WordPress 6.8 “Cecil” is here – Everything you Need to Know
WordPress 6.8 is here – the first big update of 2025, and honestly? I think it’s a great one. Whether you’re all-in on Full Site Editing (FSE), building custom themes with ACF (like we do here at Voodoochilli), or still relying on a page builder workflow, this release brings something for everyone.
If you’re considering a redesign or want to make the most of what’s new, our WordPress Web Design Services are built around these modern tools and workflows – helping you stay ahead without the headache.
Let’s break down what’s new in WordPress 6.8 and why we think it’s worth your attention.
Stronger Password Security with bcrypt
Let’s start with what I think is one of the most important updates: WordPress now uses bcrypt to encrypt passwords.
Previously, WordPress relied on a method called MD5 (via phpass), which was decent but pretty outdated. With bcrypt, your passwords are hashed more securely, and it becomes much harder for anyone to crack them – even if they gain access to your database.
The best part? You don’t need to do anything – this update rolls in automatically and quietly, but it’s a massive step forward in site security.
So if you were one of those folks who hesitated to use WordPress because “it has security loopholes” – rest assured that’s a myth.
WordPress is one of the most actively maintained and security-patched CMS platforms out there. It’s used by nearly half the web – and the core team takes updates very seriously.
Speed Boost with Speculative Loading
One of the most practical improvements in WordPress 6.8 is speculative loading.
This feature uses the Speculation Rules API to detect user behaviour – such as hovering over a link – and begins preloading that page in the background. The result is noticeably faster page transitions, as content is already being prepared before the user even clicks.
What makes this especially useful is that it works regardless of how your theme is built. Whether you’re using classic themes, block themes, ACF-based setups (like we often do), or a page builder, speculative loading benefits all types of WordPress sites.
It’s yet another enhancement that comes with no extra setup required.
Style Book Now Works with Classic Themes
If you’re still using a classic theme but want access to some of the newer design tools, WordPress 6.8 brings good news. The Style Book – previously only available for block themes – is now supported in classic themes as well (as long as they support the Full Site Editor).
The Style Book gives you a centralised visual overview of how core blocks like buttons, headings, forms, and more will appear across your site. It’s a helpful way to manage styling without having to dive into templates or custom CSS.
While WordPress is clearly encouraging users to adopt block-based editing, its approach remains flexible.
The platform acknowledges that users have different workflows, preferences, and technical needs – and it continues to support that diversity.
Whether you’re fully using blocks, sticking with classic PHP templates, or taking a hybrid route (like we often do with ACF blocks), WordPress aims to offer tools that improve the experience without forcing a single way of working.
This update is particularly helpful for agencies or developers maintaining classic themes who still want to introduce modern editing features gradually.
New Design & Editing Features We Loved
WordPress 6.8 brings several small but meaningful enhancements that help make content creation and editing more intuitive – especially for clients or editors working directly in the block editor.
Set any image block as a featured image
You can now designate any image block in a post or page as the featured image – without needing to open the sidebar settings. This simplifies the workflow for content creators and makes the process feel more visual and connected to the layout.
Quickly assign a Posts page from the Site Editor
In previous versions, setting your blog’s main posts page involved visiting the Settings menu. Now, you can assign it directly within the Page List view in the Site Editor. This streamlines site setup and reduces the need to jump between menus.
Switch section styles from the toolbar in zoomed-out mode
When using the zoomed-out view in the Site Editor, you can now switch between different section styles via the top toolbar. This makes it easier to test and apply design variations without digging through nested settings or panels.
Image editing now includes an undo option
After cropping or rotating an image in the editor, a success message now includes an “undo” link. This small addition gives you more confidence when editing media directly in the editor and allows for quick reversals if something doesn’t look quite right.
Query Total block
A new block called Query Total has been added, allowing you to display the total number of posts being shown in a Query Loop. This is useful for archive pages, search results, or custom filtered views – adding a bit more clarity for site visitors.
Reset button for design controls
WordPress 6.8 introduces a Reset button across several style settings. Now, you can instantly reset colours, shadows, and duotone filters with one click. This is especially useful when experimenting with styles – no need to manually remove values one by one. I’d really struggle with this before! UI wasn’t intuitive enough to understand how to remove applied styles easily. It’s a small change that really improves the design workflow.
Cut function
The block options dropdown menu now includes a Cut option, right alongside Copy. This brings the WordPress block editor more in line with standard editing tools, making it easier to move entire blocks or sections from one place to another.
New commands in the Command Palette
The Command Palette (accessed via Cmd + K on Mac or Ctrl + K on Windows) just got more powerful in WordPress 6.8 – and it’s a real time-saver for our WordPress ninjas who are already comfortable with the interface and want to move fast.
- Add New Page – Create a new page instantly, from anywhere within the Site Editor.
- Open Site Editor – Jump straight to the Site Editor from a post or page editing screen.
Ignore Sticky Posts in Query Loops
The Query Loop block has received some major upgrades in 6.8. You can now:
- Choose to include or exclude sticky posts from your content lists
- Sort posts in different ways, giving you more layout flexibility
- Retrieve pages from all hierarchical levels, not just top-level ones
These changes give developers and content managers much finer control over how content is displayed – especially helpful for archive pages, landing pages, or custom layouts where precision matters.
Gallery block refinements
The Gallery block now includes a new setting called “Expand on click”, which opens all images in a lightbox-style gallery when clicked.
I think this is a really great addition, especially for photography, design, or portfolio websites. It’s a small feature that offers a big usability improvement – many users naturally expect to click and view images larger, and now that behaviour is built right in. No plugins needed, no extra setup.
These additions may seem small individually, but together they enhance the editor’s usability and flexibility – making it easier for teams, clients, and solo creators to manage their content without needing a developer for every adjustment.
Goodbye Classic Editor?
Not quite gone yet – but definitely on its way out. With WordPress 6.8, admins can now prevent users from enabling the Classic Editor.
I’ll admit it – I used to be one of those who resisted Gutenberg. But I’ve come around.
Gutenberg has come a long way.
While I still don’t believe it’s ready to replace advanced page builders or create highly complex layouts on its own, it’s evolving fast. In our agency, we use a mix of Gutenberg and ACF blocks, which allows some blocks more editing capabilities – like adjusting colours, text sizes, and layouts when it fits the design.
💡 If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even build your own Gutenberg blocks with React, which adds another layer of flexibility.
Updates for Developers
WordPress 6.8 also brings a number of developer-focused improvements, especially for those building custom blocks with React.
These updates mostly affect teams who are deep into Gutenberg development – but even if you’re not, it’s worth knowing what’s changing behind the scenes.
Register multiple blocks more efficiently
The new function wp_register_block_types_from_metadata_collection() lets you register multiple blocks in a single call – reducing repetition and simplifying plugin or theme development.
If you’re building lots of custom blocks (especially with JavaScript/React), this is a cleaner and faster way to manage them. We already use a custom helper function in our agency to streamline block registration, so this fits right into that cleaner workflow.
Block hooks now work with synced patterns
Block Hooks now apply properly to synced patterns, making your template parts more consistent across different parts of the site. This improves templating logic and helps avoid duplicated setup – especially useful when creating scalable design systems.
REST API improvements for menus
The REST API now supports public exposure of menu data, which is a big help for headless or frontend apps that rely on pulling nav info dynamically. This makes WordPress even more flexible for decoupled builds and frontend frameworks like React or Vue.
Accessibility improvements
Several small but meaningful accessibility fixes were added in 6.8, including:
- Removing redundant title attributes
- Clearer link text
- Improved focus styles and better form control navigation for screen readers
These improvements help make WordPress more inclusive and user-friendly by default – no extra work required.
Interactivity API Improvements
WordPress is moving toward a more performant frontend experience. With 6.8, you can start using asynchronous handlers to improve responsiveness (especially INP scores). This isn’t fully rolled out yet, but it’s a clear step in the right direction. If you build interactive components, you’ll want to start following the new best practices.
New UI Component Updates:
- The Navigation component is deprecated and will be removed in WordPress 7.1 — it’s being replaced with a new Navigator component.
- The RadioGroup component is also deprecated – devs should now use
RadioControlorToggleGroupControl.
Performance Warning for useSelect: If you’re using useSelect in your blocks or plugins, WordPress now warns you in the console if you’re calling it inefficiently (e.g., on every render). It’s a helpful heads-up for identifying bottlenecks and improving performance.
These changes might not affect everyday content creators, but for devs who build and maintain custom blocks – especially with React – they offer a cleaner, faster, and more consistent way to build.
Let us know if you need help modernising your blocks, building React-based Gutenberg features, or just want to streamline your site’s performance – you can get in touch with us here.
Pre-made Page Templates now Built in
A new Starter Content pattern category has been added in WordPress 6.8, making it easier to begin building with clean, professional layouts.
These are the same templates you’d normally see in the “New Page” pop-up modal – but now they’re available directly in the Pattern Inserter under their own category. Even if you’ve disabled the starter content prompt, you can still access these layouts anytime from the Inserter, which now displays patterns in a list view for easier browsing.
This is a really nice addition, especially considering how popular starter templates are in builders like Elementor or Astra. If you’re just starting out with a simple blog or small site and don’t have the budget for custom design, these patterns can help you get something solid up and running quickly.
They also work well as inspiration – even if you’re building more custom layouts. They’re now built into Gutenberg itself, no need for extra plugins or theme-specific tools.
Getting started with WordPress 6.8
As with any major WordPress update, it’s essential to proceed cautiously to avoid potential issues on your live site.
While I haven’t seen any alarming issues so far and people report successful updates – you can never be too sure! Especially if your website houses multiple plugins that are high impact or have many moving parts.
For those who want to update now, here are two approaches:
- Use a Staging Environment: Set up a staging site on your host, perform the update there, and thoroughly test all dynamic elements like forms, third-party integrations, and e-commerce functions. This lets you identify and resolve issues without affecting your live site.
- Local Development Environment: Alternatively, test locally, though keep in mind that this may not perfectly reflect your live hosting environment. Certain issues, particularly those involving server configurations, may not appear locally.
If you’re ready to proceed with WordPress 6.8, don’t forget to back up your site first to ensure you can revert if needed.
Or, if you’d prefer a stress-free update, contact us, and our team can handle the update for you, ensuring a smooth transition without the hassle.
Final Words
WordPress 6.8 might not be the flashiest release, but it’s packed with meaningful improvements – especially for those of us building real-world websites every day.
From performance gains like speculative loading to enhanced password security, and from better block editing tools to thoughtful accessibility updates, this version continues to show that WordPress is moving in the right direction.
Even if you’re not fully committed to Gutenberg yet, there’s no denying it’s evolving – and fast. Whether you’re using it alongside ACF – like we do it here at Voodoochilli – or experimenting with custom React blocks, the flexibility is there. If you’re looking to redesign or build a new WordPress site, our Web Design Services might be a great fit.
And with features like starter content, design controls, and smarter developer tools, WordPress is making it easier for everyone – from beginners to advanced teams – to build better, faster, and more secure websites.
If you would like to speak to us about our WordPress maintenance packages or you would just like a stress-free update, please get in touch.
