WordPress 6.8 Release Candidate 1 Just Dropped — Here’s What I Think

Alright, WordPress 6.8 RC1 just dropped.

And if you run a site, build with WordPress, or write plugins — now’s the time to pay attention.

Why?

Because this is the version where everything’s basically locked in.

The next few weeks are about testing, not adding shiny new stuff. So if something’s broken, this is your chance to fix it before your entire site or theme starts throwing errors in July.

Let me break it down. Real simple.

What Is WordPress 6.8 RC1?

This is the Release Candidate 1 — it means the core dev team’s saying:

“This is what WordPress 6.8 is going to look like. Test it, break it, and tell us what’s wrong before the final version ships.”

They’re not adding new features anymore. It’s all about fixing bugs and polishing what’s already there.

So if you’re building anything with WordPress — plugins, themes, client sites — now’s the time to spin up a staging site and test it.

What’s New in WordPress 6.8? (Big Wins)

Here’s what caught my attention — not just new features, but stuff that actually matters.

1. Visual Style Revisions

This one’s a game changer.

Now, if you change your global styles — like fonts, colours, spacing — you can go back in time and see what changed. Not just text logs. Actual previews.

It’s like version history, but for your design.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve broken layouts more times than I’d like to admit. Having this visual rollback is going to save a ton of headaches.

2. Block Bindings API (Experimental)

This is for devs. But it’s huge.

You can now bind custom data sources directly to block fields. No custom code, no hacks.

Let’s say you’ve got a product database, or a CPT with metadata — now you can pipe that content into a block without writing a custom block from scratch.

This is still experimental — but it’s the future.

3. Data Views Update

This one cleans up the experience inside the Site Editor.

You know how cluttered things got when trying to find patterns, reusable blocks, or template parts?

Now there’s a new UI that makes it easier to manage and sort those pieces.

It feels snappier, cleaner, and way more intuitive.

4. Grid Layout Support

Native CSS Grid for group blocks.

No more fiddling with margin hacks or flexbox tricks to get your layout behaving properly.

Grid is powerful — and now it’s built into the editor itself.

This one’s going to replace a lot of layout plugins.

5. Image Lightbox (Built In)

Finally.

You upload an image, click on it — and boom, it opens in a lightbox by default.

No plugin required.

This has been one of the most requested features for years, and it’s finally baked in.

Clean, native, and it just works.

Why You Should Care

If you run a blog, a portfolio, or even a full-blown WooCommerce store — these changes impact you.

And if you don’t test your stack now, you’ll be the one posting in Facebook groups when your layout breaks or your plugin throws errors in July.

Here’s what I’m doing on my side:

• Testing all custom blocks on a staging site
• Checking if theme styling still works with the new revisions
• Making sure image galleries behave with the new lightbox
• Reviewing layout builders — might not need them with native grid now

If you sell themes or build sites for clients, don’t wait. WordPress isn’t going to slow down for you.

Performance Updates That Matter

Here’s where WordPress 6.8 is quietly getting faster:

• Optimised lazy loading for images
• Smaller CSS files out of the box
• Backend loads faster on large installs
• Editor performance is up by 15%

It’s not flashy — but your users will feel it.

Especially if you’ve been dealing with bloated themes or slow admin panels.

Accessibility Fixes (Over 60 of Them)

This isn’t just checking boxes.

They’ve fixed real issues that help people using screen readers, keyboard navigation, and alt-text tools.

Some highlights:

• Better focus states
• More semantic markup
• Improved form field labels
• Navigation block updates for better ARIA support

If you’re building anything meant to be compliant or publicly accessible — you’re going to want these.

Dev Stuff Under the Hood

If you’re into dev work like I am, you’ll want to know:

• PHP 8.3 testing ongoing (still experimental)
• Full support for PHP 8.1 and 8.2
• New wp_get_post_revisions() changes for style revisions
• The Block Bindings API is behind a flag — enable it manually
• theme.json now supports deeper nested style configs

Bottom line: more control, cleaner APIs, and fewer hacks.

How to Get Started With WordPress 6.8 RC1

I kept it simple.

Here’s how I started testing:

1. Download RC1
   Grab it from WordPress.org
2. Spin Up a Staging Site
   Use a clone of your current site — don’t test on live.
3. Enable Debug Mode
   Keep your logs on. Look for any deprecated warnings.
4. Test Your Plugins and Theme
   Especially if they modify the editor or global styles.
5. Report Bugs
   Use the Make WordPress Slack or Trac

This is the boring bit that saves you pain later.

My Hot Take?

This is one of the most solid WordPress updates in a while.

Not because it’s got shiny new toys — but because it feels stable.

Everything just works better.

The Site Editor is smoother. Layouts are easier to manage. You don’t need a plugin for every tiny thing anymore.

And WordPress is clearly setting itself up for the next phase — probably native multilingual support in 6.9 or 7.0.

So yeah — RC1 matters. Don’t ignore it.

Final Word

WordPress 6.8 RC1 is out.

If you’re in the ecosystem — now’s the time to test.

I’ve already updated my staging environments, run through my plugin stack, and started testing themes for clients.

Do the same. And if you find bugs — flag them.

Because the final release is coming fast.

And trust me — it’s way easier to fix problems now than panic later when the support emails start rolling in.