WordPress 6.8 brings thoughtful upgrades to the tools you rely on every day—boosting speed, security, and ease of use. The Style Book now features a cleaner, more structured layout and support for Classic themes, giving you greater control over global styles. Navigation feels faster with speculative loading, which preloads pages before users even click. Password security gets a boost with automatic bcrypt hashing, and behind-the-scenes database improvements enhance overall performance.
WordPress 6.8 takes speed to the next level. When you or your visitors hover over or click a link, WordPress can preload the next page in the background—delivering a smoother, almost instant experience. This smart system balances performance and efficiency, and you’re in control with plugins or custom code. It only activates in modern browsers, so older ones simply skip it without any issues.
With a streamlined layout and clearer labels, the updated Style Book makes it even easier to fine-tune your site’s colors, typography, and overall styles—all from one place.
Even better, it now works with Classic themes that include editor styles or a `theme.json` file. You’ll find it under **Appearance > Design**, where you can preview your theme’s changes in real time, whether you’re editing CSS or tweaking settings in the Customizer.
WordPress now uses bcrypt hashing to protect passwords, making them much harder to crack by requiring significantly more computing power. This upgrade, along with other encryption enhancements across the platform, boosts overall security—no action needed on your part. It all happens automatically.
Data Views now make it easier to explore your options at a glance, and you can exclude sticky posts from the Query Loop with a simple setting. Plus, the editor is full of small enhancements that make building and editing more seamless than ever.
With over 100 accessibility fixes and enhancements, WordPress 6.8 makes the platform more inclusive and easier to navigate for everyone. Updates span the entire experience—from all bundled themes to navigation menu management, the Customizer, and clearer labeling. The Block Editor alone sees more than 70 refinements, improving blocks, Data Views, and the overall user interface.
WordPress 6.8 delivers powerful performance upgrades to make your site faster from front to back. In addition to speculative loading, this release boosts speed in key areas like the Block Editor, block type registration, and query caching. And with the introduction of the Interactivity API, WordPress moves closer to a future where every interaction responds in under 50 milliseconds.
