The WordPress 6.8 update just dropped, and you might have already noticed your site asking for an update—or maybe it quietly updated in the background. So, what’s new in WordPress 6.8, and is it worth your attention?
Let’s skip the behind-the-scenes tweaks and focus on the new WordPress features that actually improve your site speed, design flexibility, and daily workflow.
1. Speed Boost with Speculative Loading (Enabled by Default)
One of the headline features in WordPress 6.8 is speculative loading. This smart tool predicts which pages your visitors might click on next and preloads them in the background.
Result? Your site feels lightning fast when people browse around.
💡 Heads up: This is turned on by default. If your site relies on dynamic content or specific tracking, you may want to customize or disable this feature. Either way, it’s a win for performance-focused WordPress users!
2. Better Control Over Query Loops
If you use the Query Loop block to display blog posts or custom post types, you’ll love these upgrades:
- Sticky Post Control: You can now choose to ignore sticky posts, exclude them, or show only sticky posts. This gives you much finer control over your post order.
- Post Count Display: A new widget lets you show the total number of posts in your query loop. Great for large archives, search results, and paginated lists.
This makes working with dynamic WordPress content much easier—perfect for bloggers and developers alike.
3. Set Featured Images Faster
Another small but handy feature: now you can set a featured image directly from any image inside your post or page.
Just click on the image, choose “Set as featured image”, and you’re done. No more digging through your media library. Plus, this works on pages too—not just posts. Simple and efficient.
4. New Color Reset Option (Save Time on Design)
Ever wished you could quickly reset your text or background colors in WordPress? Now you can.
The color picker in WordPress 6.8 comes with a reset button, so you can return to the default styles with one click. This helps avoid design clutter and keeps your site looking clean.
Works with text and headings now — and hopefully more blocks soon!
5. Edit Templates Without Leaving Your Post
Here’s a real workflow booster: you can now view and edit your site’s templates while editing a page or post.
Just click the “Show Template” option in the preview menu, and you can tweak your template without losing your place. When you’re done, click back and keep editing your content.
This makes WordPress full site editing feel smoother and less disruptive.
6. Style Book Upgrades for Full Site Editing Themes
If you’re using a Full Site Editing (FSE) theme, the updated Style Book is a game-changer:
- Click on buttons, headings, and images to instantly customize them.
- Adjust global styles (colors, typography, spacing) quickly and easily.
- Changes apply site-wide — so you maintain a consistent look.
Note: Classic themes can view styles but can’t edit them with this feature.
Last Big WordPress Update Until 2026!
While WordPress 6.8 might feel like a smaller release, here’s the big news:
This is the last major WordPress update until 2026.
From now on, you’ll only see security patches and minor tweaks—no brand-new features until the next big version. So if you want to stay current, now’s the time to explore what 6.8 offers.
Final Thoughts: Is WordPress 6.8 Worth Updating?
Yes! If you care about faster site speed, easier content management, and more flexible design controls, this update is definitely worth it.
Even though WordPress 6.8 isn’t packed with dramatic changes, the small quality-of-life improvements really add up—especially for regular users, bloggers, and site builders.