{"id":85735,"date":"2026-07-15T07:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dhblog.dream.press\/blog\/?p=85735"},"modified":"2026-07-15T07:30:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T14:30:12","slug":"wordpress-release-7-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wordpress-release-7-1\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s Coming in WordPress 7.1: Interactive Styling, New Blocks, and a Smarter Admin"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"tldr-block\" style=\"display: none;\">\n\t<div class=\"svg\">\n\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 119.25 37.8\">\n\t<g>\n\t\t<g>\n\t\t\t<path fill=\"#ffffff\" d=\"M23.4,6.93h-8.1v24.57h-7.2V6.93H0V0h23.4v6.93Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<path fill=\"#ffffff\" d=\"M45,24.57v6.93h-18.45V0h7.2v24.57h11.25Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<path fill=\"#ffffff\"\n\t\t\t\td=\"M90.9,15.75c0,8.91-6.61,15.75-15.3,15.75h-12.6V0h12.6c8.68,0,15.3,6.84,15.3,15.75ZM83.97,15.75c0-5.4-3.42-8.82-8.37-8.82h-5.4v17.64h5.4c4.95,0,8.37-3.42,8.37-8.82Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<path fill=\"#ffffff\"\n\t\t\t\td=\"M105.57,21.15h-3.42v10.35h-7.2V0h12.6c5.98,0,10.8,4.81,10.8,10.8,0,3.87-2.34,7.38-5.81,9.13l6.71,11.56h-7.74l-5.94-10.35ZM102.15,14.85h5.4c1.98,0,3.6-1.75,3.6-4.05s-1.62-4.05-3.6-4.05h-5.4v8.1Z\" \/>\n\t\t<\/g>\n\t\t<path\n\t\t\tfill=\"#0173ec\"\n\t\t\td=\"M53.97,37.8h-5.4l1.8-13.27h7.2l-3.6,13.27ZM49.02,12.55c0-2.34,1.93-4.27,4.27-4.27s4.27,1.94,4.27,4.27-1.93,4.27-4.27,4.27-4.27-1.94-4.27-4.27Z\"\n\t\t \/>\n\t<\/g>\n<\/svg>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"tldr-wrap\">\n\t\t\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WordPress 7.1 targets August 19, 2026 \u2014 the final day of WordCamp US in Phoenix. It&#8217;s a &#8220;finish what we started&#8221; release that builds on 7.0&#8217;s AI and collaboration foundations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Interactive states styling<\/strong> is the headline feature: style <code>:hover<\/code>, <code>:focus<\/code>, and <code>:active<\/code> from the interface, no CSS required. Note that at Beta 1, only Button and Navigation Link support this at the block level.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Three new core blocks<\/strong> are in play: Tabs (most mature), Playlist (with waveform visualization), and Table of Contents (the most likely to slip).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>AI gets more capable<\/strong> with streaming generation, embeddings, and a new Guidelines system that lets you define your brand voice once instead of re-explaining it on every prompt.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Admin and Site Editor polish<\/strong> covers six changes, including a reorganized command palette, a persistent admin bar, and revision spark-lines.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Client-side media processing<\/strong> returns after being cut from 7.0 \u2014 browser-side image conversion and cropping before upload.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Real-time collaboration is still unresolved<\/strong> and facing open strategy questions. Don&#8217;t count on it this cycle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Target release: August 19, 2026<\/strong> \u2014 the final day of WordCamp US in Phoenix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At DreamHost, we host WordPress for hundreds of thousands of sites \u2014 so when a major release is on the horizon, we dig in early. Here\u2019s what\u2019s worth your attention in 7.1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WordPress 7.0 \u201cArmstrong\u201d was a landmark release: the first provider-agnostic AI Client, async collaboration with Notes, and a top-to-bottom admin redesign. But a few headline items didn\u2019t make the cut \u2014 most notably real-time collaboration and client-side media processing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WordPress 7.1 is the second major release of 2026, and it\u2019s shaping up to be a \u201cfinish what we started\u201d release: iterate on the AI and collaboration foundations from 7.0, ship the styling and media features that got punted, and add a handful of genuinely new blocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Below is what\u2019s most likely to land, what slipped from 7.0 and is now aiming for 7.1, and a few things we\u2019d love to see but probably won\u2019t get this cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A note on timing<\/strong>: Everything here is a moving target. WordPress features are merged right up until the feature freeze, and items get deferred every single cycle (just ask real-time collaboration). Treat the \u201cLikely to land\u201d list as<em> probable<\/em>, not <em>promised<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-the-7-1-release-timeline\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The 7.1 Release Timeline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Date<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Milestone<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>March 27, 2026<\/td><td>Alpha begins; trunk opens<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>July 15, 2026<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Beta 1<\/strong> \u2014 feature freeze, testing starts<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>July 22, 2026<\/td><td>Beta 2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>July 29, 2026<\/td><td>Beta 3<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>August 5, 2026<\/td><td>Release Candidate 1; Field Guide published<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>August 12, 2026<\/td><td>Release Candidate 2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>August 18, 2026<\/td><td>Dry run + 24-hour code freeze<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>August 19, 2026<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Official release<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Release Squad:<\/strong> Anne McCarthy (Release Lead), with Aki Hamano and Joe Dolson as Tech Leads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-part-1-features-most-likely-to-land-in-7-1\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Part 1: Features Most Likely to Land in 7.1<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are on the official roadmap with real momentum in the codebase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-1-interactive-states-styling-hover-focus-active-no-css-required\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Interactive States Styling (hover, focus, active) \u2014 No CSS required<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the feature to lead with. WordPress 7.1 introduces <strong>pseudo-state styling<\/strong> for both Global Styles and individual blocks. You can style how a block looks on <code>:hover<\/code>, <code>:focus<\/code>, and <code>:active<\/code> \u2014 a button that changes color when you mouse over it, a link that shifts on focus \u2014 all from the interface, without touching CSS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What this means for you:<\/strong> Interactive design that used to require custom CSS (or a page builder) now lives in the native editor. A single block can carry its own hover styles without changing every other instance of that block on the site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table has-medium-font-size\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong><em><mark style=\"background-color:#fcb900\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Heads up:<\/mark><\/em><\/strong><em> As of Beta 1only <\/em><strong><em>two blocks<\/em><\/strong><em> actually have the block-level hover\/focus\/active states \u2014 <\/em><strong><em>Button and Navigation Link<\/em><\/strong><em>. Everything else can only do it through the link\/button <\/em><strong><em>Elements<\/em><\/strong><em> panel, not on the block itself.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1250\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/01-wordpress-7-1-dashboard.png.webp\" alt=\"WordPress 7.1 design interface showing customization panels for styles, colors, typography, with live site preview.\" class=\"wp-image-85738 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/01-wordpress-7-1-dashboard.png.webp 1999w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01-wordpress-7-1-dashboard-300x188.png 300w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01-wordpress-7-1-dashboard-1024x640.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01-wordpress-7-1-dashboard-768x480.png 768w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01-wordpress-7-1-dashboard-1536x960.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/01-wordpress-7-1-dashboard-600x375.png.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/01-wordpress-7-1-dashboard-1200x750.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/01-wordpress-7-1-dashboard-730x456.png.webp 730w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/01-wordpress-7-1-dashboard-1460x913.png.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/01-wordpress-7-1-dashboard-784x490.png.webp 784w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/01-wordpress-7-1-dashboard-1568x980.png.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/01-wordpress-7-1-dashboard-877x548.png.webp 877w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/01-wordpress-7-1-dashboard-1754x1097.png.webp 1754w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1999px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1999\/1250;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-2-three-new-core-blocks-playlist-table-of-contents-and-tabs\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Three New Core Blocks: Playlist, Table of Contents, and Tabs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tabs block &#8211;<\/strong> the most mature of the three. It\u2019s been through several rounds of refactoring in recent Gutenberg releases, with a Tabs Menu and refined inner-block structure. Long-requested; finally close.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Playlist block &#8211; <\/strong>an audio playlist block, with waveform visualization in the works.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Table of Contents block<\/strong> <strong>&#8211;<\/strong> a native TOC that auto-generates from your headings. Caveat: progress on this one has looked slower than the other two, so it\u2019s the most likely of the three to slip.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What this means for you: <\/strong>Native tabs, audio playlists, and auto-generated tables of contents without a plugin. Three fewer reasons to reach for a page builder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1250\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/02-wp-7-1-tabs-block.png.webp\" alt=\"tabs block\" class=\"wp-image-85739 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/02-wp-7-1-tabs-block.png.webp 1999w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/02-wp-7-1-tabs-block-300x188.png 300w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/02-wp-7-1-tabs-block-1024x640.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/02-wp-7-1-tabs-block-768x480.png 768w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/02-wp-7-1-tabs-block-1536x960.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/02-wp-7-1-tabs-block-600x375.png.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/02-wp-7-1-tabs-block-1200x750.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/02-wp-7-1-tabs-block-730x456.png.webp 730w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/02-wp-7-1-tabs-block-1460x913.png.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/02-wp-7-1-tabs-block-784x490.png.webp 784w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/02-wp-7-1-tabs-block-1568x980.png.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/02-wp-7-1-tabs-block-877x548.png.webp 877w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/02-wp-7-1-tabs-block-1754x1097.png.webp 1754w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1999px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1999\/1250;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-3-responsive-and-inherited-styling\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Responsive and Inherited Styling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alongside interactive states, 7.1 is pushing on <strong>responsive styling<\/strong> \u2014 adjusting styles per screen size \u2014 plus better visibility into <strong>inherited styles<\/strong> (seeing where a block\u2019s styling actually comes from) and <strong>customizable viewport breakpoints<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div style=\"width: 640px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-85735-1\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/responsive-controls.mp4?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/responsive-controls.mp4\">https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/responsive-controls.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-4-ai-client-and-connectors-iteration-2\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. AI Client and Connectors, Iteration 2<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">7.0 shipped the foundation; 7.1 makes it more capable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Streaming generation and embeddings<\/strong> in the AI Client, so plugin authors can build richer, more responsive AI features.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Connectors<\/strong> gains authentication options beyond plain API keys.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-5-ai-guidelines-encode-your-brand-voice-once\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. AI Guidelines \u2014 Encode Your Brand Voice Once<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A new <strong>Guidelines<\/strong> system gives you a persistent, structured place to define editorial rules, content standards, and brand voice \u2014 so both human editors and AI tools stay on-message. The underlying storage mechanism (a proposed wp_knowledge custom post type) is still being scoped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What this means for you:<\/strong> Instead of re-explaining your style to an AI on every prompt, you define it once, and it travels with the site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-6-admin-and-site-editor-polish\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Admin and Site Editor Polish<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 7.1 admin polish is about reducing the number of times you think \u201cwhy doesn\u2019t this just work?\u201d Six changes, all of them worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reorganized command palette<\/strong> <strong>(Cmd\/Ctrl+K) &#8211;<\/strong> with recent and suggested commands.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Admin color scheme reflected in the Site Editor<\/strong> <strong>&#8211;<\/strong> your chosen colors finally carry through.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Persistent admin bar across editors<\/strong> <strong>&#8211; <\/strong>an \u201comnibar.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>New \u201cOn This Day\u201d dashboard widget.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A dedicated Identity section &#8211;<\/strong> for core site settings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Revision improvements<\/strong> <strong>&#8211;<\/strong> including spark-line visualization of edit history.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1250\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/03-wp-7-1-updated-command-palette-and-omnibar.png.webp\" alt=\"WordPress command palette search interface for rapidly navigating settings, pages, and customization options.\" class=\"wp-image-85740 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/03-wp-7-1-updated-command-palette-and-omnibar.png.webp 1999w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/03-wp-7-1-updated-command-palette-and-omnibar-300x188.png 300w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/03-wp-7-1-updated-command-palette-and-omnibar-1024x640.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/03-wp-7-1-updated-command-palette-and-omnibar-768x480.png 768w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/03-wp-7-1-updated-command-palette-and-omnibar-1536x960.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/03-wp-7-1-updated-command-palette-and-omnibar-600x375.png.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/03-wp-7-1-updated-command-palette-and-omnibar-1200x750.png.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/03-wp-7-1-updated-command-palette-and-omnibar-730x456.png.webp 730w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/03-wp-7-1-updated-command-palette-and-omnibar-1460x913.png.webp 1460w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/03-wp-7-1-updated-command-palette-and-omnibar-784x490.png.webp 784w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/03-wp-7-1-updated-command-palette-and-omnibar-1568x980.png.webp 1568w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/03-wp-7-1-updated-command-palette-and-omnibar-877x548.png.webp 877w, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/07\/03-wp-7-1-updated-command-palette-and-omnibar-1754x1097.png.webp 1754w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1999px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1999\/1250;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-7-async-collaboration-notes-leveled-up\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Async Collaboration: Notes Leveled Up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Building on 7.0\u2019s Notes, 7.1 adds <strong>rich text in notes, emoji reactions, and a suggestion mode<\/strong> for asynchronous feedback \u2014 closer to what you\u2019d recognize from Google Docs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-8-under-the-hood-for-developers\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Under the Hood (for Developers)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>React 19<\/strong> (up from React 18).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Abilities API<\/strong> expansion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Block Bindings<\/strong> for list items and inner blocks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Enforced iframed editor<\/strong> for block-based themes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Extended Unicode support<\/strong> in email addresses and usernames.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Speculative loading refinements<\/strong> when object\/page caching is detected.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"article-newsletter article-newsletter--gradient\">\n\n\n<h2>Get Content Delivered Straight to Your Inbox<\/h2><p>Subscribe now to receive all the latest updates, delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p><form class=\"nwsl-form\" id=\"newsletter_block_\" novalidate><div class=\"messages\"><\/div><div class=\"form-group\"><label for=\"input_newsletter_block_\"><input type=\"email\"name=\"email\"id=\"input_newsletter_block_\"placeholder=\"Enter your email address\"novalidatedisabled=\"disabled\"\/><\/label><button type=\"submit\"class=\"btn btn--brand\"disabled=\"disabled\"><span>Sign Me Up!<\/span><svg width=\"21\" height=\"14\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 14\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path d=\"M13.8523 0.42524L12.9323 1.34521C12.7095 1.56801 12.7132 1.9304 12.9404 2.14865L16.7241 5.7823H0.5625C0.251859 5.7823 0 6.03416 0 6.3448V7.6573C0 7.96794 0.251859 8.2198 0.5625 8.2198H16.7241L12.9405 11.8535C12.7132 12.0717 12.7095 12.4341 12.9323 12.6569L13.8523 13.5769C14.072 13.7965 14.4281 13.7965 14.6478 13.5769L20.8259 7.39879C21.0456 7.17913 21.0456 6.82298 20.8259 6.60327L14.6477 0.42524C14.4281 0.205584 14.0719 0.205584 13.8523 0.42524Z\" fill=\"white\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n<\/button><\/div><\/form><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-part-2-deferred-from-7-0-now-aiming-for-7-1\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Part 2: Deferred from 7.0 \u2014 Now Aiming for 7.1<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These were on the 7.0 list, didn\u2019t make it, and are back in play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-client-side-media-processing\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Client-Side Media Processing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Punted from 7.0, still in active development. The goal: <strong>process images in the browser before upload<\/strong> \u2014 HEIC and Ultra HDR conversion, GIF-to-video, and a new <strong>freeform image cropper<\/strong> \u2014 reducing server load and giving you more control at upload time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-real-time-collaboration-still-unresolved\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Real-Time Collaboration \u2014 Still Unresolved<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The big one. Real-time (Google-Docs-style simultaneous) editing was pulled from 7.0 over stability concerns, and for 7.1 it\u2019s still described by the release team as facing \u201cbig, open strategy questions\u201d about feature scope and how edits are stored. <strong>Don\u2019t count on it for 7.1.<\/strong> The async Notes\/Suggestions improvements above are the safe bet; live co-editing is the aspirational one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-part-3-the-wishlist-cool-to-have-but-don-t-bet-on-it\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Part 3: The Wishlist \u2014 Cool to Have, But Don\u2019t Bet On It<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Things the community would love in 7.1 that are uncertain, early, or unlikely this cycle:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>A truly finished Table of Contents block<\/strong> <strong>&#8211;<\/strong> it\u2019s on the list, but the slowest of the three new blocks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Real-time collaboration<\/strong> <strong>&#8211;<\/strong> see above; the dream feature that keeps slipping.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Deeper responsive design controls<\/strong> <strong>&#8211;<\/strong> per-breakpoint everything, not just a subset of properties.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fuller interactive-state coverage<\/strong> <strong>&#8211;<\/strong> hover\/focus\/active is landing, but styling every state on every block consistently is a longer road.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A fuller Guidelines \/ wp_knowledge system &#8211; <\/strong>the core Guidelines feature is landing, but the proposed wp_knowledge custom post type \u2014 site-wide editorial rules with import\/export between sites \u2014 is still aspirational this cycle.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-what-happened-to-hiding-the-classic-block\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Happened to Hiding the Classic Block?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quick clarification, because it flip-flopped: an earlier plan to <strong>hide the Classic block from the inserter<\/strong> in 7.1 was <strong>reversed<\/strong>. The core\/freeform (Classic) block stays visible, the deprecation notice was removed, and the related filter never shipped in a stable release. The reasoning: \u201cThe Classic block should become obsolete by choice, not by force.\u201d Instead, effort is going into a better \u201cConvert to Blocks\u201d experience and closing the gaps (tables, inline formatting, HTML preservation) that keep people on Classic in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-the-bottom-line\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WordPress 7.1 isn\u2019t a reinvention \u2014 it\u2019s a sharpening. The AI and collaboration foundations from 7.0 get more useful, styling finally reaches into interactive and responsive states without code, media processing moves to the browser, and a few long-awaited blocks arrive. Real-time collaboration remains the tantalizing \u201cmaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If 7.0 laid the groundwork, 7.1 is where a lot of it becomes something you\u2019ll actually click, style, and ship \u2014 provided it all lands on schedule. And as always with WordPress: some of it won\u2019t. Build accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"article-cta-shared article-cta-small article-cta--product\">\n\t<div class=\"tr-img-wrap-outer jsLoading\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-img-lazy \" src=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/blog2018\/assets\/img\/lazy-loading-transparent.webp\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/product-cta-wordpress-hosting-877x586.webp 1x, https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/product-cta-wordpress-hosting.webp 2x\"  alt=\"website management by DreamHost\" \/><\/div>\n\n\t<a href='https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/wordpress\/managed-wp-hosting\/' class='link-top' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>\n\t\t<span>WordPress Hosting<\/span>\n\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 384 512\" width=\"15\"><path d=\"M342.6 233.4c12.5 12.5 12.5 32.8 0 45.3l-192 192c-12.5 12.5-32.8 12.5-45.3 0s-12.5-32.8 0-45.3L274.7 256 105.4 86.6c-12.5-12.5-12.5-32.8 0-45.3s32.8-12.5 45.3 0l192 192z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t<\/a>\n\n\t<div class=\"content-btm\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"h2--md\">\n\t\t\tUnbeatable WordPress Hosting\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t<p class=\"p--md\">\n\t\t\tReliable, lightning-fast hosting solutions specifically optimized for WordPress.\n\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t        <a\n            href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/wordpress\/managed-wp-hosting\/\"\n                        class=\"btn btn--white-outline btn--sm btn--round\"\n                                    target=\"_blank\"\n            rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n            >\n                            See More                    <\/a>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WordPress 7.1 brings hover and focus styling without CSS, three new core blocks, smarter AI tools, and a polished admin. Here&#8217;s what&#8217;s likely to land on August 19.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1077,"featured_media":85737,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"WordPress 7.1: Interactive Styling, New Blocks, and a Smarter Admin","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"WordPress 7.1 finishes what 7.0 started \u2014 pseudo-state styling without code, native Tabs and Playlist blocks, AI Guidelines, and admin polish. Here's what's likely to land, what slipped, and what won't make the cut.","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"WordPress 7.1: Interactive Styling, New Blocks, and a Smarter Admin","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"WordPress 7.1 finishes what 7.0 started \u2014 pseudo-state styling without code, native Tabs and Playlist blocks, AI Guidelines, and admin polish. Here's what's likely to land, what slipped, and what won't make the cut.","toc_headlines":"[[\"h-the-7-1-release-timeline\",\"The 7.1 Release Timeline\"],[\"h-part-1-features-most-likely-to-land-in-7-1\",\"Part 1: Features Most Likely to Land in 7.1\"],[\"h-part-2-deferred-from-7-0-now-aiming-for-7-1\",\"Part 2: Deferred from 7.0 \u2014 Now Aiming for 7.1\"],[\"h-part-3-the-wishlist-cool-to-have-but-don-t-bet-on-it\",\"Part 3: The Wishlist \u2014 Cool to Have, But Don\u2019t Bet On It\"],[\"h-what-happened-to-hiding-the-classic-block\",\"What Happened to Hiding the Classic Block?\"],[\"h-the-bottom-line\",\"The Bottom Line\"]]","hide_toc":false,"show_updated_at":"0","footnotes":""},"categories":[13123,696],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-release-news","category-wordpress"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.3 (Yoast SEO v27.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What&#039;s Coming in WordPress 7.1: Interactive Styling, New Blocks, and a Smarter Admin - DreamHost<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"WordPress 7.1 brings hover and focus styling without CSS, three new core blocks, smarter AI tools, and a polished admin. Here&#039;s what&#039;s likely to land on August 19.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamhost.com\/blog\/wordpress-release-7-1\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"WordPress 7.1: Interactive Styling, New Blocks, and a Smarter Admin\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"WordPress 7.1 finishes what 7.0 started \u2014 pseudo-state styling without code, native Tabs and Playlist blocks, AI Guidelines, and admin polish. 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