WordPress 5.5 Update: All You Need To Know

WordPress 5.5 Update: All You Need To Know

WordPress 5.5 is the latest update release from WordPress. It is the second major update of the year that’s highly focused on ensuring better speed and security for WordPress sites.

Significant updates are included for the block editor as there are more than 1500 changes made in its interface. More than 300 bugs have been fixed, and more than 160 enhancements made. The update is stuffed with massive improvements, and also, long-awaited features have made their debut in the WordPress 5.5 update. The security concerns have also been rectified in the update, so it is a great idea to include WordPress 5.5 update in your WordPress maintenance services to get the latest security patch.

Top Features and Improvements of the WordPress 5.5 WordPress 5.5 is packed with all new and much-awaited features for the block editor. The ever-growing block editor is continuing its constant evolution with exciting features since its release back with the WordPress 5.0. Let us highlight some of the most notable improvements and features of WordPress 5.5.

Automatic Updates for Plugins and Themes Even though WordPress in its core is very secure, but outdated plugins and themes are the biggest reason why WordPress websites are hacked so frequently. This is why running the latest versions of themes and plugins is very crucial. This issue has been realized in the WordPress 5.5 update. You can call it the most significant change in the 5.5 updates. WordPress will let you automatically update themes and plugins to the latest versions to avail of the latest security patches available.

Enhanced Block Editor Interface Design The block editor, since its release back with the WordPress 5.0 update, has continuously been enhanced.

The evolution this time continues as there are more than 1500 enhancements made in the interface itself. The difference can be felt in both the look and feel of the editor. The design improvements include a Better user interface, color contrast, grid-based spacing, etc. The overall editing experience has been improved to simplify the public interface.

Built-In XML Sitemaps

Built-in XML sitemaps are one of the most awaited features which made their debut with the 5.5 updates. Now, this feature leans more towards the ‘Search’ focus of the update. We know that when it comes to Google rankings, WordPress websites work quite well. The new built-in XML sitemaps feature makes it even better than ever. Millions of websites powered by WordPress can avail this chance to get ranked well on search engines. The Home page, post page, author archives, etc. will be made indexable by the main XML file containing sitemap pages exposed by the WordPress site.

Inline Image editing If you are spending too much time with images, this update is for you. WordPress 5.5 will let you zoom, rotate, and crop your images straight from the image block. You can also adjust the aspect ratio as per your desire in the new ‘crop’ icon on the image block.

Separate Block Directory Previously, the user had issues distinguishing between the regular plugins and single block plugins. This concern, too, has been addressed in the new update. A separate section for the block directory has been added within the plugin directory, containing single plugins. You can either browse regular plugins or block plugins. This will help distinguish between the two types, and the user will be able to install block plugins without leaving the editor.

Improved Block Navigation Block navigation was a common issue among beginners. Users would struggle in selecting the parent tool and moving the child element inside. WordPress 5.5 has resolved this issue by improving the block navigation. Selecting the parent tool or a nested element has now become much more comfortable than in earlier versions. This will save a lot of extra time, which can be utilized by doing other productive works. You can also now move blocks by dragging and dropping them.

These were the few of many important highlights of the WordPress 5.5 Update. This update could quite beneficial for the developers because the security features now are far better than earlier. The

improvements in the interface are notable. However, you must backup your site data before initiating an update to avoid loss of data.