WordPress 7.0 developer features are officially on the horizon, and honestly, it’s about time we addressed some of the long-standing bottlenecks in the site editor. As we kick off 2026, the roadmap for the next major release is taking shape, and while the marketing fluff focuses on “vision,” those of us in the trenches care about the actual APIs and tooling updates. Specifically, the recent Gutenberg 22.3 release gives us a clear look at where Core is heading.
If you haven’t filled out the retrospective for the previous version yet, do it. I’ve seen too many devs complain about regressions after a release when they didn’t speak up during the cycle. Early participation is crucial for maintaining stable production environments.
Responsive Grid Blocks: Finally, Logic Over Toggles
One of the most frustrating “gotchas” in the block editor has been the Grid block. Previously, you were forced into a binary choice: you either had responsive columns (auto mode) or a fixed count (manual mode). There was no middle ground. Consequently, building complex layouts often required custom CSS hacks to override the inline styles generated by the editor.
Gutenberg 22.3 fixes this by allowing the Minimum column width and Columns controls to work simultaneously. This is a massive win for performance. Instead of calculating breakpoints manually, you define the preferred count and let the browser’s CSS Grid engine handle the reflow based on the minimum width. Furthermore, they’ve removed the confusing Auto/Manual toggle entirely, simplifying the UI for clients while giving us more predictable output.
A Dedicated Screen for Fonts
Let’s talk about the Font Library. For the last few versions, managing typography was like searching for a config file buried in a vendor folder—it was hidden deep within the Global Styles UI. It was a usability nightmare for agencies handing off sites to clients. However, the latest updates introduce a dedicated Appearance → Fonts screen.
The Rise of PHP-Only Block Registration
I’ve been vocal about the “JavaScript fatigue” in the WordPress ecosystem. Not every project needs a full React build step for a simple layout block. That’s why the progress on PHP-only block registration is the highlight of the WordPress 7.0 developer features list for me. We can now register blocks with full metadata support without touching a single line of JS.
<?php
add_action('init', 'bbioon_register_experimental_blocks');
function bbioon_register_experimental_blocks(): void
{
register_block_type('bbioon/custom-logic', [
'title' => __('Logic Block', 'bbioon'),
'icon' => 'admin-settings',
'render_callback' => function($attributes, $content) {
return '<div class="bbioon-block">' . esc_html__('PHP-only output', 'bbioon') . '</div>';
}
]);
}The January 2026 updates show a platform that is maturing. We are moving away from the “move fast and break things” era of Gutenberg into a phase where the APIs are becoming more standardized and developer-friendly. Stick to the stable APIs, test in the Playground, and stop fighting the Core patterns.
