WordPress has shipped more than fifty major releases since its first version in 2003. Each one gets a name (a jazz musician the core developers admire), a date, and a set of changes that range from minor admin polish to fundamental rewrites of how WordPress works.
This guide lists every major release from 0.7 forward, what was new in each, and the handful of versions that genuinely changed what WordPress is. Use it as a reference: jump to a version with the table of contents, or skim the eras to see how the platform evolved from a blog tool into a full content management system.
Quick reference: current and upcoming versions
- Latest stable release: WordPress 6.9 “Gene Harris” (December 2, 2025), with security and maintenance releases continuing through 6.9.x
- Next major release: WordPress 7.0, scheduled for May 20, 2026 (delayed from the original April 9 target to address testing feedback on real-time collaboration)
- Following 7.0: 7.1 in August 2026 and 7.2 in December 2026
- Naming convention: every major release since 1.0 is named after a jazz musician
- Release cadence: a major version every 4 to 5 months, with security patches across multiple supported branches
To find out which version you’re running, see how to check your WordPress version.
WordPress 7.x (the next chapter)
WordPress 7.0 (in release candidate)
Scheduled: May 20, 2026 (delayed from the original April 9 target). The first major version under the 7.x series. The headline feature is real-time collaboration, which lets multiple editors work in the same post or page simultaneously, similar to how Google Docs handles concurrent editing.
The release was paused in late March 2026 after RC1 surfaced testing feedback about real-time collaboration stability. The team made an unusual call to extend the cycle and treat subsequent release candidates as effective betas, which is unprecedented for WordPress’s normal release process. RC3 is scheduled for May 8, RC4 for May 14, with the general release on May 20. See The Path Forward for WordPress 7.0 for the team’s reasoning, and the updated release party schedule for the new May timeline. Codename to be confirmed at release.
WordPress 6.x (block editor matures)
The 6.x series picked up where 5.x left off, building out Full Site Editing into a real Site Editor, expanding block patterns, and pushing performance improvements like speculative loading. By the end of 6.x, WordPress could edit every piece of a theme through the block interface.
WordPress 6.9 “Gene Harris”
Released: December 2, 2025. Introduced block notes (inline annotations on individual blocks during editing), visual drag-and-drop improvements in the Site Editor, and auto text resize for headings and other typography blocks.
Block notes are the most distinctive addition. Editors can leave annotations on individual blocks during editing, which is useful for teams reviewing posts. Expect these to integrate further with the real-time collaboration workflow landing in 7.0.
WordPress 6.8 “Cecil”
Released: April 15, 2025. Editor performance improvements, speculative loading (preloads the next page on hover for faster perceived navigation), and bcrypt security upgrades to user password hashing.
Speculative loading is the under-the-radar headline. When a visitor hovers over an internal link, WordPress preloads the target page in the background, which makes navigation feel near-instant once they click through. See WordPress 6.8 Cecil.
WordPress 6.7 “Rollins”
Released: November 12, 2024. Shipped the “Twenty Twenty-Five” default theme, added Zoom Out preview mode for designing at the page level instead of block by block, and introduced HEIC image support for media uploads.
Zoom Out is the Site Editor mode that lets you design at the page level instead of zooming into individual blocks. For long-form layouts and complex template work, it is a noticeable productivity gain. HEIC support also matters for iPhone users uploading photos straight from their camera roll without converting first.
WordPress 6.6 “Dorsey”
Released: July 16, 2024. Added more color palette choices for blocks, plugin update rollbacks (so a failed plugin update can be reverted in one click), and continued refinements to block patterns and the Site Editor.
Plugin update rollbacks are the most consequential change. If a plugin update breaks the site, WordPress now keeps the previous version on disk and offers a one-click revert from the admin. That eliminated one of the most stressful failure modes for non-technical site owners.
WordPress 6.5 “Regina”
Released: April 2, 2024. Introduced the Font Library (manage custom fonts directly in the Site Editor without uploading via FTP), Data Views for managing posts and templates, and the Block Bindings API for connecting block content to dynamic data sources like custom fields.
Block Bindings was the under-celebrated headline of 6.5. It lets a block (paragraph, heading, image, button) bind its content to a dynamic source (a custom field, a query parameter, a post property) without writing custom blocks. For developers building dynamic sites, Block Bindings is what moved the block editor from “static content composition” to “templating system.” Combined with the Font Library and the maturing Data Views, 6.5 set up the trajectory the rest of the 6.x series and 7.0 are building on. See WordPress 6.5 Regina.
WordPress 6.4 “Shirley”
Released: November 7, 2023. Shipped the “Twenty Twenty-Four” default theme (designed to work across blogs, business sites, and portfolios), introduced Block Hooks for plugins to inject blocks into themes, and added a built-in image lightbox.
Block Hooks let plugins inject blocks into specific positions in a theme without modifying theme files (e.g., add a related-posts block after every single-post template). Together with the built-in image lightbox, 6.4 closed two long-standing “why does this need a plugin” gaps in core.
WordPress 6.3 “Lionel”
Released: August 8, 2023. Brought full content management into the Site Editor (you could now edit every template, template part, and pattern in one place), added the Footnotes block, and introduced a command palette for jumping around the editor with the keyboard.
The command palette (open with Cmd-K or Ctrl-K) lets you jump to any template, post, or editor action without clicking through menus. Once you are used to it, it is faster than navigating the wp-admin sidebar. The Footnotes block was a small addition with disproportionate impact for academic and reference-heavy writers.
WordPress 6.2 “Dolphy”
Released: March 29, 2023. Reimagined the Site Editor and took it out of beta, improved the Navigation block, and added a sticky toolbar to the writing flow. For a deep dive into everything that changed in 6.2, see what’s new in WordPress 6.2.
6.2 was the version that made Full Site Editing feel mainstream rather than experimental. Taking the Site Editor out of beta meant theme developers and agency builders could rely on it for client work without the “this is still beta” caveat that had hung over earlier 5.9 and 6.0/6.1 work.
WordPress 6.1 “Misha”
Released: November 1, 2022. Refined design tools across blocks, cleaner default layouts, and fluid typography that scales with viewport size automatically. Continued the Full Site Editing trajectory from 5.9 and 6.0.
Fluid typography (introduced in 6.1) lets a theme define a font size that scales smoothly between mobile and desktop without media queries. It fixed responsive typography for thousands of themes without requiring custom CSS work, and it became the recommended pattern in modern theme.json files.
WordPress 6.0 “Arturo”
Released: May 24, 2022. Major writing improvements in Gutenberg, style variations (switch a theme’s color palette and typography in one click), and block locking so editors can’t accidentally remove or move structural blocks.
Style variations were the headline. A single block theme could ship with multiple presets (different color palettes, typography, layout decisions) that users could swap with one click. Block locking gave site owners a way to prevent editors from accidentally moving or removing structural blocks in templates.
WordPress 5.x (the block editor era)
WordPress 5.0 introduced the Block Editor (Gutenberg) and changed how millions of people wrote on WordPress. The rest of the 5.x series cleaned up the rough edges, added auto-updates, introduced Site Health, and finally arrived at Full Site Editing in 5.9.
WordPress 5.9 “Joséphine”
Released: January 25, 2022. Shipped the “Twenty Twenty-Two” theme, the first default block theme. Introduced the Site Editor and Full Site Editing for block themes, the start of replacing the customizer with block-based theme editing.
Full Site Editing (FSE) extended the block editor to every part of a theme: headers, footers, sidebars, archive pages, the 404 page, single post and page templates. Themes that opted into the block-theme model declared their structure through theme.json and template files made of blocks, which meant users could edit any visual element of their site through the same block interface they used for posts.
This started a long migration: classic themes (the kind built with PHP template files and the customizer) are still fully supported, but block themes are now the recommended path for new themes. The Site Editor matured significantly over the rest of the 6.x series. See WordPress 5.9 Joséphine and the Site Editor documentation.
WordPress 5.8 “Tatum”
Released: July 20, 2021. Introduced block widgets (the widget admin became block-based), early block theme support, the List View panel for navigating complex page structures, and WebP image support.
theme.json arrived in 5.8, the configuration file modern block themes use to declare their colors, fonts, layout settings, and spacing scale. Every block theme since 5.9 ships a theme.json. WebP support meant WordPress could finally serve modern image formats natively.
WordPress 5.7 “Esperanza”
Released: March 9, 2021. Easier editor flow, one-click HTTP-to-HTTPS site migration, the Robots API for plugins to modify the robots.txt response, and a streamlined login screen.
The HTTPS migration tool was the most user-visible change. Sites running on http:// could click a single button in Settings → General to update every URL in posts, options, and content to https:// (assuming the SSL certificate was already in place). For sites with thousands of posts, this saved hours of manual database work.
WordPress 5.6 “Simone”
Released: December 8, 2020. Shipped the “Twenty Twenty-One” default theme. Major Gutenberg enhancements, application passwords for REST API authentication, and bcrypt password hashing finally arriving in core.
Application Passwords became one of the most-used features in 5.6. They let scripts, mobile apps, and integrations authenticate against the WordPress REST API without using the user’s main login password, the pattern most automation workflows still rely on today.
WordPress 5.5 “Eckstine”
Released: August 11, 2020. Native lazy-loading for images (added loading="lazy" attributes automatically), built-in XML sitemaps, and auto-updates for plugins and themes.
Plugin and theme auto-updates were the under-the-radar headline. Site owners could opt individual plugins and themes into background updates from Plugins → Installed Plugins, and most managed-WordPress hosts started enabling this by default for their customers. The result: a meaningful chunk of WordPress’s install base started staying patched on plugin security releases without anyone manually clicking Update. Combined with the core auto-updates from 3.7 (Basie), this is most of why WordPress runs without constant maintenance for the average site. See WordPress 5.5 Eckstine.
WordPress 5.4 “Adderley”
Released: March 31, 2020. Social icons and buttons blocks landed in core (no plugin needed), custom field support for menu items, and continued Gutenberg performance work.
Social icons and buttons blocks landing in core meant smaller plugin footprints for most blogs (no more dedicated social-icons plugin needed). Custom fields for menu items unlocked more dynamic navigation patterns for theme developers building larger sites.
WordPress 5.3 “Kirk”
Released: November 12, 2019. Polished interactions across the editor, shipped the “Twenty Twenty” default theme (designed for the block editor from the start), and continued accessibility and admin UI improvements.
Twenty Twenty was the first WordPress default theme designed for the block editor from the start, rather than retrofitted onto it. The interaction polish work and accessibility improvements across the editor were the bulk of the release; 5.3 was a maturation step rather than a feature release.
WordPress 5.2 “Jaco”
Released: May 7, 2019. Introduced Site Health Check (with status and info pages), PHP error protection (recover-mode emails when a plugin crashes), and the Block Directory for installing blocks from the editor.
Site Health Check was the standout feature. It is a built-in diagnostic that surfaces PHP version warnings, plugin conflicts, file permission issues, and configuration problems before they become user-facing bugs. PHP error protection saved a lot of sites from white-screen-of-death scenarios when a plugin update went wrong.
WordPress 5.1 “Betty”
Released: February 21, 2019. Added PHP version upgrade nudges (warning users on outdated PHP versions), block editor performance improvements, and reduced memory usage on common operations.
PHP version upgrade nudges were the under-discussed shift. WordPress started showing prominent warnings on sites running PHP 5.x, which accelerated the broader WordPress ecosystem’s PHP modernization. By 2021, the WordPress PHP version distribution had shifted dramatically toward PHP 7+.
WordPress 5.0 “Bebo”
Released: December 6, 2018. The release that introduced Gutenberg, the new block-based editor that replaced the Classic Editor as the default writing experience. Also shipped the “Twenty Nineteen” theme. The biggest UX shift in WordPress’s history; the platform divided into “block editor” and “Classic Editor + plugin” camps for years afterward.
Gutenberg replaced TinyMCE (the WYSIWYG editor that had been WordPress’s default since 2.0 in 2005) with a JavaScript-based interface where every piece of content (paragraphs, images, headings, embeds, custom layouts) is a self-contained “block.” The user experience shifted from “type into a single text area” to “build a page from components.” For modern websites that needed flexible layouts, this was a massive productivity unlock. For users who wanted the simple text editor, it was a regression.
The Classic Editor plugin (officially supported as a fallback) hit 5M+ active installs and still has them. The block editor side, meanwhile, became the foundation for everything that followed: block themes (5.8+), the Site Editor and Full Site Editing (5.9), and the Block Bindings API (6.5). See the launch announcement at WordPress 5.0 Bebo and the official block-editor documentation at developer.wordpress.org/block-editor/.
WordPress 4.x (the customizer era)
The 4.x series finished modernizing the WordPress admin, brought the REST API into core, kept iterating on the customizer, and laid the foundation for what would become Gutenberg.
WordPress 4.9 “Tipton”
Released: November 16, 2017. Customizer scheduling and design locking, gallery widgets, and code error checking in the theme/plugin editor (so you couldn’t accidentally save a syntax error that broke the site).
The code error checking was a small but lifesaving addition. Before 4.9, you could save a syntax error from the wp-admin file editor and instantly take your site offline. After 4.9, WordPress refused to save broken PHP and gave you a useful error message instead.
WordPress 4.8 “Evans”
Released: June 8, 2017. Media widgets (image, audio, video) replaced the previous text-only widget defaults, plus an upgraded text widget with WYSIWYG editing.
Media widgets (image, audio, video) replaced the previous text-only widget defaults. The text widget also gained WYSIWYG editing, both small quality-of-life improvements that meant fewer “how do I add an image to a sidebar” support questions for theme authors.
WordPress 4.7 “Vaughan”
Released: December 6, 2016. Brought the REST API content endpoints into core (the foundation for headless WordPress), shipped the “Twenty Seventeen” default theme, video header support, and PDF preview thumbnails in the media library.
The REST API content endpoints (posts, pages, media, comments, taxonomies, users) were what unlocked headless WordPress. Once any client (a Next.js front-end, a React Native app, a static site generator, an e-ink dashboard) could read and write WordPress data through standard JSON, WordPress stopped being just a theme-rendered website and became a content service. Frameworks like Frontity and Gatsby’s WordPress plugins were direct downstream effects. The endpoints are documented at the REST API endpoint reference. See the original announcement at WordPress 4.7 Vaughan.
WordPress 4.6 “Pepper”
Released: August 16, 2016. Streamlined plugin and theme updates (no full-page reloads anymore), native system fonts in the admin, and content recovery in the editor.
Streamlined plugin and theme updates (no full-page reloads when updating from the dashboard) made bulk maintenance noticeably faster. Native system fonts in the admin meant less reliance on web fonts for the wp-admin UI, which sped up admin page loads.
WordPress 4.5 “Coleman”
Released: April 12, 2016. Inline link editing, formatting shortcuts in the editor (Markdown-like), and live responsive previews in the customizer for desktop, tablet, and mobile breakpoints.
Inline link editing replaced the old modal dialog for inserting links. Instead of a popup, you got a small inline overlay that disappeared when you clicked away. Live responsive previews in the customizer let theme authors preview their work on desktop, tablet, and mobile sizes without resizing their browser.
WordPress 4.4 “Clifford”
Released: December 8, 2015. Shipped the “Twenty Sixteen” default theme, responsive images via srcset, embeds for any oEmbed-compatible content, and the start of the REST API infrastructure (endpoints came in 4.7).
The REST API infrastructure was the bigger long-term story. 4.4 didn’t expose the post and comment endpoints yet (that came in 4.7), but it shipped the routing layer, authentication scaffolding, and request/response handling that the later endpoints plugged into. For a deep dive, see the official REST API handbook. Responsive images via srcset arriving as a core feature was also significant: it meant millions of WordPress sites started serving the right image size to each device automatically, without needing a plugin or custom theme work.
WordPress 4.3 “Billie”
Released: August 18, 2015. Mobile experience improvements, stronger password recommendations on user creation, and customizer additions for site icons.
Stronger password recommendations on user creation pushed back against the password123 problem that plagued less-savvy WordPress sites for years. The customizer also picked up site icons (favicons), which had previously required manual theme work or a plugin.
WordPress 4.2 “Powell”
Released: April 23, 2015. Press This received a big update for sharing content from anywhere on the web, native emoji support arrived, and the customizer gained menu management.
Native emoji support meant WordPress sites could render Unicode emoji consistently across browsers without requiring images or special fonts. Press This (the bookmarklet for sharing content from the web) got a major rebuild that made it actually useful for the first time in years.
WordPress 4.1 “Dinah”
Released: December 18, 2014. Shipped the “Twenty Fifteen” default theme and added distraction-free writing mode (the editor faded surrounding UI when typing).
Distraction-free writing mode was a welcome addition. The editor faded the surrounding admin chrome when you started typing, then brought it back when you stopped. Twenty Fifteen leaned into a single-column blog-focused design that influenced years of subsequent theme work.
WordPress 4.0 “Benny”
Released: September 4, 2014. Improved media management (grid view in the library), inline embeds in the post editor, and a tighter writing interface. The 4.0 number was a marketing milestone, not a major rewrite.
WordPress does not follow strict semver, so the 4.0 jump was about marketing and momentum rather than breaking changes. The grid view in the media library, inline embeds in the post editor, and a tighter writing interface were the user-visible improvements.
WordPress 3.x (multisite and custom post types)
The 3.x series transformed WordPress from a blogging platform into a full content management system. Multisite, custom post types, custom menus, the customizer, and automatic background updates all landed in this era.
WordPress 3.9 “Smith”
Released: April 16, 2014. Media editor improvements, live widget previews in the customizer, and live header image previews while editing.
Live widget previews and live header image previews continued the customizer’s expansion. The media editor improvements made cropping and rotating images directly in the WordPress media library actually usable, where it had been clunky before.
WordPress 3.8 “Parker”
Released: December 12, 2013. Major admin redesign (the MP6 project), the first fully responsive admin, and the “Twenty Fourteen” theme. The dark sidebar and modern admin chrome that lasted nearly a decade started here.
MP6 was the biggest cosmetic shift in WordPress’s history at the time. The new admin design (dark sidebar, modern flat icons, responsive layout for tablets) replaced the older, more cluttered admin from the 2.7-3.7 era. The structural decisions in MP6 carried forward through every subsequent admin update.
WordPress 3.7 “Basie”
Released: October 24, 2013. Automatic background updates for security and minor releases (the reason most WordPress sites stay patched without anyone touching them) and stronger password recommendations.
Automatic background updates were the headline. Until 3.7, WordPress required manual confirmation in the admin for every minor and security update. After 3.7, security and maintenance releases (5.6.1, 6.4.2, etc.) installed themselves on most sites with no human intervention. This is most of why a typical WordPress site stays patched without anyone touching it. See WordPress 3.7 Basie.
WordPress 3.6 “Oscar”
Released: August 1, 2013. The “Twenty Thirteen” theme, a new revision system, autosave for posts, and post locking (so two editors couldn’t overwrite each other on the same post).
The new revision system was a real improvement: comparing two revisions side-by-side, restoring an older draft with one click, and a unified revisions UI. Post locking (preventing two editors from saving over each other on the same post) was a small but obvious fix that should have been there from the start.
WordPress 3.5 “Elvin”
Released: December 11, 2012. Retina display support, a color picker for the admin, and the “Twenty Twelve” theme. The new media manager replaced the old upload flow and is essentially the modern media library you still use today.
The new media manager replaced the old Add Media flow with a modal-based interface that is still recognizable in modern WordPress. Retina display support meant high-DPI screens (just starting to ship in 2012) finally got crisp admin icons.
WordPress 3.4 “Green”
Released: June 13, 2012. Theme customization improvements (the customizer landed here as a precursor to what 4.x and 5.x built out), and Twitter embeds.
The theme customizer made its debut here as a precursor to what 4.x and 5.x would build out. It introduced the live-preview-with-controls pattern that became the standard way of customizing WordPress themes for nearly a decade, until the Site Editor began replacing it in 5.9.
WordPress 3.3 “Sonny”
Released: December 12, 2011. Friendlier onboarding for new users, drag-and-drop media uploading, and tablet support for the admin.
The friendly onboarding and tablet-friendly admin tweaks were aimed at the wave of casual users WordPress was picking up around 2011. Drag-and-drop media uploads finally arrived; before 3.3, the upload flow involved file dialogs and was meaningfully clunkier.
WordPress 3.2 “Gershwin”
Released: July 4, 2011. Performance and speed improvements across the admin and front-end. This was also the first version to drop support for PHP 4 and MySQL 4.
Dropping PHP 4 and MySQL 4 support was the consequential decision. PHP 4 had reached end of life years earlier; ending official compatibility freed core developers from supporting features no modern host shipped, and accelerated the broader WordPress ecosystem’s PHP modernization.
WordPress 3.1 “Reinhardt”
Released: February 23, 2011. The Admin Bar (now the Toolbar) appeared on the front-end for logged-in users, post formats arrived for theme support, and internal linking shortcuts came to the editor.
The Admin Bar (renamed to Toolbar in later versions) introduced the floating bar at the top of front-end pages for logged-in users, the gateway to the admin from any page on the site. Post formats (gallery, video, link, status, etc.) were a theme-developer-facing feature that never quite caught on but lived in core for years.
WordPress 3.0 “Thelonious”
Released: June 17, 2010. One of the most consequential releases ever. Custom post types and custom taxonomies turned WordPress into a real CMS. Custom menus replaced the old theme-bound nav. WordPress MU merged into core, giving every install Multisite capability. New theme APIs unlocked theme features as opt-in declarations. The “Twenty Ten” theme launched the annual default-theme tradition.
Custom post types are why WordPress can run e-commerce stores, real estate listings, podcast networks, and learning platforms. Without them, every non-blog use case would have required a fork of WordPress or a hack on the post table. WooCommerce (which has 7M+ active installs as of 2026) is built entirely on custom post types and taxonomies introduced in 3.0. So is Advanced Custom Fields, every major LMS plugin, every major event-management plugin, and a long tail of niche ecosystem tools.
The Multisite merge had a different kind of impact: it gave hosts and agencies a single-codebase way to run thousands of sites, which fueled the WaaS (WordPress-as-a-service) market that grew through the 2010s. See the original announcement at WordPress 3.0 Thelonious.
WordPress 2.x (the rich editor era)
The 2.x series turned WordPress from a blogging tool with rough edges into a polished publishing platform. Rich-text editing, plugins, themes, taxonomies, image editing, and the redesigned admin all came in this era.
WordPress 2.9 “Carmen”
Released: December 19, 2009. Global undo (a “trash” for posts and comments instead of permanent deletion), a built-in image editor, and batch plugin updates.
The Trash for posts and comments (instead of permanent deletion) was a long-overdue safety net. Accidental deletions stopped being permanent without a database rollback. The built-in image editor let you crop, rotate, and resize images in the media library without leaving WordPress, which had previously required offline tools.
WordPress 2.8 “Baker”
Released: June 10, 2009. Performance improvements, automatic theme installation from the wp.org directory, and the CodePress syntax-highlighting editor for theme files.
The automatic theme installer (browse and install themes directly from wp-admin) closed the loop that the plugin installer had opened in 2.7. CodePress was the syntax-highlighting editor for theme files; it did not survive long but it was the first attempt at making the theme/plugin editor actually usable for code work.
WordPress 2.7 “Coltrane”
Released: December 11, 2008. A complete admin interface redesign that defined how WordPress looked for the next five years. Automatic plugin and core upgrades from the dashboard (the predecessor to background auto-updates in 3.7).
The 2.7 admin (with its left-side navigation menu and dashboard widget grid) became the template every WordPress admin since has iterated on. Even after MP6 in 3.8 modernized the look, the structural decisions Jane Wells and the design team made in 2.7 carried forward. See the original announcement at WordPress 2.7 Coltrane.
WordPress 2.6 “Tyner”
Released: July 15, 2008. Post and page revision tracking, change tracking in the editor, and remote posting via Press This and email.
Post and page revision tracking became a real feature in 2.6. Until then, WordPress saved drafts but did not preserve a meaningful change history. Press This and email posting were attempts at making it easier to publish from outside the admin; both stuck around in some form for years.
WordPress 2.5 “Brecker”
Released: March 29, 2008. Dashboard redesign (a precursor to the bigger 2.7 redesign), multi-file media uploads, and an improved plugin management interface. Note: there was no 2.4 release; the version jumped directly from 2.3 to 2.5.
Multi-file media uploads via Flash-based uploaders meant you could finally drag a folder of images into WordPress without uploading them one at a time. The version jump from 2.3 to 2.5 was a planning decision; some intended 2.4 features got rolled into 2.5 instead of shipping a smaller release.
WordPress 2.3 “Dexter”
Released: September 24, 2007. Native tags landed in core (previously a plugin), the new taxonomy system (the same one that powers categories and tags today), and update notifications when new versions of plugins were available.
Native tags in core was a milestone. Until 2.3, you needed a plugin to add tags to posts. The new taxonomy system (which still powers categories, tags, and every custom taxonomy used by WooCommerce, ACF, and others) is one of the most-used parts of WordPress today, and 2.3 is where it landed.
WordPress 2.2 “Getz”
Released: May 16, 2007. Widget support landed in core (sidebar widgets had been a plugin until then), the Atom 1.0 feed, and speed optimizations.
Widget support landing in core was a watershed moment for theme design. Until 2.2, sidebars were hardcoded in theme template files. After 2.2, themes could declare widget areas, and users could drag widgets in and out of them through the admin, the foundation of every modern WordPress sidebar.
WordPress 2.1 “Ella”
Released: January 22, 2007. Security fixes, a redesigned editing interface, and improved tools for writing and managing content.
Security fixes were the headline. 2.1 followed an embarrassing 2.1.1 incident where a compromised download server briefly distributed a backdoored copy of WordPress. The fix was fast but the lesson around build-server security stuck with the project for years.
WordPress 2.0 “Duke”
Released: December 31, 2005. Rich-text editing arrived (TinyMCE replaced the old plain HTML textarea), image uploading from the post editor, faster posting workflows, and an improved import system. This was the version that made WordPress feel like a real publishing tool instead of a code project.
TinyMCE replaced the plain HTML textarea, giving WordPress a real WYSIWYG editor for the first time. Image uploading directly from the post editor (instead of a separate uploads area) was the second big quality-of-life improvement. 2.0 is the version where WordPress started competing with Movable Type and TypePad on user experience, not just on price and openness.
WordPress 1.x (themes and the foundation)
The 1.x series put down the architectural foundations: themes, plugins, comment moderation, multi-author support, and pages as a separate concept from posts. By the end of 1.5, you could recognize WordPress as the same platform we use today.
WordPress 1.5 “Strayhorn”
Released: February 17, 2005. Static pages (a separate concept from blog posts), the theme/template system that’s still in use today, comment moderation tools, and a new default template (“Kubrick”) that lasted for years.
The static pages concept (separate from blog posts) was the moment WordPress started moving beyond pure blogging. Without 1.5, WordPress could not have become the CMS it grew into during the 3.0+ era. Kubrick was the most recognizable WordPress design for years and influenced thousands of derivative themes.
WordPress 1.2 “Mingus”
Released: May 22, 2004. Plugin support landed in core. Plugins are why WordPress runs 40% of the web today; that ecosystem started here.
The plugin API in 1.2 was deceptively small but architecturally enormous. Hook-based extension (actions and filters) is what every WordPress plugin since has been built on. The wp.org plugin directory has 60,000+ plugins as of 2026; all of them trace back to the API hooks introduced in this release.
WordPress 1.0 “Davis”
Released: January 3, 2004. The first numbered release. Search-engine-friendly permalinks, support for assigning multiple categories to a post, comment moderation, and Atom feed support. Codenamed “Davis” after Miles Davis, kicking off the jazz musician naming tradition that’s continued for every release since.
1.0 also marked the point where WordPress started feeling less like a fork of b2/cafelog and more like its own thing. The interface stayed minimal but the underlying data model (posts, users, comments, the admin scaffolding) had been rewritten. The release also coincided with a wave of users leaving Movable Type after a controversial pricing change later that year, which is what really put WordPress on the map.
WordPress 0.7 (the very first release)
Released: May 27, 2003. The first WordPress release, forked from b2/cafelog by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. It used the same file structure as its predecessor and added the foundational improvements that would set the project apart over the next two years. No codename (those started at 1.0).
How WordPress started: from b2/cafelog to 0.7
WordPress wasn’t built from scratch. Before WordPress existed, a small blogging tool called b2/cafelog (often just “b2”) was used by about 2,000 sites. In early 2003, b2’s lead developer slowed down on the project, and one of its users, Matt Mullenweg, posted that he was forking it. Another developer, Mike Little, replied with interest, and the two started building.
The name “WordPress” was suggested by Christine Selleck Tremoulet, a friend of Mullenweg. The first release, 0.7, shipped on May 27, 2003. WordPress’s growth accelerated in 2004 when Movable Type, the dominant blogging platform at the time, changed its licensing terms. Many users migrated to WordPress, and the platform never looked back.
The jazz musician naming convention
Starting with WordPress 1.0 (“Davis,” for Miles Davis), every major release has been named after a jazz musician the lead developer of that release admires. The tradition isn’t a strict rule (5.6 was named for Nina Simone, who’s more associated with soul, and 5.9 for Joséphine Baker, a singer-dancer in the jazz heritage), but it’s run continuously for more than two decades.
The codenames don’t appear in the wp-admin UI, but you’ll find them in the credits screen at Dashboard → Updates after a major release, in the announcement post on wordpress.org, and in some internal documentation. They’re a small piece of WordPress culture that every long-time user eventually picks up on.
Release cadence and how updates work
WordPress aims for a major release every 4 to 5 months. Each major version (5.9, 6.0, 6.1, etc.) is followed by minor maintenance and security releases (6.0.1, 6.0.2, etc.) for several years. WordPress’s auto-update system applies these maintenance and security releases automatically by default, which is why most sites stay patched without anyone manually clicking “Update.”
Older major versions continue to receive security backports for a long time. Even WordPress 4.6 (from 2016) has received recent security releases. This long support window is part of why WordPress can run 40%+ of the web without forcing every site to constantly upgrade.
If you want to take more control over which versions auto-install, the WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE constant in wp-config.php controls the policy: true for all updates, 'minor' for security/maintenance only (the default), or false to disable core auto-updates entirely.
How to check which version you’re running
Three quick ways to find out:
- In wp-admin, scroll to the bottom of any page; the version appears in the footer (“Version 6.9.1” or similar).
- From the dashboard, go to Dashboard → Updates. The current version is displayed at the top.
- From SSH, run
wp core versionvia WP-CLI.
For the full walkthrough including non-admin methods, see how to check your WordPress version.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the latest version of WordPress?
As of late April 2026, the latest stable release is WordPress 6.9 (“Gene Harris”), with maintenance and security updates continuing in the 6.9.x series. WordPress 7.0 is the next planned major release, scheduled for May 20, 2026, delayed from the original April 9 target to address testing feedback on real-time collaboration, the headline feature of 7.0.
How often does WordPress release a new version?
Major versions ship roughly every 4 to 5 months. The 2026 schedule originally planned 7.0 in April, 7.1 in August, and 7.2 in December, but 7.0 slipped to May 20 to give the team more time on real-time collaboration. The downstream 7.1 and 7.2 timelines may shift accordingly. In between major releases, smaller maintenance and security releases (the X.Y.Z patch versions) ship as needed.
Why is every WordPress version named after a jazz musician?
The tradition started with WordPress 1.0 in 2004, named “Davis” after Miles Davis. Each subsequent major version has been named after a jazz (or jazz-adjacent) musician the lead developer of that release admires. There’s no formal rule; it’s a culture habit that’s continued for more than 20 years.
What was the first version of WordPress?
The first release was WordPress 0.7, shipped on May 27, 2003. It was forked from a small blogging tool called b2/cafelog by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. The name “WordPress” was suggested by Christine Selleck Tremoulet. Version 1.0 (“Davis”) followed in January 2004 and started the jazz-musician codename tradition.
What was the most important WordPress release ever?
Three versions stand out. WordPress 3.0 (June 2010) added custom post types and merged WordPress MU into core, turning WordPress from a blogging platform into a real CMS. WordPress 5.0 (December 2018) introduced the Gutenberg block editor, the biggest UX shift in WordPress history. WordPress 5.9 (January 2022) shipped the first block theme and Full Site Editing, the start of the post-classic-theme era. Each one fundamentally changed how people use the platform.
How long are old WordPress versions supported?
WordPress supports older major versions with security releases for years after they’re superseded. As of 2025 and 2026, even WordPress 4.6 (from 2016) has received security backports. The actual support window isn’t strictly defined, but in practice you can expect any major version to keep receiving security patches for at least 4 to 5 years after release. That said, you should still update; running on an unsupported branch leaves you exposed when the security backports eventually stop.
Wrap-up
WordPress’s release history is a long, continuous arc from a small fork in 2003 to the platform that powers a meaningful slice of the web today. Most users only ever care about the version they’re on and the next one. But every release was someone’s labor, every codename was someone’s favorite musician, and every “the editor changed again” moment was the team trying to make the platform better. The releases keep coming on a tight cadence; the next chapter starts with WordPress 7.0.
