The WordPress 6.9 Release Candidate 1 is now available on WordPress VIP. Use the Software Management page to update your non-production sites to WordPress 6.9 for testing.
What’s Changing?
Site Editor improvements and Refined content creation
- Ability to hide blocks
- New blocks
- Notes on blocks
- Universal command palette in wp-admin
Developer updates
- Updates to dataviews and dataforms components
- New abilities API
- Updates to interactivity API
- Updates to block binding API
Performance Improvements
- Improved script and style handling
- Optimized queries and caching
- Added ability to handle “fetchpriority” in ES Modules and Import Maps
- Standardizing output buffering
Testing this release candidate is the next step in preparing your site for the WordPress 6.9 release slated for December 2nd 2025.
How to test WordPress 6.9
Local Environment
Ensure VIP-CLI is updated:npm update -g @automattic/vip
Update environment:vip dev-env update --slug SITENAME
Non-production
Alternatively, you may update a non-production site to WordPress 6.9 RC1 now.
Within the Software Management section of the VIP Dashboard, you can select your non-production environment and change the WordPress version to “6.9″ within the “Testing” section.
Testing is vital to polishing the release during the Release Candidate and is a great way to contribute. ✨
Not for Production Environments
WordPress VIP does not recommend using Release Candidate or Beta versions in production environments. Any sites that have managed updates will automatically be updated to WordPress 6.9 when it is released on December 2nd 2025.
Questions?
If you have testing feedback or questions related to this release, please open a support ticket, and we will be happy to assist.