September 2025 has been an active month for WordPress. From new tools for developers to improvements in themes and security, there is plenty happening that site owners and businesses using WordPress support services should know about.
New Features for Developers
Developers now have access to the new Abilities API, available as a Composer package for early testing. This opens the door to new ways of extending WordPress.
The introduction of Accordion blocks adds more design flexibility. These include Accordion, Accordion Item, Accordion Header and Accordion Panel, all created with accessibility and usability in mind.
Form elements can now be styled directly through theme.json, which allows greater consistency when working with inputs, text areas and dropdowns without relying on extra CSS.
Updates to Plugins, Tools and Themes
Data Views has been improved with infinite scroll, new preview options and a card layout that gives more control over how content is displayed.
The @wordpress/create-block tool now supports block variants, meaning each variant can use its own template files. This makes block development more streamlined and reduces the need for conditional code.
Theme improvements include a more flexible Date block, a new variation of the Query Loop Title block and early testing of template duplication and management. Border radius presets have also been added to theme.json, making design control easier.
AI and Playground Progress
AI features continue to be tested with the Abilities API and the PHP AI Client, which has now reached a stable release. An AI chatbot demo has also been introduced.
The WordPress Playground has gained new functionality including contributor badges, CLI and Query API updates that let users install multiple themes or plugins via URL parameters, and a PHP prototyping feature that runs directly in the browser. These updates make the Playground more useful for developers and those exploring WordPress support services.
Security and Stability
WordPress 6.6.2 was released in September as a maintenance update. It included 15 core fixes and 11 block editor fixes, making it an important step for keeping sites stable and secure.
Security reports continue to show that the biggest risks come from poorly maintained plugins rather than WordPress core. This highlights the importance of regular plugin checks and using trusted WordPress support to manage updates.
Looking Ahead to WordPress 6.9
The next major release, WordPress 6.9, is scheduled for 2 December 2025. It will bring a simplified site editing mode for users who mainly want to edit content, expanded template management with drafts and multiple templates per slug, and new capabilities through the Interactivity API and Abilities API. Performance improvements are also planned, including faster page transitions and smarter resource handling.
What This Means for WordPress Users
For site owners, keeping up with the latest developments is key. Updating to version 6.6.2 is recommended to benefit from the latest fixes.
Those who design with themes can begin working with the new Accordion block and experiment with the styling options in theme.json. Developers should test their plugins and themes with the new APIs to stay ahead of changes arriving in version 6.9.
For businesses, using WordPress support services is more valuable than ever. With frequent updates, new features and ongoing security issues around plugins, having reliable WordPress support ensures your site stays secure, functional and future ready.
If you’re ready to simplify website management, get started with Fly High Web’s WordPress maintenance services today.
