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WordPress Announces First Major 2023 Update With WordPress 6.2, Aka Dolphy

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Updated on April 25, 2023

blue graphic of Dolphy Jr on a vinyl cover with the vinyl sticking out — Source: WordPress

The first major update of WordPress since November 2022.
The 6.2 update features over 900 enhancements from smoother navigation to the newly released Site Editor.

WordPress has announced its first major platform update of 2023, WordPress 6.2. The new update, named after famed jazz musician Eric Allan Dolphy Jr, promises to evolve the “site editing experience, [introducing] more ways to style your site, and offers a new distraction-free way to write.”

The original Eric Allan Dolphy Jr was renowned for how he cemented clarinet as part of the jazz ensemble. Over 600 contributors in at least 50 countries worked to release Dolphy on March 29th, 2023 after a Beta back in February.

The update features over 900 enhancements, but most prominently the reimagined Site Editor. The new interface now allows users to see access previews of their templates and template parts from block menus, in a similar manner to website builders like Squarespace or its own WordPress.com platform. This is a large departure from how previously obtuse some users have found WordPress in the past.

Other quality-of-life changes made include smoother organization for both the Block Insterter and Settings bar, as well as a new Navigation menu design to make editing your site’s Nav bar even faster.

Styles

A new concept given attention in this update is ‘Styles’ – synchronized designs across the various blocks in the Site Editor. You can have a look at all the Styles being used with the Style Book feature and copy and paste them into others, giving your site a uniform design and look with minimal hassle.

You can even input custom CSS into these Styles for a “feel for maximum creativity and artistry in your designs.”

Users can now also access WordPress’s Openverse media library right from the editor. Openverse gives WordPress users access to “700+ million free, openly licensed stock images and audio.”

The last update, “Misha”, back in November 2022, was focused on overhauling the platform’s visuals, with significant work done to themes and design customization. This update follows in the suit of its eponymous musician, bringing in new elements to the open-source platform.

Time will tell if this update goes on to be as influential as its namesake.

Written by:

Samuel Jagger Writer

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