WordPress 6.8 is out, packing some seriously exciting upgrades for developers and site owners! From cutting-edge performance boosts, like speculative loading, to significant security enhancements with bcrypt password hashing, this release, nicknamed “Cecil,” shows that WordPress is doubling down on speed, safety, and user experience. Whether you’re building custom themes, managing client sites, or just curious about what’s new under the hood, 6.8 brings meaningful changes worth your attention.
Let’s look at some of the significant changes in WordPress 6.8
Speculative Loading
This is the feature WebDevStudios engineers are most excited about. If speed is a priority for your site, you’ll be excited to learn that in WordPress 6.8, pages load more quickly with speculative loading, as WordPress may preload the next page when a user hovers over or clicks on a link. Site users will experience a smoother and faster loading experience, similar to an app-like experience. Site owners and developers will appreciate an improvement in Core Web Vitals, specifically Last Contentful Paint. Developers control how Speculative Loading works on their site, including deactivating it for specific URLs, adjusting how aggressively the browser preloads pages, and turning it off completely.
Stronger Password Security with bcrypt
WordPress 6.8 introduces bcrypt as the default algorithm for hashing passwords. This strengthens site security and gives users better peace of mind. Bcrypt is the industry standard for password security. There’s no need to change anything; this is an automatic update.
WordPress 6.8 Design & Editor Enhancements
The editor has received a few new enhancements. The Style Book has a new layout and more transparent labels, making it easier to edit your site styles in one place. The Style Book has also been added to Classic themes. Data Views have improved, allowing users to adjust the density of table layouts. Finally, editors can choose whether a site template renders while editing content.
WordPress 6.8 Developer & Performance Updates
WordPress 6.8 brings solid improvements to make development smoother and site performance faster, especially under the hood. The Query Loop block has been improved with greater flexibility, with features like customized pagination, filtering by date and “sticky” -ness, and offset queries. Two performance-related updates are optimized `WP_Query` cache key generation to reduce database load, especially on large sites, and lazy loading for user capabilities in `wp_user` and post metadata to improve backend performance.
Accessibility Improvements on WordPress 6.8
Over 100 accessibility fixes have been made. Two highlights: First, the Customizer navigation menus have been updated with proper semantic headings for improved navigation for users who rely on assistive technology. Second, the Customizer respects a user’s system settings for reduced motion, reducing animations and transitions based on their preferences.
WordPress 6.8 offers significant enhancements across the platform, with a focus on speed, security, and flexibility. Speculative loading boosts frontend performance, while bcrypt strengthens security. Developers and content creators benefit from thoughtful improvements, and the overall user experience is smoother with better accessibility and editing. Whether you’re seeking performance gains, increased control, or a more streamlined workflow, WordPress 6.8 delivers a significant step forward in the platform’s evolution.
As a web development agency with over 17 years of experience, WebDevStudios understands the power of updates like these. Our clients rest easy knowing that their WordPress support agreements will maximize the benefits these features provide. If you’re unsure how to upgrade your enterprise website or wonder when it was last updated, reach out and ask us about our support and website care agreements. We’d love to talk with you!