WordPress has finally taken the next step in being the best CMS provider by upping its website-building game significantly. This week they introduced the new 6.2 version. It focuses mainly on streamlining the website template editing experience and enhancing their interface drastically. 

There have been some significant changes in the inter-template navigation. Also, some new modes were introduced. It seems the focus was mainly on the experience, as WordPress undertook a substantial number of small changes that genuinely improved the overall experience. There is much to talk about, so without further ado, let’s dive right in and discuss what’s new and what is better with the latest WordPress release.

A new Distraction-Free Mode

The Distraction-Free Mode is definitely not the most essential change of the pack, but it’s one that was desperately needed. It effectively filters all the distractions from the screen and lets you work specifically on the page’s content. It hides all styling and layout options. Also, it covers your entire screen with the white sheet that awaits your creative content. If you find it hard to produce well-written content, this distraction-free mode will be a Godsend, letting you concentrate on the task at hand. 

To be most effective, click on the three dots at the top right of your screen and mark the Fullscreen and the Distraction-Free mode. To exit the mode, just hover your mouse over the top of the screen. Then use the menu to disable the feature. 

The entire site editor is finally operational

After being in beta testing for quite some time, the new and improved full-site editor is finally operational. That’s great news for those with little to no experience creating a website, as it will make creating a unique and well-designed website much easier. 

It will not only allow beginners to play around and create their own blocks but will also give professional developers the means to create unique block styles and template parts. So, for example, you can create a unique footer or header and use it across all your websites. Furthermore, the learning curve is practically non-existent, as the easy drag-and-drop builder allows you to create impressive visual components in a matter of minutes.

Interestingly, this feature is still in development, and WP promises to expand on its abilities in the future. We can only wait and see what they will come up with next. 

Option to browse and choose templates

One of the best features the new site editor offers is the option to quickly and effortlessly browse through the different template parts and choose the one you need to edit. Previously, the home template was loaded by default, leaving beginners wondering which template parts required editing. Now the site editor loads your preview window without a template. Then, you can browse template panels by choosing templates and selecting the page you want to edit. Be it the Home page, the Blog, a single page, or even the 404 page, you can edit them all through this one place. Moreover, you can design and work on your header and footer, as well as the comments section and the post metadata. This is a huge step toward creating one genuinely search-engine-optimized website.

Finally, you can add even more templates by clicking “manage all templates” at the bottom of the sidebar menu. Then select “Add New” in the top right corner of the screen. There you will see a list of pre-made templates, or if you have the artistic vision, you can start from scratch by selecting “Custom template.” 

New and better navigation menus

Generally, when creating a website, starting from the Header and Footer is a good idea. However, until now, making both was a bit complicated and determined by the template’s limitations. With the new WP release, users are free to create whatever header or footer they want. Moreover, the new WP 6.2 took upon one of the most challenging tasks in this regard – creating the navigational menu. The latest version of the editor tries to tackle the problem by implementing an option to create and manage menus directly from the site editor. So now, your website’s navigation can be edited directly from a subpanel under the Navigation block. 

The downside is that this new process can take some time to get used to if you are already accustomed to the previous way. Still, in the long run, that’s the best way forward.

Adding a menu is definitely not challenging despite the slight confusion it may cost. It only follows a different logic. You must create a navigational block, go to its settings, click on the “burger” icon, and add some pre-created categories with the “plus” icon at the bottom. That’s all there is to it. Moreover, you can make it a template and use it effortlessly across different template parts and pages. 

Easier replication of block styles

Creating a great block style is not easy. If you have to do it every time from scratch, it will take you a lot of time and effort. Moreover, creating a correspondent style across all your content blocks is instrumental for your website’s branding. Having a bunch of irregular blocks is a bold move that only a few brands can afford, as, in general, eclecticism is frowned upon. The developers of WP 6.2 took that into account and created one genuinely effortless way to replicate your block styles. 

So, for example, if you created a fascinating style for one block on your home page and want to replicate it further into your content, you simply go to the ready block, click on the three dots in the bar, and choose “copy style.” Then, select the new block and simply paste the style.

Moreover, you can now create your own block templates, allowing you to use them across your website. This is a great way to add the header and footer, as well as some promotions, offers, and other content that will be universal across all pages. Note, though, that changing the content on one page will change all across the website. So be careful.

Color indication when editing blocks

Luckily, the WP developers anticipated the mess that could ensue. So they created an easy way to alert you that you are working on a block template and not on a single block. In addition, they made it through color coding. So, when operating on a single block, the edited block will get bright blue borders. This will show you not only the specific block you are managing but also that it’s not a template.

On the other hand, if you edit a block template and change content across your entire website, you will get a purple border, and the object in the list on the left will illuminate in the same color.

This otherwise small change can save you from much trouble and mess.

A new style book

While discussing the block style, the new WP 6.2 site editor will come with a handy “Style Book.” All you need to do is enter the style panel from the icon positioned at the top right corner. Then click the style book icon. There you can choose a predetermined style. It instantly changes your text, media, design, and widgets to predetermined settings. On the other hand, you can create your own style by changing the typography, colors, and layouts on your own. The best part is that you can decide which pages to change and where to keep them different.

This is great for A/B Landing page testing. Once you prove the winner, you can instantly match all your landing page styles to it. Furthermore, if you want to keep your privacy policy strictly to the point, you might want to devoid it of additional styling. 

On the other hand, with this feature, you can keep your styling the same throughout your entire website, saving you a lot of time and effort.

Dedicated sub-panels for block styles and settings

Since the new styling block has a lot to offer, the developers took it upon themselves to give it a dedicated sub-panel. The same goes for the block settings. This is a small change. Still, it offers users a more effortless navigation when they want to change a specific block aspect. For example, if they want to change its functionality, they won’t have to go through a bunch of style solutions first. Instead, they can simply go to the dedicated sub-panel and find all they need there. 

Importing classic widgets as template elements 

It’s debatable whether the classic widgets were the best designer solution, especially compared to the block-styled themes. Still, WordPress 6.2 recognizes that many website owners prefer to have ready-to-use widgets. So naturally, the new WP update accommodates their needs by introducing a method to implement classic widgets as Template parts in block themes. 

Still, using blog themes is far better if you are new to WordPress. So it’s a far better idea to use the immense capabilities of block themes rather than going back to the limited solutions like the widgets. 

Option to add custom CSS to specific blocks

After the “Theme Customizer” was hidden in the last few WP versions, this time, the developers decided to make it easily accessible. This allows everyone to add custom CSS to their theme without much hassle. 

Getting to the panel is quite easy. First, go to the style panel. Next, open the drop-down menu from the three dots inside the panel, and select additional CSS. 

On the other hand, if you want to change the style of a particular block template, just go to the style panel, select blocks at the bottom, and choose the block type you’d like to change. After that, click on “Additional block CSS” and paste your CSS code.

Note that not all elements will allow you to add custom CSS. Still, most text and design elements have that option. So if you have some coding experience, you can make your website truly unique. 

Improved pattern insertion

The easily inserted patterns are the last of WP 6.2’s big changes. In previous versions, this was needlessly complicated, and it seems the developers came to the same conclusion. Now inserting a design is seamless. Just go to the “add new” panel and choose “Patterns.” There you will see a list of patterns you can choose from.

In addition to the traditional choices, now you can opt for a header and a footer pattern as well. Select the type you need, and a list of available designs will appear. Then, you can implement the element with a single click and start editing it. It’s as easy as that. 

Other improvements

Along with all the significant changes, WordPress 6.2 offers a variety of minor improvements all across the board. They don’t have the same colossal impact on the usability but are still lovely additions to the overall experience. Here are the most important of them:

Openverse integration for free images – Finding the correct pics to illustrate your blog post is always tedious. The 6.2 developers must have known that, as they integrated the Openverse royalty-free open-source images into the site editor. You can reach it through the “add new” panel in the media section. 

The settings panel has a new icon – Though the gear icon was universally recognizable, the new panel icon is definitely more in line with the functions of the button. 

Faster updates – All updates will be done much faster thanks to the new method of moving directories rather than copying them.

A new switch-to-user-locale function – This will help, among other things, to send emails in the recipient’s locale instead of the site’s locale. 

Create autosave revisions only when content is changed – this will cease creating and deleting useless records, which causes unwanted load and exhausts the IDS. 

Overall

The new WordPress 6.2 looks extremely promising. The developers definitely worked on resolving common usability issues. Although there is still a long way to go, the new site editor looks fantastic. The whole platform feels exceptionally comfortable. Moreover, with more than 292 enhancements, 354 fixed bugs, and more than 195 resolved tickets, WordPress is better and faster than ever. Now all you need is a fast hosting service, and you can launch one genuinely successful website. 

Thankfully, HostArmada is here to help. Our lightning-fast, Fort Knox-secured, and highly reliable hosting services perfectly align with the fast and secure build that WordPress 6.2 offers. So check our offers and get your website up and running today.