Issue #224 | June 17, 2025 | Reading time: 17 mins
Hello!
This week on The WP Week Newsletter, we cover the unintended bug with the Yoast plugin that adds HTML tags, the WordPress accessibility improvement documentation project, Automattic’s acquisition of Clay, exciting new projects, and more.
Don’t forget to subscribe and listen to the podcast version of this newsletter, where you can hear more details and discussions about these topics and more.
See you next week!
Team WP-CONTENT.CO
🙌 This weekly newsletter is kindly sponsored by Kinsta, Omnisend, and WP Job Openings
🗣️TALK OF THE TOWN
This was first reported by Eric Shanfelt on LinkedIn, and he noted that the tags were added to the content field in the editor and remain active even when the AI feature is deactivated and persist even after the plugin is deleted. Enrico Battocchi, Lead Developer and Plugin Release Lead at Yoast, replied that this was an unintended bug and confirmed that a fix is already included in the Premium RC and will be rolled out in the upcoming version.
Joe Youngblood also initiated a discussion on X, to which William Earnhardt, Senior Director of Engineering at Newfold Digital, replied, ” The classes are added in the editor to support displaying a diff on the AI suggested fixes to failed assessments. The issue is that they were not being stripped properly before saving. This only impacts the Classic Editor in Premium, and we have a fix ready going through QA.”
📰 WORDPRESS & AROUND
All the updates around WordPress and its closely related technologies
An effort to improve accessibility documentation for WordPress officially kicked off during Contributor Day at WordCamp Europe 2025 in Basel. Led by Rian Rietveld (web accessibility specialist) and Joe Dolson (member of the WordPress Accessibility team, plug-in developer, and web accessibility consultant), the project aims to reorganize, rewrite, and expand the existing Accessibility Handbook
- WordPress 6.8.2 release schedule: The release is scheduled for July 15, 2025, as of now and the RC1 is planned for July 8, 2025.
- What’s new for developers? (June 2025): Justin Tadlock covered the latest developer news from the last couple of months, which includes the formation of a new WordPress AI team, the View Transitions plugin, various new updates to Playground, and so on.
- Introducing a new SQLite driver for WordPress: The new SQLite driver is now available in the SQLite Database Integration plugin (currently behind a feature flag), and is also powering the WordPress Playground website.
- Proposal: Prioritizing CampTix improvements for a better organizer and attendee experience: A proposal has been made to prioritize much-needed improvements to CampTix, the official WordCamp ticketing plugin, to better serve organizers and attendees. Currently used mostly as a payment gateway, CampTix lacks key features like visa letter generation, attendee management, and proper data handling, leading many WordCamps to turn to third-party tools.
- WCEU 2025 Contributor Day recap by several Make teams: The Community Team focused on welcoming new organizers, unblocking ongoing projects, and brainstorming future events. The Core Test Team welcomed over 60% new contributors and made progress on patch testing, issue triaging, and more. The Training Team onboarded 13 new members, planned new workshops, and kicked off several translation efforts. Meanwhile, the Hosting Team tackled barriers like NodeJS requirements and opened multiple PRs to improve testing infrastructure.
- New handbook page for WordPress Campus Connect: A new WordPress Campus Connect handbook page has been updated with information about the event for event organizers and supports.
- Vote for the new WordPress Campus Connect logo: The voting is now open, and you can vote for a maximum of three favorite logos.
- Developer advisory: Deprecation notice for unsupported WooCommerce npm packages: WooCommerce is officially deprecating several outdated npm packages, mainly related to end-to-end (E2E) testing and settings, which have been unused for over three years. Also, Woo’s Dev Docs now have an AI section.
- Google launches audio AI Overviews in Search Labs test: Google has launched Audio Overviews, a new test feature in Search Labs. It creates audio summaries of search results using Google’s latest Gemini AI models.
- Google retires 7 structured data features to streamline Search Results: Google retires seven structured data features including Book Actions, Course Info, and Claim Review to streamline search results.
- Google removes Robots.txt guidance for blocking auto-translated pages: Google has updated its documentation, removing advice that suggested using robots.txt to block automatically translated pages from search results.
This change aligns Google’s technical docs with spam policies introduced over a year ago.
💵 INVESTMENTS, ACQUISITIONS & PARTNERSHIPS
- Automattic has acquired Clay: Automattic has acquired Clay, a relationship management tool that automatically organizes and intelligently searches your entire network. Matt also shared about the acquisition.
- WP Rocket announces partnership with GoDaddy: The partnership will result in WP Rocket being included as a default performance plugin on all sites built through GoDaddy’s Website Design Service.
👥 COMMUNITY NEWS
Updates and News from the WordPress Community
This guide, created by Human Made, introduces WordPress Full Site Editing, explains how it works, and covers how to build patterns, templates, and much more.
- The future of search: SEO in the age of AI: The report prepared by WP Rocket, Weglot, and RankMath saw participation of over 700 WordPress professionals and how they are using AI for SEO goals. The ebook covers how AI tools are being integrated into SEO workflows, the benefits and roadblocks teams are facing, and so on.
- Announcing WP Engine Failover: Enterprise-grade uptime and disaster recovery: WP Engine has launched WP Engine Failover, an enterprise-grade disaster recovery solution that ensures 99.99% uptime by automatically rerouting traffic to a backup data center within minutes during outages.
- Yoast introduces the llms.txt feature: Yoast SEO’s new llms.txt feature helps large language models like ChatGPT find and highlight the most important content on your site. Unlike robots.txt, which blocks bots, llms.txt guides AI to the right pages, improving how your site appears in AI-generated answers. It’s automatic, updates weekly, and is opt-in for full control.
- BetterDocs reaches a new milestone: Launched in 2019, BetterDocs is a popular WordPress documentation and knowledge base plugin, is now trusted by over 40,000 active users.
- WP Rocket 3.19 released: The latest release has enhanced the preload font feature and also introduced the automated preconnect to external domains.
- Valérie Galassi receives the Yoast Care fund for her contribution to the WordPress community: Valérie Galassi, a member of the WordPress Community, is the latest recipient of the Yoast Care.
🚀 NEW PROJECTS
- WPML launches PTC (Private Translation Cloud): This is a new AI-powered translation service built specifically for WordPress developers. PTC reads PO and POT files straight from your GitLab, GitHub, or Bitbucket repo and delivers MO and JSON files for your backend and front-end.
- MATE Recently Viewed Products plugin: The plugin, launched by Alfonso Catron, allows users to show WooCommerce products that the customer recently visited, even when full-page caching is active.
- All new GravityBoard released: The new add-on brings visual workflow management to Gravity Forms.
- Greyd Suite launched a new Global Content Clusters feature: This new feature allows users to push posts, images, and forms across multiple WordPress sites.
- Caledros Basic Blocks plugin: This adds 18 lightweight, performance-optimized Gutenberg blocks designed to extend the capabilities of the WordPress block editor without slowing down your site.
🔖 INTERESTING READS & PODCASTS
More posts and podcasts from the WordPress Community you don’t want to miss
- Why contributing matters – Like watering a public garden: Krupa compares open source contribution to caring for a public garden, quiet, consistent acts that help the whole community thrive. Contribution goes beyond just writing code; it includes testing, translating, mentoring, organizing events, and more. From Krupa Nanda.
- In conversation with Stacy L. Carlson: Stacy L. Carlson shares her journey from self-taught techie to Agency Partner Manager at Automattic, where she helped launch affiliate programs for Jetpack, WooCommerce, and WordPress.com. She talks about overcoming personal challenges, including a cancer diagnosis, and highlights the support she received from her family and Automattic. From Seriously, Bud?
- When ‘easy’ WordPress gets tough for clients: In this episode, Kurt and Toby dive into the common misconception that WordPress (and websites in general) should be “easy.” They share stories about custom-coded nightmares, misunderstood AI-generated solutions, and the tricky line between client expectations and developer realities. From The WP Minute.
- Reyes Martínez and Héctor De Prada on website maintenance for WordPress agencies and freelancers: Reyes Martínez and Héctor De Prada dive into the essentials of website maintenance for WordPress freelancers and agencies. They go beyond just plugin updates, covering backups, uptime monitoring, security checks, and client education. From WP Tavern Jukebox.
- WordPress leadership says ‘No’ to bringing back Sustainability Team despite public plea and community petition: Hundreds signed a petition at WordCamp Europe urging Matt Mullenweg and Mary Hubbard to reverse a controversial decision, but sustainability advocates aren’t giving up yet. From The Repository.
- Alt Ctrl Org draws 200+ for open discussion on WordPress, free software, and governance: Billed as an independent space for free speech and open dialogue, the Alt Ctrl Org event ran alongside WCEU 2025 and featured talks on governance, ethics, and the surprise launch of the FAIR project. From The Repository.
- The community responds to FAIR: Hope, skepticism, and support for decentralizing WordPress: From blog posts to Slack debates, the WordPress community is grappling with FAIR’s bold proposal to decentralize theme and plugin distribution and governance. From The Repository.
- Who’s behind FAIR? Inside the coalition seeking to redefine WordPress software distribution: A diverse coalition of contributors, businesses, and infrastructure partners is building FAIR to decentralize plugin distribution and reset the culture around WordPress governance, viewing it as a long-term bet on a more resilient ecosystem. From The Repository.
- FAIR Package Manager Project launches with a lesson in how WordPress should do PR: Lawrence Ladomery highlights how the FAIR Package Manager Project launch showcased the kind of strategic PR WordPress lacks. Announced during WordCamp Europe 2025 with coordinated messaging, media outreach, and support from the Linux Foundation, FAIR set a new standard for how WordPress initiatives could communicate externally. From WP BizDev
- Some initial questions about FAIR: Aaron Jorbin congratulates the FAIR team on their launch and raises key questions about moderation, plugin ownership, review authenticity, and naming conflicts in the decentralized ecosystem. From Aaron Jorbin.
- Something has to change with WordPress. FAIR is a great start: Carrie Dils explained why the FAIR project is important, the issues it addresses, and what lies ahead. From Carrie Dils.
- The hiatus is over: Andy Fragen announces his return to open source work after a hiatus from WordPress Core. He also highlighted his involvement in the FAIR Package Manager Project and the AspirePress project. From Andy Fragen.
- Recap of WordCamp Europe 2025 by Freemius: Vova Feldman recaps WordCamp Europe 2025 as a pivotal moment for both the Freemius team and the broader WordPress ecosystem. From creative interviews to a packed rooftop Makers Meetup supporting women in tech, the team made a big impact without a booth and more. From Freemius.
- Lana Miro recaps her WordCamp Europe 2025 experience: Lana Miro shared her personal experience attending WordCamp Europe 2025 in Basel, highlighting her time with the Marketing team on Contributor Day, her appreciation for the recorded talks due to a packed schedule of partner meetings, and the meaningful sponsor interactions and side dinners.
- WordCamp organizer guide: Lessons I learned (The hard way): Leo Koo shares his experience organizing WordCamp Malaysia in 2023 and 2024. He highlights the importance of focusing on the venue, sponsors, and speakers, building a reliable team, and planning well for food and logistics. From Leo Koo.
- Nathan Wrigley is concerned about AI: He is worried about how fast we’re letting AI take over parts of our lives in 2025. He feels uneasy about machines making more and more decisions, especially since we don’t fully understand how AI works or what drives it.
- Building Pride: Supporting LGBTQ+ organizations with out in tech: Marjorie Asturias shares her experience participating in the Out in Tech Digital Corps Hackathon at Automattic’s New York office for Pride Month 2025. Partnered with Out in Tech since 2017, Automattic has helped build over 250 websites for LGBTQ+ nonprofits globally. From WordPress.com.
- FluentCart first impressions: Complete walkthrough: Pascal Claro explored the backend and frontend of FluentCart, the new e-commerce plugin. From WP Roads – Pascal Claro.
🛠 GUIDE ZONE – HOWTO’S and MORE
Handpicked fresh guides from WordPress circle
- Build a local AI-powered WordPress assistant to analyze plugins offline: From Varun Dubey
- How to convert a Figma project to WordPress (3 Methods): From Kinsta
- How to create a custom 404 page on WordPress: From WPMarmite
- Learn how to build a WordPress block theme style variation: From Speckyboy
📆 SAVE THE DATES
Do not miss a WordPress event ever again
- Women of Web Digital Summit 2025: Registration for the three-day conference for web designers scheduled for June 18–20, 2025, is now open.
- WPCampus 2025 on July 23–25, 2025: The call for proposals is now open.
- WordCamp US on August 26-29, 2025: The call for organizers and sponsor applications is now open.
- SomeConf 2025: The event is in the early planning stages. The call for sponsors and speakers is now live.
- WordCamp Canada on October 16-17 2025: The call for sponsors is now open.
- WordCamp Asia 2026: It is tentatively planned for early February 2026 and the call for organizers is now open.
🎁 WORDPRESS DEALS OF THE WEEK
Again, these are the best deals of the week, handpicked by yours!
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- 4 Months free offer on hosting plans of WP Engine (Coupon Code- FREEDOMTOCREATE)
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MORE DEALS
- Up to 50% off on BookingPress plugin
- Up to 70% off on Shared Hosting plans at InMotion Hosting (Till May 29, 2025)
- 50% off for the first 6 months on all monthly standard plans at Kinsta
- 50% off 3 months on Liquid Web’s Bare Metal server hosting
- 20% off for Constellation plugin
- 60% off for the lifetime plan for the Modern Cart for WooCommerce plugin.
This weekly newsletter is kindly sponsored by awesome WordPress Companies 🦸♂️🙌
Last but not least, updates from WP-CONTENT.CO 👇
An effort to improve accessibility documentation for WordPress officially kicked off during Contributor Day at WordCamp Europe 2025…
A successful digital marketing strategy isn’t just about the conversions, but also about knowing which campaigns drove those…
A new initiative called FAIR, short for Federated and Independent Repositories, aims to reduce reliance on the centralized…
After years of growing and evolving, Do the Woo, originally launched by Bob Dunn in 2016 as a…
Team WP-CONTENT.CO
Issue #224 | June 17, 2025 | Reading time: 17 mins
This weekly newsletter is kindly sponsored by Kinsta, Omnisend, and WP Job Openings
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