WordPress 6.9, originally scheduled to be the first major release of 2026, is back on the 2025 release cycle and will be the second major release of this year. Anne McCarfthy has published the roadmap for the upcoming release scheduled to be released on December 2nd, 2025.
What’s Coming in WordPress 6.9
The release will focus on refining the Site Editor experience, enhancing collaboration, and expanding developer tools. A few of the key focuses include a simplified editing mode, improved template management, block-level commenting for content collaboration, and updates to the Interactivity API alongside the new Abilities API.
Site Editor Enhancements
1. Simplified editing mode
One of the planned improvements is a new simplified editing mode that focuses on content, offering a cleaner interface for quick updates. Users can still access full design tools when needed, making the experience more flexible and less overwhelming.
2. Improved template management
Several updates are planned to make template management more flexible and user-friendly. Key changes include support for multiple templates per slug, draftable templates, preserved custom templates during theme changes, and easier control via REST API endpoints. More information regarding the update to template management can be tracked via this pull request.
3. New option to hide blocks
A new option will let users hide blocks from the frontend while keeping them editable in the backend, ideal for testing layouts or staging content. Follow this issue to keep track of this enhancement’s progress.
Improvements to Content Creation
To refine content creation, various enhancements are being worked on, such as improved drag and drop, changes to block settings, and more. A new block-level commenting feature is in development to support collaborative workflows.
Upon selecting the option, a new comment box will open as seen below.
Command Palette access across WordPress
WordPress 6.9 expands the Command Palette across the entire interface, making it easier to navigate and perform actions quickly. This update also sets the stage for future AI features through the Abilities API.
What’s New for Developers
Other upcoming enhancements include refinements to the DataViews package, updates to the Block Bindings, HTML, and Interactivity APIs, and the introduction of the new Abilities API.
Performance improvements
Planned improvements include faster Data Views with partial fetching, smarter field handling, support for fetchpriority in ES Modules, standardized output buffering, bfcache-based instant navigation for logged-in users, and better stylesheet minification and inlining.
Several major features are expected to launch alongside WordPress 6.9, either as canonical plugins or experimental features in Gutenberg, including a modular admin redesign, the MCP Adapter, and the PHP AI Client SDK.