WordPress 7.0, originally scheduled for April 9, will be delayed in order to stabilize the real-time collaboration feature and ensure that the release, a major milestone, will “aim for extreme stability.” A lot depends on WordPress 7.0, as it will come with features that will usher in the era of AI-based content management systems.
Priority on stability
Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress, commenting in the official Making WordPress Slack workspace, said the release should take a step back from its current trajectory and prioritize stability, calling for a longer pre-release phase to get the real-time collaboration (RTC) feature working properly. The delay is expected to last weeks, not days, and is described as a one-time deviation from WordPress’ planned schedule.
Mullenweg published:
“Given the scope and status of 7.0, I think we should go back to betas, get the new tables in place, lock down everything we want for 7.0, and then relaunch the RCs. Date management is still our default, but for this milestone release, we want to target extreme stability and exciting updates, especially as AI-accelerated development raises people’s expectations for software.
This is a one-off event, I think in the future we should return to regular rail, with a target of 4 trains per year in 2027, to hopefully reflect our ability, through AI, to go faster.
Expanded Release Candidate Phase Replaces Beta Reversion
To avoid technical compatibility issues, the project will remain in the release candidate phase, extending the testing period via additional RC releases if necessary.
The proposal to revert to beta versions was rejected because it would break PHP’s version comparison behavior, plugin update logic, and tools that depend on standard version sequencing. Continuing with RC releases preserves compatibility while allowing more time for testing and fixes.
Real-time collaboration
The delay is largely due to the real-time collaboration feature, which introduces new database tables and changes the way WordPress handles editing sessions. Contributors identified risks related to performance, data management, and interactions with existing systems.
One of the main concerns is that real-time editing currently disables persistent post caches during active sessions, a performance issue the team is working to resolve before the final release.
Database design raises performance concerns
A key part of the discussion focused on how to structure the database for real-time collaboration (RTC). A proposed single RTC table would support 1. real-time edit updates and 2. synchronization. But some contributors noted that real-time editing and sync workloads are fundamentally different.
Real-time collaboration generates high-frequency burst writes that require low latency (meaning updates occur with very little delay).
Synchronization between environments involves slower, structured updates that can include full table scans.
Combining the two models into a single table risks performance issues and increased complexity. Contributors have discussed separating these workloads into separate boards optimized for each use case, but no decisions have been made.
Gaps in testing of release candidates raise concerns
Discussion in the WordPress Slack workspace also raised concerns about whether there was enough real-world testing of release candidates, and database schema changes increase the risk of failures during upgrades. The solution of using the Gutenberg plugin for testing was rejected because database changes could affect production sites and require complex migration logic. Instead, the project will use an expanded RC phase to increase testing exposure and gather feedback from a broader group of users.
Versioning constraints
The proposal to delay version 7.0 led to additional problems. PHP version comparison rules and associated tools make it difficult to roll back to beta versions. It was agreed that staying in the sequence of release candidates (e.g. RC1, RC2, RC3) avoids these issues while still allowing for continued iteration. It was therefore decided to continue with the candidate versions.
The cadence of future releases remains
The delay is described as a temporary exception. Matt Mullenweg said the project intends to return to a regular release schedule, aiming to deliver around four releases per year by 2027, as development speeds increase thanks to AI-assisted workflows.
Implications for developers and users
Developers should expect continued changes to the real-time collaboration feature and its supporting database structures during the extended release candidate phase. The longer testing period gives more time to identify issues before release. For site owners and hosts, the delay shows that WordPress is prioritizing stability over schedule while introducing more complex real-time and sync features.
Impact of RTC on hosting environments
Something that hasn’t been discussed but is a real issue is how real-time collaboration could affect web hosting providers. They should test this feature to see if it introduces issues on shared hosting environments. Although RTC ships with the feature disabled by default, the impact of its use by customers in a shared hosting environment is currently unknown. A spokesperson for managed WordPress hosting provider Kinsta told Search Engine Journal that they are still testing. As functionality continues to evolve, Kinsta and other web hosts will need to continue testing upcoming WordPress release candidates.
I think most people will agree that the decision to delay the release of WordPress 7.0 is the right decision.
