WordPress 5.9 is finally here. Initially slated for 12/21/2021, it landed on your virtual doorstep on 1/25/2022. There’s a lot of buzz about this major release as it packs some pretty exciting changes. Top billing goes to Full Site Editing (FSE).
Other cool features include lazy loading, template editing, new navigation block, performance enhancements, and bug fixes.
- What is Full Site Editing, you ask?
- And what’s this lazy loading? That doesn’t sound good.
Spoiler alert, it’s good, really good!
First, let’s look at the star of the 5.9 show, Full Site Editing (FSE).
Full Site Editing (FSE)
FSE provides more flexible and customization options for the entire site beyond content in pages and posts. In the new Site Editor, you can update areas like the header and footer using blocks. Before, the primary way for these kinds of changes usually involved coding.
The critical thing about FSE is it requires a WordPress theme that supports FSE. Since it is so new, many themes have not added FSE. The good news is that if you’re happy with your current theme, it is totally compatible with 5.9
What is Lazy Loading?
Lazy loading means that only images that are visible on the screen will be loaded. Previously, all images on a screen would load in the browser before displaying. So this feature gives your website a performance boost, which in turn helps with SEO (search engine optimization).
For WordPress fans, you may be getting deja vu about lazy loading. Indeed lazy loading was included in previous WordPress releases. However, according to some measurements, version 5.9 improves the efficiency by as much as 30% and fixes some issues. So perhaps this could be considered WordPress lazy loading 2.0.
Other Cool Stuff
WordPress 5.9 is christened as “Joséphine” after the famous jazz singer Joséphine Baker. It boasts of 99 enhances and 100 bug fixes. Go HERE for more info on this 5.9 release.
If TecAdvocates host your website we handle this update for your website that includes:
- Compatibility Testing
- Backup Before Update
- Update Notification
You’ll receive an email when your site has been updated.
If your site is hosted elsewhere you’ll need to handle the backup and update on your own. Or you can switch to TecAdvocates web hosting. Click HERE for a great deal on web hosting that includes:
- SSL – Here’s more in SSL and why your website needs it.
- Backups – Most Web Hosts DO NOT do WordPress Backups. But WE DO!
- WordPress Updates – We proactively monitor for WordPress updates and apply them in a timely fashion. You will be emailed regular reports when your site has been updated.