Patricia and Dennis discuss their CMS Freedom project at the CloudFest Hackathon, aiming to simplify system transitions and preserve online content. They emphasize teamwork, learning, and the value of contributions beyond coding.

With the world changing so quickly, it’s hard to find alpha, but the best way is by following the brightest thinkers. This CNBC interview with Ray Dalio and Marc Benioff is good, but it’s way better if you go to the livestream about 25 minutes in and see the full discussion without the editing. You hear what these great thinkers actually think, rather than what an editor thought you’d enjoy. A little bit of friction gets you a lot more information.

Hi,

This week I will feel a lot of FOMO as I had a chance to attend CloudFest but had to bow out at the last minute, to give my busted knee a rest. My doctor is convinced that I had overdone the walking in Manila and WordCamp Asia. So going to an amusement part and another trade show, would not be wise. Unfortunately, there are no live-streams to participate remotely. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Meanwhile, I have been testing WordPress 6.8 and although there are no new ones, the updates to existing features are amazing and make content creation so much easier. Next week on Tuesday, in time of Beta 3 release, I’ll publish the Source of Truth, while Anne McCarthy is on sabbatical. The release team started to release Dev Notes already. You’ll find the list below.

This week, I have many updates again in this edition. Enjoy!

Yours, 💕
Birgit

Tom Willmot, CEO of Human Made posted the WP:25 Recap: The Future of WordPress with links to the recorded session. WP:25 was a virtual conference, hosted by Human Made with some awesome speakers and panels. I wanted to highlight two of them:

Tammie Lister speaking on The power of FSE, in which she took the audience “through the incredible transformation Full Site Editing is bringing to WordPress. Tammie made it clear: FSE isn’t just another feature—it’s a fundamental shift in how teams build and manage content.”

Mary Hubbard, executive director of WordPress, and Noel Tock chat about what’s next for the world’s favorite CMS in the coming year. WordPress in 2025. “AI is reshaping the way we interact with content, and WordPress is embracing AI in every way, any way that can enhance it, without replacing the human creativity aspect. So I think this right now, we’re at a pivotal point, not just for what it means for open source, but actually, what it means for the project itself.” – Mary Hubbard.

You’ll find the other WP:25 sessions on this YouTube Playlist

Developing Gutenberg and WordPress

WordPress 6.8 release cycle is progressing as schedule to Beta 3 next week. WordPress 6.8 Beta 2 was released this week.

And a reminder to Help Test WordPress 6.8 to figure out if all features work as supposed to and report bugs. The instructions provided Krupa Nanda are excellent to get a head start on many things updates in WordPress 6.8

The first Dev Notes are now available on the Make Core blog:

• Roster of design tools per block (WordPress 6.8 edition)
• More efficient block type registration in 6.8
• Data: A helpful performance warning for developers in the ‘useSelect’ hook
• Internationalization improvements in 6.8
• Speculative Loading in 6.8
• WordPress 6.8 will use bcrypt for password hashing

Plugins, Themes, and Tools for #nocode site builders and owners

In his latest post, How to disable and lock Gutenberg blocks, Bud Kraus takes you on a deep dive into content governance topic and how to provide guardrails to authors and enforce editorial guidelines for your site. It’s comprehensive coverage of the topic and includes explanation on how UI tools work as well as enforcing block locking with PHP and via theme.json.

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ICYMI, After a longer beta period, GenerateBlocks 2.0 was released Mid-February with the aim of providing “fundamental changes to GenerateBlocks with a streamlined and robust system to make building fast and effective sites easier” Kathy Zant wrote in the announcement post Introducing GenerateBlocks 2.0: A New Era for High Performance Websites . The post also provides a migration path from version 1 to version 2 and outlines many changes for the plugin.

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Diane and Yann Collet created a great resource at WP Gallery featuring beautiful websites designed with the Gutenberg Block Editor. It’s a fantastic place for inspiration.

Twentig also a creation of Diane and Yann Collet, was also updated last month. The plugin is a toolkit designer working on Block Themes and has over 25,000 users. It provides Starter content, more Gutenberg Blocks and hundreds of patterns. You can browse the changelog of the latest version on the Twentig website.

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Bhargav (Bunty) Bhandari posted on X (former twitter) about his work on a new block to add LinkedIn-like work experience information to a site. With it, you can showcase professional experience, with option to add a title, company name, description. The plugin is on its way to the WordPress plugin repository, and it might take a few weeks to be released. Meanwhile, you can download it from GitHub repo.

Djordje Arsenovic created a Typewriter block, and it is now available in the WordPress plugin repository. Use the block to make text appear on the fronted as it was typed out on the old-fashioned typewriter machine.

Theme Development for Full Site Editing and Blocks

Is your theme.json getting too big? Iulia Caza, developer at Dekode, built an npm package called Create Theme JSON that lets you split up the theme.json into multiple files in a theme-json folder and the build script assembles it into your theme’s theme.json file, when ready. “It definitely makes development much easier and faster.” Caza wrote on LinkedIn.

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Anne Katzeff published a new tutorial on how to add categories to a Block Theme menu and guides you through accessing the menu editor and adding custom links for categories by copying their URLs from the WordPress dashboard. Katzeff also demos the steps in this YouTube video

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Ryan Welcher worked on a new WordPress block theme for the Block Developer Cookbook during his live stream. You can watch how he creates a new skin for his theme (aka Style variation) and also add different block style variations. Welcher also prompts Cursor AI to make changes. The code is available on this GitHub repository.

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Joshua Siagia announced the arrival of WindPress – a platform-agnostic Tailwind CSS integration plugin for WordPress that allows you to use the full power of Tailwind CSS within the WordPress ecosystem, streamlining workflows for developers. It supports Tailwind CSS v3 and v4, offers features like autocompletion, HTML-to-native conversion, and class sorting, and ensures lightweight performance with optimized CSS caching. Seamlessly compatible with popular builders like Gutenberg and Bricks, it simplifies customization while maintaining speed. WindPress is ideal for developers seeking efficient Tailwind CSS integration in WordPress projects. It is now available in the WordPress plugin repository: WindPress

 “Keeping up with Gutenberg – Index 2025” 
A chronological list of the WordPress Make Blog posts from various teams involved in Gutenberg development: Design, Theme Review Team, Core Editor, Core JS, Core CSS, Test, and Meta team from Jan. 2024 on. Updated by yours truly. The previous years are also available: 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024

Building Blocks and Tools for the Block editor.

Save the date! Nick Diego and Ryan Welcher will demo on March 19th, 2025 How to build incredible WordPress Blocks with Cursor AI on YouTube Live hosted by Jamie Marsland. They will explore the power of AI in crafting exceptional WordPress blocks. In this session, you’ll discover practical techniques, pro tips, and AI-driven tools to enhance your block-building skills and streamline workflows. Whether you’re a developer or looking to expand your WordPress expertise, this is your chance to unlock new possibilities for your WordPress site!

Bart Kalisz, JavaScript Engineer at WooCommerce announced in his post WooCommerce Blocks client files relocated to complete monorepo merge. As of March 5, 2025, WooCommerce Blocks client files have moved from plugins/woocommerce-blocks to plugins/woocommerce/client/blocks, completing the monorepo merge initiated in December 2023. This change enhances codebase consistency and repository organization. Developers with existing pull requests need to rebase their branches. End users will not experience any functional differences. The build process remains the same, ensuring a smooth transition.

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Do you want to jumpstart adding AI to your site? Felix Arntz has you covered with his plugin AI Services from the WordPress repository. The plugin provides a “central infrastructure that allows other plugins to make use of AI capabilities. It exposes APIs that can be used in various contexts, whether you need to use AI capabilities in server-side or client-side code.” The latest update comes with AI image generation, starting with OpenAI’s DALL-E and Google’s recently published Imagen models! The plugin page also lists a few code examples on how to integrate it using PHP or JavaScript.

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Developer Advocates, Brian Coords and Nick Diego were experts on this week’s InstaWP webinar: Building WordPress Plugins with AI with founder Vikas Singhal to “reveal game-changing insights for leveraging AI to build powerful WordPress plugins.” Both developers demo’d their workflow programming with Cursor AI.

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This post Introducing Preview Sites: Pushing the Limits of Collaboration with Studio, Antonio Sejas catches us up on the latest features of Studio, WordPress’s local development tool. “Demo Sites” are now “Preview Sites” with increased storage (2 GB) and more sites allowed (10). Personalized URLs are introduced, and sites remain active for seven days after the last update. These changes enhance collaboration and testing for Studio users.

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Geoff Graham built Baseline Status in a WordPress Block and published a blog post about his approach, from scaffolding, settings, supports, rendering front and back end and styling. The plugin is available on the WordPress repository
Baseline Status

Need a plugin .zip from Gutenberg’s master branch?
Gutenberg Times provides daily build for testing and review.

Now also available via WordPress Playground. There is no need for a test site locally or on a server. Have you been using it? Email me with your experience

Questions? Suggestions? Ideas?
Don’t hesitate to send them via email or
send me a message on WordPress Slack or Twitter @bph.

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For questions to be answered on the Gutenberg Changelog,
send them to changelog@gutenbergtimes.com

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Featured Image: Wasserburg am Inn – Photo by Birgit Pauli-Haack

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This weeks curated shares from the community.

If you’re an author, chances are you’ve come across terms like E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). These concepts are critical for improving your visibility in search engine results, but putting them into action can feel like a daunting puzzle. Whether you’re a book author, a blogger, or someone with a diverse portfolio of written work, creating a strong web presence is essential to establishing your authority.

Author SEO goes beyond just writing great content – it involves technical elements like schema markup and consistent author profiles to signal credibility to search engines. But how do you bring all these moving parts together to create an effective strategy?

In this guide, we’ll explore actionable steps to optimize your author bio pages and build a consistent online presence. From Gravatar integration to schema markup, these techniques will help you strengthen your E-E-A-T signals and achieve better search rankings. 

Building author E-E-A-T through optimized bio pages

Establishing E-E-A-T is essential for authors striving to improve their visibility online. According to Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines, high E-E-A-T pages are deemed more trustworthy, which can directly impact rankings.

Your author bio page is a prime opportunity to strengthen your position. Here’s how to optimize each component:

• Experience: Share milestones like years of writing, notable projects, or awards. This helps showcase your firsthand knowledge, making your expertise relatable and credible.
• Expertise: Highlight qualifications such as degrees, certifications, or industry recognition. These reinforce your authority on your subject matter.
• Authoritativeness: Link to your published work on reputable platforms, which positions you as a trusted source. Tools like Gravatar ensure your online presence remains consistent.
• Trustworthiness: Build trust by including testimonials or reviews. A professional headshot and clear contact details further enhance reliability.

Keep in mind that an optimized bio page is more than just an introduction to your readers – it signals your credibility and authority to search engines and readers alike. 

Now that you have a strong bio page in place, the next step is integrating tools like Gravatar to maintain consistency across all platforms. 

Creating consistent author profiles with Gravatar

Being consistent across all your digital profiles can help you build a solid and trustworthy online presence, and Gravatar simplifies this process. This platform links your profile picture and key details – like your name, bio, and website – to your email address, ensuring that your information is automatically updated across supported websites.

For authors, Gravatar eliminates the hassle of managing profiles manually on multiple platforms. Whether it’s a WordPress blog, an online portfolio, or a comment section, Gravatar ensures your professional identity remains uniform, building trust and reinforcing your E-E-A-T.

Setting up Gravatar is straightforward: Create an account, upload a professional photo, and fill in your details. 

From there, Gravatar takes care of the rest, providing flawless integration and a polished, consistent online presence. This not only saves time but also enhances your credibility, making it an essential tool for any author looking to strengthen and monitor their digital footprint.

WordPress integration and cross-platform syncing

According to W3Techs, “WordPress is used by 62.0% of all the websites whose content management system we know. This is 43.6% of all websites.” So, it’s no wonder that so many authors, writers, and contributors go with WordPress as their platform of choice. 

Gravatar integrates perfectly with WordPress, automatically displaying your avatar across the WordPress ecosystem wherever your email address is linked, such as in blog posts, comments, or author pages. This standard integration helps maintain a consistent online identity with minimal effort.

However, for authors looking to go beyond the basics, the Gravatar Enhanced plugin offers additional features. Unlike the default Gravatar setup, which only pulls the profile picture, this plugin provides greater customization options, allowing you to display more detailed author profiles, including links to your social media and published works. 

You can also control how your Gravatar appears on various sections of your WordPress site, such as post bylines and author widgets.

On top of that, with Gravatar you can create multiple profiles each linked to a different email address, and you can pull any of these easily with the Gravatar Enhanced plugin. This is invaluable if you write across different genres or target audiences (more on that in a second). 

If you’re tech-savvy or have the budget to work with a developer, and have many people contributing to your website, you can also take advantage of the Gravatar REST API. This gives you more flexibility and granular control over exactly what data gets imported and displayed on the website. It also makes it much easier for guest authors to contribute – their Gravatar profile information will be automatically imported. 

This applies to every single platform that has integrated Gravatar, including GitHub, Slack, OpenAI, Figma, Zapier, and many more. 

Managing multiple author identities

For authors who write across different genres or target diverse audiences, managing multiple online identities can be a challenge. Gravatar simplifies this with its ability to associate multiple email addresses with unique profiles. Each profile can feature a distinct avatar, bio, and contact details, allowing you to tailor your online presence to specific audiences or platforms.

To use a different profile with Gravatar Enhanced , you just need to put the email address corresponding to that profile. 

For instance, if you write technical guides under one pen name and fiction under another, Gravatar ensures your profiles stay separate and relevant. By linking each email to a unique profile, you maintain consistency and professionalism for both identities without any crossover confusion.

This flexibility helps you maintain your E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) across different niches, ensuring that each identity aligns with its intended audience while reinforcing your credibility.

Technical SEO essentials for author pages

Optimizing the technical side of your author pages can help your site rank well in search engine results and provide an easy and memorable user experience. Here are some key areas to focus on:

Page speed and mobile responsiveness

Fast-loading, mobile-friendly pages are a must. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify performance bottlenecks and ensure your site is accessible on all devices. Reasons for a slow website include: 

• Large image files – High-resolution images that aren’t optimized can significantly increase load times.
• Too many HTTP requests – Each image, script, or CSS file requires a separate HTTP request, slowing down the site.
• Unoptimized JavaScript and CSS – Heavy or poorly written scripts can delay rendering, especially if they aren’t minified or compressed.
• Lack of browser caching – Without caching, users have to download site elements repeatedly, even if they’ve visited before.
• Slow server response time – Poor hosting or high traffic can lead to delays in how quickly the server processes requests.
• Bloated plugins – Excessive or poorly coded plugins can slow down the backend and frontend of the site.
• Unoptimized database – A database cluttered with unnecessary data, like old revisions or spam comments, can slow query times.
• High traffic without proper resources – A sudden spike in visitors can overwhelm your hosting plan, leading to slowdowns.

Whatever the issue is, make sure you fix it on time since most users access the web via mobile, a responsive, clutter-free design helps with usability and improves your search rankings. 

Schema markup for author pages

Implementing schema markup helps search engines understand your content better. Use the “Author” schema to display rich snippets, such as your name, bio, and image, directly in search results. 

Canonical URLs and structured navigation

Ensure each author page has a unique, canonical URL to prevent duplicate content issues. Structured navigation, including breadcrumbs, helps search engines and users understand your site’s hierarchy, improving crawlability and the user experience. They are also essential for screen readers and users who only use keyboards to navigate. 

Secure and accessible design

A secure site (HTTPS) is critical for building trust with both users and search engines. Additionally, ensure your content is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, by adhering to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Here are some of the main areas you need to consider: 

• If you have a shop for your books, events, or services, make sure that users can successfully complete a purchase with any assistive technology, including screen readers and keyboard navigation. 
• Create functional and descriptive alt text for your images and files. Users should be able to understand the main idea behind each image and if it’s only decorative, just leave the alt text tag empty. 
• Make sure your link texts make sense – “click here to book a spot for my book signing” is much better than just “click here.”
• Use accessible fonts and ensure that users can scale text up to 200% without the loss of functionality and content. 

Meta descriptions and optimized headings

Every author page should have a compelling meta description and properly structured headings (H1, H2, etc.). These elements improve click-through rates and help search engines identify the page’s main focus. They are also essential for accessibility: The meta descriptions and titles are what the assistive technologies will read out loud to people who use them and want to search online. 

Implementing author schema markup

Schema markup helps search engines understand the structure and content of your author pages, boosting visibility in search results. By implementing author-specific schema, you can enhance your E-E-A-T signals, making your pages more appealing to both users and search engines.

For blog authors, use the Article schema to mark up your blog posts, including details like the headline, author name, and publication date. For book authors, the Book schema is ideal. It highlights properties like the book title, ISBN, and author information, making your work easier to find​.

You can then implement the schema on your website with the Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper or WordPress plugins like Rank Math and Yoast. You can tag relevant sections of your page, such as your name, bio, and links to your published works, and generate JSON-LD code for seamless integration​. 

To get the most out of schema markup, make sure you: 

• Include key details: Author name, profile image, and links to verified profiles.
• Stay consistent across platforms by syncing with Gravatar, which adds a professional touch to your author bio.
• Validate your schema with Google’s Rich Results Test to check for errors and ensure all required fields are present.

Measuring and improving author page performance

Optimizing your author pages doesn’t stop at implementation – you need to measure their performance and refine them over time. Here’s how:

Key metrics to track

• Organic traffic – Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor how many users find your author pages through search.
• Bounce rate – A high bounce rate could indicate poor user experience or irrelevant content.
• Time on page – Longer time spent suggests that visitors find your content engaging and valuable.
• Search rankings – Track keyword rankings for your name, book titles, or blog posts using tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush.

Improving author page performance

• Enhance content – Ensure your bio includes relevant keywords, links to authoritative publications, and an engaging summary of your work.
• Optimize for mobile – Many visitors will access your page from mobile devices, so ensure your layout is responsive and user-friendly.
• Leverage internal linking – Link to related blog posts, books, or interviews to keep users engaged and improve site navigation.
• Update regularly – Add new publications, awards, or noteworthy achievements to keep your page fresh and relevant.

Use heatmaps and session recordings

Heatmaps (e.g., from tools like Hotjar) show which parts of your page users interact with most, helping you refine layout and content. 

Session recordings provide deeper insights into user behavior, highlighting any obstacles they encounter.

Enhance your author authority now

As AI-generated content continues to flood the web, a verified and consistent author profile is the best strategy to help you stand out and maintain reader trust. A strong, recognizable presence builds credibility and helps search engines and audiences alike see you as a reliable source.

With the tips outlined in this article, you’ll lay a solid foundation for optimizing your author website. Start with a polished bio, leverage schema markup for better search visibility, and use Gravatar to maintain a consistent online identity. With its “Update Once, Sync Everywhere” functionality, Gravatar ensures your avatar and profile details are synchronized across platforms, saving you time while keeping your branding professional and cohesive.

The key to successful author SEO lies in the trinity of a professional bio and website, technical SEO, and an up-to-date Gravatar profile. Ready to boost your authority? Learn more about Gravatar today!

Make sure and say hi to some of our hosts if you are attending the CloudFest event or the Hackathon.

BobWP introduces "Content Sparks," a show focusing on content creation insights, featuring tips from his 18 years in the WordPress space combined with my hosts experiences.

Transcript

On the podcast today we have Rahul Bansal.

Rahul is the founder and CEO of rtCamp, a large agency that specialises in enterprise-grade WordPress projects. He began his journey quite differently, starting as an individual blogger back in 2006, discovering WordPress in 2007, and gradually transitioning from being a publisher to a freelance developer, before founding rtCamp in 2009. Today, rtCamp is an enterprise-grade WordPress consultancy agency, operating globally and trusted by clients such as Google, Meta, Automattic, NewsUK, and Al Jazeera.

Rahul sheds light on working with enterprise clients in the WordPress space. Many of us are familiar with WordPress in the context of small businesses and blogging, but the enterprise space demands additional layers of security and scalability. Rahul explains the factors that set enterprise projects apart, and why meticulous code reviews,   and security audits are essential when working at this level.

He talks about the opportunities in the enterprise space, recounting how rtCamp initially stumbled into enterprise level projects, not even realising their potential until a client’s high expectations led to a decision to market themselves as an enterprise agency.

We also discuss the role of WordPress in enterprise environments, from why Gutenberg has become a credible selling point, due to its powerful editing capabilities, to how the platform’s flexibility supports varied enterprise needs.

Rahul also gets into the importance of positioning, how historical context offers advantages, and the expanding market that makes WordPress a compelling choice for large clients today.

Towards the end, we explore rtCamp’s innovative internship program aimed at growing the WordPress talent pool, and the way they are contributing back to the WordPress project; a win-win for the business and the broader community.

If you’ve ever considered what it takes to work with WordPress at the enterprise level, this episode is for you.

Useful links

rtCamp

White House website

Al Jazeera website

Campus at rtCamp

rtLearn

In this episode, Adam and Emma discuss effective collaboration with Zach, CEO of Miruni, focusing on setting clear expectations, minimizing manual tasks via automation, and enhancing communication for better client and team interactions.

Creating effective sign-up flows presents a challenging balance. Users expect quick, frictionless experiences, but businesses need quality data to better serve their customers. To get this information, they often overload the sign-up process, leading to high abandonment rates and lost opportunities.

Thankfully, there is a way to find balance – and we’re talking about more than just user-friendly designs. Advanced strategies like intelligent data collection timing and progressive disclosure techniques help maintain healthy conversion rates while gathering essential user information. These approaches, combined with AI-driven personalization, can transform a standard sign-up process into an engaging experience.

Reducing friction while maintaining control over data collection might seem daunting. However, by implementing strategic optimization techniques and tools like Gravatar’s developer API, you can significantly reduce friction points in their sign-up process. 

So, let’s see how you can do just that while still collecting valuable user data that allows for personalization and improves the overall user experience.

Essential strategies for reducing sign-up friction

When talking about sign-up friction, a common topic is form optimization, but that’s only the beginning. You need a bit more if you want to create better sign-up experiences and reduce drop-off rates while still maintaining high data quality.

First, progressive profiling allows you to collect user information gradually rather than overwhelming new users with lengthy forms like these: 

Instead of requesting all details upfront, ask only for essential information during sign-up, and additional data can be gathered as users engage with your product.

You can also use email-based profile systems like Gravatar to make the process even easier. By integrating Gravatar into your sign-up flow, you can automatically populate user avatars and profile information using just an email address. This eliminates several manual entry steps.

Delayed email verification keeps users engaged by letting them access your app immediately after sign-up. ChargeBee is a great example of this approach: 

1. New users enter the platform right away by filling in the more important details. 

2. They verify their email address only after signing in.

Finally, smart forms with predictive error prevention catch potential issues before submission rather than returning users to a form with error messages. This real-time validation helps users complete sign-up forms correctly the first time.

Intelligent data collection: When and what to ask 

Making smart decisions about when to request user information can significantly impact sign-up completion rates. A strategic approach starts with distinguishing between essential and non-essential data.

Essential information typically includes:

• Email address (for account creation).
• Password.
• Username (if required).

Non-essential information such as company name, last name, job title, team size, and phone number can definitely wait. 

Custom triggers help time additional data requests effectively. For example, only ask for team size after users show interest in collaboration features. Or request company details when someone visits the enterprise pricing page.

Profile enrichment through integrations and APIs offers another powerful approach. By combining email-based profile services like Gravatar with progressive data collection, you can build comprehensive user profiles without overwhelming new users.

Gravatar’s API can automatically populate non-essential information from a user’s email address, eliminating the need to ask for basic profile details during sign-up. This approach maintains high conversion rates while still gathering valuable user data.

How Gravatar simplifies user onboarding

Gravatar transforms the traditional sign-up process by automatically populating user profiles through a single email address. This approach eliminates multiple manual entry steps that often cause users to abandon sign-up forms – according to a 2020 study by Wyzow, 80% of users have deleted an app because they found the initial setup process too complex.

This is why major platforms like GitHub, OpenAI, and Atlassian use Gravatar to enhance their sign-up experiences. 

By implementing Gravatar’s REST API, developers can instantly access a rich set of user information:

• Display names and avatars.
• Professional information.
• Biography and location.
• Language preferences.
• Pronouns.
• Social and professional links.
• User interests.
• Work history.
• Social connections.

This enriched data collection happens without requesting additional information from users during sign-up. Instead of presenting new users with lengthy forms asking for profile details, applications can pull this information automatically through the Gravatar API.

The benefits extend beyond the initial sign-up. With comprehensive profile data available immediately, applications can create personalized experiences from the first interaction:

• Customized welcome messages using the user’s name.
• Interface language set to user preferences.
• Content recommendations based on stated interests.
• Contextual features based on professional background.
• Team collaboration suggestions using work history.
• Social connections through matched interests.
• Location-based content and recommendations.

Implementing Gravatar also helps solve common onboarding challenges:

• Reduces form abandonment by minimizing required fields.
• Eliminates the need for users to upload profile pictures.
• Maintains consistency across multiple platforms.
• Allows users to update their information in one place.
• Supports both individual and role-based personalization.
• Enables automatic profile updates across integrated services.

The system respects user privacy by letting individuals control what information they share. Users can maintain multiple profiles with different levels of detail tied to separate email addresses, giving them full control over their online presence while still providing valuable data for personalization.

For developers, integration is straightforward through the REST API, with comprehensive documentation and support available. And since Gravatar is free for both users and developers, it offers a cost-effective way to enhance sign-up flows and improve user engagement from the start. The API’s design focuses on developer experience, making it simple to implement and maintain while providing powerful personalization capabilities.

Real-world examples: Successful Gravatar implementations

Let’s see how different websites use Gravatar to make signing up and getting started super simple. 

OpenAI offers a perfect example of a streamlined approach: 

1. Users sign up with their email and create a password.

2. Their profile picture automatically appears from Gravatar. 

No extra steps are needed. This small touch adds a personal element to their AI platform experience right from the start.

WordPress.com takes this integration even further. When someone signs up, the platform automatically pulls in everything from their Gravatar profile – their bio, display name, social links, and even their location and interests. 

This means new bloggers can jump right into writing instead of spending time filling out profile forms. Plus, any changes they make to their Gravatar profile automatically update across all their WordPress sites.

Other popular platforms also use Gravatar in creative ways to make things easier for their users:

Developer platforms:

• GitHub shows Gravatar avatars next to code contributions, helping developers build recognition in open-source communities.

• GitLab uses Gravatar to personalize project dashboards and team features.

Collaboration tools:

• Figma automatically loads team member profiles to help people connect faster.
• Slack shows profile pictures in chat to help teammates recognize each other.
• Trello adds Gravatar photos to cards and boards to make project tracking more personal.

The best part? Users only need to update their info in one place – their Gravatar profile. That single update gets reflected everywhere they use these tools, making it super convenient to keep a consistent online presence.

Optimizing mobile sign-up experiences

Making sign-ups work smoothly on mobile devices has become essential, with mobile traffic now exceeding 60% of all web visits. But mobile users face unique challenges – smaller screens, touch interfaces, and often spotty connections. Here’s how to create a mobile-friendly sign-up flow that gets results.

Start with the basics: optimize every element for touch. 

• Buttons need to be at least 44×44 pixels, with enough spacing to prevent accidental taps. 
• Make forms finger-friendly by adding ample padding between fields. 
• Stick to readable font sizes – 16px minimum for text inputs to prevent automatic zooming.

Smart keyboard handling makes a big difference too. Set the right input types (email, tel, number) so users get appropriate keyboards. Group similar fields together to minimize keyboard switches. For example, keep all text fields together, then numeric fields.

Simplify data entry by:

• Enabling autofill where possible.

• Offer social login options optimized for mobile.

• Using Gravatar to auto-populate profile info from email addresses.
• Adding real-time validation to catch errors early.

Break up longer forms into logical steps with clear progress indicators. Each step should fit comfortably on a mobile screen without scrolling. And remember – every field you require is another chance for users to abandon the process. Only ask for what’s absolutely necessary.

Finally, test your flow on multiple devices and screen sizes. What works on a large iPhone might be frustrating on a smaller Android phone.

Get started with Gravatar’s developer tools

Ready to streamline your sign-up process with Gravatar? Their developer tools make integration surprisingly simple. The new REST API gives you instant access to user profiles with just a few lines of code.

Getting started takes just three steps:

• Register for a free API key at Gravatar’s Developer Dashboard.
• Use the interactive console to test API endpoints.
• Follow the comprehensive documentation to add Gravatar to your app.

The API lets you fetch rich user data like:

• Profile pictures and avatars.
• Display names.
• Professional details.
• Social links.
• Location preferences.
• Custom profile fields.

Best of all, users control what information they share. You just need an email address to start pulling available profile data. This balance between functionality and privacy makes Gravatar great for both developers and users.

Want to explore more? Get in touch with our team today, and we can discuss specific integrations for your platform. 

WordPress 6.8 Beta 2 is now ready for testing!

This beta version of the WordPress software is under development. Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites.  Instead, you should evaluate Beta 2 on a test server and site.

You can test WordPress 6.8 Beta 2 in four ways:

Plugin	Install and activate the WordPress Beta Tester plugin on a WordPress install. (Select the “Bleeding edge” channel and “Beta/RC Only” stream.)
Direct Download	Download the Beta 2 version (zip) and install it on a WordPress website.
Command Line	Use this WP-CLI command: wp core update --version=6.8-beta2
WordPress Playground	Use the 6.8 Beta 2 WordPress Playground instance to test the software directly in your browser.  No setup is required–just click and go!

The current target date for the final release of WordPress 6.8 is April 15, 2025. Get an overview of the 6.8 release cycle, and check the Make WordPress Core blog for 6.8-related posts in the coming weeks for more information.

Catch up on what’s new in WordPress 6.8: Read the Beta 1 announcement for details and highlights.

How to test this release

Your help testing the WordPress 6.8 Beta 2 version is key to ensuring everything in the release is the best it can be. While testing the upgrade process is essential, trying out new features is equally important.  This detailed guide will walk you through testing features in WordPress 6.8.

If you encounter an issue, please report it to the Alpha/Beta area of the support forums or directly to WordPress Trac if you are comfortable writing a reproducible bug report. You can also check your issue against a list of known bugs.

Curious about testing releases in general? Follow along with the testing initiatives in Make Core and join the #core-test channel on Making WordPress Slack.

Vulnerability bounty doubles during Beta/RC

Between Beta 1, released on March 4, 2025, and the final Release Candidate (RC) scheduled for April 8, 2025, the monetary reward for reporting new, unreleased security vulnerabilities is doubled. Please follow responsible disclosure practices as detailed in the project’s security practices and policies outlined on the HackerOne page and in the security white paper.

Beta 2 updates and highlights

WordPress 6.8 Beta 2 contains more than 14 Editor updates and fixes since the Beta 1 release, including 21 tickets for WordPress core.

Each beta cycle focuses on bug fixes; more are on the way with your help through testing. You can browse the technical details for all issues addressed since Beta 1 using these links:

• GitHub commits for 6.8 since March 4, 2025
• Closed Trac tickets since March 4, 2025

A Beta 2 haiku

Second wave refines,
Lines of code like rivers flow,
WordPress finds its form.

Props to @ankitkumarshah @vgnavada @krupajnanda @michelleames @audrasjb @marybaum @ecgan for proofreading and review.

In September 2024, we relaunched our community-focused blog, emphasizing its importance for site substance while highlighting the relevance of blogging amidst evolving technology.

John Blackbourn discusses significant security enhancements in WordPress 6.8, notably switching to Bcrypt for password storage. The conversation highlights evolving perceptions of open-source security and upcoming events like the CloudFest Hackathon.

Birgit Pauli-Haack and Jessica Lyschik talked about Gutenberg Releases 20.2, 20.3, 20.4, WordPress 6.8 and WordCamp Asia

Show Notes / Transcript

• Editor: Sandy Reed
• Logo: Mark Uraine
• Production: Birgit Pauli-Haack

Show Notes

Special guest: Jessica Lyschik

• https://x.com/jessicalyschik
• https://www.youtube.com/@jessicalyschik
• profiles.wordpress.org/luminuu

Community Contributions

• Customize WordPress embeds to match your theme
• Speed building a carousel block

What’s released

• What’s new in Gutenberg 20.1 and 20.2? 
• What’s new in Gutenberg 20.3? (18 February) 
• Gutenberg 20.4 Changelog

What’s in active development or discussed

• WordPress 6.8 Beta 1
• Help test WordPress 6.8.
• Speculative Loading in 6.8
• WordPress 6.8 will use bcrypt for password hashing

Stay in Touch

Transcript

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Hello and welcome to our 115th episode of the Gutenberg Changelog podcast. In today’s episode, we will talk about Gutenberg releases 20.2, 20.3, and 20 .4, and a little bit of WordPress 6.8 and WordCamp Asia. I’m your host, Birgit Pauli-Haack, curator at the Gutenberg Times and a WordPress developer advocate working for Automattic and still recovering from my cold that I brought back from Manila.

And today, I’m happy to get to chat again, it was Jessica Lyschik, front-end developer at Greyd and also core contributor to the WordPress open source project. We both just returned from WordCamp Asia.

Hello, Jessica. How are you today? How is your jet lag?

Jessica Lyschik: Hey, thanks for having me. I think the jet lag is, by now, done, I would say. So I’m back to the European time zone, but I also caught a bug after returning and had to take off a couple of days to get better. But by now, it’s like another week has passed. I’ve been working normally and yeah, I’m back to normal and preparing for the next event next week, which is CloudFest.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: You’re going to CloudFest. Wonderful.

Jessica Lyschik: Yeah.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: I had to cancel my participation in CloudFest because I have a bum knee. And my doctor said, “Well, going to another congress where you run around like crazy from one thing to the next, it’s probably not conducive to your healing that bum knee.” It sucks at one point, yeah. But on the other hand, “Okay. I don’t have to travel.” It’s another… Yeah, I can concentrate on some of the work again.

Jessica Lyschik: And get enough sleep, which is something you do not get on conferences and stuff like that.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Right. Especially, CloudFest. I think every evening there is a festival or a party or something.

Jessica Lyschik: You can actually make it work. I do it the same on WordCamps. It’s the same for me. So it’s just when you are deciding where do you want to go, maybe not just be there as the first person and leave as the last person. But come late, leave early, and then just try to make it work for you. And it’s, of course, different for everyone. Some people are just like, they want to be everywhere and they need to go everywhere. And I’m more like, I need some breaks in between because otherwise that’s not going to work.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Yeah, I’m pretty much the same way. However, sometimes I’m just so present in the moment, in the conversation, that I can really lose track of time. And then these are people I’ve never going to see for the next year or so, or maybe two. So at least, that was at WordCamp Asia. Where you’re only going to go to that particular family reunion and almost feels like that. Once a year and you need to catch up on what happened with other people, and there were so many good things to happen.

WordCamp Asia                                                       

So, what are your takeaways from WordCamp Asia? Do you have anything that will say, “Okay. Yeah, that was very surprising”? Interesting. New.

Jessica Lyschik: It has been my first time to the Philippines, I don’t know about you, but I think it has been a very interesting couple of days there in Manila. I did not get to see so much about Manila itself, unfortunately. The jet lag coming to Manila also hit me very hard. So the day I had planned to do something, go out somewhere did not happen. But I saw the Mall of Asia, which was like a gigantic mall where you could get your daily steps in very easily and not walk around the same circle for 10 times or something like that.

What I found very interesting was the food. I think the food was pretty good there. There was a lot of variety. We had a lot of Filipino food during the conference days, which I found pretty amazing. There’s a lot of seafood and fish in there. I’m not such a fan of seafood, but I tried the other things and they were all pretty good. So, I did not have anything that I didn’t like.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Yeah. I was really… Not surprised, but it was quite unusual that the vegetarian as well as the vegan options are so particularly tasteful and very… I have a big variety there.

Jessica Lyschik: That’s true.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: And I got to chat with Dan, who is a former chef, who was on the organizing team and responsible for all the food. And he just has such a passion for the Filipino food and knows everybody in Manila to pick the right caterer for the events. It was really interesting, yeah. I also got to talk with a lot of Automatticians, but they all had the same T-shirt on, so all of a sudden, I was recognizing my fellow, my coworkers. And we don’t get to see each other during the year, especially in other teams so much. So, it was really interesting for me.

I like to hang out at the Do The Woo. Bob had… I think he started that last year in WordCamp Europe, that he is actually a sponsor and has a spot in the sponsor hall where people can hang out. And he invites his cohorts to spend an hour there. Or other people that he collaborates with, to just spend an hour there. So they can also say to their friends, “Okay. If you want to talk to me, I’m at that hour, at the Do The Woo booth.”

Jessica Lyschik: Oh, nice.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: But that was an interesting experience, yeah. So, I did that. And I was surprised how many people are actually in my talk because the such a niche topic which was about Playground and how to create demos with blueprints. And being the last session before Matt’s keynote and Q&A, I thought maybe they’re not going to be a whole lot of people in that talk, but I was surprised. There were, at least, 50 or 60 people there. Yeah, it was cool.

Jessica Lyschik: Yeah. Well, that’s nice.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Yeah.

Jessica Lyschik: I was there too, I have to say.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Oh, right.

Jessica Lyschik: I was at the very far back. Yeah, but it was quite interesting to go back and see, “Okay, this is…” I already know what blueprints are so it’s not that big of a deal, but going into the details again, it’s like, “Oh yeah, I remember that. Oh, I forgot this. Oh, okay.”

So, it was a very good thing.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: That was good. Yeah, good. So it was something for beginners, for the intermediate, and for the advanced. I was hoping about that. We will have WordCamp Europe.                                                       

Oh, I’m not saying that. It’s not out yet. But yeah, announcements will come.

Jessica Lyschik: Nice. I had a pretty good Speed Build as well with Nick, and that was a lot of fun. Nick tried to tackle the website with AI, or at least the top part with the slider with AI. Unfortunately, people said I won. I think Nick also did a great job. I felt a bit sad. Everyone’s clapping for me and cheering for me more than for Nick. It was like a bit disappointing. It’s like he tried. I would’ve never tried this with AI because I do not have the patience in 30 minutes to create something with AI. So I decided just to go, “Okay, do it in normal stuff. Just build some blocks, build some patterns there and do it.” But it was a lot of fun and it was great to see that afterwards, Nick also tried to not fix it, but further enhance it to make it an actual usable block.

That was pretty cool to see. He showed me the demo the next day. That was very nice.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: And I think he blogged about it.

Jessica Lyschik: Yes, he did.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: So, I’m going to share that link in the show notes when I find it fast. Yes, Speed Build Carousel Block. Because people are always asking for carousel blocks. Why isn’t that in community, I say. I’m going to put it in a community contributions. You’ll find it in show notes.

I think the two of you saying, “Okay, I’ll go back to what I know, what is fast, and what I know how to accomplish.” And then the other approach was that, “Well, let’s, under pressure, do something new.” But it’s also the, how do you approach learning new things? And sometimes you say, “Okay, I’m not going to learn it because I need to get my stuff done, and I know how to do this and I get it done.” When you learn new things, your task becomes more as an inspiration rather than the success because you might not end up accomplishing your task with the new thing. Because of course you are in a learning mode, you need to learn a lot.

So, I compare that with my first experience with the spreadsheet on the computer, MultiPlan was that. So I’m dating myself, but yeah, it was in the early ’90s. MultiPlan was even ahead of Excel from Microsoft. I had a big spreadsheet from the accountant and I said, “Oh, that should be much easier to be done in a spreadsheet on a computer.” So I spent all day, or all night actually, learning how to do this and put the spreadsheet in. But of course, it took me 6 or 8 hours. And if I would’ve done it just with a calculator, I would’ve calculated the whole spreadsheet probably in two hours or something like that. So, it’s not how long it takes to do something the first time when you learn this. It’s how long it takes when you do it a second time, because you need to discard the first time most of the time.

And I found that a lot of people who learn block development, what took me a half an hour with short code took me three days in doing it as a block. I said, “Yeah, that’s the first time you learn of things. Of course, it takes longer. Of course, it takes… You’re all going to changing your brain into the new paradigm. But how long does it take the second time around? Is it faster or is it better?” Anyway, this is the philosophical Birgit in a horsey voice. Let’s go back.

So WordCamp Asia, it was the first time for me in the Manila, and I actually planned a couple of days. Not a couple, a few days. Four days. Did some sightseeing, so I went to the historic sites of the Spanish occupation. I saw the monument for the atrocities that happened in the Second World War, and I learned about the current contemporary arts in two art museums. And I went downtown to the new business district there with a nice park and shops left and right on the street. It’s a pedestrian area. It’s beautifully done. And I also discovered a few street art that were purposefully put on that place as well.

So, that was quite interesting. Of course, I overdid it and I got my bum knee from there. So yeah, it was a little painful than going on the conference and going in the… The venue was quite vast, I found. 

Jessica Lyschik: You had to walk a lot?

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Yeah, you had to walk a lot. But I found all the escalators, so that was good. I didn’t have to do stairs so much. But yeah, it was a walk a lot. I like the Automattic booth was really big, but there was other… Hostinger was really big out of the usual. I also saw Mark Westguard of this WS Forms. He is on every flagship and shows off his plugin. I have to think really hard to get back to that because there’s the whole week, two weeks after that that already took over my life.

Community Contributions                                                       

Which brings us back to, “Okay, let’s record that rest of the show.” So, we had a few releases. So on the developer blog, Robert Meszaros published an article on customizing WordPress embeds to match your theme. And I think that’s very interesting to an approach to make sure that all the embeds that you use are actually matching your theme and you don’t use it out of the box. So he has some nice examples in there, and some great code snippets in how to do all of that. It’s definitely something to go back to, to make a better theme or a better site view for that.

Jessica Lyschik: Yeah, I think it’s a nice finishing touch when you’re creating a new website that really embraces embeds. I didn’t know about this, to be honest. I just saw it today. And I think it’s really great. It’s not something super big, but when you have a brand new website and have put so many thoughts and hours into the design, and then there comes this embed that just looks like it’s not meant to be on this website, then I think this is a great example of how tweaking the sites essentially can make an embed also look like it’s part of the website and not just some part of default WordPress that just pops up somewhere.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Yeah, that hasn’t gotten a whole lot of love.

Jessica Lyschik: Yeah, that’s true.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: So, he shared this. For instance, one example is that out of the box, the featured image of a post that you embed has some border around, and he just shows you how to make that image go all the way to the corners. That’s such a small little detail, but it shows the attention to detail. And when you have all your cards that you have, your postcards in the query loop all having the same design, and all of a sudden, the embed doesn’t… It really stands out. It doesn’t… And it also distracts the reader from, “Why is this different? What I haven’t seen yet?” It has some nice little features on how to change things. Some great sailing pictures here. So, take a look at that and spruce up your site with some of the little things and big things.

What’s Released – Gutenberg 20.2                                                       

All right. So now, we come to Gutenberg 20.2 that was released in January, to be exact.

Jessica Lyschik: End of January, I think.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Do you want to start out with what we are talking about?

Jessica Lyschik: Yeah. So, this was one of the two. I think I did the Gutenberg blog post on this one. So yeah, this wasn’t such a big release. It was rather small compared to the previous ones. Also, it was combined with, I think, 21.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: 21, yep. And we talked about that.

Jessica Lyschik: 20.1 release? Yeah. So, there isn’t that much going on in this release. It’s rather smaller bug fixes and some polishing overall. And I think one of the interesting things was that in the post content, you can now define the heading colors on a more global level. I think this was also a highlight from my blog post when I remember correctly.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I really like that you can now have the details block be more like an accordion with a name attribute. So it’s not in the UI, but you can do it in the… It’s in the UI, but you have to go to the advanced section to give all.

Jessica Lyschik: Oh, okay.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Yeah, to give it all. To get this all done. It’s not for someone who doesn’t know what to do, that kind of thing. It’s not intuitive for site builders, so you need to give it a block name so it shows up as a summary. A block name about a name attribute.

Jessica Lyschik: Oh. So, when you give it the name.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Sorry. Yeah, you need to give it a name attribute in the advanced section so the CSS that is built knows, “Okay. This is all one section. And one is open, the other ones are closed.” So, it kind of has accordion package.

Jessica Lyschik: So they all need to have the same name in this name tag, so then it automatically brings this only one of these sections is open. Okay, got it. Apparently, I missed that one.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Well, great.

Jessica Lyschik: But it’s okay. Now, we talked about it.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Right. Yeah, that’s what we’re here for. Two eyes see more than one. Four eyes see more than two.

Jessica Lyschik: Definitely.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: I also wanted to point out that the WP env local development tool now has WP-MyAdmin support as well as Multisite support. It had it before, but now it’s also documented so you know how to use it. That’s why I wanted to point it out because…

Documentation

Jessica Lyschik: Oh, I didn’t know it had this. You had this phpMyAdmin in the WP env.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Yeah.

Jessica Lyschik: I’m not using PHP. We are so confused. I’m not using WP nth Multi… Multisite or WP env fit-all?

Birgit Pauli-Haack: WP env.

Jessica Lyschik: Ah, okay.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Yeah. It’s when you’re working on Gutenberg, on your Gutenberg, something you can do. Just WP nth and it spins up a local WordPress instance with that particular folder. It also supports Multisite that came with 20.8.

Jessica Lyschik: Interesting.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Yeah, you’re right. There were quite a few bug fixes in there and some polish in terms of previews. And also, some panel changes that have been in the last few Gutenberg releases, and also for the ones for the next. That’s a refactor of things. It was 20.2. I don’t think there’s anything else.

Jessica Lyschik: It’s a bit tricky with the numbers of 20.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Yeah. God.

Jessica Lyschik: … in the brains of WordPress people.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Yeah. So that brings us to 20.3, which was released just two weeks ago.

Gutenberg 20.3

Jessica Lyschik: We were all hanging out in Manila.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Well, it was actually before or right on February 18th and it was released. Yes, we were all hanging out already. On travel, on planes. Yeah, my plane was… I was…

Jessica Lyschik: On planes, yeah.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: So, it was 12 hours to Singapore and then there’s another 3 1/2 hours from Singapore to Manila.

Jessica Lyschik: Oh, I did the same route.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: It was kind of 15 hours flight, but then you have to be 2 or 3 hours earlier at the airport. You have a layover in Singapore, and then you have to transfer from the airport to the hotel and…

Jessica Lyschik: Yeah. I think I calculated something, like 23, 24-ish hours door to door, so it’s not just like a 15 hour flight. But yeah, you have to count in all the waiting time. I had to travel to Munich airport two hours, so that all adds up to this whole ordeal of…

Traveling to Asia is easy. No, it’s not.

Enhancements

Birgit Pauli-Haack: No, it’s not. Yeah. So Gutenberg 20.3 also has a not particular big features coming in, but some nice additions. And one of them is that the social links now of a Discord logo that you can add to it. The query block now, that is really nice. It has an option to ignore sticky post. It took a while to get the sticky post into the filter, but then there’s also the need that sometimes you need a query loop that ignores the sticky post.

Jessica Lyschik: Yeah. It’s definitely something that you’re used to this when you’re doing classic themes and just have all the opportunity with the WP query nth function. And it’s great to see that these little things and… Even if you do not use them that often, that these are still now available. That just makes transitioning to block themes and block inside it are so much better because you finally have all the options. But maybe not all yet for the query loop, but we are getting there. Let’s put it like that. We are getting there.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: For sure, yeah. There was a major push in that.

Do you want to take the next one?

Jessica Lyschik: The yet another one of completing the options that you have on block is the RSS block got border and spacing support. And also, duotone settings got improved, they now have a reset button and improved toggle rendering. Let’s have a look what this does.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Yeah, the reset button has gotten quite the attention now that it was missing on a few of those color pickers or so, or panels. So, what did you find out?

Jessica Lyschik: Oh. I think it’s also, these are such tiny changes. But once you have them, you realize it’s so much easier to clear colors or remove something that you would have needed another four clicks or something, and then it’s just one. So it doesn’t seem like big things, but it slowly improves over time. And I think this is what the editors actually need right now, this refinement. Because there’s always been in the past pushing big projects, new features, and now it’s more like, “Okay, we are in the situation, but the best we can do is basically to do the housekeeping and fix the smaller things and polish it.”

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Yeah, and the smaller things.

I think it’s for the user. Very important to have a consistent interface. So, if you put a background color in and you have a reset button, why don’t you have a reset button on the shadows? So, shadow panel. Or why can’t I have a reset button on the text color, for instance, if it was missing. So it’s definitely, you cannot take that cognitive load. You lower that quite a bit by having an inconsistent interface. Also, with border and spacing support, if the block doesn’t have it and all of a sudden it doesn’t match what you want, then you go over looking for things. And the spacer block is not always the best solution for things. It’s not a bad solution, but it’s not the best because once a panel gets or a block gets spacing support, now you have to chase down all the spacer blocks to take them out. So, it’s kind of interesting.

Jessica Lyschik: That’s true, yeah.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: The next one is there was a bug fix or maybe a revert on the quick inserter, that it didn’t search the patterns anymore when you put a search parameter in there. And that has been restored. So I think although that’s bug fix, or I think it’s bug fix, it’s definitely worth pointing out. So, a missing feature comes back. Yay.

Jessica Lyschik: We just talked about it having the same options on blocks. Like, archives and categories got the color support. So, you can now have select colors on the archives and category blocks. Yet another one of those because then, people try.

If you do not have them, it’s like, what do these blocks do not have? Why can I not change the color there? Then, people go to CSS and then it’s not needed actually if these settings would just be provided right from the start. But yeah, it’s like a living project. So, here we are.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Or what I always did when I didn’t have color support, I put it in a group block, and then of course it blows up the nesting of my blocks. So there are always ways around it, but once things then come into the editor, you need to think about how your workaround needs to be worked around.

So, I think those were the few things that I wanted to point out. Did you see anything else that you wanted to point out?

Jessica Lyschik: No, I don’t think so, but I’ve been just scrolling through it. It’s been a good chunk of bug fixes, some accessibility improvements, some performance improvements, good quality tools.

Gutenberg 20.4

Birgit Pauli-Haack: All right. That brings us to Gutenberg 20.4, which is also the last Gutenberg release for which the enhancements made it into 6.8. After that, it’s all bug fixes that go into the release, and any new enhancements coming into Gutenberg will be reserved for the next release. What is it? 6.9? We don’t know yet when that’s going to be, but…

So, what’s in there? There is a conditional enable the new default rendering mode for pages. I highlighted that. And I heard from quite a few people that they like that there is a default rendering mode for pages, but I have not seen yet the use case for it. So, why are people so excited about this? But yeah.

Jessica Lyschik: That’s a very good question. You already had this show template. That’s already in there. That’s a good question. Why it’s so hyped? Maybe, I need to test it out. That’s probably a problem.

I haven’t gotten to looking at the latest releases on an actual site yet because WordCamp Asia, being sick, being busy at work, life happens. I only heard this week, things were a bit off, and template parts were actually missing from if you had 6.8 Beta 1 running. So there have been some hiccups there as well,

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Yeah. We definitely need to track that down here. So now, there is a persistence. So you could have a show template preferences, but now there are also sport, which is pretty cool. There was a time where you started with a new page, and first you saw all the patterns that are labeled for new pages, page layouts. That modal was removed, and now it’s back. So, it’s a 50/50 thing what people want and what don’t want when they use that. So, that’s also an interesting development.

Jessica Lyschik: I mean, the problem with the modal… I mean, it wasn’t removed. There was an option, because I worked on this part as well. It got an option to be disabled in the settings when you’re on a site where you have to add new pages over and over again, and you know what you want to put on a page. You do not need this modal popping up every time. So, it was more of a user enhancement so that you can decide, “Okay, do I need this model every time or do I just turn it off?” So, there was that part.

I’m not aware if it’s back yet. I heard people saying to remove it completely. But yeah, there’s a lot of different use cases how you would like to… Some people want the model always to be on because they don’t know what they are doing, basically. They just want to pop on a template or a pattern there and are good to go. And there are people who would like to just start writing first. There are people who maybe, want to use it but don’t want to be bothered all the time. It’s one of these things where a lot of different use cases clash together, and then it’s just so hard to actually find what is it, where is the…

Birgit Pauli-Haack: The middle ground there.

Jessica Lyschik: What’s the thing? Where’s the middle ground that we can go and implement it that way? So, kind of everyone or the majority of people is okay with it. There will always be people who are like, “I don’t like this. I want it to be different.”

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Right.

Jessica Lyschik: But that’s basically impossible to make it happen for everyone.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Right, yeah. Another problem was when you say, “Oh, I don’t want the starter modal,” it was hard to get the layouts, if you wanted, to get to patterns and get the layouts because there was no category for that. So, you had to assemble them from a list of patterns or from multiple pattern categories to put those page layouts together. And I think… I don’t know if it’s here or it was in an earlier version where they restored or created a category for patterns for the starter content. I think that was part of that, or how can we do that better for our users.

So there is now a pop-over on the left-hand side to show post template. If there is one to give you additional options, I think there. The next thing is that pull quote finally has the assignment styles that was missing for a long time. That you couldn’t do left, right and all of that, or wide. So, it has it now. It’s all about persistence. And border control got the reset button.

Jessica Lyschik: Yes. It’s, again, these tiny things that make or break something, or your experience.

Bug Fixes

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Right. And post comments count also have received border support. That’s cool. So now, you can have it stand out some more. Post formats have still be a little bit of a hit-and-miss with the block themes, but sometimes somebody says, “Okay, well let’s fix that some of the things.” And now, you see title and description for post formats in your templates. So in the list of templates, you can now see which are the templates for your image formats, for your link format, and if they are templates for that. So, that’s really cool.

And there’s an interesting bug fix that drove me nuts for a while, was that the text and color picker were overlapping each other in the format library. And that is fixed, thank God. Thank you so much. 

Documentation

And then there are some documents updates. There’s obviously, the problem that a lot of features come in and the documentation hasn’t been updated. So, that has been rectified for the block variations using get_block_type_variationblock. And then also, removes the nodes for block hooks that it only supports static theme elements because that’s not true anymore. Block hooks also support dynamic blocks. All right.

Jessica Lyschik: Yeah, nice.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: So, that was that for 20.4. That was just released this week, and we are recording this on March 7th. Just to say that.

What’s in Active Development & Discussed – WordPress 6.8 Beta                                                       

So, what’s an active development? And discussion brings us to WordPress 6.8 in Beta has been released. Beta 1 has been released. And you can follow along on the WordPress.org announcements or news. So, there will be Beta 1, Beta 2, Beta 3 and Release Candidate 1, 2, and 3 before the final release on April 15th. The test team has published, for the last few releases, always a Help Test, the next release. And this one is not different. There’s Help Test WordPress 6.8, and it helps… Well, you can help making this release the best that it can be. Finding all the bugs, not all of it, but report them. Find as much many. Try to break it as often as you can. Report the bugs.

And I have found another incentive on, actually, heeding to the call for testing is to learn more about the new features because instructions are very well done, compliments to Krupa Nanda, to learn more about the new features or the enhancements and how are they supposed to work so you can distinguish them. So, is it me that I don’t know how this works? That I don’t get it? Or is that a bug? So, they went to great lengths to do that.

You can also use Playground to test things. You don’t have to spin up a new WordPress staging site or something like that to test things. Yeah, you can go to make.wordpress.org/test to find the post or you look for the show notes on the Gutenberg Times and click on that link.

So Jessica, the WordPress 6.8 is characterized as a polished release. Is there anything that stands out for you coming to 6.8 that you’re excited about?

Jessica Lyschik: I do. It’s a polishing that I think is… I mean, as I said before, given the situation that we are in, I think this is the best that we can do. And yeah, I’ve been just scrolling through these Call for Testing blog posts that you just mentioned. And it is really thoroughly, so I would actually be excited to dive into this and do the testing because this is pretty well done.

And I think about 6.8 and the coming releases… I haven’t been paying too much attention to what is in 6.8 apart from a few things that we highlighted today, and I have probably forgotten again because I was just out of the office for two weeks. 

Speculative Loading in 6.8

I think what’s also interesting is this speculative loading thing. I think there was also just a blog post these days. So, this speculative loading is, when I understood correctly, something like a browser? Like, the browser offers this API and WordPress has added its performance improvements. The performance team will probably come after me if I do not say this correctly. But from what I understood, it’s improving overall performance of a WordPress website by using these speculation rules. So it’s about what can be prefetched or what makes sense to be prefetched next, so that when you actually click on a link on the website, it loads faster because it already knows what I have, what the browser has to load in this case.

I think this is something very interesting that might be bumping up the performance of a few websites. So, that will be interesting to see what the actual impact will be once 6.8 is out.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Yeah, I’m excited about that too. I think the browsers are now pretty well caught up with that. Not all browsers have all the features all the time, but this is something that, I think, has a big footprint around all the browsers being Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome.

I link in the show notes too, Felix Arntz has published… Has worked on this feature, in the feature plugin before. And now, it’s coming to 6.8 and the dev note has been published now.

Jessica Lyschik: I just checked on Can I Use, and it’s actually Safari and Firefox do not support it at the moment. Chrome, Edge, and Opera do. So, there is still a bit of a… It’s not a hundred percent on all browsers, but a good chunk of browsers already support this. So I hope these other browsers, Safari and Firefox, will catch up on this because it sounds pretty promising from a performance point of view to use these speculation rules.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: I keep scrolling through the dev notes that have been published. They’re not in bulk coming out until Release Candidate 1, but John Blackburn also published a dev notes about the new encryption for the password hashing.

Jessica Lyschik: Oh. Yes, I forgot this one.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Which there’s not a whole lot of things for users to do or even for developers. It’s just to know that the passwords are now hashed differently and increase the security of any of the passwords quite exponentially, which is really good. So, thank you for Felix and John to publish the dev notes early for that.

All right, I’m sure we are going to talk about WordPress 6.8 some more on our next show when we know a little bit more what’s in there and what’s not in there. Thank you so much, Jessica, for being here. As always, the show notes will be published on GutenbergTimes.com/podcast. This is episode 115. And if you have questions and suggestions, just send them to Changelog@GutenbergTimes.com.

And now, a plea for all those who use Spotify for their podcast pleasure, you can leave comments there. And also, check some of the stars so people know what they can expect on the show when they discover that on Spotify. Shopify. Well, yeah. So, thanks for listening and goodbye until the next time. Thank you, Jessica.

Jessica Lyschik: Thank you. Bye.

Birgit Pauli-Haack: Bye.

One thing you’ll see on every host that offers WordPress is claims about how secure they are, however they don’t put their money where their mouth is. When you dig deeper, if your site actually gets hacked they’ll hit you with remediation fees that can go from hundreds to thousands of dollars.

They may try to sell you a security plan that for example at Godaddy goes from $300 to $700 a year on top of your hosting. (Don’t be fooled by the low entry price, look at renewal.) It’s heartbreaking to hear stories of non-technical people forced into these high fees to fix something their host should have prevented in the first place.

When a host is powered by WP.cloud, it doesn’t need to do this because hacks are so incredibly rare. (That’s why it may appear more expensive, but the total cost of ownership or being a WP.cloud-powered host is much lower when you factor in human time.)

One problem we’ve had on WordPress.com is we do all these amazing things and don’t tell anyone about it, something we’re trying to change with our focus this year on developers and developer tooling. One great example is we’re so confident about our security, if your site gets hacked we’ll fix it for free! We’ve actually been doing this for the better part of a decade, just never mentioned it anywhere.

Pressable (which is WP.cloud-powered) does a better job talking about these things and has a nice landing page on malware cleaning and hack recovery that says essentially the same thing.

WordPress has done a ton over the years to move the hosting industry around upgrading PHP and MySQL, PHP extensions, free SSL, and in general using our clout to advocate for user rights and freedoms from even the largest hosting companies, and I’m proud to say there are a good number, for example the ones you see at WordCamps, that have not just embraced these values but actually been more commercially successful as they’ve done so. I hope security and auto-upgrades not just for core but for plugins and themes becomes the next standard. (Jetpack does this for free, some hosts charge $100/yr per site.)

Hi there,

That was quite a long pause in February. Did you miss me? I am back now and have a ton of great updates, videos, tutorials, and products for you in this newsletter. I won’t catch up on everything that was going on in the last four (😮) weeks. Most of it is fairly timeless.

So how have you been? What have you been working on? Hit reply and clue me in! I missed you and your emails.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Yours, 💕
Birgit

Developing Gutenberg and WordPress

We had a few Gutenberg plugin releases and WordPress 6.8 is progressing nicely.

WordPress 6.8

WordPress 6.8 release cycle goes into the hot phase. WordPress 6.8 Beta 1 was released this week and is, in general, characterized as a polish release, with user enhancements throughout incorporated into the latest Gutenberg updates. “WordPress 6.8 brings a luster and gloss that only a polish release can.” Jeffrey Paul, release co-coordinator wrote in the release post. WordPress 6.8 RC1 is scheduled for March 25, 2025, that’s also the time around which the Fieldguide will be published. The final release will be on April 15, 2025.

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Test team rep, Krupa Nanda, published the Help test WordPress 6.8. This release offers a chance to find and report bugs while learning about the new features in WordPress’s next major version. Nanda’s instructions and short videos help you understand how these new features work.

Gutenberg Plugin releases

Jessica Lyschik posted a summary of two Gutenberg plugin releases. In What’s new in Gutenberg 20.1 and 20.2? she highlighted:

• Content preview for pages in DataViews
• Menu name shown in list view
• Color pickers in Navigation, Social Icons and Post Featured Image get Clear control
• Content block: color options for headings added

Fabian Kägy published the release post What’s new in Gutenberg 20.3? (18 February) and highlighted two new updates:

• Ignore sticky posts in query loop
• Add social icon block variation for Discord

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Gutenberg 20.4 is now available for testing. It marks the last Gutenberg version to make it into the upcoming WordPress major release.

Plugins, Themes, and Tools for #nocode site builders and owners

It’s been a while since we saw a new plugin with a collection of Blocks makes it into the plugin repository. Thanks to WP Weekly‘s Davinder Singh Kainth, for discovering it. It’s called Frontis Blocks and created by the team called WP Messiah (What a name! 🤦‍♀️) and provides 27 Blocks. It’s works with all themes, among them the Frontis theme by the same developers.

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Bud Kraus shares in his blog post for Hostinger How to customize WooCommerce templates with Gutenberg blocks. He explains the shopper journey and how to access and change templates like the Product Catalog, Single Product, Cart, and Checkout pages. Customization involves adding or changing blocks in these templates. However, some templates, like Cart and Checkout, have limited options to keep them functional. The tutorial shows WooCommerce’s move towards an editing experience that allows non-programmers to customize their online stores.

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Get inspiration from the Automattic Special Projects team, that just published their new site. You can browse a selected list of projects and learn how they built it. You’ll find on the list Seth Godin’s blog, the Buckminster Fuller Institute or Noma. The team also started sharing their tools, the plugins, and blocks they built and open-sourced. I am particularly intrigued by the Accordion block and the infinite scroll query loop variation.

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Speaking of tools, the ClassAct plugin by Dave Ryan might be useful for theme developers and Sitebuilder. It’s a microplugin for acting on Additional CSS classes per-block in the WordPress Editor. On X (former Twitter), Ryan shared a video of how it will show up in your block’s sidebar.

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Theme Development for Full Site Editing and Blocks

Henrique Iamarino, WordPress Theme designer at Automattic, discusses a new approach to designing WordPress themes in his article Beyond Templates: Reimagining WordPress Theme Design. He focuses on moving away from old, static templates to more flexible and dynamic design systems. The article highlights the need to give users tools for greater customization and creativity in creating websites. By changing the design process, Automattic aims to make WordPress themes more adaptable and user-focused while ensuring they are accessible and easy to use.

Bud Kraus had an awesome month! In his Kinsta post, he shared how to Build a block theme using the Create Block Theme plugin. This plugin is a must-have for whipping up WordPress block themes. You can start from scratch, clone something you like, or create child themes, all within the WordPress Site Editor. It lets you save theme changes, play around with style variations, and even export your themes as zip files. Plus, you can tweak theme metadata, check out the theme.json file, and reset your theme whenever you need to.

 “Keeping up with Gutenberg – Index 2024” 
A chronological list of the WordPress Make Blog posts from various teams involved in Gutenberg development: Design, Theme Review Team, Core Editor, Core JS, Core CSS, Test, and Meta team from Jan. 2024 on. Updated by yours truly. The previous years are also available: 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023

Building Blocks and Tools for the Block editor.

James Le Page, AI lead at Automattic, has worked on the Excalidraw Block. It is a custom WordPress block that allows users to embed an Excalidraw editor directly into the post editor. This block provides a seamless way to create and edit diagrams within WordPress. On X (former twitter) LePage posted a short video to show off the block’s capabilities. The code is available on GitHub put needs a build step to install it successfully on your WordPress site.

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JuanMa Garrido wrote about his Understanding how WordPress Hooks work from a Stack Trace. He shared how to use stack traces to analyze WordPress hooks, helping developers see how hooks work, find errors, and improve their use in plugins and themes. By looking at stack traces, developers can track function calls, identify triggered hooks, and fix plugin conflicts. This method is essential for troubleshooting complex WordPress sites where multiple hooks operate at once, ensuring everything works well together and aiding in debugging custom code related to hooks.

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In his the video “Cooking with AI: Creating New Recipes with Cursor AI“, Ryan Welcher set out to improve his use of AI tools for developers in 2025. Specifically, he’s setting up Cursor AI to help him generate new recipes for the Block Developer Cookbook more quickly and with better examples.

Aslam Multani of Multidots recently published How to Develop Custom Gutenberg Blocks for WordPress: A Step-by-Step Guide. This blog post explains how to create custom Gutenberg blocks, covering everything from setting up your development environment to debugging block code. It starts by detailing what Gutenberg blocks are and the requirements, such as having a local WordPress installation and knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, PHP, and WordPress plugin development.
To make a custom block, it suggests using the create-block tool to set up a new plugin and explains the necessary file structure, including build/, src/, edit.js, save.js, and block.json. The post guides you through installing the block plugin and automating the build process with npm start, highlighting the functions of Edit and Save and using the RichText component for user interaction.
It also covers customization options like adding support for color and spacing, setting default properties in block.json, and creating nested blocks with the InnerBlocks component. Lastly, it touches on internationalization (i18n) using the __() function and provides an example of a testimonials block to demonstrate these ideas. However, it misses discussing when to use different tools, such as block styles or variations, before creating a Custom Block.

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A new version of the local development tool, Studio, was released: Introducing Preview Sites: Pushing the Limits of Collaboration with Studio. The WordPress.com blog post highlights upgrades to “Demo Sites,” now “Preview Sites,” enhancing local development and simplifying sharing with clients and teammates. Key improvements include:

• Increased Storage: Expanded from 250 MB to 2 GB.
• More Sites: Doubling from 5 to 10 preview sites.
• Personalized URLs: Shorter, user-specific URLs.
• Timeline: Available for seven days post-update.

The name change to “Preview Sites” emphasizes their role in showcasing work-in-progress and collaboration. Enhanced Preview Sites are available to all Studio users, with existing Demo Sites converting automatically.

WordPress Developer Blog

Two new post on the Developer Blog might catch your attention:

Troy Chaplin took on the monthly round up What’s new for developers? (February 2025). The post mentioned WordPress 6.7.2 with bug fixes and enhancements, and took a look ahead to WordPress 6.8’s data view and performance improvements. Gutenberg celebrated its 8th birthday with versions 20.1 and 20.2, introducing enhancements to blocks and UI customization. Updates include improvements to the Navigation, Page List, and Social Links blocks.

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Róbert Mészáros guides you through his tutorial on how to customize WordPress embeds to match your theme. He discusses different ways to adjust WordPress embeds to fit a site’s theme and branding, covering basic CSS styling, advanced changes like modifying excerpts, ensuring uniform image formats, adding features like a “like” button or publication date, and creating custom embed templates. The article also reviews the history of WordPress embeds, the default embed view, and loading template files from a plugin, encouraging developers to try these options and enhance WordPress embeds.

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Need a plugin .zip from Gutenberg’s master branch?
Gutenberg Times provides daily build for testing and review.

Now also available via WordPress Playground. There is no need for a test site locally or on a server. Have you been using it? Email me with your experience

Questions? Suggestions? Ideas?
Don’t hesitate to send them via email or
send me a message on WordPress Slack or Twitter @bph.

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For questions to be answered on the Gutenberg Changelog,
send them to changelog@gutenbergtimes.com

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WordPress continues to lead in enterprise solutions, showcasing new tools, addressing gender inequality in leadership, and enhancing WooCommerce functionalities while promoting community events.

In this episode, James, Katie, and guest Jewel discuss user experience in product design, the importance of customer feedback, team dynamics, and the growth of WP Manage Ninja's innovative products.

Building a business in the WordPress and WooCommerce ecosystem requires careful decision-making. Here are some insights on pricing strategies, plugin vs. SaaS choices, and the benefits of strong partnerships for growth.

Transcript

On the podcast today we have James Kemp.

James is the Core Product Lead for WooCommerce. After working with WooCommerce running a plugin shop for 10 years, he joined the team at the end of 2023 to help shape the future of e-commerce.

James talks about his journey with WordPress and WooCommerce and explains his role at Automattic, where he’s tasked with connecting the community’s feedback to the developments in WooCommerce, ensuring that the Woo platform continually evolves and improves.

He discusses the innovations within WooCommerce, the challenges of balancing the needs of small and large-scale stores, and how the team navigates an environment filled with both competitors and opportunities.

He gets into the positive impact of WooCommerce’s recent rebranding, and how the system positions itself amidst the ever-growing competition from SaaS platforms like Shopify. James shares his insights into the trends shaping e-commerce, like the seamless integration of newer technologies and consumer buying habits.

If you are keen to understand the breadth of WooCommerce’s impact on e-commerce, or are curious about the direction of online shopping, this episode is for you.

Useful links

WooCommerce

IconicWP

Kestrel WP

Patrick Garmen from Mindsize

Woo Newsroom

Store Leads

Details about ‘More in Core’

Inside Woo podcast

James on X

In the episode of Open Web Conversations, Matthias talks with Alex about the Friends plugin, decentralized networks, and transforming WordPress into a social networking platform.

CloudFest 2025 will occur from March 17-20 in Germany, featuring the WP Zone to connect WordPress and cloud communities, offering networking, tools, and collaboration opportunities for attendees.

Here is Aleksandr reading his own story aloud.

Dedicated to the third sorrowful anniversary of the war. With gratitude to our European partners.

A Company Built in the Heart of Kharkiv

Before the war, our company was thriving in the center of Kharkiv — a large, developed, and beautiful million-strong city. We lived and worked just 45 kilometers away from what turned out to be a massive ticking time bomb.

We had just completed a beautiful new office renovation — a space filled with energy, collaboration, and ambition. At the time, DreamDev had two divisions: one handling large-scale projects with Laravel and Vue.js, and the other — a WordPress agency primarily working with Elementor and WPBakery.

We believed our future lay in big, ambitious U.S. projects. We chased tight deadlines, endured weekend calls, and thrived under pressure. It was exhausting and stressful, but we had no idea that the real challenge was yet to come.

February 24, 2022 – The Day Our World Collapsed

No one believed war was possible. Even as rumors spread, we convinced ourselves:

“This can’t happen. Not here. Not in the 21st century” 

Then, at 4 AM on February 24, our world turned upside down. Our work chats flooded with messages: “The war has started.” Explosions shook the city. The sky turned red with fire. Deafening sounds filled the air. We later learned they were Grad rockets, but at that moment, all we felt was shock, fear, and disbelief.

Our brand-new office stood empty. The streets outside looked like a scene from a dystopian movie — people running, children crying, cars were abandoned. As we hurried to gather what we could, Russian tanks were already at the city’s outskirts.

And just like that, a new chapter of DreamDev’s story had begun.

Survival Mode: When There’s No Plan, Just Action

We left Kharkiv, seeking shelter in an old house on the city’s outskirts — a place built before World War I. A war from another time, yet history was repeating itself. Our memories from those first days are scattered, and fragmented — banks stopped working, teammates went silent, chaos spread. We had no answers. But we had work. So, five days into the war, we sent out a message to our partners: “Please don’t worry. We are still working.”

Losing Everything – and Gaining Something Even Greater

Then came the real test. Most of our U.S. partners left. A major Norwegian project was scared to death of the news and canceled the team of 3 developers and a PM working for them. We lost our biggest contracts. But something we never expected happened:
Every single one of our European partners stayed. Not only that — they gave us even more projects.

They believed in us. They supported us. And because of them, we survived. Laravel projects disappeared. We lost key developers. But WordPress kept us afloat. It fed us. It fed our families in the hardest moments.

So we focused on what we did best: custom, complex WordPress development.

The team kept evolving. We became our own sales department, reaching out from a century-old house while watching missiles hit the heart of Kharkiv and fighter jets fall from the sky.

“I will never forget the sound of a plane flying over my head. The mushroom cloud rising above the Officers’ House. The windows in my home were blown out by the blast wave.”

At that time, only four of us remained in Kharkiv — two founders, our HR manager, and a project manager. Everyone else had left.

Back to the Office – And Into the Fire

After six months of working from home, we made the decision: Return to the office. Every commute felt like it could be the last. But we had no choice — we had to keep moving forward.

By the end of 2022, we fully committed to what we did best: custom WordPress development and complex UX/UI design

It was hard. It was frustrating. But it was stimulating. At this point, it felt like a survival game.

Blackouts, Bombs, and Business as Usual

As Russian missiles targeted Ukraine’s power grid, the country was plunged into darkness. The only sound? Generators humming in the streets. We spent hours hunting for an internet connection, sitting in gas stations, just to tell our partners:

“We are alive. Your project will be delivered on time.” 

With no electricity, no news, and no phone signal, we kept working. Our European partners kept us afloat.

The Team That Never Stopped

By 2023, almost our entire pre-war team was gone. New faces joined, but the spirit remained the same: Adapt. Survive. Deliver.

We worked without electricity, without water, without heating.

Some in Kharkiv, some in Poltava, some in Dnipro. But we never stopped building. Reflecting on the past, it’s hard to believe that we were able to endure and remain steadfast.

2024: WordPress Is Changing. So Are We.

This year, WordPress is evolving — the rise of low-code and no-code solutions is shifting the landscape. The war’s impact on the European economy’s growth and projects is slowing down. But our partners — the ones who stood by us — were still here. 

2025: The War Continues, But So Do We

The war isn’t over. And yet, the partners and teammates who believed in us never left. This is more than just WordPress development. This is resilience. This is survival. This is the future we are building together. 

The post From Warfare to WordPress: How We Survived and Transformed appeared first on HeroPress.

WordPress 6.8 Beta 1 is ready for download and testing!

This beta version of the WordPress software is under development. Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites. Instead, set up a test environment or a local site to explore the new features.

How to Test WordPress 6.8 Beta 1

You can test this beta release in any of the following ways: 

WordPress Beta Tester Plugin	Install and activate the WordPress Beta Tester plugin on a WordPress install. Select the “Bleeding edge” channel and “Beta/RC Only” stream.
Direct Download	Download the Beta 1 version (zip) and install it on a WordPress website.
Command Line (WP-CLI)	Use this WP-CLI command: wp core update --version=6.8-beta1
WordPress Playground	Use a 6.8 Beta 1 WordPress Playground instance to test the software directly in your browser. No setup required–-just click and go!

The scheduled final release date for WordPress 6.8 is April 15, 2025. Your help testing Beta and RC versions over the next six weeks is vital to ensuring the final release is everything it should be: stable, powerful, and intuitive.

How important is your testing?

Testing for issues is a critical part of developing any software, and it’s a meaningful way for anyone to contribute—whether or not you have experience.  Details on what to test in WordPress 6.8 are here.

If you encounter an issue, please share it in the Alpha/Beta area of the support forums. If you are comfortable submitting a reproducible bug report, you can do so via WordPress Trac. You can also check your issue against this list of known bugs.

Curious about testing releases in general and how to get started? Follow along with the testing initiatives in Make Core and join the #core-test channel on Making WordPress Slack.

WordPress 6.8 will include many new features that were previously only available in the Gutenberg plugin. Learn more about Gutenberg updates since WordPress 6.7 in the What’s New in Gutenberg posts for versions 19.4, 19.5, 19.6, 19.7, 19.8, 19.9, 20.0, 20.1, 20.2, 20.3, and 20.4.

What’s New in WordPress 6.8 Beta 1

This is a polish release, with user enhancements throughout incorporated into the latest Gutenberg updates. WordPress 6.8 brings a luster and gloss that only a polish release can.

WordPress 6.8 Beta 1 contains over 370 enhancements and 520 bug fixes for the editor, including design improvements, polishing the query loop, and more than 230 tickets for WordPress 6.8 Core. Here’s a glimpse of what’s coming:

Editor improvements

Easier ways to see your options in Data Views, and you can opt to ignore sticky posts in the Query Loop. Plus you’ll find lots of little improvements in the editor!

The Style Book comes to Classic themes

The Style Book now features a structured layout so you can preview site colors, typography, and block styles more easily. You can use the Style Book in classic themes with editor-styles or a theme.json file and includes clearer labels, and you can find them under Appearance > Design.

Support for Speculation browser API

WordPress 6.8 introduces native support for speculative loading, leveraging the Speculation Rules API to improve site performance with near-instant page loads. This feature prefetches or prerenders URLs based on user interactions, such as hovering over links, reducing load times for subsequent pages.

By default, WordPress 6.8 applies a conservative prefetching strategy, balancing performance gains with resource efficiency. Developers can customize speculative loading behavior using new filters, since the API does not include UI-based controls. The existing Speculative Loading feature plugin will adapt to the core implementation, allowing deeper customization.  Please test this feature in supported browsers (currently Chrome 108+ and Edge 108+, with more browsers evaluating) and provide feedback on #62503 to help refine its implementation.

Major security boost

WordPress 6.8 will use bcrypt for password hashing, which significantly hardens WordPress. Other hashing is getting hardened, too, throughout the security apparatus. You won’t have to change anything in your daily workflow.

The features included in this first beta may change before the final release of WordPress 6.8, based on what testers like you find.

Get an overview of the 6.8 release cycle and check the Make WordPress Core blog for 6.8-related posts in the next few weeks for further details.

Caveat on testing 6.8 Beta 1 in versions older than 5.1

Due to an update made to the upgrade routine during this release, (see r59803), any upgrade from versions older than 5.1 will fail. Folks are working to resolve this specific issue, so please hold off on reporting on this while testing the Beta 1 release.

Vulnerability bounty doubles during Beta & Release Candidate

The WordPress community sponsors a monetary reward for reporting new, unreleased security vulnerabilities. This reward doubles during the period between Beta 1 on March 4, 2025 and the final Release Candidate (RC) scheduled for April 15, 2025.  Please follow responsible disclosure practices as detailed in the project’s security practices and policies. You can find those on the HackerOne page and in the security white paper.

Just for you: a Beta 1 haiku

March winds shift the tide.
Hands unite in open source;
WordPress moves ahead.

Props to @audrasjb @marybaum @mamaduka @michelleames @bph @jorbin @joemcgill @krupajnanda @desrosj @benjamin_zekavica @lysyjan87 for reviewing and collaborating on this post!

In this podcast episode, hosts and guests discuss the upcoming CloudFest Hackathon, focusing on project contributions, collaboration opportunities, and the engagement of first-time partners to enhance outcomes.

One of my must-read newsletters for the past several years has been Lenny’s Newsletter, probably best known for its writing on growth and product management, which really means it covered everything you need to create a great company.

It expanded into a really well-done podcast; Lenny has always had a knack for finding the best guests and asking the best questions, so when he invited me on I was very excited.

He really wanted to address some of the things that people said I wasn’t being asked, so we do touch on the WP Engine / Silver Lake attacks, but we also covered a lot of my philosophy of why open source is important, philanthropy, and why you should build a movement, not just a product.

You can watch it on YouTube, or listen to it on your favorite podcast app like Pocket Casts.

Some others he has done that I really enjoyed are Nan Yu from Linear, Marc Benioff from Salesforce, Katie Dill from Stripe, Mihika Kapoor from Figma, Drew Houston from Dropbox, and of course the famous Founder Mode one with Brian Chesky.

Successful marketing strategies vary based on business stages. From solopreneurs to large firms, understanding owned, earned, and paid media, branding confidence, and purposeful engagement is essential for effective growth and communication.

Mark Westguard chats with Derek Ashauer about his transition from client work to creating WordPress plugins, particularly focusing on his latest product, Conversion Bridge, designed for simplified conversion tracking.

Getting your customer onboarding right can make the difference between long-term success and early user drop-off. But a generic approach won’t cut it – you need to personalize your message to keep users engaged and active.

Smart personalization strategies help users find value faster in your product. So, naturally, companies that tailor their onboarding see higher retention rates, increased feature adoption, and stronger customer relationships. Their users are more likely to become product champions and recommend the service to others.

And the numbers back this up. In research by Forrester, businesses that have invested in building better customer and prospect experiences see up to 20% more improvement in customer retention and 25% in customer lifetime value compared to businesses that don’t. 

This guide breaks down proven strategies to create personalized onboarding experiences that stick. From sign-up optimization to data-driven improvements, you’ll learn practical techniques to transform your onboarding into a powerful retention tool.

Step 1: Effortless sign-up process

A streamlined sign-up process sets the tone for your entire user experience. The challenge? Balancing the need to collect essential user data while keeping friction low. Too many form fields can drive users away, while too few might limit your ability to personalize their experience.

Start by identifying the minimum information needed to provide value. For most products, this includes an email address, name, password, and their role or use case. Many companies ask for the company website and department, as well. 

From the beginning of the process, you can use Gravatar to help you out. 

For example, if you’re using WordPress to build your website, some level of Gravatar functionality will already be enabled. WordPress.org will automatically pull in user avatars, or profile pictures, connected to their Gravatar profiles.

However, you can extend this in a massive way, through the free Gravatar Enhanced plugin to add features like the profile block, which is perfect for author pages and websites focused on creating a community. This block lets you automatically display user information pulled in from their profiles, such as their bio and verified links. 

Another option to integrate Gravatar on a deeper level is with the REST API – and you can do this whether you’re on a WordPress website or not. This allows you to auto-populate user profiles instantly when someone signs up with their email address. This reduces manual data entry while still gathering rich profile information for personalization, which is especially effective with SaaS onboarding.

What makes this a gamechanger is that all websites that integrate with Gravatar pull in information from a unified source, which allows you to create familiar experience for users across multiple platforms while reducing sign-up friction.

Want to take it further? Use progressive profiling:

• Collect essential information during sign-up.
• Ask for additional details as users engage with specific features.
• Use behavior patterns to build user profiles over time.
• Allow users to import data from existing profiles.

Remember to test different form variations with real users. Track completion rates and drop-off points to optimize the process continuously.

Step 2: Automated welcome email

The welcome email acts as your first direct communication with new users. It needs to accomplish several goals while remaining clear and engaging. 

So, to make your welcome email effective, you need to first use an effective subject line. Here are some examples: 

• “Welcome to [Product] – Here’s your next step”
• “You’re in! Let’s get started with [Product]”
• “[Name], welcome aboard! Your account is ready”

If you’re not sure what to include, you can structure the email content like this:

1. Start with a personal greeting using their name. 
2. Confirm their account creation. 
3. Highlight one clear next action. 
4. Include essential links without overwhelming them. 

For example, this is the welcome email we send to our users when they create a Gravatar profile: 

Hello!Your email now has a profile!There are two things you should know about Gravatar:Your email can introduce yourself Anytime you share your email, it’s like handing over a digital business card. Your Gravatar profile automatically appears on any Gravatar-enabled site, so you can feel at home instantly. Your avatar and identity follow you seamlessly across the web. Say goodbye to filling out profile forms all over the web. One link, all about you Your Gravatar account comes with a free profile website. It’s a brief introduction of yourself and the perfect way to share where people can find you online. Customize the design and your profile URL. Simple. Make it yours! Any questions? You know where you can find us – Ask us anything! Or just reply to this email.

Pro tip: With Gravatar integration, you can personalize the greeting with the user’s preferred name and include their profile image, making the email feel more personal and familiar.

Step 3: Follow-up email to initiate the onboarding process

Send this email 24-48 hours after the welcome message. Its purpose? Moving users from sign-up to actual engagement with your product.

A strong follow-up email includes:

• Recognition of whether they’ve logged in yet.
• One specific action they can take right now.
• Clear value proposition for that action.
• Estimated time commitment.

Here’s a tested template:

Subject: Ready for your first [specific win] with [Product]? Hi [Name], Quick check-in: Have you had a chance to [specific action] yet?  It takes just 5 minutes to [achieve specific outcome]. Here’s how: 1. Log in to your account 2. Click on [feature] 3. [Simple action step] Tip: Users who complete this step see [specific benefit] within [timeframe]. Need help? Reply to this email or book a quick call: [calendar link]

Using Gravatar’s API, you can adapt this email based on the user’s professional background or location. For instance, customize examples and use cases that match their industry.

Step 4: Choosing the right onboarding strategy for your product

Selecting the right onboarding approach determines how effectively users will adopt your product. Let’s examine four proven strategies and when to use each one.

One-on-one onboarding

Enterprise software with complex implementations demands personal attention. This high-touch approach works best for products with annual contract values above $10,000 or solutions requiring custom workflows. The direct interaction helps catch potential issues early and ensures users extract maximum value.

Tips for successful one-on-one onboarding:

• Record sessions for future reference.
• Create custom agendas based on user roles.
• Set clear milestones for each call.
• Follow up with written summaries.
• Track time to first value achievement.
• Monitor customer satisfaction scores.

Group onboarding

Mid-market solutions and team-based tools often benefit from group sessions. This approach builds community while efficiently onboarding multiple users who share similar needs. It’s particularly effective for products where users can learn from each other’s questions and use cases.

Keys to effective group onboarding:

• Segment sessions by industry or use case.
• Keep groups small (5-8 participants).
• Include hands-on exercises.
• Encourage peer learning.
• Schedule sessions across convenient time zones.

Self-service onboarding

Products with straightforward features or tech-savvy user bases thrive with self-service onboarding. This approach scales efficiently for high-volume, lower-price products where personal attention isn’t cost-effective.

Essential self-service elements include:

• Interactive product tours.
• Short video tutorials.
• Progress tracking.
• Clear success milestones.
• Help documentation.
• Chat support option.

Hybrid approach

Many successful products combine multiple approaches. Use self-service for basic features, group sessions for advanced functionality, and one-on-one support for custom needs. This flexibility lets you match support levels to user needs and value.

Implementation strategies:

• Use data to trigger different support levels.
• Monitor user progress automatically.
• Offer easy ways to upgrade support.
• Track which methods work best for different segments.
• Adjust based on user feedback and engagement metrics.

Step 5: Setting initial goals and milestones

Setting clear goals with users creates momentum and drives engagement. The trick lies in balancing ambition with achievability – goals should stretch users while remaining within reach. Success starts by understanding what matters most to each user through direct conversations about the problems they’re trying to solve and their vision for the first 30 days.

Break larger objectives into manageable milestones. The first milestone should be achievable within 24-48 hours of signup, building confidence and showing immediate progress. Follow this with weekly targets for the first month, then transition to monthly milestones.

Simple gamification elements can boost motivation:

• Progress bars showing completion status.
• Achievement badges for hitting milestones.
• Team leaderboards for group implementations.

Gravatar integration enhances this experience by displaying user avatars alongside achievements and in team views. This personalization makes the journey feel more engaging and tailored to each user.

Tip: Set up automated monitoring to flag when users struggle with specific milestones. This allows customer success teams to step in proactively with support. Stay flexible and adjust goals based on user feedback and behavior patterns.

Step 6: Strategies for personalized onboarding

Personalization transforms generic onboarding into targeted experiences that resonate with users. Advanced strategies go beyond basic segmentation, using real-time data and behavior patterns to adapt the experience for each user.

For example, you can use AI-driven paths to analyze user actions and modify the onboarding flow automatically. So, when a user struggles with a specific feature, the system can offer extra guidance or suggest alternative approaches. This dynamic adaptation ensures users get help exactly when they need it.

Integrating Gravatar adds another layer of personalization from the first interaction. The API provides valuable context about user roles and industries, allowing you to customize the UI,  examples, and terminology accordingly. A developer might see technical implementation details, while a marketing professional receives analytics-focused guidance.

Micro-segmentation takes this further by combining behavioral data with profile insights. For example:

• Tailor feature introductions based on past product usage.
• Adjust communication frequency by engagement levels.
• Customize success metrics for different roles.

Remember that in-app guidance should feel natural and contextual. Rather than overwhelming users with information, show relevant tips when they’re most likely to need them. This might mean highlighting advanced features only after users master basics or suggesting integrations when usage patterns indicate they’d be valuable.

Step 7: Provide access to a detailed knowledge base

An effective knowledge base empowers users to find answers on their own terms. Rather than forcing users to contact support for every question, good documentation lets them solve problems at their own pace.

Here’s what we recommend: 

• Build your knowledge base around user needs, not product features. 
• Start with common questions and problems users face during onboarding. 
• Structure content in a logical flow that matches the user’s learning curve – from basic setup to advanced features.

Video tutorials and interactive guides complement written documentation. Short screencast tutorials work well for showing complex processes, while step-by-step guides help users implement specific features. Keep videos brief and focused on single tasks.

AI-powered search helps users find relevant information quickly. Smart categorization and related article suggestions guide users to helpful resources they might have missed. Think of your knowledge base as a living document and update it based on common support tickets, user feedback, product updates, and usage analytics. 

Finally, track which articles users read most and where they spend time. This data reveals gaps in documentation and helps prioritize future content creation.

Step 8: Strategies for checking in with customers

Regular check-ins help spot potential issues before they become problems. The best check-ins feel natural, not forced, and happen at moments that matter to users.

The best strategy is combining automated and personal outreach based on user behavior. After major milestones, send congratulatory messages with tips for the next steps. If usage drops suddenly, trigger a friendly check-in to offer help. Schedule more detailed reviews after the first week and first month to ensure users stay on track.

Personal check-ins should focus on learning, not just status updates. Ask specific questions about their experience and goals. For example: “Has [feature] helped with [specific goal] yet?” or “What’s been the biggest challenge so far?” These conversations often reveal valuable insights about user needs.

You also should have either a live chat option, email support, and/or video calls because they each serve different purposes. Quick questions work well in chat, while video calls help build relationships and tackle complex issues. Use email to share resources and document action items.

Step 9: Iterate based on feedback

Feedback drives improvement, but only if you act on it systematically. Collect both quantitative data (usage statistics, completion rates) and qualitative insights (user interviews, survey responses) to build a complete picture.

• Create feedback loops at every stage of onboarding. Short in-app surveys capture immediate reactions, while detailed questionnaires after key milestones provide deeper insights. User interviews reveal nuances that numbers alone might miss.
• Take action quickly on clear pain points. If multiple users struggle with the same step, examine it closely. Sometimes, small tweaks, like clearer instructions or simplified workflows, make a big difference. Share improvements with users who provided feedback – it shows you value their input.
• Build a systematic approach to evaluating and implementing changes:
  • Analyze feedback patterns
  • Prioritize high-impact changes
  • Test solutions with small user groups
  • Monitor results before rolling out widely

Enhance your onboarding with Gravatar’s developer API

A strong onboarding process keeps users engaged and helps them find value quickly in your service. By integrating Gravatar’s developer API, you can create a more personalized, friction-free experience from the first interaction.

Think about your sign-up process. Instead of asking users to fill out multiple fields or upload profile pictures, Gravatar automatically populates this information. Users who already have Gravatar profiles – and there are millions – get a faster, more familiar experience across platforms.

The API opens up creative possibilities beyond basic profile data. Use it to:

• Create personalized welcome screens.
• Show relevant examples based on user industries.
• Build community features with consistent user identities.
• Maintain professional profiles across multiple services.

Major platforms like WordPress and Slack already use Gravatar to streamline their onboarding, so what are you waiting for? 

Check out Gravatar’s developer documentation to see how easy integration can be. Focus on creating those meaningful first interactions that turn new signups into long-term users.

Creating an effective email signature takes more thought than you might expect. Yes, it’s just a small block of text at the bottom of your emails – but it’s also a powerful tool for making memorable connections and building your professional reputation.

This is especially important if you’re reaching out to potential clients, applying for jobs, or trying to grow your network. Your signature can be the difference between someone remembering you or your message getting lost in their inbox.

But here’s the challenge: Finding the right balance. Add too little information and recipients won’t know enough about you. Add too much, and your signature becomes cluttered, potentially making your emails look unprofessional or even spammy.

Let’s explore how to craft an email signature that makes an impact, including a smart strategy for sharing more about yourself without overwhelming your recipients.

Checklist of elements to consider in your email signature

Before diving into specific elements, remember this: You don’t need to include everything listed below. In fact, that would be counterproductive. Pick the elements that matter most for your professional goals and match your personal brand. And as you’ll see later,linking to an online profile, such as your Gravatar, is a smart way to share additional information without cramming it all into your signature.

Here are the essential elements to consider:

• Name and title: Format as “Name, Title” for quick scanning. This is non-negotiable – it’s the foundation of your signature.
• Basic contact details: Include your primary phone number and email address. If you need multiple numbers, use standard notation: (o) for office, (m) for mobile.
• Company information: Add your company name and department if relevant. For freelancers, your business name or professional title works well.
• Visual elements: A small professional headshot or company logo can increase recognition. But keep it modest – aim for subtlety rather than flash.
• Social proof: Choose 2-3 relevant professional profiles. LinkedIn is often essential, while other choices depend on your field. A portfolio site works well for creatives, while GitHub is a must for developers. And of course, if you need a versatile profile platform that can display a wide range of information, links, and media, all in a compact design, then a Gravatar profile is a must. 

Now, besides these basic elements, there are also some practical additions that would vary based on your needs:

• Calendar booking link if you schedule lots of meetings.
• Industry certifications for specialized fields.
• Office location or timezone for global teams.
• Languages spoken for international work.
• Pronouns for inclusive communication.
• Legal disclaimers if required by your industry.

Remember: White space is your friend. A clean, readable signature beats an overcrowded one every time.

Design Tips to make your email signature stand out

Email signatures need precise design choices to look professional across different devices and email clients. Here’s how to create one that works everywhere:

Size guidelines that prevent problems:

• Keep the total width under 600px – this ensures your signature displays correctly on mobile devices.
• Limit height to 150 or 200px maximum to avoid overwhelming your message.
• Size company logos at 100x50px.
• Set headshots to 80x80px square.
• Leave 10px minimum spacing between elements.

Typography and formatting:

• Set your name in 14-16px font size – it should be instantly noticeable.
• Use 11-12px for contact details and other information.
• Stick to standard, professional fonts like Arial or Helvetica.
• Pick two brand colors at most, plus black or gray for text.
• Organize information in order of importance.
• Use simple separators like pipes ( | ) between elements.

Technical requirements to prevent display issues:

• Apply inline CSS to maintain consistent formatting.
• Structure elements to stack properly on mobile screens.
• Test your signature in major email clients (Outlook, Gmail, Apple Mail).
• Compress images under 40KB to ensure quick loading.

Hierarchy matters – put your most important information first. Think about what your recipient needs to know right away versus what can go below. A clear structure with proper spacing helps readers find what they need quickly.

Examples of well-designed email signatures

To help you get inspired, here are some interesting templates from Canva that really capture what makes a great email signature. 

• Minimalistic signature without a headshot: 

• Elegant signature with a photo: 

• Another design for a real estate agent with a cover photo. 

• A very unique approach for a graphic designer, allowing them to show their creativity even through their email signature. 

Automating design with an email signature generator

While working with a designer gives you the most polished results, email signature generators offer a practical starting point. These tools handle the technical details and help you create something professional without diving into HTML or CSS.

Here are some reliable options:

HubSpot Email Signature Generator (Free)

• Provides clean, professional templates.
• Easy to customize colors and layout.
• Exports HTML code you can copy directly.
• No account required.

WiseStamp

• Offers multiple professional templates.
• Integrates with major email clients.
• Includes advanced features like banners.
• Paid plans start at $5.80/month.
• Also offers an email signature management service. 

NewOldStamp

• Built for teams and companies.
• Manages signatures across departments.
• Ensures brand consistency.
• Team pricing available.

Canva

• A wide variety of email signature templates. 
• Interesting graphics and design tools. 
• An AI writing and design tool for the PRO version. 
• Versatile applications – use it for marketing campaigns, social media, blog posts, etc. 
• Lets you create a brand kit to use on all your visuals. 

Why you should link to your Gravatar profile for more impact

An email signature has limited space, but your Gravatar profile can showcase everything about your professional identity, just like a dynamic business card. Think of it as an extension of your signature – one that updates automatically across all platforms where you use your email.

Your Gravatar profile becomes a comprehensive hub for:

• Professional background and accomplishments.
• Portfolio pieces and project highlights.
• Complete set of social media profiles.
• Full contact information.
• Recent blog posts or updates.
• Speaking engagements or events.

The magic happens in the synchronization. Update your Gravatar profile once, and those changes appear everywhere your email is used – including past emails. No need to update multiple signatures or worry about outdated information floating around.

This approach solves a common problem: Keeping professional information current across platforms. A hiring manager might find your year-old email with an outdated job title, but clicking your Gravatar link shows them your current role and achievements.

Crafting CTAs to your Gravatar profile in your email signature

One option is to add the Gravatar icon to your email signature as you would for any other online profile. This works well, though as Gravatar can be used for a wide range of purposes it might not give your recipients enough context about what they’ll find when they open it. Another option is to link to your Gravatar profile with clear, action-oriented text that hints at the value:

• “See my complete portfolio and background.”
• “Find my latest projects and contact info.”
• “Connect with me professionally.”
• “View my full professional profile.”

Match your CTA to your goals. If you’re job hunting, emphasize your portfolio. For networking, focus on connection opportunities. The right CTA tells recipients exactly what they’ll gain by clicking through.

Create an effective email signature with the help of Gravatar

Gravatar actually makes it super easy. Just login to your profile editor, copy your email signature code, and paste it in.

Here’s how:

• Head to gravatar.com/profile
• click on Email signature in the bottom left
• grab the code and paste it into Gmail or your email client

Check out our quick setup guides for Gmail, Apple Mail, and other popular email tools.

Email signatures perform a delicate balancing act. Add too much information, and you risk looking unprofessional. Add too little and recipients miss important context about who you are.

Linking to a Gravatar profile offers an elegant solution. Your email signature stays clean and focused, while still giving recipients access to everything they might want to know about you. Plus, you never have to worry about outdated information lingering in old emails – your Gravatar profile updates everywhere, automatically.

Here’s what makes this approach particularly effective:

• Recipients get a complete picture of your professional identity.
• Your signature stays concise and professional.
• Information stays current without manual updates.
• Old emails maintain their relevance.
• You control how much information to share.

A well-crafted email signature paired with a Gravatar profile helps you make stronger professional connections. Recipients can learn exactly what they need about you, whether that’s your latest work, professional background, or preferred contact methods.

Ready to enhance your email signature? Create your free Gravatar profile and start building a more effective professional presence.