€™

Now major WordPress releases will be automatically installed as well.

If you decide to turn off automatic updates in the future, then simply return to the Dashboard Â» Updates page and click the link that says â€˜Switch to automatic updates for maintenance and security releases only.â€™

Now major WordPress versions will not be installed automatically, just minor releases and security updates.

Method 2: Enable Automatic WordPress Updates for Major Releases Using a Plugin

The plugin method gives you more control over what is updated on your site. For example, it includes options to automatically update WordPress core, plugins, themes, and more.

First, you need to install and activate the Easy Updates Manager plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to visit Dashboard Â» Updates Options page to set up the plugin.

Under the ‘Quick configuration actions’ section, you should click the ‘Custom’ button. After that, click the ‘Auto update all releases’ button under the ‘WordPress core updates’ section.

Note: Be cautious clicking the ‘Auto update everything’ button under ‘Quick configuration actions’. This will turn on automatic updates for everything, including WordPress core, plugins, themes, and translations.

The plugin will automatically store your settings and enable the major WordPress releases to be automatically updated.

If you would also like to use this plugin to automatically update your plugins and themes, then see our detailed guide on how to better manage automatic WordPress updates.

Method 3: Manually Enable Automatic Updates for Major Releases in WordPress

This method requires you to add code to your WordPress files.

First, you need to add the following line of code to your site’s wp-config.php file.
```
define( 'WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', true );
```
There is one little problem with this code. It also enables what are called ‘nightly’ updates, or ‘nightlies.’ These are still under development and may contain bugs, so should not be installed on a live WordPress website.

To disable nightly builds and development updates, you need to add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file, or to a using a code snippets plugin such as WPCode.
```
add_filter( 'allow_dev_auto_core_updates', '__return_false' );
```
This filter will disable automatic updates for nightly builds or development updates.

Your WordPress site is now ready to automatically update itself without your input whenever there is a new WordPress version available.

Frequently Asked Questions about WordPress Automatic Updates

1. Why do I need to install WordPress updates?

WordPress is a regularly maintained software. Thousands of developers contribute to making WordPress better and more secure.

You need to install WordPress updates as soon as they are available. This ensures that your website has the latest security patches, new features, and the best speed and performance.

2. Are updates safe for my website?

As the world’s most popular website builder, WordPress updates immediately become available to millions of websites. The core team works very hard to ensure that they are absolutely safe for all websites to install.

However, we recommend everyone always back their WordPress website before updates. This allows you to quickly revert back in case anything goes wrong after an update.

3. Can I also automatically update WordPress plugins?

By default, WordPress requires you to manually install plugin updates. However, you can enable automatic updates for plugins as well.

See our guide on how to enable automatic updates for WordPress plugins.

4. Can I install updates on all my websites from a single dashboard?

By default, you’ll need to log in to each WordPress website to install updates. Luckily, you can use tools to manage multiple WordPress sites. These tools make it easier to install updates on all your WordPress sites without having to log in to each site.

Learn more in our guide on how to manage multiple WordPress sites from one dashboard.

We hope this article helped you learn how to enable automatic updates in WordPress for major releases. You may also want to learn how to choose the best web design software, or see our list of email marketing services for small business.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to ourÂ YouTube ChannelÂ for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us onÂ TwitterÂ and Facebook.

The post How to Enable Automatic Updates in WordPress for Major Versions first appeared on WPBeginner.
07.02.2023
How to Fix â€˜Another Update is Currently in Progressâ€™ Error in WordPress

The post How to Fix â€˜Another Update is Currently in Progressâ€™ Error in WordPress is written by Tom Rankin and appeared first on WPKube.

Lots of your site maintenance time will involve updating WordPress’ core, themes, and plugins. This is a necessary task that protects your site and makes it more secure. However, while the process often goes without a hitch, on some occasions, you see the â€˜Another Update is Currently in Progressâ€™ error. WordPress will typically ‘lock’ the database when it carries out…. Continue Reading

16.07.2022