WordPress performance: fixing the fetchpriority logic
Core was tagging hidden Gutenberg images as high priority and hurting LCP. Ticket #64823 fixes that, and Performance Lab is dropping Web Worker Offloading after 6,000 updates with no feedback.
Tag: Accessibility
Scalable z-index values without magic numbers
Magic numbers like z-index: 99999 are guesses. How I set up z-index tokens in CSS variables, pair a modal with its backdrop using calc(), and use isolation to keep a component’s layering inside the component.
Why human strategy still runs an AI-accelerated workflow
AI raised the floor on production, and that changed what designers are actually paid for. Here is where human strategy still decides the outcome, and why judgment now carries the accountability.
Accessible UX Research: why a WCAG checklist is not enough
A look at Accessible UX Research, the new Smashing Magazine book by Dr. Michele Williams, and why passing a WCAG checklist is not the same as being usable. Includes the nav menu ARIA fix I keep applying to custom themes.
Building a mobile menu with WordPress 7.0 navigation overlays
Mobile menus in WordPress 7.0 are template parts you edit in the Site Editor. This covers the navigation-overlay area, the theme.json registration, the close block you should add yourself, and the full-screen-only limit in this first release.
Popover API vs Dialog API: how to pick the right one
Popover API and Dialog API solve different problems: one is for light non-modal UI, the other for true modals that block the page. This post breaks down when to use each, with working code.
Interop 2026: why modern CSS is finally safe for WordPress
Interop 2026 is the browser pact making CSS Anchor Positioning, View Transitions, and scroll-driven animations a baseline reality. Here is what it means for WordPress developers still relying on JS hacks.
The Popover API makes tooltips simpler and more accessible
The Popover API gives WordPress developers a native, declarative way to build accessible tooltips and menus, without the JavaScript libraries and manual ARIA syncing tooltips used to require.
Modern CSS features worth using in 2026
Interop 2026 sets the browser targets for the year. A look at the modern CSS features behind it: style queries with =, declarative dialogs via the Invoker Commands API, the :heading pseudo-class in Safari TP, and middle truncation without JavaScript.
Gutenberg 22.6: icons, revisions, and real-time collaboration
Gutenberg 22.6 adds a server-side Icon block, visual revision diffing, and real-time collaboration via Yjs. It’s a stability-focused release ahead of WordPress 7.0.