The WordPress team released WordPress 6.2 today. It is the first update of 2023 – the last WordPress update was WordPress 6.1.1 back in November. In this article, we’ll review the key features of the new release and whether or not you should upgrade.

Most of the major features are related to the Gutenberg block editor so if you’re using a third-party editor, these changes may not impact you. In fact, many of these changes have already existed in third-party editors for a while. There were also updates to the Twenty Twenty-Three theme – the most current WordPress default theme.  So if you use neither the default theme nor the block editor is there a benefit for upgrading? Well, the 166 bug fixes may help your site perform better and more reliably.

We recommend keeping your WordPress version current if possible. However, sites that require high uptime, have older plug-ins/custom code, or don’t have a backup mechanism should test on a staging site before deploying to the live site. This release should be quite stable as the release date was pushed out. But we anticipate a maintenance release within a week or two.

As always, if you’d like us to take a look at your site before you upgrade to determine its readiness, feel free to schedule a free consultation with us. We’d be happy to point you in the right direction.

Key Features for the Block Editor (from WordPress.org):

Meet  the reimagined Site Editor

An updated interface gives you more control over your site editing experience. Explore full previews of your templates and template parts, then jump in and get to editing your site from wherever you choose.

Manage your menu in more ways with the Navigation block

A new sidebar experience makes it easier to edit your site’s navigation. Add, remove, and reorder menu items faster—no matter how complex your menus are.

Discover a smoother experience for the Block Inserter

A refreshed design gives you more visibility and easier access to the content you need. Use the Media tab to drag and drop content from your existing Media Library quickly. Find patterns faster with a split view that lets you navigate categories and see previews all at once.

Find the controls you want when you need them

Your block settings sidebar is better organized with tabs for Settings and Styles. So the tools you need are easy to identify and access.

Build faster with headers and footers for block themes

Discover a new collection of header and footer patterns. Use them with any block theme as a quick, high-quality starting point for your site’s templates.

Explore Openverse media right from the Editor

Openverse’s library catalogs over 600 million free, openly licensed stock images and audio—and now it’s directly integrated into the Editor.

Focus on writing with Distraction Free mode

For those times you want to be alone with your ideas. You can now hide all your panels and controls, leaving you free to bring your content to life.

Experience the Site Editor, now out of beta

Stable and ready for you to dive in and explore: 6.2 is your personal invitation to discover what the next generation of WordPress—and block themes—can do.

Meet the new Style Book

Get a complete overview of how every block in your site’s library looks. All in one place, all at a glance.

Copy and paste styles

Perfect the design on one type of block, then copy and paste those styles to other blocks to get just the look you want.

Custom CSS

Power up your site any way you wish. Add CSS to your site, or your blocks, for another level of control over your site’s look and feel.

Sticky positioning 

Choose to keep top-level group blocks fixed to the top of a page as visitors scroll.

Importing widgets

Options to import your favorite widgets from Classic themes to Block themes.

Local fonts in themes

Default WordPress themes offer better privacy with Google Fonts now included.