WordPress Trend Report — 2026-07-26

Weekly Summary

Article Inventory (16 articles)
  1. New Block Support in WordPress 7.1: Background Gradient (background.gradient) (Make Core) — WordPress 7.1 adds a new background.gradient block support that allows gradients and background images to coexist on the same block by using the background-image longhand property instead of the shorthand.
  2. New Block Support in WordPress 7.1: Minimum Width (Make Core) — WordPress 7.1 adds minWidth support to blocks, allowing them to set a minimum width through the Dimensions panel.
  3. Registering and rendering SVG icons in WordPress 7.1 (Make Core) — WordPress 7.1 introduces a public API for registering and rendering SVG icons, allowing developers to add custom icon collections and individual icons that can be used in the editor, REST API, and PHP.
  4. React 19: punted beyond WordPress 7.1, experiment in Gutenberg (Make Core) — WordPress 7.1 will not include an upgrade to React 19 due to compatibility issues found during testing, requiring further refinement of a compatibility layer for existing plugins.
  5. Editor components updates in WordPress 7.1 (Make Core) — WordPress 7.1 updates @wordpress/components form controls to use a default height of 40px, removing the need for the __next40pxDefaultSize prop.
  6. Editable blocks inside the Custom HTML block (Make Core) — WordPress 7.1 introduces support for editable blocks within the Custom HTML block, allowing static HTML to be interwoven with regular blocks that are editable but not movable or removable.
  7. Media Library infinite scrolling is now enabled by default, with a per-user opt-out (Make Core) — WordPress 7.1 enables infinite scrolling in the Media Library by default, with users able to opt out via their profile settings.
  8. Text Shadow Support in Global Styles (Make Core) — WordPress 7.1 adds support for defining text-shadow values in Global Styles via theme.json, allowing themes to apply shadows globally, per-block, or on specific elements like links.
  9. Client-Side Media Processing in WordPress 7.1 (Make Core) — WordPress 7.1 introduces client-side media processing using WebAssembly, handling image compression, resizing, and thumbnail generation directly in the browser with wasm-vips.
  10. What’s new in Gutenberg 23.6? (July 22, 2026) (Make Core) — Gutenberg 23.6 introduces cropping controls in the Media editor, adds responsive style states with aspect-ratio, flex-alignment, and text-shadow controls, and raises the minimum WordPress version to 6.9.
  11. Dev Chat summary: July 21, 2026 (Make Core) — WordPress 7.0.2, an urgent security release, is now available, and WordPress 7.1 Beta 3 is set for release on July 22 with a release party at 15:00 UTC.
  12. Dev Chat Agenda – July 21, 2026 (Make Core) — The WordPress Developers Chat on July 21, 2026, will focus on upcoming releases and include an open floor for discussion.
  13. WordPress 7.1 Beta 3 (WordPress.org News) — WordPress 7.1 Beta 3 is available for testing, with a final release scheduled for August 19, 2026.
  14. ACF Chat Fridays: Agency Workflow (ACF Blog) — The July ACF Chat Fridays session discussed agency workflows for WordPress development, focusing on scalable site building, deployment pipelines, and team collaboration.
  15. WordPress 7.1 Beta 3, AI in Action at #WCUS, Playground UI testing and more — Weekend Edition 370 (Gutenberg Times) — WordPress 7.1 Beta 3 is available for testing, with updates including text shadow support in global styles, editable blocks within the Custom HTML block, and SVG icon registration.
  16. How WordPress decides a theme is a “block theme” (Gutenberg Times) — WordPress determines if a theme is a "block theme" by checking for the presence of templates/index.html or block-templates/index.html, regardless of other block-related features like theme.json or patterns.

WordPress 7.1 is nearing final release, with Beta 3 available for testing and a scheduled launch on August 19, 2026. Multiple updates are being planned for this release, including new block support features like background.gradient, minWidth, and editable blocks within the Custom HTML block. Additionally, client-side media processing using WebAssembly is being introduced to reduce server load and improve image handling.

The Gutenberg plugin has also been updated to version 23.6, which includes responsive style states and new controls in the Media editor. However, React 19 has been delayed beyond WordPress 7.1 due to compatibility issues, with an experimental feature in the Gutenberg plugin allowing developers to test React 19 support.

The WordPress team has enabled infinite scrolling in the Media Library by default, with an opt-out option for users. Global styles now support text shadows via theme.json, and SVG icon registration has been made more flexible with a new public API.

The WCUS 2026 conference will feature an AI track, focusing on ethical boundaries and agentic commerce readiness.

Developer Implications

Freelance and agency developers should test WordPress 7.1 Beta 3, available now, to ensure compatibility with existing themes and plugins. Key areas of focus include the new block support features (background.gradient, minWidth), SVG icon registration via wp_register_icon_collection() and wp_get_icon(), and the updated global styles system that now supports text shadows.

Developers should also be aware of the delayed React 19 upgrade and test their plugins using the experimental feature in Gutenberg to identify any compatibility issues. The client-side media processing with WebAssembly may affect how image metadata is handled, so developers should verify that their plugins correctly process the wp_generate_attachment_metadata filter with 'update' context.

The removal of deprecated components like the Navigation component and __experimentalApplyValueToSides in @wordpress/components requires updates to existing projects that use these utilities. Developers should review their code for any usage of the __next40pxDefaultSize prop or related size props and remove them.

The upcoming WCUS 2026 AI track may provide insights into future development directions, particularly for agencies exploring AI integration in WordPress workflows. Developers should also consider the new default infinite scrolling behavior in the Media Library and ensure their themes or plugins handle this feature appropriately.

Since Last Report

What I'm Watching

Lot's of neat features getting ready to drop in the upcoming WordPress 7.1 release (~Aug 19), including: Registering and rendering SVG icons in WordPress 7.1 and Client-Side Media Processing in WordPress 7.1. The Beta 3 is out and you should give it a test!

Source Articles

Make Core

WordPress.org News

ACF Blog

Gutenberg Times

Build Notes