The latest version of WordPress (5.2) was released this week. Security perks aside, it has some cool new features. In fact, you can ditch some of your plugins after getting your site updated to 5.2. And I’d recommend that you do!
Don’t worry, none of these changes are as drastic as Gutenberg.
Block Editor Upgrades
Speaking of, the change to Gutenberg was a big one for many WordPress site owners. Whether good or bad, moving to WordPress 5 meant that site owners had to use the block editor style of working with content. Or it meant picking a page builder tool from a third-party.
The latest version of WordPress features some updates + improvements to these blocks + the block editor way of working with content. Each time these elements are improved, the better your experience managing a WordPress website will be.
Site Health Check
Do you ever use the “Tools” section of your WordPress site? Most business owners don’t + that has a lot to do with the fact that not much lives in that area. Until this update.
For example, you’ll have the ability to check the status of your site’s health. This score is based on a few criteria that WordPress deemed important. You’ll see a grade right at the top of this page that gives you a percentage + color.
Below your WordPress site grade will be a list of recommended improvements + why they are being recommended. This way you can chose to make the changes suggested, hire someone to do it for you or skip them if you’re not into what’s being suggested, for example.
Fatal Error Recovery Mode
My goal is to keep site owners from seeing a “fatal error” screen with their website. But shit happens. If you find yourself with a broken WordPress website, this new recovery mode feature will help you “undo” the damage. It will allow you to bring your site back to life quickly + without having to rope in tech support.
Finally, there are other features that come with 5.2… But they are pretty nerdy — like new dashicons for your custom lefthand menu functions.
How to get the latest WordPress version installed
Whether you’re looking to update WordPress, your installed plugins or the theme you’re currently using, I have a how-to video that will walk you through the steps to safely updating your website.
Are you not into video and would rather read the steps? This post about running plugin updates can be applied to updating WordPress to 5.2 as well.