{"id":31998,"date":"2020-08-13T11:05:50","date_gmt":"2020-08-13T09:05:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpkraken.io\/?p=31998"},"modified":"2020-08-13T11:05:50","modified_gmt":"2020-08-13T09:05:50","slug":"wordpress-5-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpkraken.io\/blog\/wordpress-5-5\/","title":{"rendered":"WordPress 5.5\u201cEckstine\u201d Is Here"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As promised, WordPress 5.5, the newest iteration of the world\u2019s most popular CMS, was released on August 11th, after two release candidates and four betas made available in July<\/a>. This upgrade is nicknamed \u201cEckstine\u201d to honor an American jazz and pop singer, Billy Eckstine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s new in WordPress 5.5?<\/strong> Read on to find out about the new features this version brings!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WordPress 5.5\u2019s Focus Areas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the August update, the team focused on three major areas to improve: speed, search, and security<\/strong>. They all significantly contribute to a better and more comfortable service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speed<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

WordPress 5.5 introduces lazy loading for images<\/strong> to give your website a sense of more speed. Instead of trying to load everything on one page at once, the system will now wait until you\u2019re just about to scroll into an image. This not only improves site speed<\/strong> but also saves your mobile users\u2019 money by reducing data usage<\/strong>. Not to mention it preserves battery life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Search <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

With WordPress 5.5, your website will work even better with search engines. A default XML sitemap<\/strong> makes it more crawlable for bots, allowing them to discover your crucial pages as soon as you release them. It means that you\u2019ll get more traffic<\/strong> – and sooner<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

One of WordPress 5.5\u2019s key features is the automated plugin and themes updating<\/strong>. The plugin section in the admin panel now includes an extra column for enabling or disabling auto-updates without compromising its well-known design. You can adjust the settings for each add-on individually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you prefer to update your plugins and themes manually, WordPress 5.5 introduces bulk-updating in ZIP format<\/strong>, together with a comparison tool for maximum clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Block Editor News<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once again, the newest version of WordPress brings quite a few new features to the block editor. See some of them below or follow here <\/a>for the full list of updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inline Image Editing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This upgrade allows you to crop, rotate, and zoom your images within the image block – this streamlines the editing process and saves you time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Block Patterns<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

WordPress 5.5 introduces new block patterns<\/strong> in a handful of plugins and themes, with more and more being added every day. With this update, you\u2019ll have your users wondering where you got that gorgeous, complex layouts combining text and media and how much time it took to code it – while in fact, it\u2019s nothing more than adding a pattern from a convenient library<\/strong> and editing it to meet your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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New Block Directory<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Searching for the perfect block has always been somewhat a hassle – until now. WordPress team has worked on an entirely new block directory<\/strong> built into the block editor for ultimate accessibility. Finding your one true block is now a breeze!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other News<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Other new features in WordPress 5.5\u2019s block editor include enhanced accessibility. The team has worked on enlarging the single primary toolbar<\/strong> with fewer tab stops and higher contrast. This is another step towards reducing the admin panel\u2019s complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WordPress 5.5 Accessibility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To improve the accessible publishing experience, the WordPress team has added a couple of new functionalities, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n