The third release candidate for WordPress 7.0 is now available for testing on VIP. This is one of the last milestones in the WordPress 7.0 development cycle ahead of the official release on May 20, 2026.
WordPress 7.0 RC3 can now be deployed to all non-production WordPress environments via VIP-CLI or from the Software Versions page in the VIP Dashboard.
Update on Real-time Collaboration
It was announced today that WordPress 7.0 will no longer include Real-Time Collaboration. This decision was made to ensure the feature is stable and performant across WordPress’ diverse install base.
While regular WordPress users will have to wait for future releases, Real-Time Collaboration will continue to be available on VIP. Our implementation uses a dedicated WebSockets server for a fast, secure, and performant experience suitable for large editorial teams.
Customers can enable Real-Time Collaboration today from the Integrations Center. If you are already using Real-Time Collaboration, no action is needed.
What’s coming in WordPress 7.0?
Developer features
- Connectors API and AI Client: a provider-agnostic API to connect your site with external service integrations, and a dedicated UI to manage all integrations.
- Abilities & Workflows API improvements: hybrid abilities, client-side filtering and search, an improved command palette, and a new Abilities Explorer admin screen when using the AI experiments plugin.
- PHP-only block registration, no JavaScript required.
- Block Bindings for custom dynamic blocks: pattern override support now extends to custom dynamic blocks for building flexible, data-driven content patterns.
- Custom CSS per block instance.
Admin experience
WordPress 7.0 ships with a fresh default color scheme and cleaner dashboard styles. These CSS-level changes bring the WordPress Admin experience closer to the Site Editor’s modern look while keeping the interface familiar.
Editing experience
- Visual revisions: revisions now appear inline within the editor, allowing side-by-side visual comparisons
- Pattern: updated editing experience and support for custom blocks with pattern overrides
- Viewport-based block visibility: show or hide individual blocks based on screen size.
- Font Library for all themes.
- Customizable navigation overlays for block themes
- New blocks: Icons block, Breadcrumbs block (with support for archives, 404s, search pages, and pagination).
- Block updates: Cover Block with video embed backgrounds, responsive controls for the Grid Block, Gallery Block with lightbox support, Navigation Block with customizable overlays, block variations for the Heading Block.
Testing & Support
How to test the upgrade on a local environment
The quickest way to test locally is to use the VIP Local Development Environment.
To update an existing environment:
vip dev-env update -w=7.0 --slug=mytestsite
To create a new one:
vip dev-env create -w=7.0 --slug=mytestsite
How to test the upgrade on a VIP Platform environment
You can update your non-production environments by running the 7.0 version of WordPress from within the Software Management section of the VIP Dashboard or by running the vip config software update command with VIP-CLI.
For example:
vip @mytestsite.develop config software update wordpress trunk
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 7.0 when it is released on April 9, 2026.
Questions?
If you have testing feedback or questions related to this release, please open a support ticket, and we will be happy to assist.