WordPress 5.9

New WordPress Version 5.9 – Joséphine

Release Date: January 25, 2022

WordPress released WordPress 5.9, named “Joséphine” in honor of acclaimed international jazz singer Joséphine Baker.

Here are some of the features of this brand-new WordPress release:

Full Site Editing

Full Site Editing (FSE) is a new WordPress development that will allow you to customize your entire site using WordPress blocks. FSE goes beyond just editing content in your posts and pages – it also lets you modify global elements of your site like headers and footers, all from your WordPress Admin.

Twenty Twenty-Two Theme

This is the first default block theme in the history of WordPress.

Block themes are a brand-new way to work with WordPress themes. Block themes provide a wide range of visual choices for your site’s design, from color schemes and font combinations to page templates and image filters, which can all be accessed from the WordPress Site Editor.

The Twenty Twenty-Two Theme comes installed with WordPress 5.9 and is more than just a new default theme. It lets you apply the same look and feel as your organization’s other materials, or take your site’s look in another direction.

Styles Interface

Twenty Twenty-Two is not the only theme built for full site editing. More block themes are being added regularly to the WordPress Themes directory.

If your site uses a Block theme, you no longer need to use the WordPress Theme Customizer. Instead, you can customize your site’s look and feel using the Styles interface inside the WordPress Site Editor.

Navigation Block

Your site’s navigation can now be created, modified, and customized using blocks to enhance and improve user experience.

The new Navigation block gives you choices, such as displaying an always-on responsive menu or one that adapts to your user’s screen size. WordPress will then remember your choices and save your menus as custom post types, which are then saved to your site’s database.

More Improvements And Updates

WordPress 5.9 introduces new tweaks to the publishing flow.

Better Block Controls

WordPress 5.9 features new typography tools, flexible layout controls, and finer control of details like spacing, borders, and more, helping you achieve a fine-tuned and polished look for your site.

Block Patterns

The WordPress Pattern Directory is the home of a wide range of block patterns built to save you time and add to your site’s functionality. And you can edit them as you see fit. Need something different in the header or footer for your theme? Swap it out with a new one in just a few clicks.

With a nearly full-screen view that draws you in to see fine details, the Pattern Explorer makes it easy to compare patterns and choose the one your users need.

List View

In 5.9, the revamped List View lets you drag and drop your content exactly where you want it. Managing complex documents is easier, too: simple controls let you expand and collapse sections as you build your site—and add HTML anchors to your blocks to help users get around the page.

Gallery Block

Now you can treat every image in a Gallery Block the same way you would treat it in the Image Block.

For example, you can style every image in your gallery differently, or make them all the same, except for one or two. Or change the layout of your gallery with drag-and-drop.

Videos – What’s New In WordPress 5.9

The videos below discuss new features introduced in WordPress version 5.9:

*** Please allow a few seconds for videos to load before playing ***

What’s New In WordPress 5.9: Part 1 – Intro

This video provides an overview of the new WordPress 5.9 features and enhancements.

What’s New In WordPress 5.9: Part 2 – FSE Templates

This video gives you a sneak peek at the new Full Site Editor and explores the road to Full Site Editing (FSE) in WordPress.

What’s New In WordPress 5.9: Part 3 – List View

This video covers the new and improved List View tool in the block editor.

What’s New In WordPress 5.9: Part 4 – Navigation Block

This video covers the new WordPress Navigation block.

What’s New In WordPress 5.9: Part 5 – Navigation Block Menus

This video looks at the menus that are added to the navigation block.

What’s New In WordPress 5.9: Part 6 – Pattern Library

This video covers the WordPress patterns library in the block editor and WordPress.org.

What’s New In WordPress 5.9: Part 7 – Block-Based Themes

This video covers additional areas of block-based themes not covered in previous videos, like how to find more block-based themes in the WordPress theme directory.

What’s New In WordPress 5.9: Part 8 – Miscellaneous

This video covers miscellaneous items of WordPress version 5.9 that are new or improved.

***

Updated: July 5th, 2024