
<p>You might still be wondering about the <a href="https://akismet.com/blog/akismet-vs-captcha-vs-recaptcha/">difference between CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA</a>. First off, CAPTCHA is an umbrella term used to describe any website authentication test to separate humans from&nbsp;bots.</p>


<p>On the other hand, reCAPTCHA is a type of CAPTCHA test owned by Google. Note that there are several types of CAPTCHAs owned by different companies, and reCAPTCHA is just one of many.&nbsp;</p>


<p>As we discussed, the original reCAPTCHA test was much more simplistic, primarily relying on word tests disguised with twisted letters. But now, there are different types of reCAPTCHA including images, checkboxes, and tests that require no user input at&nbsp;all.</p>

<h2 id="the-different-types-of recaptcha" class="wp-block-heading">The different types of&nbsp;reCAPTCHA</h2>

<p>Now, let’s take a look at all <a href="https://akismet.com/blog/recaptcha-v2-vs-v3/">the different versions of&nbsp;reCAPTCHA</a>.</p>


<h3 id="recaptcha-v1" class="wp-block-heading">reCAPTCHA v1</h3>


<p>reCAPTCHA v1 isn’t widely used anymore and was discontinued by Google in 2018. But this version of reCAPTCHA came the closest to emulating the traditional CAPTCHA tests that relied on object&nbsp;recognition.</p>


<p>In this instance, a user would be presented with a pair of words, one of which functioned as a control word and could be understood by a bot. The other word could only be recognized by human users.&nbsp;</p>


<p>This CAPTCHA method was developed in the late 1990s and continued to be used throughout the 2010s. It also started using scanned words and photographs to make the tests more challenging, but it has since been replaced with more sophisticated reCAPTCHA&nbsp;tests.</p>


<h3 id="recaptcha-v2" class="wp-block-heading">reCAPTCHA v2</h3>



<p>After reCAPTCHA v1 was shut down, it was replaced with reCAPTCHA v2, which currently consists of three versions.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The first one is the reCAPTCHA v2 for Android, which is an API that can protect Android apps from bot traffic. The API integrates directly into Android apps, and in an attempt to preserve the UX, the API allows low-risk users to pass through easily. When needed, the API will present a challenge to the user to verify that they are human.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Then there’s the reCAPTCHA v2 that most users are familiar with. This is the “I’m not a robot” checkbox. In this case, all that users have to do is check the box, rather than solve a complex test or problem.&nbsp;</p>


<p>As such, it’s considered more user&#8209;friendly than previous methods. Though it sounds simple, Google analyzes various factors like mouse movement and browsing history to detect bot&nbsp;activity.</p>


<p>Even more sophisticated is the invisible reCAPTCHA badge which requires no user input at all. Similar to the previous method, Google evaluates activities like mouse movement and typing patterns. This version of reCAPTCHA is triggered via a JavaScript API call or when a user clicks on a button.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It’s still not a perfect solution since sophisticated bots that use AI technology can bypass the reCAPTCHA. And, it isn’t immune to CAPTCHA farms — which are businesses that employ human workers to solve reCAPTCHAs to aid cybercriminals and hackers.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 id="recaptcha-v3" class="wp-block-heading">reCAPTCHA v3</h3>


<p>In further attempts to improve the UX, Google introduced reCAPTCHA v3, which works similarly to the invisible reCAPTCHA badge. This version of reCAPTCHA works in the background, so it’s completely invisible to users and presents no&nbsp;tests.</p>

<p>The reCAPTCHA v3 method tracks all requests made by a user on a website, and every request is given a score between 0 and 1. As we discussed earlier, a score close to 0 is likely to be a bot whereas a score closer to 1 is judged as&nbsp;human.</p>


<p>The interactions monitored by the reCAPTCHA vary between websites. For instance, the administrator can provide examples of normal user interactions&nbsp;so that the reCAPTCHA can pick up on any deviation from the norm.&nbsp;</p>


<p>reCAPTCHA v3 is the best version of the technology in terms of efficacy and UX. That said, it’s more difficult to implement since the scores must be defined by the administrator, which can be time&#8209;consuming to set&nbsp;up.</p>


<p>With this in mind, you might automatically block users who return a score below 0.2. Then, scores between 0.2 and 0.6 may generate a CAPTCHA challenge to verify that the user is human.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Meanwhile, any score above 0.6 may instantly be granted access. The issue is that a strict scoring system holds the potential to block out legitimate users while a lenient system may allow bots to bypass the reCAPTCHA.&nbsp;</p>


<h2 id="challenges-and-downsides-of recaptcha" class="wp-block-heading">Challenges and downsides of&nbsp;reCAPTCHA</h2>


<p>Now that you know the different types of reCAPTCHA, let’s take a look at the main limitations.&nbsp;</p>


<h3 id="1-impact-on-users-with disabilities" class="wp-block-heading">1. Impact on users with&nbsp;disabilities</h3>


<p>It’s imperative to design web content in a way that’s accessible to people with disabilities. This way, your enterprise site can comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).&nbsp;</p>


<p>The problem is that many reCAPTCHA tests are visual and require users to identify images or text. This has been shown to <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/fullHtml/10.1145/3524010.3539498">discriminate against users with visual impairments</a>. And since they’re designed to be unreadable by machines, screen readers are unable to interpret&nbsp;them.</p>


<p>Additionally, audio reCAPTCHA tests alienate users with hearing impairments. Meanwhile, the mathematical equation tests are believed to be more accessible to users with vision impairments, but these can exclude those with cognitive disorders like dyscalculia.&nbsp;</p>


<h3 id="2-annoyance-and frustration" class="wp-block-heading">2. Annoyance and&nbsp;frustration</h3>

<p>Many users may find reCAPTCHA annoying. When you expect instant access to a page, and instead you’re required to check a box or complete a task, it’s natural to become&nbsp;frustrated.</p>

<p>This can lead to early exits. High bounce rates can send signals to search engines that users don’t find your website valuable. Therefore, it can result in both traffic and revenue&nbsp;loss.</p>

<h3 id="3-data-collection-and-privacy concerns" class="wp-block-heading">3. Data collection and privacy&nbsp;concerns</h3>

<p>In order to differentiate between bots and humans, reCAPTCHA v3 and the invisible reCAPTCHA badge analyze data like mouse navigation and click patterns. Since this is classified as personal data, this method of reCAPTCHA requires privacy&nbsp;compliance.</p>


<p>There are plenty of laws and legislations that exist to protect user privacy on the internet. Most notable, perhaps, is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU, but there’s also the Colorado Privacy Act, the Utah Consumer Privacy Act, the California Consumer Privacy Act, and many more.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Therefore, it’s important to gather consent from users if you plan to implement reCAPTCHA. <a href="https://developers.google.com/assistant/console/policies/privacy-policy-guide">Google recommends a privacy policy</a> that informs users of the data collected, the data shared, and a statement that tells users how the data will be&nbsp;used.</p>


<p>That said, this is considered the bare minimum in terms of privacy, so it’s useful to have a proper look into what should be included. This is very important since non-compliance can damage your reputation, erode customer trust, and lead to heavy financial penalties.&nbsp;</p>


<h3 id="4-recaptchaâs-decreasing effectiveness" class="wp-block-heading">4. reCAPTCHA’s decreasing&nbsp;effectiveness</h3>


<p>Another potential problem with reCAPTCHA is its effectiveness given the emergence of artificial intelligence. In fact, researchers from the University of Columbia <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7467367">created reCAPTCHA attacks</a> that managed to solve 70 percent of all challenges.&nbsp;</p>


<p>This shows that reCAPTCHA is no longer as effective as it once was, whether that’s down to AI, CAPTCHA farms, or internal logic. What’s more, reCAPTCHA v3 requires the analysis of user&nbsp;behavior.</p>

<p>reCAPTCHA needs a large volume of data to determine normal human interactions and tell them apart from bots. But this technology relies on a client&#8209;side fingerprinting approach, which advanced bots can bypass&nbsp;easily.</p>

<h3 id="5-potential-for-false positives" class="wp-block-heading">5. Potential for false&nbsp;positives</h3>


<p>The final drawback to reCAPTCHA is that there is still the potential for false positives, which can block legitimate users from your site. For instance, enterprises that prioritize security may adopt a strict scoring system for reCAPTCHA v3. This makes it harder for users to score 1.&nbsp;</p>



<p>To give you an example, many administrators grant low scores to users who submit forms very quickly. That said, some human users are naturally quick typers, but going by this system, they may be flagged and denied access to your website.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Additionally, researchers from the University of Toronto found that <a href="http://arxiv.org/pdf/1903.01003">reCAPTCHA gives lower scores</a> to users who don’t have a Google account. Therefore, privacy-conscious visitors who use private browsers or VPNs are more likely to be mistaken for bots.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


<h2 id="akismet-the-better-alternative-to recaptcha" class="wp-block-heading">Akismet: The better alternative to&nbsp;reCAPTCHA</h2>

<p>Considering the challenges and drawbacks of reCAPTCHA, you may be cautious about deploying it on your website. Instead, you might prefer an alternative anti&#8209;spam solution that is more inclusive and doesn’t disrupt the&nbsp;UX.</p>

<p><a href="https://akismet.com/">Akismet</a> was developed by Automattic (the same team behind WordPress.com) and it’s one of the <a href="https://akismet.com/features/">leading anti&#8209;spam plugins</a>. It protects you against form, comment, and text&nbsp;spam.</p>


<img width="1600" height="732" src="https://akismet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/image-2.png" alt="Akismet homepage with the text " />


<p>Since 2005, Akismet has removed over 500 billion pieces of spam across 100 million sites. The plugin is powered by machine learning, which explains how Akismet detects spam with a 99.99 percent accuracy&nbsp;rating.</p>

<p>Unlike reCAPTCHA, Akismet doesn’t require too much from your visitors. Instead, it operates behind the scenes, so it doesn’t add friction to your UX. This means that users may be more likely to stay on your website, helping you <a href="https://akismet.com/blog/form-conversion-rate/">get more conversions</a> and&nbsp;sales.</p>

<h2 id="how-akismet works" class="wp-block-heading">How Akismet&nbsp;works</h2>

<p>Akismet analyzes every piece of user&#8209;submitted content to prevent a range of online attacks. This analysis takes place in real time, so you can block suspicious activity before it even reaches your&nbsp;site.</p>

<p>It’s best to think of Akismet as a filter, where legitimate submissions are allowed to pass through, but spam submissions are denied. This saves you from manually reviewing every&nbsp;submission.</p>

<p>As mentioned earlier, Akismet is powered by machine learning algorithms. This enables the plugin to compare the content of submissions against a database of known spam. Plus, it integrates with popular form plugins, so you’re not limited to <a href="https://akismet.com/blog/comment-spam/">blog comment&nbsp;spam</a>.</p>


<p>You’ll also get access to monthly and annual spam charts. This way, you can check your spam accuracy rating, false positives, and more.&nbsp;</p>


<p>The Akismet plugin is simple to install on WordPress, but you will need an API key to connect to the Akismet&nbsp;database.</p>

<h2 id="benefits-of-akismet-over recaptcha" class="wp-block-heading">Benefits of Akismet over&nbsp;reCAPTCHA</h2>


<p>Now that you know more about Akismet, let’s look at the benefits of using this plugin over reCAPTCHA.&nbsp;</p>


<h3 id="1-improved accessibility" class="wp-block-heading">1. Improved&nbsp;accessibility</h3>

<p>As we discussed earlier, one of the limitations of reCAPTCHA is that some versions require users to decipher visual or auditory information. Other versions contain mathematical equations or ask users to complete&nbsp;checkboxes.</p>


<p>This can exclude those with cognitive, hearing, or visual impairments. Therefore, if you want to keep an accessible website, you’re better off <a href="https://akismet.com/blog/captcha-alternatives/">using a CAPTCHA alternative</a> like Akismet.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Akismet doesn’t require any user interaction. It works silently behind the scenes, so users can submit content without running into any obstacles.&nbsp;</p>


<h3 id="2-enhanced-user experience" class="wp-block-heading">2. Enhanced user&nbsp;experience</h3>


<p>All kinds of reCAPTCHA (except v3) add friction to the user experience, as they require individuals to check a box or complete a test. This delays access to a page or resource, which can lead to frustration on the user’s part.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Akismet doesn’t interfere with the UX. It operates in the background, so most users aren’t even aware of it. Additionally, the spam data is stored in the cloud, so the plugin doesn’t impact site&nbsp;speed.</p>

<h3 id="3-privacy protection" class="wp-block-heading">3. Privacy&nbsp;protection</h3>


<p>While reCAPTCHA can reduce spam submissions, it does so by gathering personal data, which means you have to obtain explicit consent from users. Plus, privacy-conscious users may be perturbed by data collection.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Akismet also collects personal data, but only that which is needed to carry out spam protection. According to the GDPR, this is classified as a “legitimate interest” use of that data.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In the plugin settings, you can easily enable a privacy notice that informs users about this. The company never sells personal data gathered through the plugin. You can check out the <a href="https://automattic.com/privacy/">full privacy policy here</a>.&nbsp;</p>


<h3 id="4-better-spam detection" class="wp-block-heading">4. Better spam&nbsp;detection</h3>

<p>reCAPTCHA is primarily an anti&#8209;spam measure, but the <a href="https://akismet.com/blog/do-captcha-and-recaptcha-protect-wordpress-sites-from-bots/">effectiveness of reCAPTCHA</a> has been challenged by advances in AI technology and the growth of CAPTCHA&nbsp;farms.</p>

<p>Akismet has a long reputation for detecting spam with very high accuracy. Currently, the plugin boasts an overall accuracy score of 99.99 percent, but you can view the exact spam accuracy score within your Akismet&nbsp;dashboard.</p>

<h3 id="5-reduced-false positives" class="wp-block-heading">5. Reduced false&nbsp;positives</h3>

<p>Earlier, we mentioned the fact that some versions of reCAPTCHA frequently result in false positives which block legitimate users from websites. This is especially true in the case of reCAPTCHA v3 (where administrators have to define their own rules) and for users who opt for private browsers and VPNs. Not only is this frustrating for users, but it can also result in revenue loss for&nbsp;organizations.</p>


<p>With Akismet, submissions are analyzed in real time and with incredible accuracy. Additionally, there are systems in place that make it easy for websites to <a href="https://akismet.com/support/general/akismet-unblocking-a-spam/">report false positives</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>When it comes to forms, you can simply remove submissions from the spam list. For comments, all you have to do is check the relevant boxes and use the <strong>Bulk actions </strong>dropdown menu to select <strong>Not spam.&nbsp;</strong></p>


<h2 id="frequently-asked questions" class="wp-block-heading">Frequently asked&nbsp;questions</h2>

<p>This guide has answered questions like “what is reCAPTCHA” and “how does reCAPTCHA work”, but you may still be looking for clarification on this technology. We’ll answer some other common questions in the next&nbsp;section.</p>

<h3 id="what-is-the-primary-purpose-of recaptcha" class="wp-block-heading">What is the primary purpose of&nbsp;reCAPTCHA?</h3>


<p>The primary purpose of reCAPTCHA is to differentiate human users from bots in order to block spam and other forms of online abuse. It is a type of technology that deploys adaptive challenges like image identification and checkboxes that detect suspicious behavior.&nbsp;</p>


<h3 id="how-does-recaptcha-differentiate-between-a-human-and-a bot" class="wp-block-heading">How does reCAPTCHA differentiate between a human and a&nbsp;bot?</h3>


<p>Depending on the version of reCAPTCHA, different factors are considered to distinguish between bots and humans. For example, some reCAPTCHA tests track cursor movement, typing patterns, and browser history.&nbsp;</p>



<p>reCAPTCHA v3 evaluates these factors to generate scores. Scores closer to 0 are judged to be bots while those closer to 1 are considered human.&nbsp;</p>


<h3 id="what-are-the-key-differences-between-recaptcha-v2-and v3" class="wp-block-heading">What are the key differences between reCAPTCHA v2 and&nbsp;v3?</h3>


<p>There are some key differences between reCAPTCHA v2 and v3. reCAPTCHA v2 includes three different methods including the Android API, the “I’m not a robot” checkbox, and the invisible reCAPTCHA badge. All of these, except the badge, require user interaction.&nbsp;</p>



<p>reCAPTCHA v3 doesn’t require user input. Instead, it monitors certain factors like mouse movement and typing patterns to return a score between 0 and 1, which helps systems detect bot traffic.&nbsp;</p>


<h3 id="is-recaptcha-completely-effective-against-bots-and-automated attacks" class="wp-block-heading">Is reCAPTCHA completely effective against bots and automated&nbsp;attacks?</h3>

<p>reCAPTCHA is an <a href="https://akismet.com/blog/best-anti-spam-wordpress-plugins-compared/">anti&#8209;spam service</a> that attempts to block bots and prevent automated attacks like distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. The problem is that several researchers have questioned the effectiveness of reCAPTCHA. For instance, researchers from the University of Columbia launched low&#8209;risk bot attacks that solved over 70 percent of all&nbsp;challenges.</p>

<h3 id="how-does-recaptcha-impact-the-overall-user-experience-on websites" class="wp-block-heading">How does reCAPTCHA impact the overall user experience on&nbsp;websites?</h3>

<p>Most versions of reCAPTCHA require users to solve mathematical problems, decipher images and text, or simply check a box. While this may not sound too problematic, it adds friction to the user&nbsp;experience.</p>


<p>It delays users from accessing the desired page or resource, which can be frustrating. In turn, this can lead to early exits — which affect bounce rates, traffic volume, revenue, and more.&nbsp;</p>


<h3 id="can-recaptcha-be-bypassed-or-tricked-by-sophisticated bots" class="wp-block-heading">Can reCAPTCHA be bypassed or tricked by sophisticated&nbsp;bots?</h3>


<p>There are ways for cybercriminals and bots to bypass reCAPTCHA tests. To do this, all they have to do is raise the trust score by mimicking normal human behavior on a web browser.&nbsp;</p>



<p>They can achieve this effect by using a resistant TLS fingerprint. Plus, hackers can execute JavaScript using browser automation tools, and rotate JavaScript fingerprint details.&nbsp;</p>


<h3 id="what-are-the-implications-of-recaptcha-for-user privacy" class="wp-block-heading">What are the implications of reCAPTCHA for user&nbsp;privacy?</h3>


<p>Since reCAPTCHA gathers personal data about the user’s browser and device, certain states and countries require companies to get user consent. In particular, the GDPR ensures that visitors know how websites use, process, and store their information.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Therefore, you’ll need to obtain explicit consent. It’s also important to display a privacy policy on your site. Otherwise, you may encounter hefty financial penalties.&nbsp;</p>


<h3 id="are-there-any-alternatives-to-recaptcha-that-offer-similar-or-better functionalities" class="wp-block-heading">Are there any alternatives to reCAPTCHA that offer similar or better&nbsp;functionalities?</h3>

<p>Although reCAPTCHA is capable of blocking some spam, it can interfere with the UX and discriminate against those with disabilities. Therefore, you might prefer a more user&#8209;friendly alternative, like&nbsp;Akismet.</p>


<p>Akismet works in the background of your site, so it requires no user interaction. It also filters spam with an impressive accuracy rating of 99.99 percent, which means it rarely produces false positives.&nbsp;</p>


<h3 id="how-accurate-is-akismet-at-stopping spam" class="wp-block-heading">How accurate is Akismet at stopping&nbsp;spam?</h3>

<p>Akismet filters comment, form, and text spam with a 99.99 percent accuracy rate. Plus, it analyzes submissions in real time to maximize threat protection. And there are systems in place to report false positives, which makes Akismet much more effective than&nbsp;reCAPTCHA.</p>

<h3 id="how-many-sites-use akismet" class="wp-block-heading">How many sites use&nbsp;Akismet?</h3>

<p>Akismet is installed on over 100 million websites, and the plugin has blocked over 500 billion spam submissions. Better yet, it’s trusted by plenty of enterprise brands like Microsoft, ConvertKit, Bluehost, and&nbsp;WordPress.com.</p>

<h3 id="are-there-any-case-studies-of-companies-that-use akismet" class="wp-block-heading">Are there any case studies of companies that use&nbsp;Akismet?</h3>


<p>If you want to know how Akismet has helped real brands, you can check out some case studies.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For instance, <a href="https://akismet.com/blog/convertkit-customerstory/">ConvertKit</a> implemented Akismet to filter out spam and automate spam prevention. <a href="https://akismet.com/blog/saying-no-to-spam-on-smitten-kitchens-popular-food-site/">Smitten Kitchen</a> automated spam detection in the comments section of recipes, which has helped prevent the presence of affiliate links and irrelevant promotions.&nbsp;</p>


<h3 id="where-can-i-learn-more-about akismet" class="wp-block-heading">Where can I learn more about&nbsp;Akismet?</h3>


<p>If you want to learn more about the service, you can find a lot of <a href="https://akismet.com/resources/">free resources</a>. Akismet also has a <a href="https://akismet.com/support/">dedicated support page</a> to help you set up and use the plugin. And the <a href="https://akismet.com/blog/">Akismet blog</a> is frequently updated with useful articles.&nbsp;</p>


<h2 id="akismet-the-best-spam-solution-for-your website" class="wp-block-heading">Akismet: The best spam solution for your&nbsp;website</h2>

<p>Spam is a concern for any site administrator, since it can make your site appear less trustworthy and lead to cyberattacks. While reCAPTCHA is one solution for preventing spam, it may not be the best option in terms of user&nbsp;experience.</p>

<p>reCAPTCHA v3 runs in the background of your site, but it can still be frustrating for visitors. Additionally, it can exclude those with disabilities and incorrectly block legitimate visitors. Therefore, you might prefer a better alternative, like&nbsp;Akismet.</p>

<p>With a 99.99 percent accuracy rating, Akismet is excellent at blocking comment, form, and text spam. It also analyzes submissions in real time, and it doesn’t interfere with the UX. <a href="https://akismet.com/pricing/">Get started with the Akismet&nbsp;today</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 03 Jul 2024 13:00:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"Jen Swisher";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:40;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:79:"Do The Woo Community: Recap of Do the Woo 4.0 Launch and WordPress dot com Post";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"https://dothewoo.io/?p=84450";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:78:"https://dothewoo.io/recap-of-do-the-woo-4-0-launch-and-wordpress-dot-com-post/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1839:"<p>As you know, during the week of WordCamp Europe 2024 last month, June 10 &#8211; 15, we led up to our huge launch of 4.0 at the event. A lot of content was pushed out, plus a so many conversations at WCEU about the launch. If you happened to miss any of it, here are the links to the episodes.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>June 10: <strong><a href="https://dothewoo.io/do-the-woo-4-0-this-week-at-wordcamp-europe/">Do the Woo 4.0, This Week at WordCamp Europe</a></strong></li>



<li>June 11: <strong><a href="https://dothewoo.io/a-new-show-scaling-enterprise-wordpress-and-oss/">A New Show, Scaling Enterprise, WordPress and OSS</a></strong></li>



<li>June 12: <a href="https://dothewoo.io/a-pre-launch-chat-with-jay-walsh-at-woocommerce/"><strong>A Pre-Launch Chat with Jay Walsh at WooCommerce</strong></a></li>



<li>June 13: <strong><a href="https://dothewoo.io/thinking-about-our-launch-on-wceu-contributor-day/">Thinking About Our Launch on WCEU Contributor Day</a></strong></li>



<li>June 14: <strong><a href="https://dothewoo.io/do-the-woo-podcast-channel-4-0-official-launch/">Do the Woo Podcast Channel 4.0 Official Launch</a></strong></li>



<li>June 15: <strong><a href="https://dothewoo.io/learn-about-all-the-shows-on-the-do-the-woo-podcast-channel/">Learn About All the Shows on the Do the Woo Podcast Channel</a></strong></li>
</ul>



<p>Also, BobWP published a guest post on WordPress.com about the launch and partnership with WordPress.com, Woo and Jetpack.</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://wordpress.com/blog/2024/06/14/partner-spotlight-do-the-woo-4-0/">WordPress.com Partner Spotlight: Do the Woo 4.0</a></strong></p>



<p><strong><a href="https://dothewoo.io/press-release-do-the-woo-4-0-launches-at-wordcamp-europe/">And if you missed our press release, check that out here.</a></strong></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Wed, 03 Jul 2024 08:30:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:41;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:124:"HeroPress: A welcoming community that embraces authenticity – 本物らしさを受け入れる温かいコミュニティ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:56:"https://heropress.com/?post_type=heropress-essays&p=7139";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:170:"https://heropress.com/essays/a-welcoming-community-that-embraces-authenticity/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-welcoming-community-that-embraces-authenticity";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:23262:"<img width="1024" height="512" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/070224_min.webp" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Pull quote: Every conversation can either build or destroy safety." />
Here is Ben reading his own story aloud.





<p><a href="https://heropress.com/feed/#japanese">この記事は日本語でも読む事が出来ます。</a></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-my-interactions-with-tech-growing-up">My interactions with tech growing up</h2>



<p>The first time I remember interacting with tech was on my parents’ Macintosh computer when I started primary school. I loved drawing with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacPaint">MacPaint</a> and found it much cooler than my <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etch_A_Sketch">Etch A Sketch</a>.</p>



<p>Then, my parents got a Windows 95 computer and we were connected to the internet. My parents would check for important calls before unhooking the telephone to plug in the computer. When Google search came out, my family would sit around the screen, amazed at the “dozens” of search results. We even played a game to see whose name got the most results. I won by a long shot because my middle name Luke (Japanese: ルカ) appears in the word “digital camera” (デジタルカメラ).</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>In junior high, I joined the table tennis club but quickly realized sports weren’t my thing. </p>
</blockquote>



<p>I switched to the computer club, where I edited my first video, learned about spreadsheets and word processors, and built my first website using a Japanese software called Homepage Builder. I started maintaining a website for my church, self-teaching myself about staging environments and FTP through help docs and online manuals.</p>



<p>In senior high, I started looking at the HTML code produced by Homepage Builder. I realized I didn’t have to use the drag-and-drop editor to make edits and taught myself basic HTML and CSS. That’s when I created my first game, an HTML game where players clicked on doors to navigate a maze. I remember someone “hacked” my game by figuring out the URL logic and jumping to the goal. That was my introduction to cyber security and encryption.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-information-ethics-opened-my-eyes-to-the-diversity-in-the-world">How information ethics opened my eyes to the diversity in the world</h2>



<p>In university, I studied information science, which pulled me deeper into the tech world. I continued to master’s and doctorate programs, and started teaching tech classes at three universities. I taught in both Japanese and English to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Subjects included programming basics (C, Java), informatics, and image processing.</p>



<p>But my most favorite subject was information ethics, which highlighted how different cultures have varying ethical values in tech. </p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>For instance, some communities pirate software out of necessity, some share login credentials to bypass censorship, while other communities consider both these practices unethical. </p>
</blockquote>



<p>Teaching this course really opened my eyes to global diversity. It taught me the importance of open dialogue, empathetic listening, and creative thinking.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-i-met-wordpress">How I met WordPress</h2>



<p>I first heard about WordPress in my university lab. A senior student returning from overseas said it was all the hype in the west, so we moved our lab’s website to WordPress. I didn’t fully understand what WordPress was then, but I decided to ride the hype and move my church websites to WordPress too.</p>



<p>Since making the switch in 2014, WordPress has become my Content Management System (CMS) of choice. I tried a brief stint with Wix, but it just confirmed my loyalty to WordPress. And after joining Automattic, I discovered the community behind the software and my love for WordPress has grown even more.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-i-joined-automattic-and-the-wordpress-community">How I joined Automattic and the WordPress community</h2>



<p>At one point, I installed the VideoPress plugin on one of my sites and needed support with a subscription mix-up. The agent resolved my issue in one email and signed off as a “Happiness Engineer,” which made me smile. Years later, I saw a job opening for Happiness Engineers at <a href="https://automattic.com/">Automattic</a> and remembered that interaction. I volunteered on the WordPress.com support forums for a couple months building up my support skills before getting accepted into Automattic in 2019.</p>



<p>Soon after joining, I learned that WordPress is more than just a CMS. It’s <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/">a community</a> built on open-source principles. I didn’t wait long to attend my local WordPress Meetups later that year, and was amazed at the selflessness and dedication of the participants. At those Meetups, I learned the WordPress ecosystem extends beyond the community that creates it. </p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>WordPress is composed of the people who use it &#8211; the developers, designers, analysts, hobbyists, hosts, marketers, etc. </p>
</blockquote>



<p>It is a common bond that brings people together from different walks of life to a safe space of diversity and acceptance. It was the first time I had interacted with people quite like that.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-my-journey-in-the-wordpress-training-team">My journey in the WordPress Training Team</h2>



<p>In 2020, the pandemic canceled in-person events, but I had opportunities to be part of educational projects within Automattic. I coached Japanese support agents, created internal training materials, and developed a new onboarding program for new employees. These experiences rekindled my love for education.</p>



<p>It was around that time that WordPress launched its educational site, <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/">Learn WordPress</a>. I was selected for an internal position at Automattic to become a full time contributor to the Learn WordPress initiative, and joined the WordPress project’s <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/">Training Team</a> in June 2022. I started in the team by understanding the team’s values, priorities, and challenges. Over the next six months, I worked on improving team processes and documentation. At the end of 2022, I was honored to be nominated as a team rep, since which I’ve led projects like migrating from Trello to GitHub and building an onboarding program. These efforts have increased team member engagement and activity, which in turn is contributing to traffic and engagement increases on the Learn WordPress site, too.</p>


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<div class="wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column7139_ab010b-f3"><div class="kt-inside-inner-col">
<a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ben-wordcamp-asia-2023.jpg" class="kb-advanced-image-link"><img width="1024" height="683" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ben-wordcamp-asia-2023-1024x683.jpg" alt="Ben Evans at WordCamp Asia 2023" class="kb-img wp-image-7148" /></a>
</div></div>



<div class="wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column7139_f7f196-5a"><div class="kt-inside-inner-col">
<a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ben-at-wordcamp-tokyo-2023.jpg" class="kb-advanced-image-link"><img width="1024" height="579" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ben-at-wordcamp-tokyo-2023-1024x579.jpg" alt="Ben Evans at WordCamp Tokyo 2023" class="kb-img wp-image-7149" /></a>
</div></div>



<div class="wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column7139_fcf7c6-6d"><div class="kt-inside-inner-col">
<a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ben-wrodcamp-europe-2024-scaled.jpg" class="kb-advanced-image-link"><img width="1024" height="683" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ben-wrodcamp-europe-2024-1024x683.jpg" alt="Ben Evans at WordCamp Europe 2024" class="kb-img wp-image-7150" /></a>
</div></div>

</div></div>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wordpress-a-safe-space-to-be-authentic">WordPress &#8211; a safe space to be authentic</h2>



<p>Reflecting on my tech journey, the moments I felt most energized were when I contributed to creating a safe space of diversity and acceptance. Teaching information ethics laid the foundation, customer support as a Happiness Engineer let me practice this in 1:1 interactions, onboarding new employees allowed me to create these spaces for larger groups, and contributing to the WordPress Training Team extended this to a global community. These were moments when I felt most authentic.</p>



<p>Building a safe space where one can be authentic isn’t a one-time project; it’s formed through humble and curious interactions. Every conversation can either build or destroy safety. I remember the excitement of my first WordPress Meetup, where I felt accepted for who I am. My hope is that everyone who interacts with the WordPress community experiences that same acceptance. I look forward to continuing contributing to this safe space &#8211; WordPress &#8211; so that both I and those around me can continue to be our authentic selves.</p>


<div class="kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id7139_300d56-8f alignnone kt-row-has-bg wp-block-kadence-rowlayout"><div class="kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-1-columns kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-top">

<div class="wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column7139_c998c3-e2"><div class="kt-inside-inner-col">
<h2 id="work-environment" class="kt-adv-heading7139_ace920-e9 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading">Ben&#8217;s Work Environment</h2>



<p>We asked Ben for a view into his development life and this is what he sent!</p>


	<div class="hotspots-image-container">
		<img width="2560" height="1920" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/workspace-scaled-1.jpg" alt="Ben Evans Desk" class="hotspots-image skip-lazy" />
	</div>




<p class="kt-adv-heading7139_6bbaea-89 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading has-theme-palette-9-background-color has-background">HeroPress would like to thank <a href="https://wpdrawattention.com/">Draw Attention</a> for their donation of the plugin to make this interactive image!</p>
</div></div>

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<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="japanese"><strong>本物らしさを受け入れる温かいコミュニティ</strong></h2>



ベンさんが以下の記事を読んでいるのを聞くことができます。





<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-幼少期の-it-技術との触れ合い"><strong>幼少期の IT 技術との触れ合い</strong></h3>



<p>私が初めて IT 技術と触れ合ったのは、小学校に入学したころ、親のマッキントッシュ・コンピューターを通してでした。<a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacPaint">MacPaint</a> でのお絵描きが大好きで、それまで遊んでいた <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etch_A_Sketch">Etch A Sketch</a> よりもはるかにかっこいいと感じました。</p>



<p>その後、親が Windows 95 コンピューターを購入し、インターネットに接続しました。両親は重要な電話がくる予定がないかを確認してから電話線を外し、コンピューターを接続していました。Google 検索が登場したとき、家族で画面の周りに集まり、「数十件」もの検索結果に驚いていました。私たちは、誰の名前が最も多くの検索結果を引き出すかを競うゲームもしました。私のミドルネーム「ルカ」が「デジタルカメラ」に含まれているため、私が圧倒的に勝ちました。</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>中学では卓球部に入りましたが、スポーツが自分に合わないとすぐに気付きました。</p>
</blockquote>



<p>そこでコンピュータークラブに転部し、初めてのビデオ編集、スプレッドシートやワードプロセッサの学習、そしてホームページビルダーという日本のソフトウェアを使った初めてのウェブサイト作成を経験しました。その頃から教会のウェブサイトの管理を始め、ステージング環境や FTP についてヘルプドキュメントやオンラインマニュアルを読みながら独学で学びました。</p>



<p>高校では、ホームページビルダーが生成する HTML コードを見始め、ドラッグ＆ドロップエディタを使わずにサイトを編集できることに気付き、基本的な HTML と CSS も独学で習得しました。初めてのゲームを作成したのもその頃です。プレイヤーがドアをクリックして迷路を進む HTML ゲームでしたが、誰かが URL の論理を解読し、ゴールにいきなり飛ぶ「ハック」をしたことを覚えています。これが私のサイバーセキュリティと暗号化の世界への初めての導入でした。</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-情報倫理を通して多様性に目が開かれる"><strong>情報倫理を通して多様性に目が開かれる</strong></h3>



<p>大学では情報科学を学び、IT 技術の世界にさらに深く入り込みました。修士課程と博士課程に進み、三つの大学で情報系の授業を教え始めました。日本語と英語の両方で、学部生と大学院生にプログラミングの基本（C、Java）、情報学、画像処理などを教えました。</p>



<p>しかし、最も好きだった科目は情報倫理でした。これは、様々な文化が IT 技術に対して異なる倫理的価値観を持っていることを強調するものでした。</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>例えば、あるコミュニティは必要に迫られてソフトウェアを海賊版で使用し、あるコミュニティは検閲を回避するためにログイン情報を共有し、他のコミュニティはこれらの行為を非倫理的と見なします。</p>
</blockquote>



<p>この科目を教えることで、世界の多様性に目が開かれました。オープンな対話、共感的な聞き方、そして創造的な思考の重要性を強く感じました。</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wordpressとの出会い"><strong>WordPressとの出会い</strong></h3>



<p>大学の研究室で初めて WordPress について聞きました。海外から帰国した先輩が、西洋ではこれが大人気だと言って、研究室の Web サイトを WordPress に移行しました。その時は WordPress が何であるか完全には理解していませんでしたが、流行に乗って自分が管理していた教会のウェブサイトも WordPress に移行しました。</p>



<p>2014年に移行して以来、私がサイトを作るときのコンテンツ管理システム（CMS）の選択肢は WordPress 一択になりました。Wix を試したこともありましたが、WordPress への忠誠を再確認するだけでした。その後 Automattic に入社し、ソフトウェアの背後にあるコミュニティを発見した時には、WordPress への愛がさらに深まりました。</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-automattic-と-wordpress-コミュニティへの参加"><strong>Automattic と WordPress コミュニティへの参加</strong></h3>



<p>ある時、私のサイトに VideoPress プラグインをインストールした際、サブスクリプションの問題でサポートが必要でした。担当者はただ一通のメールで問題を解決し、署名には「ハピネス・エンジニア」と書いていました。それを読んだ時、私は笑顔になりました。数年後<a href="https://automattic.com/">、Automattic</a> でハピネス・エンジニアの求人を見かけ、当時のやり取りを思い出しました。私は WordPress.com のサポートフォーラムで数ヶ月ボランティアをしてサポートスキルを磨き、2019年に Automattic に入社しました。</p>



<p>入社して間もなく、WordPress は単なる CMS 以上のものであることを知りました。それはオープンソースの原則に基づく<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/">コミュニティ</a>だったのです。その年の後半には地元の WordPress ミートアップに参加し、参加者の無私と献身に驚かされました。そのミートアップでは、WordPress がそれを作るコミュニティを超えて広がっていることを学びました。</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>WordPress は、使用する人々、すなわち開発者、デザイナー、解析者、趣味の人、ホスト、マーケティング担当者などで構成されていました。</p>
</blockquote>



<p>それは異なる背景を持つ人々を、多様性と受容性を大切にする安全な場所に結びつける共通の絆です。そのような人々と初めて触れ合った瞬間でした。</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wordpress-トレーニングチームでの経験"><strong>WordPress トレーニングチームでの経験</strong></h3>



<p>2020年、コロナ禍によって対面イベントが中止される中、Automattic 内で教育プロジェクトに参加する機会がありました。そこで日本のサポートチームを指導し、内部トレーニング資料を作成し、新入社員向けの新しい教育課程を開発しました。これらの経験は私の教育への想いを再燃させました。</p>



<p>その頃、WordPress は教育サイト <a href="https://learn.wordpress.org/">Learn WordPress</a> を立ち上げました。私は Automattic 内でフルタイムのコントリビューター（貢献者）として Learn WordPress プログラムに参加するために指名され、2022年6月に WordPress プロジェクトの<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/training/">トレーニングチーム</a>に加わりました。最初はチームの価値観、優先事項、そして課題を理解することから始めました。次の6ヶ月間で、チームのプロセスとドキュメントを改善するために取り組みました。2022年の終わりにはチーム代表に推薦され、Trello から GitHub へのシステム移行やオンボーディングプログラムの構築などのプロジェクトをリードしました。これらの努力はチームメンバーのエンゲージメントと活動を増加させ、その結果、Learn WordPress サイトへのトラフィックとエンゲージメントの増加にも寄与しています。</p>


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<div class="wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column7139_2978b6-8b"><div class="kt-inside-inner-col">
<a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ben-wordcamp-asia-2023.jpg" class="kb-advanced-image-link"><img width="1024" height="683" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ben-wordcamp-asia-2023-1024x683.jpg" alt="Ben Evans at WordCamp Asia 2023" class="kb-img wp-image-7148" /></a>
</div></div>



<div class="wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column7139_b385b7-0e"><div class="kt-inside-inner-col">
<a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ben-at-wordcamp-tokyo-2023.jpg" class="kb-advanced-image-link"><img width="1024" height="579" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ben-at-wordcamp-tokyo-2023-1024x579.jpg" alt="Ben Evans at WordCamp Tokyo 2023" class="kb-img wp-image-7149" /></a>
</div></div>



<div class="wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column7139_f93224-d3"><div class="kt-inside-inner-col">
<a href="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ben-wrodcamp-europe-2024-scaled.jpg" class="kb-advanced-image-link"><img width="1024" height="683" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ben-wrodcamp-europe-2024-1024x683.jpg" alt="Ben Evans at WordCamp Europe 2024" class="kb-img wp-image-7150" /></a>
</div></div>

</div></div>


<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wordpress-自分らしくいられる安全な場所"><strong>WordPress &#8211; 自分らしくいられる安全な場所</strong></h3>



<p>私の IT 技術との関わりを振り返ると、多様性と受容性を大切にする安全な場所を作ることに貢献していると感じた瞬間が最も活力を感じました。情報倫理の教育はその基盤を築き、ハピネス・エンジニアとしてのカスタマーサポートは1対1のやり取りでこれを実践させてくれました。新入社員の教育では、これをより大きなグループに対して作ることができ、WordPressトレーニングチームへの貢献はこれをグローバルなコミュニティにまで広げました。こういった働きをしている時こそ、自分は最も自分らしいと感じます。</p>



<p>自分らしくいられる安全な場所を作ることは一度きりのプロジェクトではなく、謙虚で好奇心旺盛な人との関わりを通じて形成されます。すべての会話は安全を築くか、破壊するかのどちらかです。私は最初の WordPress ミートアップで感じた、受け入れられる喜びを鮮明に覚えています。私の希望は、WordPress コミュニティと触れ合うすべての人が、その同じ受容性を経験することです。私も周囲の人々も本当の自分であり続けるために、WordPress というこの安全な場所に貢献し続けることを楽しみにしています。</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://heropress.com/essays/a-welcoming-community-that-embraces-authenticity/">A welcoming community that embraces authenticity &#8211; 本物らしさを受け入れる温かいコミュニティ</a> appeared first on <a href="https://heropress.com">HeroPress</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 02 Jul 2024 23:00:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:9:"Ben Evans";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:42;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:53:"WordPress.org blog: WordPress 6.6 Release Candidate 2";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://wordpress.org/news/?p=17469";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:69:"https://wordpress.org/news/2024/07/wordpress-6-6-release-candidate-2/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:10513:"<p>WordPress 6.6 RC2 is ready for download and testing!</p>



<p><strong>This version of the WordPress software is under development</strong>.<strong> Please do not install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites.</strong> Instead, please evaluate RC2 on a test server or a local environment.</p>



<p>Reaching this phase of the release cycle is a worthy achievement. While release candidates are considered ready for release, your testing is still vital to make sure everything in WordPress 6.6 is the best it can be.</p>



<p>You can test WordPress 6.6 RC2 in four ways:</p>



<table><tbody><tr><th>Plugin</th><td>Install and activate the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/">WordPress Beta Tester</a> plugin on a WordPress install. (Select the “Bleeding edge” channel and “Beta/RC Only” stream).</td></tr><tr><th>Direct Download</th><td>Download the <a href="https://wordpress.org/wordpress-6.6-RC2.zip">RC2 version (zip)</a> and install it on a WordPress website.</td></tr><tr><th>Command Line</th><td>Use the this <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/cli/">WP-CLI</a> command:<br /><code>wp core update --version=6.6-RC2</code></td></tr><tr><th>WordPress Playground</th><td>Use the <a href="https://playground.wordpress.net/#%7B%20%22preferredVersions%22:%20%7B%20%22php%22:%20%228.0%22,%20%22wp%22:%20%22beta%22%20%7D,%20%22features%22:%20%7B%20%22networking%22:%20true%20%7D,%20%22steps%22:%20[%20%7B%20%22step%22:%20%22login%22,%20%22username%22:%20%22admin%22,%20%22password%22:%20%22password%22%20%7D,%20%7B%20%22step%22:%20%22importFile%22,%20%22file%22:%20%7B%20%22resource%22:%20%22url%22,%20%22url%22:%20%22https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wpaccessibility/a11y-theme-unit-test/master/a11y-theme-unit-test-data.xml%22%20%7D%20%7D,%20%7B%20%22step%22:%20%22importFile%22,%20%22file%22:%20%7B%20%22resource%22:%20%22url%22,%20%22url%22:%20%22https://raw.githubusercontent.com/WordPress/theme-test-data/master/themeunittestdata.wordpress.xml%22%20%7D%20%7D,%20%7B%20%22step%22:%20%22installPlugin%22,%20%22pluginZipFile%22:%20%7B%20%22resource%22:%20%22wordpress.org/plugins%22,%20%22slug%22:%20%22query-monitor%22%20%7D,%20%22options%22:%20%7B%20%22activate%22:%20false%20%7D,%20%22progress%22:%20%7B%20%22weight%22:%202%20%7D%20%7D,%20%7B%20%22step%22:%20%22installPlugin%22,%20%22pluginZipFile%22:%20%7B%20%22resource%22:%20%22wordpress.org/plugins%22,%20%22slug%22:%20%22create-block-theme%22%20%7D,%20%22progress%22:%20%7B%20%22weight%22:%202%20%7D%20%7D,%20%7B%20%22step%22:%20%22installPlugin%22,%20%22pluginZipFile%22:%20%7B%20%22resource%22:%20%22wordpress.org/plugins%22,%20%22slug%22:%20%22debug-bar%22%20%7D,%20%22progress%22:%20%7B%20%22weight%22:%202%20%7D%20%7D,%20%7B%20%22step%22:%20%22installPlugin%22,%20%22pluginZipFile%22:%20%7B%20%22resource%22:%20%22wordpress.org/plugins%22,%20%22slug%22:%20%22health-check%22%20%7D,%20%22progress%22:%20%7B%20%22weight%22:%202%20%7D%20%7D,%20%7B%20%22step%22:%20%22installPlugin%22,%20%22pluginZipFile%22:%20%7B%20%22resource%22:%20%22wordpress.org/plugins%22,%20%22slug%22:%20%22test-reports%22%20%7D,%20%22progress%22:%20%7B%20%22weight%22:%202%20%7D%20%7D,%20%7B%20%22step%22:%20%22installPlugin%22,%20%22pluginZipFile%22:%20%7B%20%22resource%22:%20%22wordpress.org/plugins%22,%20%22slug%22:%20%22user-switching%22%20%7D,%20%22progress%22:%20%7B%20%22weight%22:%202%20%7D%20%7D%20]%20%7D">6.6 RC2 WordPress Playground instance</a> (available within 35 minutes after the release is ready) to test the software directly in your browser without the need for a separate site or setup.</td></tr></tbody></table>Please test WordPress 6.6 RC2 in one or more of these four ways.



<p>The target for the WordPress 6.6 release is <strong>July 16, 2024</strong>. Get an overview of the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/6-6/">6.6 release cycle</a>, and check the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/">Make WordPress Core blog</a> for <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/6-6/">6.6-related posts</a> in the next few weeks for further details.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What&#8217;s in WordPress 6.6 RC2?</h2>



<p>Thanks to your testing and many other contributors‘ up to now, this release includes more than 19 bug fixes for the Editor and more than <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=closed&changetime=06%2F25%2F2024..07%2F01%2F2024&milestone=6.6&col=id&col=milestone&col=owner&col=type&col=priority&order=id">20 tickets for WordPress Core</a>.</p>



<p>Get a recap of WordPress 6.6’s highlighted features in the <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2024/06/wordpress-6-6-beta-1/">Beta 1 announcement</a>. For more technical information related to issues addressed since Beta 3, you can browse the following links:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/commits/wp/6.6?since=2024-06-24&until=2024-06-30">GitHub commits for 6.6</a> since June 25</li>



<li><a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=closed&changetime=06%2F25%2F2024..07%2F01%2F2024&milestone=6.6&col=id&col=milestone&col=owner&col=type&col=priority&order=id">Closed Trac tickets</a> since June 25</li>
</ul>



<p>Want to look deeper into the details and technical notes for this release? You might want to make your first stop <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/25/wordpress-6-6-field-guide/">The WordPress 6.6 Field Guide</a>. Then, check out this list:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/20/roster-of-design-tools-per-block-wordpress-6-6-edition/">Roster of design tools per block (WordPress 6.6 edition)</a></li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/07/01/hallway-hangout-section-styles-and-other-block-style-variation-updates/">Hallway Hangout: Section styles and other block style variation updates</a></li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/07/01/recap-hallway-hangout-exploring-grid-layouts/">Recap Hallway Hangout: Exploring Grid Layouts</a></li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/28/editing-custom-fields-from-connected-blocks/">Editing custom fields from connected blocks</a></li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/28/updates-to-the-interactivity-api-in-6-6/">Updates to the Interactivity API in 6.6</a></li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/dev-notes+6-6/">All 6.6-related developer notes</a></li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">You can contribute. Here&#8217;s how</h2>



<p>WordPress is the world’s most popular open source web platform, thanks to a passionate community of people who collaborate on its development in a wide variety of ways. You can help—whether or not you have any technical expertise.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Get involved in testing</h3>



<p>Testing for issues is critical to keeping WordPress speedy, stable, and secure. It’s also a vital way for anyone to contribute. <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2024/06/03/help-test-wordpress-6-6/">This detailed guide</a> will walk you through testing features in WordPress 6.6. If you&#8217;re new to testing, follow <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2024/06/03/help-test-wordpress-6-6/">this general testing guide</a> for more details on getting set up.</p>



<p>If you encounter an issue, please report it to the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/forum/alphabeta/">Alpha/Beta area</a> of the support forums. If you are comfortable writing a reproducible bug report, you can also report it on <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/newticket">WordPress Trac</a>. Before you do either, you may want to check your issue against a list of <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/tickets/major">known bugs</a>.</p>



<p>Curious about testing releases in general? Follow along with the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/">testing initiatives in Make Core</a> and join the <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/core-test/">#core-test channel</a> on <a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/">Making WordPress Slack</a>.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Search for vulnerabilities</h3>



<p>From now until the final release candidate of WordPress 6.6 (scheduled for July 9), the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/security/2024/06/04/wordpress-6-6-is-coming/">financial reward for reporting new, unreleased security vulnerabilities</a> doubles. Please follow responsible disclosure practices as detailed in the project’s security practices and policies outlined on the <a href="https://hackerone.com/wordpress">HackerOne page</a> and in the <a href="https://wordpress.org/about/security/">security white paper</a>.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Update your theme or plugin</h3>



<p>If you build themes, plugins, blocks, or patterns, your products play an integral role in extending the functionality and value of WordPress for all users. </p>



<p>Thanks for continuing to test your products with the WordPress 6.6 beta releases. With RC2, you’ll want to finish your testing and update the <em>“Tested up to”</em> version in your <a href="https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-org/how-your-readme-txt-works/">plugin’s readme file</a> to 6.6.</p>



<p>If you find compatibility issues, please post detailed information to the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/forum/alphabeta/">support forum</a>.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Help translate WordPress</h3>



<p>Do you speak a language other than English? ¿Español? Français? Русский? 日本語? हिन्दी? বাংলা? You can <a href="https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp/dev/">help translate WordPress into more than 100 languages</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Release the haiku</h2>



<p>6.6 draws near.<br />In two weeks the final&#8217;s here.<br />Test. Test. Then test more.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-right"><em>Props to <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/juanmaguitar/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>juanmaguitar</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/meher/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>meher</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/desrosj/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>desrosj</a></em> <em>and <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/atachibana/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>atachibana</a> for peer review.</em></p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 02 Jul 2024 17:09:27 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:8:"marybaum";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:43;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:11:"
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:50:"HeroPress: Voices Of WordCamp Europe: Thabo Tswana";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://heropress.com/?p=7211";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:143:"https://heropress.com/voices-of-wordcamp-europe-thabo-tswana/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=voices-of-wordcamp-europe-thabo-tswana";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:884:"<img width="1024" height="895" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/thabo_topher_short-1024x895.webp" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" /><p>When I needed more Africans for HeroPress I went looking and quickly found Thabo Tswana. Since then nearly every African I&#8217;ve spoken to about how they got started in WordPress, Thabo&#8217;s name comes up. He makes things happen and he helps people grow and advance. He&#8217;s one of the people I admire most in WordPress.</p>



<p>I didn&#8217;t know he&#8217;s be at WordCamp Europe, so I was super excited to get to meet him in person. Here&#8217;s our interview.</p>



Thabo Tswana Interview


<p>The post <a href="https://heropress.com/voices-of-wordcamp-europe-thabo-tswana/">Voices Of WordCamp Europe: Thabo Tswana</a> appeared first on <a href="https://heropress.com">HeroPress</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 02 Jul 2024 15:49:54 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:44;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:69:"Do The Woo Community: Accessibility Certification with Regine Gessner";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"https://dothewoo.io/?p=84341";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:68:"https://dothewoo.io/accessibility-certification-with-regine-gessner/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:20218:"<div class="wp-block-group has-border-color has-light-gray-background-color has-background has-small-font-size has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-40 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained">
<p class="has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9acf640b7ba38a84a982fc35d618387f">This show is sponsored by&#8230;</p>



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<p class="wp-container-content-16"><strong><a href="https://your.omnisend.com/onlywoo_dothewoo">Omnisend</a></strong>: Whether it&#8217;s for integration into your Woo product, or building sites for clients, <strong>Omnisend</strong> is the solution for email and SMS marketing with their CRM solution for WooCommerce shops and your own website.</p>
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<img width="1224" height="1224" tabindex="0" src="https://i0.wp.com/dothewoo.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Hostinger_Vertical_Purple-e1668465093968.jpg?resize=1224%2C1224&ssl=1" alt="Hostinger" class="wp-image-73505" />
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<p class="wp-container-content-18"><strong><a href="https://hostinger.com">Hostinger</a></strong>: As a builder or an agency managing multiple sites, check out <strong>Hostinger</strong>. Whether you are building a WordPress site or specifically, a Woo store, their infrastructure brings your clients sites speed, uptime and security.</p>
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Episode Transcript
<div class="wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained">
<p>Anne:<br />Hello everybody. Welcome to the next episode of All Things WordPress and WooCommerce in regards to accessibility. My name is Anne Bovelett. I&#8217;m an accessibility specialist. I have a lot to say about accessibility, and I try to teach anyone who wants to hear it and probably those who don&#8217;t want to hear it too. Accessibility is very important. Since we&#8217;re talking e-commerce, we&#8217;re also talking about revenue. It doesn&#8217;t really matter why you make something accessible, as long as you do it. If your web shop is losing revenue by the thousands or millions because you&#8217;re not making it accessible, you&#8217;d have good reason to do it, right?</p>



<p>I know that came out a bit harsh, but I don&#8217;t mean it that way. We&#8217;re trying to come from a kind place. One of the things we&#8217;ve learned lately is that people are saying, &#8220;We don&#8217;t know where to go. We don&#8217;t know who to turn to. We don&#8217;t know who to ask or who to trust.&#8221; I can understand that this is a very uneasy situation to be in.</p>



<p>I&#8217;m sure that if my co-host Taeke Reijenga could have been here today, he would have started filling us in on a lot of stuff in that regard. Unfortunately, due to personal circumstances, he couldn&#8217;t be here today, but he&#8217;ll probably be back next episode. So, let&#8217;s see how far we get today.</p>



<p>This show is not just about the people that everybody already knows. We love the familiar faces, but it&#8217;s also about introducing some people you may not know yet. Today, I&#8217;m super excited to introduce Regine Gessner from the IAAP. I&#8217;ll ask her to explain what the IAAP is, who she is, what the IAAP is doing, and about an interesting discussion we had in December about certification. Hi Regine, welcome.</p>



<p>Regine:<br />Hello Anne. Thank you very much for having me here today. I&#8217;m very happy to join in. My name is Regine Gessner, and I am working for the IAAP, which stands for the International Association of Accessibility Professionals, an association based in the U.S. The IAAP started 10 years ago and has developed several chapters in different regions. Four years ago, we started the German-speaking chapter, called IAAP DACH, which stands for Deutschland, Austria, and Switzerland. We are in charge of the German-speaking community and are the contact point for these countries.</p>



<p>The IAAP&#8217;s mission is to network and exchange ideas. That&#8217;s one of our key pillars. Another is certification and advanced training. These are our key points. Since we started here in the German-speaking area, we have more than 350 members, including organizations. When you become a member, you are a member of the global IAAP, but then you will be directed to the region where you are based. Worldwide, IAAP has 6,500 members and about 220 organizations.</p>



<p>So, that&#8217;s basically what the IAAP is. My position, since a bit more than a year ago, is to manage everything full-time, as it became too much to handle voluntarily. I am the main key contact for all people interested in membership and certifications. I&#8217;m the connection to the global team in the US and coordinate our working groups, board, and some of our tools.</p>



<p>Anne:<br />Alright, so just for our audience, because we have mentioned certification several times, this is about the certification for specialists in accessibility in several disciplines. These certifications are sometimes a topic of discussion regarding their value and importance. We will get into that later on because this was the basis of our discussion in December.</p>



<p>One of the reasons I asked you to join us today is because we know that in many organizations, regardless of size, it matters that you have people trained to maintain accessibility over time. Accessibility is not a one-off, is it?</p>



<p>Regine:<br />That&#8217;s right. It&#8217;s not a one-off; it&#8217;s an ongoing process. It&#8217;s not something that is done and then over. It&#8217;s something you have to start and build up capacity or competence in your company and teams. To implement it is not only technical but also a mindset in the people. That is very important and a key pillar. It must be obvious and natural that thinking about accessibility is part of the company or structure.</p>



<p>Anne:<br />Let me ask you a controversial question. Do you think companies should make CPAC certification an obligatory certification for everybody working on their digital representation? Would that be a good idea?</p>



<p>Regine:<br />I would say yes. From my personal view, even as a newcomer in this topic, I did the CPAC certification, and it gave me a basic understanding of what we&#8217;re talking about. It covers disability models, types of disabilities, barriers people face in the digital world, what can help them, and what&#8217;s important to know when building a website, app, or documents. It&#8217;s not a technical certification but a basic knowledge one. So, I would recommend it as a good foundation when building your team.</p>



<p>Anne:<br />Yeah. I&#8217;ve been thinking about this topic long and hard, especially now that we&#8217;re talking about it with this podcast. I hear a lot of companies say, &#8220;Making things accessible is too expensive.&#8221; But what if you integrate this into the core of your business? If it becomes second nature, getting the CPAC certification teaches you a lot about the why. And if you understand the why, it comes more naturally to a person.</p>



<p>This is why I was asking this question. It&#8217;s tough because, in an ideal world, you&#8217;d want everyone certified. For example, if you own a web shop with a lot of people coding and creating content, you can say, &#8220;It&#8217;s expensive to remediate or keep fixing things.&#8221; But if you have to keep fixing things, it means people are doing things the wrong way. I would love to hear from our audience if they agree with this or why they disagree. Let&#8217;s discuss this in the next couple of weeks as people respond.</p>



<p>Another thing I wanted to ask you, the DACH chapter in Germany has about 350 members. While I&#8217;m happy there are so many members, I&#8217;m also worried because, with the upcoming legislation, it&#8217;s sad that the law has to push us to speed up a process we&#8217;ve been waiting for the past 20 years.</p>



<p>Regine:<br />Yes, I agree. In the beginning of 2023, we had about a hundred members, and now we&#8217;ve really increased. But for three countries, or even the whole world, having just 6,500 members in IAAP is not much.</p>



<p>Anne:<br />But there is a great thing. It means there is opportunity for people working in web design, development, content creation, marketing, and communication to learn and expand their services. I&#8217;m sure many companies will want to do this and might outsource it. There are pros and cons to that, but let&#8217;s say our audience includes web shop owners, developers, designers, and other disciplines. If a web agency starts thinking about accessibility, learning about it, and expanding their services, what would you recommend from an IAAP point of view?</p>



<p>Regine:<br />If a company has no connection with accessibility yet, they can start by joining the community to network and learn. We offer several tools for our members to get in touch with each other, such as online breakfast meetings and networking events. These connections and exchanges are very valuable. Members can discuss their issues and concerns, and the group can help each other. This is very helpful.</p>



<p>Anne:<br />This is wonderful and very similar to the WordPress community, where we help each other succeed. It kept me coming back to WordPress in general. People exchange information and support each other. I hear complaints about Slack, and I’m one of them. Can you tell our listeners where they can go on your website to find out how to become a member and if they can talk to someone before becoming a member?</p>



<p>Regine:<br />It&#8217;s simple. They can email contact@iaap-dach.org, which is for the German-speaking region. This will come to me, and I can get in touch. I prefer personal calls to understand better. You don&#8217;t necessarily need to be a member to do certifications, but being a member has its benefits.</p>



<p>Anne:<br />Is the same approach available for the international department if people go to accessibilityassociation.org, or is this specific to the German chapter?</p>



<p>Regine:<br />We have several chapters, including a Nordic chapter for Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Iceland, a UK chapter, and a Mexican chapter. More chapters are in the process of starting. You are always welcome to contact the global colleagues from IAAP.</p>



<p>Anne:<br />That&#8217;s wonderful because we have listeners from all over the world. Investing in accessibility can be costly for some, but it&#8217;s essential. Let&#8217;s discuss the December DACH region discussion about certification. People sometimes look for shortcuts to show certification without the proper intentions. There are also people with 10-20 years of experience who might question the need for certification. For example, someone who wrote the book on accessibility guidelines might be offered a junior salary because they lack certification.</p>



<p>This is an interesting dialogue because certification is important. If someone gets certified, it means they learned a lot about the topic. There are several certifications, such as CPAC and WAS. Could you explain the prerequisites for the WAS certification?</p>



<p>Regine:<br />Yes, to start with the basic certification, CPAC, it gives you basic knowledge, but not expertise in digital accessibility. The WAS (Web Accessibility Specialist) certification requires a minimum of three years of documented roles and responsibilities in web accessibility. It’s not just enough to have knowledge of HTML or JavaScript; hands-on experience and knowledge of code elements and assistive technology are needed. This exam is for those with significant experience.</p>



<p>The same applies to the ADS (Accessible Document Specialist) certification. These certifications are valid for three years and need to be renewed or maintained by collecting credential points through training or speaking at conferences. This ensures that knowledge stays current.</p>



<p>Anne:<br />Accessibility is never a one-off, right?</p>



<p>Regine:<br />Exactly, it’s an ongoing process.</p>



<p>Anne:<br />This brings up the importance of accredited courses, like those offered by the Accessibility Collective</p>



<p>. They provide credits for IAAP certification, which helps ensure the courses give you long-term benefits. Companies need to understand where to find the correct information and how to avoid conflicting advice. Referring to the WCAG guidelines and talking to the IAAP are crucial.</p>



<p>Regine:<br />I agree. The IAAP is not perfect, but we provide a platform, guidelines, and legislation. The discussion on certification is important, and there are many specialists with years of experience. They can use their references and tools to prove their expertise. The IAAP is one channel, but there are many pieces to the puzzle that help us on our way.</p>



<p>Anne:<br />Yes, altogether we can take the fear out of doing accessibility right. Every time I speak to companies, I emphasize that accessibility is everyone’s task, not just one person&#8217;s. Support and teamwork are essential. If someone finds an issue, it’s about helping each other, not pointing fingers.</p>



<p>If someone contacts you about an issue with your web shop, it’s a gift, even if it’s wrapped in anger. Engaging with them can turn them into ambassadors. Ignoring accessibility can mean losing potential customers, and it&#8217;s important to take these opportunities to improve.</p>



<p>Regine:<br />Absolutely, everyone wants access to everything. For example, around 15% of people in Europe have some kind of disability and can&#8217;t use everything fully. This potential customer base is missed if your shop isn’t accessible.</p>



<p>Anne:<br />Yes, there&#8217;s so much potential. Ignoring accessibility leaves about 13 trillion dollars on the table globally, which is larger than the Chinese economy. This includes all accessibility, not just digital. Restaurants not accessible to wheelchairs miss not just the person in the wheelchair, but also their friends and family.</p>



<p>Regine:<br />Exactly, the whole group can&#8217;t go there.</p>



<p>Anne:<br />So, if someone contacts you about an accessibility issue, consider it a valuable opportunity. Improving accessibility benefits everyone. Thank you so much, Regine, for coming on the show today at such short notice. Your insights were invaluable.</p>



<p>Regine:<br />Thank you very much for having me. It was a pleasure to be here, and I will make sure to provide all necessary links and information for your audience to learn more about us, our certifications, member benefits, and events.</p>



<p>Anne:<br />Thank you. And thank you to Greyd in Munich for sponsoring this podcast. This has been a different show than usual, but flexibility is important. We&#8217;ll talk about WordCamp Europe next month. Thank you, Bob Dunn, and Do the Woo for giving us this platform to discuss digital accessibility, especially in e-commerce. If you have questions or comments, please reach out to us. Thank you and see you next month.</p>
</div>




<p>In this episode of <strong>All Things WordPress and WooCommerce via our series on accessibility</strong>, host <strong>Anne Bovelett </strong>is joined by <strong>Regine Gessner </strong>from the<strong> International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP)</strong>, as they explore the role of certifications in accessibility, the challenges companies face, and practical steps for integrating accessibility into digital projects.</p>



<p>They also address common misconceptions and the need for ongoing education and community support to ensure web accessibility becomes second nature in digital development.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Highlights</h2>



<p><strong>Introduction to Accessibility</strong>: Anne Bovelett emphasizes the importance of accessibility in e-commerce and its impact on revenue, stating that accessibility should be integral to digital projects.</p>



<p>R<strong>ole of IAAP</strong>: Regine Gessner introduces the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) and its mission to network, exchange ideas, offer certifications, and provide advanced training in accessibility.</p>



<p><strong>Certification Importance</strong>: The discussion focuses on the value of certifications like CPAC and WAS in establishing credibility and knowledge in accessibility. Regine explains the prerequisites and renewal process for these certifications.</p>



<p><strong>Challenges in Accessibility</strong>: The common challenges companies face in implementing accessibility, such as understanding its importance, integrating it into core business practices, and overcoming the perception of high costs.</p>



<p><strong>Community and Networking</strong>: IAAP offers various tools for members to connect and exchange knowledge, including online breakfast meetings and networking events, highlighting the importance of community support.</p>



<p><strong>Legislation and Compliance</strong>: Upcoming legislation is mentioned as a driving force for companies to prioritize accessibility, despite it being a long-standing issue.</p>



<p><strong>Practical Steps for Companies</strong>: Recommendations for web agencies and companies on starting their accessibility journey, including joining IAAP, networking, and leveraging available resources and tools.</p>



<p><strong>Personal Stories</strong>: Regine shares a personal story to illustrate the real-world impact of accessibility issues, emphasizing the need for inclusive digital experiences.</p>



<p><strong>Business Opportunities</strong>: Anne and Regine discuss the potential market and revenue opportunities that accessible web design can unlock, highlighting the significant percentage of the population with disabilities.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Links</h3>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong><a href="https://www.accessibilityassociation.org/s/">The International Association of Accessibility Professionals</a></strong></li>



<li><strong><a href="https://theadminbar.com/accessibility-weekly/">The Admin Bar, Accessibility Week</a></strong></li>



<li><strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU2Y4t4wtnU">IAAP D·A·CH Online Seminar Zertifizierungen</a></strong></li>



<li><strong><a href="https://iaap-dach.org/nachrichten.html">IAAP D·A·CH</a></strong></li>



<li><strong><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/regine-gessner/">Regine on LinkedIn</a></strong></li>
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";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:99:"Do The Woo Community: A Deep Dive into the Metorik Insights Report for WooCommerce with Bryce Adams";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:28:"https://dothewoo.io/?p=84462";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:98:"https://dothewoo.io/a-deep-dive-into-the-metorik-insights-report-for-woocommerce-with-bryce-adams/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:50211:"Episode Transcript
<div class="wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained">
<p>Marcus:<br />Hey everyone. Welcome to another BizChat here on Do the Woo. My name is Marcus Burnett and I&#8217;m a community marketer with GoDaddy. I am here today with my wonderful co-host from Barn2 plugins, Katie. Keith, how are you today, Katie?</p>



<p>Katie:<br />Hey, great, thanks. What about you, Marcus?</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />Yeah, not doing too bad. We&#8217;re spanning all parts of the globe today, so it&#8217;s morning for me, afternoon for you, and evening for our guest, but doing pretty good. As usual, we have an excellent guest, and like I said, today we&#8217;re spanning all different parts of the globe. Joining us today from the ecommerce Marketing suite of tools at Metorik is founder Bryce Adams. Welcome to the show, Bryce.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Thanks, Marcus. Thanks, Katie. Thanks for having me. Yeah, it&#8217;s really cool to be back on a Do the Woo show. I think the last time I did was maybe half a decade ago. I don&#8217;t know. I love being able to say half a decade.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />Absolutely.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />But yeah, it&#8217;s cool to be here.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />Happy to have you here. Bryce is here to talk about a report he recently published on the State of WooCommerce at Scale. But first, would you please share with folks a little bit about yourself and your company, Metorik?</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Sure, yeah. So my name is Bryce and my background in Woo, I guess, started at WooCommerce itself back in 2014. I was there initially in a support role and eventually in a development role. Then Automattic acquired Woo in 2015. So I joined that and that happened pretty quickly, and then left in 2016 to do Metorik. So that&#8217;s like eight years ago now. I guess the majority of my career has been spent on it. Metorik is basically an analytics and email automation tool for WooCommerce and for Shopify and maybe more platforms in the future. But primarily we started with WooCommerce back in 2015 and only really added Shopify a few years ago. The majority of the customers we have around the world are WooCommerce stores.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />So let&#8217;s move on to the report then. You&#8217;ve recently published an insights report based on the sites which are using Metorik with WooCommerce. Can you tell us a bit about that?</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Yeah, for sure. It was something we wanted to do for a really long time. I think even a few years in, as it was starting to approach several thousand stores, I was starting to see trends and patterns. One of the most common feature requests we got was benchmarking and trying to understand how a store compared to other stores, especially in Woo, where it can sometimes feel like we&#8217;re all kind of isolated on our own server and our own websites, not necessarily all on one platform. There was a lot of demand for clarity into what was going on. So people were asking for it a while ago, but a project like this is challenging to do well and at the quality level that I wanted.</p>



<p>We couldn&#8217;t do it with the few of us that were working together, but the team&#8217;s growing recently and we&#8217;ve got more resources. Luke, someone who just joined primarily for marketing and design-related stuff, said, &#8220;Oh, I reckon I could throw something together if you can get the data.&#8221; We were just sitting around the couch here in Melbourne, brainstorming ideas. It&#8217;d be cool to see that stat and then on Twitter, I think Katie, we talked about some stats even a couple of months ago, about bundles. I was also talking with Vova from Freemius about different subscription stats. We started to create this foundation to do this at scale, thinking about privacy at the forefront of that. So anonymized samples of all that data and just using averages to try to paint a picture of what was going on. Once we had that list to work from, it started to be pretty fun. We were just going through a list like, okay, let&#8217;s try and figure out that metric and that one, and then you&#8217;ve got to actually dig through it a lot more to find the interesting parts. But it was a big project.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />I think it&#8217;s really useful for companies like yourself that have access to data of multiple sites to publish that because, as you said a minute ago, WooCommerce sites are all installed on people&#8217;s own servers unless you&#8217;re using Woo Express or something and people just don&#8217;t have those benchmarks. I&#8217;ve seen a bit of that going on in the industry. For example, WP Fusion&#8217;s year in review reports are really useful from a WordPress perspective because they publish data about the different sites running WP Fusion, which LMS plugins are the most popular and page builders and so on. So it was really nice to see a WooCommerce version of that.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />I think the fun thing for me was this was, I mean, I love Woo. It&#8217;s where I first started working, my first job really was at Woo, and then it&#8217;s all I&#8217;ve really ever known. I love it as a platform. I love what it enables, the fact that people can run their own site, control everything, customize everything, but also own everything. That idea of data ownership is so important to me. Woo enables that. Part of doing the report was wanting to validate, even though all these sites are their little islands out there on the internet, the scale that Woo is operating at is massive. I don&#8217;t think people realize it. We hear numbers being thrown around, several million Woo stores and things like that, but they don&#8217;t really mean anything until you actually see the data behind it and the scale and that validation, the brands that are using it. I don&#8217;t think people know how many Woo stores out there are doing millions of dollars a year in revenue. There&#8217;s tens of thousands, but yeah, I&#8217;m not sure the exact number, but there are so many stores out there that are really pushing the limits of Woo and people don&#8217;t know about it. So it&#8217;s cool to share.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />You said that Luke came in and kind of threw something together, but this is actually really polished and really nice.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Luke is so talented.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />Before we get into some of the different pieces of it, I do want to let people know that they can also follow along with us at metorik.com/woocommerce-insights. We&#8217;ll leave that link in the show notes, but if people want to look at it while we&#8217;re having a discussion here, that&#8217;s metorik.com/woocommerce-insights. I ended up writing just a ton of questions basically on every slide, so I don&#8217;t know if we&#8217;ll get to all of them.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />That&#8217;s awesome. No, whatever is interesting.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />I kind of want to jump in, maybe start from the top and work our way down. One of the first things that you shared in here is that the average age of WooCommerce stores is four years. That kind of lines up with the start of COVID in my head. How do you think COVID changed the landscape of ecommerce or specifically, WooCommerce?</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />What we saw when COVID happened? Yeah, it&#8217;s an interesting perspective when you are coming at it as a SaaS because maybe as a plugin maker, Katie, you would&#8217;ve seen at the time an increase in sales as more people were setting up Woo stores. But for us, it wasn&#8217;t just an influx of more stores, but what was really interesting was what every store was doing across the line, the scale of the growth during that time. We have some reports we were looking at back then just in terms of being able to run the app and see the scale of order volume and Airbnb and things like that across everyone. It&#8217;s like a spike around COVID and just consistently through that whole period, we found that on average every store was doing better. There were definitely a lot of new stores starting, but I found it more interesting to see the existing stores all grow as a result of it.</p>



<p>Of course, that all dropped off, and you can actually, it&#8217;s pretty interesting when you look at the higher scale, a five-year period, you see that growth and that decline happen through the actual order volume that&#8217;s happening. But in terms of the age, a lot of it comes down to the fact that Woo itself is not that old. The oldest a store could possibly be is probably 10 years, I&#8217;m not sure the exact age. Over time, very few stores are going to go from 11 years and still be running after all that time or necessarily be on the same platform. I think four years is actually probably bigger than what I&#8217;d expect just because Woo is such a young platform.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />That makes sense. A slightly more practical question, I was interested to see that you said 32% of stores are tracking their costs and profit as well as their sales. I was interested because I didn&#8217;t know it was possible to do via a website analytics tool. Everybody knows you&#8217;d use it to get sales data and things like that, which is a lot better than the sales data you get from WooCommerce reports in core, which is very basic obviously. But how does that work, tracking costs and profit, because that data isn&#8217;t entered into the WooCommerce admin?</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />I think that&#8217;s actually something that I&#8217;d love to see WooCommerce core improve, having the ability to set up a product cost. It should just be built into Woo by default. Shopify has it by default, almost Square does, almost every other ecommerce or commerce platform does because it is something that if you look at like 80/20, 80% plus of stores probably do have a cost that they want to set on a product. It should be core. It&#8217;s not, but we decided to offer that as a feature. Before that though, we just integrated directly with the WooCommerce Cost of Goods plugin, which itself Skyverge made, and that&#8217;s probably explained why it was so good and it worked really well because for us, we were able to then basically build this whole profit</p>



<p>reporting feature and have all historical costs come in and profit reports come in without stores having to do anything. It was really cool because they&#8217;d never even had that. They&#8217;d set up a product cost inside of WooCommerce Cost of Goods, and there were some basic reports, but all of a sudden we were able just to bring that data in and kind of cleared it.</p>



<p>It got to a point where we were just telling everyone to go and buy the Cost of Goods plugin. People were like, well, I don&#8217;t want to install a new plugin just to have a field on my product page to set the cost. That&#8217;s very fair, especially when they don&#8217;t need the reports and the other functionality from it. So we decided to build it into the app. Of course, it morphed into something much bigger. We got shipping transaction, extra cost. You can say a lot of people want us to do their monthly salary costs and office expenses. They really want to have a bigger picture of things. We&#8217;re not really meant to be an accounting or profit tool in that way, but over time it&#8217;s kind of becoming that. People want more and more from there.</p>



<p>One of the other cool things you can do as a SaaS when it comes to this kind of thing is we integrate with Google Ads, TikTok ads, Facebook ads, all these different providers to let people bring in their live advertising costs from those platforms. It starts to be a really cool experience as a user because you&#8217;re getting all this data from different places in one location and getting to actually report on it, aggregate it.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />What&#8217;s keeping the other 70-odd percent or so from doing the same? Is it a knowledge thing about whether they don&#8217;t know that that exists or is it an industry thing where it doesn&#8217;t make sense for some folks?</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />I think industry plays a big part. Privacy is another issue. We don&#8217;t have it in a way, again, it was just kind of bolted onto the app. It wasn&#8217;t what we initially set out to do. We don&#8217;t have a way for you to just say, this user can see all the reports, but they can&#8217;t see the cost and profit. That&#8217;s a common thing that a store owner might want to hide from their team. They want them in there using metrics for the reports. A lot of users have asked us to do that and we&#8217;ll probably do that soon. I think that would increase adoption a little bit. But also, we&#8217;re not trying to be an app for them to figure out their profit and pay taxes on. We don&#8217;t encourage it in that way. When people come to proper reporting, they&#8217;re probably looking for that level of detail. They need to incorporate all their costs across the whole thing, salary to everything.</p>



<p>The interesting part on our end starts to be trying to figure out reports based on that. We added these reports to the app a few months ago for doing cohorts, customer cohorts based on when they join by the month they join, week they join, or maybe the first product or first coupon they use. It&#8217;s really cool to split your customers up into those cohorts automatically and then see the lifetime profit and profit margin over time, how that changes. Then you start to understand not just at what point a customer has spent enough that they&#8217;ve reached a target revenue per customer, but they&#8217;ve actually become profitable. You can measure that and be like, by month 14, we know on average that&#8217;s where we&#8217;ve got enough profit from each customer. I love that part of it more than being an accounting tool.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />It&#8217;s really helping WooCommerce store owners to run their company as a proper business. A lot are more hobbyist sites and it helps to bring them to the next level. Some of them will already be doing that, of course, but a lot of WooCommerce store owners don&#8217;t do that kind of thing. This is really making it much more accessible. I&#8217;m kind of wishing I use WooCommerce on my own website. I use Easy Digital Downloads and I can&#8217;t access any of this because quite sensibly you&#8217;ve built this for WooCommerce and Shopify, the two biggest players. I get that.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />I have had some requests for EDD, but every single request has come from people I knew in the community who would want it. Then I start to think about how many stores that is and it&#8217;s maybe a couple of hundred that I know would pay for it as well. It starts to be a little harder.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />Yeah, totally agree.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />But I&#8217;ve always wanted to build it for EDD because all my friends and all my colleagues are using EDD rather than Woo. At the start, it wasn&#8217;t like I could really contact too many of my friends running WordPress businesses and say, please use my product because they were using EDD.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />You mentioned earlier about maybe they should put something in core related to the cost of goods. I was thinking that when I saw your stat about subscriptions, 28% of all the WooCommerce stores that you track use subscriptions. The vast majority of them will be WooCommerce subscriptions to one specific plugin, of course. I know they will never put that in core because they must make so much money from that premium only add-on.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />I don&#8217;t think they make enough from it to be honest.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />Because it&#8217;s so valuable in recurring revenue.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Exactly. It&#8217;s one thing that we&#8217;d probably do next year and we want to improve in a report based on the feedback, but also just based on what I think would be interesting is actually saying, while maybe it&#8217;s 27% of stores that have subscriptions on, does that actually account for more like 40-50% of the revenue or are those stores by default on average double or triple stores that don&#8217;t have subscriptions? We didn&#8217;t go into that and I think we&#8217;d like to expand on that, but I think that would actually show that while maybe 27-30% are using subscriptions, those stores tend to be much more successful because it&#8217;s such a great business model if you can make it work.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />Yeah, absolutely. I want to shift gears a tiny little bit and talk about, you have a couple of slides in here about the top themes and plugins in WooCommerce stores. Looking at the top themes and plugins, I see Elementor ranking pretty high in both and Classic Editor at number five in the top plugins.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Not too surprised to see that.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />Yeah, native WordPress right now with full site editing isn&#8217;t quite ready to handle the majority of WooCommerce stores.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Well, I think that indicates that there&#8217;s still a heavy dependence on the Classic Editor for sure. A lot of that might come through other builders that are being used, but also maybe other WooCommerce plugins and stuff that aren&#8217;t quite there yet. I know even for us, we&#8217;ve been integrating with commerce blocks and stuff for the checkout recently for an update we&#8217;ve been working on. I think a lot of the filters that we needed were only added in a WooCommerce version that just came out or is about to come out. That&#8217;s certainly fine if things take time and it&#8217;s good to take time to get it right, but if we&#8217;re an app that&#8217;s trying to really stay ahead and move with Woo, we were really only able to integrate with some of those features in a version that&#8217;s just coming out now on June 24. It&#8217;s going to take time for that shift to happen, maybe longer than anyone&#8217;s expecting.</p>



<p>Marcus, while you mentioned that, it makes me think about a part of the report that I found a little surprising and actually came out of a discussion I had recently about PHP versions. I noticed that 7.4 is still at 45% of WooCommerce stores that we&#8217;re tracking. I think that&#8217;s actually higher than the average across all of WordPress generally. There is that kind of fear when it comes to an ecommerce store. Upgrades come at a very big cost if it messes up. If your site goes down or if something&#8217;s incompatible and you have downtime, it&#8217;s not just downtime, it&#8217;s losing money time. That&#8217;s a very valid concern for an ecommerce store.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />Yeah, one of the other stats that just screamed off the page at me was that the average number of active plugins is 58 on a WooCommerce store. So compatibility-wise, you have to make sure that all 58 of those are ready to move beyond PHP 7.4 before you upgrade. But also, why so many and what do the annual costs look like? Not all of those plugins are going to be free. I know a lot of WooCommerce plugins cost an annual fee.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Yeah. I think we are always, and I think that comes with a caveat with this report, we&#8217;re looking at stores that are willing to pay us, Metorik, as an app, at least $20 a month, and in most cases, $100 plus a month for an app for their WooCommerce store. They aren&#8217;t reflective of every WooCommerce store. I think with that means they&#8217;re willing to spend for sure at least two, $3,000 a year on their website if they&#8217;re willing to pay that much to us as an app for their website. It&#8217;s reasonable to think that most of them would have 10, 20 plus active subscriptions, but with that cost comes so much value because a lot of these stores are doing significant numbers and significant volume. If they wanted to have a similar setup, an equivalent setup on another platform like Shopify, they would be looking at a larger annual cost for sure.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />I enjoyed the section about order milestones. I spent quite a while looking at that and trying to visualize the typical store and how long it takes them to get any significant momentum and so on. It is interesting to see that the majority, 76%, get to a thousand orders and it takes just over a year, whereas it&#8217;s a pretty small number that make a hundred thousand orders ever, which is 7.9%, and that takes multiple years. A million orders, which kind of makes sense, is only 1%. It&#8217;s interesting to see the</p>



<p>dropoff. It made me wonder how WooCommerce compared with that regard to other platforms that might be more enterprise-tailored or something, whereas lots of WooCommerce stores are more small.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Yeah, that&#8217;s a good point. Look, Shopify for sure, I think the number would be a bit quicker, but I don&#8217;t know necessarily how many are getting to that scale as well. I think it would be similar, but again, I do think it always comes back to if the store is investing a lot more in their online presence through paying more for the ecommerce platform, through spending more on hosting or developers or marketing costs, any of those things, they&#8217;re typically going to be a bigger store. I think WooCommerce by default is a cheaper option, so you do tend to get stores that invest less in marketing at the start. But then that&#8217;s what we saw that I found really interesting with this report. You kind of get to that a hundred K, and we didn&#8217;t have enough time to really show a good picture between that a hundred and a million, but you scale so much faster at that point because you&#8217;ve already got the momentum, you&#8217;ve already got the infrastructure set up, and probably more than anything, you&#8217;re at a point in the business where you want to invest in marketing and other ways to improve your store.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />It kind of fits with a theory I&#8217;ve been developing about the way that WordPress and WooCommerce are growing more widely. If you look at data on Built With, which I was looking at yesterday, I think I tweeted about it actually, if you look at WordPress and WooCommerce&#8217;s growth for the top hundred thousand sites, the top million sites, they&#8217;re actually going down a bit. They&#8217;re declining, but then if you tick the whole internet box on Built With, they&#8217;re going up quite rapidly. So that says to me that the growth is in the smaller websites, and I thought that might fit with your data that the majority have a smaller number of orders as well.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Yeah. I think the tricky thing with all of those numbers that are out there with Built With in different companies that try to track the state of ecommerce across the whole internet is that we just don&#8217;t know how many of those sites are actually operating and have at least 20 sales a year. You&#8217;ve got to learn a hundred, and I think really the number of stores that is like sub a hundred orders a year is the majority probably. And that&#8217;s okay. There&#8217;s still so many stores out there that are doing larger numbers, but especially with sites that are just being set up and not running, you can do that basically for free on WooCommerce. We always have to take those numbers with a grain of salt.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />Yeah, I was looking at that chart as well. Less than 10% of stores make it to that a hundred thousand plus orders mark within an average time of four years or so to make it to this milestone. Why do you think stores don&#8217;t stick it out? The average time to a million plus is like six years. Is it just a patience issue? Do people just need to be in it for the long run? Do people give up too early?</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Maybe. Maybe they&#8217;ve switched platforms as well. It&#8217;s hard to really paint that picture in a report like this, but it&#8217;s something that we see tends to happen. Stores get to a certain size and they end up then wanting to try a different platform, become Shopify or something custom. I&#8217;ve seen stores go to Magento, and so I think that sometimes can be a reason. But also it&#8217;s just really hard to get to that scale. You see people on Shopify, especially because they send out these trophies and things like that to commemorate when you get to certain milestones, they send a physical item. I think you order it through them to merchants and you see people posting on Twitter, but the reality is there aren&#8217;t that many stores that are getting a million plus orders. That&#8217;s a big volume. If you&#8217;re doing a hundred plus average AOV, that&#8217;s like a hundred million. So a more realistic average Woo store, I don&#8217;t think we published it in it. The number I was seeing was something like off the top of my head, 30, 40,000 orders, something around that bracket. But that&#8217;s still massive, especially if an average order is a hundred dollars.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />The ones that are switching platforms, what is making them want to do that? What is WooCommerce not doing well at a hundred thousand or a million orders?</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />That&#8217;s probably an episode in itself just because it&#8217;s such a big thing to unpack. At that scale, stores are thinking about what matters to them. What I&#8217;ve found, it&#8217;s not even about reliability, but having someone to depend on. I think Shopify does that well. It&#8217;s like a safety net. A merchant running on that, even if their site does go down, it&#8217;s like it&#8217;s going down with every other Shopify site and that gives them some confidence. Shopify&#8217;s reliability recently has been really good. So a lot of it is peace of mind. Merchants don&#8217;t want to be technical. They don&#8217;t want to get in the weeds that much. They really just want to run their shop and not think about plugin updates or anything.</p>



<p>When I see a lot of WooCommerce agencies now pop up that are focusing on maintenance plans and things like that, that&#8217;s really good and a step in the right direction. But it needs to come as well with the reliability or the escape, the reassurance that someone&#8217;s got your back if the site goes down and you&#8217;re not going to lose your order data and things like that. The cost to a store if their site goes down and they have to restore to a backup and it&#8217;s eight hours before, and in that time they had orders, it&#8217;s such a big cost that it would almost pay for a subscription for Shopify or something else in a year. If it&#8217;s going to solve it by going to one of those platforms, they&#8217;re going to do it. There needs to be enough upside for them to stay with Woo.</p>



<p>For a lot of stores, subscriptions are amazing and above, beyond what most subscription platforms that exist for Shopify allow. The cost of running on Woo is low. If you can do that at scale and you can really optimize your site and handle how you tackle downtime, but also have a good backup plan, have a good recovery plan, then you start to save several hundred thousand a year with Woo if you&#8217;re a big store and maybe even a million plus if you&#8217;re doing tens of millions a year in revenue. Woo has a lot of advantages. It&#8217;s just about finding the disadvantages and trying to solve them.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />Marcus, did you have any questions about the average order stuff or the refunds?</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />I had one. You have a note on the refund section that physical goods are refunded at lower amounts than software because of the low overhead for software. In general, the outlier here seems to be clothing and footwear. I think I have an idea, but what makes that industry have the highest refund rate?</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />It&#8217;s probably one of the most compelling things you can offer as a business in that industry is free returns and really to almost encourage them and say, order from us as much as you want, and then the few things you don&#8217;t want to send it back will include a free return bag because that&#8217;s really how those stores start to get higher AOV. I think it&#8217;s a symptom of that, but it&#8217;s probably by design and it probably does actually increase the AOV for that industry quite a lot more than what it would be without it.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />I see that online learning has an 85% refund rate, which is kind of scary because it makes me think that people are abusing it potentially.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Oh no, that&#8217;s only 85% of the refund amount, not refund rate.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />Oh, okay. Yeah,</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />I&#8217;d be surprised if they were doing well enough to keep running their shop with that much of a refund rate.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />Oh, the amounts 1.5%. Yeah, that&#8217;s better.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Exactly. The one that we want to highlight with the refund amount was just to show, when a refund does happen, is it a full refund? Is it a partial one? I found that interesting with some consumable ones like food and beverage, the refund amount on average is 56%. That would indicate that a lot of stores are doing partial refunds. Maybe one of the items they&#8217;re not happy with is not worth the cost of returning it, while software or online learning, it&#8217;s 80-85% because it&#8217;s a digital item. You can effectively refund the whole thing without incurring a major cost as a store.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />Those are a little harder to partially refund too. Refund a handful of lessons from a course. You&#8217;re either refunding the course or you&#8217;re not refunding the course.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Exactly. You might as well, if you&#8217;re having a credit cost as a software business, just find a solution like that. I&#8217;m sure you&#8217;ve experienced the thing, both of you, over the years with WooCommerce and WordPress support. Sometimes just to solve it, let them move on, give them a refund rather than try to hold on to 70 or 80% of the money or even 20-30% of the money. Risk covering someone who really has it out for you after that and wouldn&#8217;t speak favorably about you.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />I thought the devices section was interesting. We&#8217;ll all have heard many stats way before this report that the majority of online shoppers are using mobile devices. I&#8217;ve always kind of ignored that on my own website because we sell WordPress plugins. The vast majority are sitting at their desks on their desktops.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />What percent is, in your case?</p>



<p>Katie:<br />I can&#8217;t remember off the top of my head, but it&#8217;s like, I don&#8217;t know, 70 or 80% or something on desktop, which makes sense. You don&#8217;t buy a plugin on your phone, do you? You&#8217;re at work.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />I hadn&#8217;t realized that we had this in the report, I forgot,</p>



<p>but it says it there. Software stores have the most desktop-driven customers with 79% of orders being placed on a desktop device.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />Which makes sense.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />That checks out.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />For other industries, obviously mobile&#8217;s important for my business as well, but it&#8217;s more so for things like clothes where people are buying from their sofas and so on. It was interesting seeing that the average order value placed on desktop is significantly higher than people ordering on their mobiles. Even if you are in a mobile-first industry, you do really need to think about those desktop users because even if they&#8217;re buying clothes or something that suggests to me that they&#8217;re having a serious session of buying clothes, they&#8217;re sitting at their computer, got multiple tabs open, it&#8217;s a very different experience and they spend more.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />That&#8217;s a good point. Another common one is if you&#8217;re buying an appliance or an electronic product, a lot of those decisions are made at the computer where you can really take the time to research, look at five different tabs and then check out. That&#8217;s a kind of trend with a lot of these numbers. A lot of them aren&#8217;t as surprising, but the actual level that the number ended up at, in this case, 38 to 62, I didn&#8217;t know that until we pulled that. Actually, to be fair, I didn&#8217;t realize that the desktop AOV would be that much higher. If you just asked me off the top of my head, I would&#8217;ve guessed anecdotally 30-40%, not almost double. I think it just comes down to when you&#8217;re doing a high-value order, when you are spending several hundred dollars in a shop, you&#8217;re going to probably do it on a computer. Typically they&#8217;re going to move to a desktop for those transactions.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />Yeah. I also was interested for the same reason in that section. It kind of made me think about my purchasing habits and maybe how important it is for stores to have carts that you can move between mobile and desktop via login or something. I spend a lot of time browsing on my mobile device and I&#8217;ll toss things in the cart, but then by the time I&#8217;m ready to make a purchase, I might hop over to the computer. I&#8217;ve got desktop extensions that help with coupon codes and all of that kind of thing that I can take advantage of that I don&#8217;t have on my mobile device. Really a lot of the purchasing, I would guess that I&#8217;m not in the minority, that there&#8217;s a lot of folks that are browsing on their mobile and then making an actual final purchase on their desktop, especially like you said, with high order value items and orders and stuff. Just being able to, Amazon obviously, right? I&#8217;ll toss a bunch of things in an Amazon cart and then, because I&#8217;m logged in, I can log back in on the computer and finish that order. The importance of having a system like that, maybe for even smaller stores to be able to jump between devices and keep your cart.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />It&#8217;s an interesting product idea, really. I think we kind of do that, and a lot of plugins do that in a small way through abandoned cart tracking and being able to send a link that just restores it in one click, which is close. But I&#8217;m just thinking about, it&#8217;d be quite cool, even just a simple plugin that was just like, send me a link right now just to access this cart on a computer. That would probably have some value rather than being this whole thing to track carts. It can tie into that, but I think just as a core feature, I want to move this cart to a desktop.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />Speaking of recovered carts, I also saw in the report that the average order value of recovered carts is about 30% higher than even regular placed orders. The report states it&#8217;s because customers tend to add multiple items into their cart before making a decision. Then they get that abandoned cart link and they come back and place the order. What are some good abandoned cart strategies to recover these carts?</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Offer an incentive, and I think the incentive should be specific to your store and the situation you&#8217;re in. There&#8217;s no one size fits all. We kind of lead into this in one of the other pages where we talk about later in the report to do with the AOV of free shipping versus paid shipping orders. Something interesting with that is figuring out where your AOV is. In that case, if we&#8217;re looking at the cart report, it&#8217;s around 120, which is where the average cart value was when they got placed. Maybe you&#8217;d be wanting to incentivize people to spend over 150 and get free shipping or over 150 and get 10% off because at least then you&#8217;re increasing your AOV by 40-50% at the cost of a 10-15% discount. I think that&#8217;s one way, but otherwise, it&#8217;s also about using the moment when you try to recover a cart as a marketing opportunity. It&#8217;s not just saying, recover your cart, but maybe you should also add this item based on what you already have in your cart. It ends up being an actual win for the customer because they might discover something that they didn&#8217;t know about, and they&#8217;re getting a better deal with maybe they&#8217;re getting free shipping as well.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />I didn&#8217;t see in the report numbers on the percentage of stores using abandoned cart recovery versus not using abandoned cart recovery practices. Do you have maybe anecdotal numbers on how many people are actually taking advantage of that?</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />That&#8217;s a good question. Again, in our case, it&#8217;s all limited to the scope of Metorik because someone would have to turn on the cart tracking feature. We have then opted to pay extra for our email feature to send an abandoned cart email, which is why we didn&#8217;t go too deep into that because it&#8217;s just not big enough scale to be too insightful. Of the stores actually adding, anecdotally, it&#8217;s like 20-30% of our stores are trying to recover carts, not enough. It&#8217;s very common that I&#8217;ll meet really successful stores that are doing significant numbers but aren&#8217;t really focusing on abandoned cart recovery, but also failed order recovery and really simple actions like that alone will pay for the cost of Metorik or any other plugin or app to do it. You just need to recover several carts and you can recover the cost of the software to do it. It&#8217;s worth investing in for almost any business. Again, it depends on the industry and the business and the brand and all those factors. It&#8217;s never one size fits all.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />Katie, is that something that you guys think about for the plugins? I don&#8217;t know how that works with EDD or any of the setup that you guys have. I know that you have demos with InstaWP, and you&#8217;re tracking all that stuff too. Is abandoned cart recovery something that you guys talk about?</p>



<p>Katie:<br />Yeah. I miss Jilt. I know you used to work for that company. That was the best.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Jilt was such a great product.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />Such a shame. We now use Recapture, which is nowhere near as good as Jilt was, but it kind of does the job. The data isn&#8217;t brilliant. It&#8217;s pretty basic, but we do recover a lot of carts that way, which as Bryce said, more than pays for Recapture. We also use it for post-purchase emails, like sending a discount code to people a few days after they make a purchase and stuff like that. We do get our money&#8217;s worth out of Recapture. There isn&#8217;t, for Easy Digital Downloads, a particularly professional abandoned cart solution. I think a lot of mailing list providers like MailChimp and so on integrate with WooCommerce as well as you having your own paid feature, Bryce, as well. Hopefully it&#8217;s better for WooCommerce than EDD.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />There&#8217;s definitely more options for Woo. I don&#8217;t think, again, Woo is typically a second-class citizen in a way on every platform. They&#8217;ll tend to just do it as an afterthought, so you don&#8217;t get maybe enough tracked or accuracy when it comes to carts. A lot of our cart tracking was inspired by Jilt. I think the whole team did such a good job on that product. We took a lot of inspiration from that. Klaviyo and all those apps that do integrate with Woo, MailChimp, they&#8217;re going to be thinking about Woo once every few months. It&#8217;s not like an active daily thought in how they develop and improve the product. It&#8217;s really fun for me to try to prioritize Woo and think, how can I make the best possible product for these merchants that typically aren&#8217;t getting anything made for them?</p>



<p>Katie:<br />On the country and currency section, I thought it was strange that there&#8217;s a significantly higher average order value when the customer is not in the store&#8217;s default currency. So if it&#8217;s a store in the US and they offer in British pounds, then there&#8217;d be a higher average order value on average than the US dollars. I can&#8217;t think of any reason why. Can you?</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Yeah, no, definitely. I think it actually leads into two pages forward where we talk about, or several pages forward where we talk about delivery distances and how people typically spend more when they&#8217;re ordering from further away. A lot of it comes down to when you are ordering from a store in a remote area, it&#8217;s a bigger deal. You might have to pay more for shipping. It might be something you can do less frequently because of the cost. The average order tends to be higher because of that reason, where they&#8217;re trying to maximize that moment where they are making a purchase. It does lead into that idea where stores that offer free shipping end up having a higher AOV, and that can encourage higher spending. If you&#8217;re in an international country paying in a different currency, that free shipping could make a difference and make you spend a lot more.</p>



<p>Personally, I do that all the time. Being in Australia, most of the things I&#8217;m buying online are from overseas, and I will always spend even double or triple to get free shipping, which isn&#8217;t logical in that way, but no one likes</p>



<p>paying for shipping. I don&#8217;t want to pay 20 pounds to ship something from the UK. I would much rather just pay 300 pounds and get free shipping, but I get 300 pounds worth of items. It&#8217;s a weird thing, but I think a lot of people I spoke to about this report, especially Australian people, but really anyone American ordering from Europe or Europe ordering from America or Asia from anywhere in the world, you want to maximize those purchases to get free shipping, but also it might just not be something you do frequently because you have to wait several weeks for the delivery to come. So you want to spend a bit more instead of something local where you can order several times in a week and it&#8217;s not going to be that much of a delay.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />I&#8217;m an Amazon Prime member, like many folks, at least in the US, probably all over the world, so I&#8217;m used to the free shipping. I was going to say, it&#8217;s no surprise that free shipping increases the average order value, but also I&#8217;m wondering if we&#8217;ve all been kind of conditioned to expect free shipping as an option. It shows in the report that about two-thirds of stores are offering it. What advice would you have for the third of stores that are not yet offering free shipping? Is it just a barrier for them?</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />I don&#8217;t remember if we actually had the number of stores that offer free shipping, but I know that 66% of orders did have free shipping, which as a sheer number of orders is significant. But I&#8217;m curious, for stores that don&#8217;t offer free shipping, is that just a no-brainer that you should offer free shipping? That&#8217;ll basically guarantee a higher average order value?</p>



<p>Not necessarily on every order, especially if your shipping costs are high. It&#8217;s feasible, but you need to figure out what is your shipping cost. Not just what you&#8217;re charging customers, because a lot of stores tend to charge a bit more. What&#8217;s your actual cost? What would your cost be if you were able to have double the number of orders because you&#8217;re offering free shipping? The cost might come down with that volume. But I would say figure out your cost and then factor that in. If I know my average cost is $9 and my average order is $50, if I could make free shipping over 90 or 80, it&#8217;s like I&#8217;m getting 30, $40 more revenue at a cost of nine or $10. It typically comes down to that, figuring out where you&#8217;re at, but where you want to get to. Free shipping is just a lever to get there. Abandoned cart discounts are another way, multiple different paths, and it depends on the store.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />That fits quite nicely into the page about delivery distances and where you talk about how far away people are ordering. It looks like the majority of stores are doing proper shipping, and they&#8217;re not just delivering pizza places delivering within a few miles. There&#8217;s a lot of people delivering, even thousands of kilometers, aren&#8217;t there?</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Yeah, I think I&#8217;m just looking at that report as well. Sure, under a thousand kilometers looks like it&#8217;s around 50% of orders. But that&#8217;s a significant number of orders that are going a further distance, which is great. That&#8217;s what ecommerce is about. It&#8217;s about enabling people to buy the items that they normally couldn&#8217;t get locally. Being in a pretty remote place like Australia, you really appreciate it. So much stuff I love that I have to get from overseas. In my case, every order is traveling 10,000k or more. That probably brings it up a little bit.</p>



<p>Marcus:<br />You alone are making up that 3% of orders that travel more than 10,000 kilometers.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />In some industries, maybe. I did buy a lot of stuff from the UK recently.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />I never knew that about Australia.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Of course, we have so many amazing Australian brands and products and companies to buy from, but if you&#8217;re into a niche thing, I really love synthesizers. A lot of that&#8217;s not coming from Australia or records as well. They&#8217;re coming from America, Japan, places like that.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />I have a similar issue in Spain. Nearly everything is not available from Spain and I need to order it from elsewhere. So then there is that, depending on where you live.</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />It goes back to that if you are ordering from somewhere domestically in Spain, you don&#8217;t need to really maximize that order as much as you are ordering from the states and have to incur shipping. You&#8217;d probably want to add a couple more items because you&#8217;re not going to make that order from the US every week, but you might do that domestically.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />Well, thank you so much, Bryce. That&#8217;s been really interesting, and I think it&#8217;s given us some good perspectives on WooCommerce that we never had access to before. So that&#8217;s really helpful. Thank you so much. Before we finish, can you tell us where we can find you online and also where we can read the report in full?</p>



<p>Bryce:<br />Yeah, of course. For me, I&#8217;m on Twitter at BryceAdams. I don&#8217;t tweet much, but I&#8217;m trying to be better and taking a lot of inspiration from you, Katie, to try to engage more. The report is on Metorik at <a href="https://metorik.com/woocommerce-insights" rel="nofollow">https://metorik.com/woocommerce-insights</a>. I hope people love it and really let us know your feedback because if there are metrics that people want or would find useful for their business, we want to include those next year. A lot of this was just done on what we thought people would want, but we really do want to build it for not just our customers, but the WooCommerce community. It&#8217;d be great to hear more about what numbers would be of value to them.</p>



<p>Katie:<br />Excellent. Well, thank you so much.</p>
</div>




<p>In this episode of <strong>Woo BizChat</strong>, hosts <strong>Marcus Burnette</strong> and <strong>Katie Keith</strong> chat with <strong>Bryce Adams, founder of Metorik</strong>, to discuss his recently published first <em><strong>Metorik Insights Report for WooCommerce</strong></em>.</p>



<p>The deep dive conversation spans a variety of topics, including the average age of WooCommerce stores, the impact of COVID-19 on ecommerce, and the significance of tracking costs and profits. </p>



<p>Bryce shares valuable insights on the challenges and opportunities faced by WooCommerce store owners, shedding light on the trends and patterns observed across thousands of stores using Metorik&#8217;s analytics and email automation tools.</p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-gray-background-color has-background"><strong><a href="https://metorik.com/woocommerce-insights">Download the Metorik Insights for WooCommerce</a></strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Highlights</h2>



<p><strong>Bryce discusses the impact of COVID-19 on ecommerce</strong>, noting significant growth in existing stores during the pandemic.</p>



<p><strong>The need for better integration of cost and profit tracking features</strong> in WooCommerce core is highlighted.</p>



<p><strong>Prevalence of Elementor and Classic Editor</strong> among top themes and plugins in WooCommerce stores is discussed.</p>



<p><strong>Continued reliance on PHP 7.4</strong> in many WooCommerce stores is noted.</p>



<p><strong>Successful WooCommerce stores</strong> often have numerous active plugins and subscriptions, leading to higher costs.</p>



<p><strong>Order milestones are explored</strong>, revealing why only a small percentage of stores reach a million orders.</p>



<p><strong>Strategies for abandoned cart recovery</strong> are covered, including offering incentives and using recovery attempts as marketing opportunities.</p>



<p><strong>Recovered carts typically have higher average order values</strong>, emphasizing the importance of effective recovery strategies.</p>



<p><strong>The role of free shipping </strong>in boosting average order values is examined.</p>



<p><strong>The impact of delivery distances</strong> on ecommerce purchasing behavior is discussed, with insights into how customers maximize their purchases.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Links</h3>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong><a href="https://metorik.com/">Metorik.com</a></strong></li>



<li><strong><a href="https://metorik.com/woocommerce-insights">Download the Metorik Insights for WooCommerce</a></strong></li>



<li><strong><a href="https://x.com/bryceadams">Bryce Adams on X</a></strong></li>
</ul>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 01 Jul 2024 08:07:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:46;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:11:"
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:1:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:85:"HeroPress: Voices Of WordCamp Europe: Josephine (Rahissa) Ngo Nonog and Herman Ngembu";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://heropress.com/?p=7182";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:209:"https://heropress.com/voices-of-wordcamp-europe-josephine-rahissa-ngo-nonog-and-herman-ngembu/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=voices-of-wordcamp-europe-josephine-rahissa-ngo-nonog-and-herman-ngembu";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:836:"<img width="1024" height="590" src="https://heropress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/jo_herman-1024x590.webp" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="" /><p></p>



<p>A big goal of mine was to meet people for the first time.  Rahissa and Herman fit the bill.  I saw them across the room and simply asked if I could interview them.</p>



<p>They came to Italy from Cameroon as students and someone said they should try WordCamp.  I&#8217;ll let the interview tell the rest of their story.</p>



Josephine (Rahissa) Ngo Nonog and Herman Ngembu Interview


<p>The post <a href="https://heropress.com/voices-of-wordcamp-europe-josephine-rahissa-ngo-nonog-and-herman-ngembu/">Voices Of WordCamp Europe: Josephine (Rahissa) Ngo Nonog and Herman Ngembu</a> appeared first on <a href="https://heropress.com">HeroPress</a>.</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 01 Jul 2024 08:00:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:47;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:79:"Do The Woo Community: Press Release: Do the Woo 4.0 Launches at WordCamp Europe";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:25:"https://bobwp.com/?p=7063";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:77:"https://dothewoo.io/press-release-do-the-woo-4-0-launches-at-wordcamp-europe/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5714:"<p><strong>For Immediate Release</strong></p>



<p><strong>Do the Woo 4.0 Official Launch: Elevating Voices in the WordPress Community</strong></p>



<p>WordCamp Europe, June 9, 2024 — We are thrilled to announce the official launch of Do the Woo 4.0, marking a significant milestone in our journey to build a vibrant community for WordPress and WooCommerce builders and businesses. This launch coincides with the first day of WordCamp Europe.</p>



<p>Since 2018, Do the Woo has evolved through continuously, growing both in content and community engagement. The decision to move Do the Woo to its own site in late 2022 was the first major step for the future. As we entered 2023, our mission began to extend beyond WooCommerce to encompass the broader WordPress ecosystem. The idea was simple: elevate voices and create a podcast by the community, for the community.</p>



<p>At the beginning of 2023, planning for the new started and in October, we solidified our efforts, with the goal of showcasing the diverse range of the Do the Woo podcast channel with our shows. With significant support from WordPress.com, this vision became a reality, culminating in a redesigned site that went live in March.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This week, we start our prelaunch. The official launch will be on June 13, 2024, when we will proudly unveil the fully developed Do the Woo 4.0.</p>



<p><strong>Key Features of Do the Woo 4.0</strong></p>



<p><strong>Comprehensive Podcast Lineup:</strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>With the official launch, we now have a total of <a href="https://dothewoo.io/our-shows/">12 shows</a> and <a href="https://dothewoo.io/about-the-woocommerce-builder-community/">26 hosts</a>, including our latest addition focused on <a href="https://dothewoo.io/podcasts/scaling-enterprise-wordpress-and-open-source-software/">enterprise WordPress and open-source software (OSS)</a>. <a href="https://dothewoo.io/our-shows/">Each show has its own dedicated page</a>, allowing listeners to learn about the series, explore past episodes, and subscribe to their favorite content.</p>



<p><strong>Enhanced User Experience:</strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>Our top priority was to provide an easy way for listeners to subscribe to the shows they want. They can subscribe to individual shows or opt for the full Do the Woo feed if they want to stay updated on all content.</p>



<p><strong>Global Community Representation:&nbsp;</strong></p>



<p>The <a href="https://dothewoo.io/about-the-woocommerce-builder-community/">About page</a> features a dynamic map showcasing our hosts, sponsors, and guests from around the world. This interactive feature highlights the global reach and diverse backgrounds of our contributors.</p>



<p><strong>Support for Hosts</strong>:&nbsp;</p>



<p>We’ve introduced a <a href="https://dothewoo.io/support/">new support option</a> on our site, allowing listeners to support specific shows and their volunteer hosts. This initiative aims to sustain the high-quality content produced by our dedicated team and support them in their travels and contributions to the community.</p>



<p><strong>Special Acknowledgments</strong></p>



<p><strong>Partners:</strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>We extend our heartfelt thanks to WordPress.com, WooCommerce, and Jetpack for their unwavering belief in our community and the incredible support they have provided.</p>



<p><strong>Sponsors:</strong>&nbsp;</p>



<p>Do the Woo&#8217;s existence and growth are made possible by our sponsors. We express our deepest gratitude to our current sponsors: Airwallex, Avalara, Cloudways, GoDaddy, Hostinger, Omnisend, and Weglot. Their commitment to our community is invaluable.</p>



<p><strong>Podcast episodes for the launch week scheduled to go out</strong></p>



<p>June 10: <strong><a href="https://dothewoo.io/do-the-woo-4-0-this-week-at-wordcamp-europe/">Do the Woo 4.0, This Week at WordCamp Europe</a></strong></p>



<p>June 11: <strong><a href="https://dothewoo.io/a-new-show-scaling-enterprise-wordpress-and-oss/">A New Show, Scaling Enterprise, WordPress and OSS</a></strong></p>



<p>June 12: <a href="https://dothewoo.io/a-pre-launch-chat-with-jay-walsh-at-woocommerce/"><strong>A Pre-Launch Chat with Jay Walsh at WooCommerce</strong></a></p>



<p>June 13: <strong><a href="https://dothewoo.io/thinking-about-our-launch-on-wceu-contributor-day/">Thinking About Our Launch on WCEU Contributor Day</a></strong></p>



<p>June 14: <strong><a href="https://dothewoo.io/do-the-woo-podcast-channel-4-0-official-launch/">Do the Woo Podcast Channel 4.0 Official Launch</a></strong></p>



<p>June 15: <strong><a href="https://dothewoo.io/learn-about-all-the-shows-on-the-do-the-woo-podcast-channel/">Learn About All the Shows on the Do the Woo Podcast Channel</a></strong></p>



<p><strong>Join Us</strong></p>



<p>We invite you to explore the new Do the Woo 4.0 at <a href="http://DotheWoo.io">DotheWoo.io</a>. Whether you are a developer, a business owner, or simply a WordPress enthusiast, there is something for everyone. Take a moment to browse through the site, subscribe to your favorite shows, and consider supporting our hosts.</p>



<p>For more information, to be featured on a podcast, or to discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact BobWP directly. We have exciting plans ahead and look forward to sharing them with you.</p>



<p><strong>Contact:</strong></p>



<p>BobWP</p>



<p>Email: info@dothewoo.io</p>



<p>Website: <a href="https://dothewoo.io">https://dothewoo.io</a></p>



<p>Thank you for being part of our community and for your continued support. We can&#8217;t wait to see where this journey takes us next.</p>



<p>###</p>



<p>End of Press Release</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sun, 30 Jun 2024 09:30:42 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"BobWP";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:48;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"bbPress: bbPress 2.6.11 is out!";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:29:"https://bbpress.org/?p=240802";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:55:"https://bbpress.org/blog/2024/06/bbpress-2-6-11-is-out/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1322:"<p>bbPress 2.6.11 is a <strong>minor</strong> release that fixes <a href="https://bbpress.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=closed&group=resolution&milestone=2.6.10">13 relatively small bugs</a> reported over the past few years.</p>



<p>Most notably, it improves HTML output escaping in the topic &amp; reply forms (nothing serious, just some entities showing up where they should not), prevents a bunch of different debug notices from filling up error logs, and also updates some code to avoid deprecated notices from testing with the latest version(s) of WordPress itself.</p>



<p>All of these fixes have already been merged up into the 2.7 development branch.</p>



<p>If you&#8217;re paying really close attention, you may be wondering &#8220;hey John, what happened to 2.6.10?&#8221; </p>



<p>Well&#8230; I botched it. It&#8217;s been a while, ok? <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/72x72/1f926-200d-2642-fe0f.png" alt="🤦‍♂️" class="wp-smiley" /> And 2.6.11 is good to go.</p>



<p>Huge thanks to <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/eusebiuoprinoiu/">Eusebiu</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/kcristiano/">Kevin</a>, and (as always) <a href="https://bbpress.org/forums/profile/robin-w/">Robin W</a> for being super fast with their feedback and just generally awesome!</p>";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 29 Jun 2024 17:58:35 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:17:"John James Jacoby";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:49;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:13:"
	
	
	
	
	
	
";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:2:{s:0:"";a:5:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:130:"Gutenberg Times: 796 Block themes, alternatives to custom block dev, game’s a changing for custom fields — Weekend Edition 297";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35:"https://gutenbergtimes.com/?p=29017";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:114:"https://gutenbergtimes.com/796-block-themes-games-a-changing-for-custom-fields-more-dev-notes-weekend-edition-297/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:22533:"<p>Hi there, </p>



<p>I love the excitement of a major WordPress release! All the new features and update coming to WordPress. The theme building becomes easier and easier to provide great design solutions for content creators and site builders. </p>



<p>You&#8217;ll find lots of information in these editions and I also highlight a few upcoming events, two virtual one in-person. And recordings of previous events, so you can catch up on Developer Hours and Hallway Hangouts. </p>



<p>Yours, 💕<br /><em>Birgit</em></p>



<p>In this week&#8217;s <a href="https://wpbuilds.com/2024/06/25/this-week-in-wordpress-299/">This Week in WordPress #299</a> &#8220;We have all the Birgit&#8217;s and Remkus&#8221;. It again was a fun show and great to catch up with Birgit Olzem, Remkus de Vries and Nathan Wrigley on WordCamp Europe, and the upcoming WordPress 6.6 release. </p>



<a href="https://wpbuilds.com/2024/06/25/this-week-in-wordpress-299/"><img width="652" height="367" tabindex="0" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/This-Week-in-WordPress-299.jpg?resize=652%2C367&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-29081" /></a>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p>If you want to learn more about my non-WordPress self, Bud Kraus and I chatted on the <a href="https://seriouslybud.com/birgit-pauli-haack/"><strong>Seriously, Bud? Podcast episode</strong></a> </p>



<div class="wp-block-group has-light-background-background-color has-background"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow">
<p><strong>Table of contents</strong></p>



<ol><li><a class="wp-block-table-of-contents__entry" href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/796-block-themes-games-a-changing-for-custom-fields-more-dev-notes-weekend-edition-297/#0-word-press-release-information">Developing Gutenberg and WordPress</a><ol><li><a class="wp-block-table-of-contents__entry" href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/796-block-themes-games-a-changing-for-custom-fields-more-dev-notes-weekend-edition-297/#upcoming">Upcoming Events</a></li></ol></li><li><a class="wp-block-table-of-contents__entry" href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/796-block-themes-games-a-changing-for-custom-fields-more-dev-notes-weekend-edition-297/#wordpress-6-6">WordPress 6.6</a></li><li><a class="wp-block-table-of-contents__entry" href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/796-block-themes-games-a-changing-for-custom-fields-more-dev-notes-weekend-edition-297/#plugins-themes-and-tools-for-nocode-site-builders-and-owners">Plugins, Themes, and Tools for #nocode site builders and owners</a></li><li><a class="wp-block-table-of-contents__entry" href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/796-block-themes-games-a-changing-for-custom-fields-more-dev-notes-weekend-edition-297/#2-word-press-6-0-1-and-6-1-scheduled">Theme Development for Full Site Editing and Blocks</a></li><li><a class="wp-block-table-of-contents__entry" href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/796-block-themes-games-a-changing-for-custom-fields-more-dev-notes-weekend-edition-297/#3-building-themes-for-fse-and-word-press">Building Blocks and Tools for the Block editor. </a></li></ol>
</div></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="0-word-press-release-information">Developing Gutenberg and WordPress</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="upcoming">Upcoming Events</h3>



<p>July 9th, 2024, 15:00 UTC &#8211; <strong>Developer Hours</strong>: <a href="https://www.meetup.com/learn-wordpress-online-workshops/events/301834541/"><strong>Editor unification and extensibility in WordPress 6.6</strong></a>. </p>



<p>In this Developer Hours session, Nick Diego and Ryan Welcherwill explore how these updates can streamline your development process and enhance extensibility like never before. You will learn how to:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Extend the Post and Site Editor using slots and why you might want to do so</li>



<li>Display content only when specific conditions are met, such as when editing a custom post type</li>



<li>Update existing extensions to work in both the Post and Site Editor</li>



<li>Ensure updated extensions are backward compatible with WordPress 6.5 and lower&#8221;</li>
</ul>



<a href="https://www.meetup.com/learn-wordpress-online-workshops/events/301834541/"><img width="600" height="338" tabindex="0" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/600_521936273.webp?resize=600%2C338&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-29070" /></a>



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<p><strong>WordCamp Canada</strong> will take place between <strong>July 11 and 13, 2024&nbsp;</strong>Ottawa, ON Canada and they published <a href="https://canada.wordcamp.org/2024/schedule/">their fabulous schedule.</a> If you can join them in person, here are a few block related talks to attend. They will also be recorded and will make their way to WordPressTV and YouTube. </p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://canada.wordcamp.org/2024/session/your-wordpress-your-way-curating-the-editor-experience/">Your WordPress, Your Way: Curating the Editor Experience</a> with Nick Diego</li>



<li><a href="https://canada.wordcamp.org/2024/session/working-across-timezones-as-a-productive-developer/">Working across timezones as a productive developer</a> with Aurooba Ahmed </li>



<li><a href="https://canada.wordcamp.org/2024/session/creating-blocks-faster-than-a-cat-video-goes-viral-the-magic-of-create-block/">Creating Blocks Faster Than a Cat Video Goes Viral: The Magic of create-block</a> with Ryan Welcher</li>



<li><a href="https://canada.wordcamp.org/2024/session/state-of-multilingualism-in-wordpress/">State of Multilingualism in WordPress</a><a href="https://canada.wordcamp.org/2024/schedule/"> </a>with Robert Windisch</li>



<li></li>
</ul>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>July 23, 2024</strong>, at 15:00 UTC <a href="https://www.meetup.com/learn-wordpress-online-workshops/events/301860423/"><strong>Developer Hours: Do you really need a custom block? Let’s explore alternatives.</strong></a> <strong>Nick Diego</strong> and <strong>JuanMa Garrido</strong> will discuss the following scenarios</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>How to add new functionality to core blocks</li>



<li>How to use content-only editing and the allowedBlocks attribute in patterns</li>



<li>How to integrate block bindings and block variations</li>



<li>How to effectively use block locking and naming</li>



<li>How to create overrides in synced patterns</li>
</ul>



<a href="https://www.meetup.com/learn-wordpress-online-workshops/events/301860423/"><img width="600" height="338" tabindex="0" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/600_521958647.webp?resize=600%2C338&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-29071" /></a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="wordpress-6-6">WordPress 6.6</h2>



<p>This week, the release squad unleashed <a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2024/06/wordpress-6-6-rc1/"><strong>WordPress 6.6 RC 1</strong></a>. It&#8217;s now high time to test your themes, plugins, and sites for compatibility. If you want to explore what is new in WordPress 6.6, one way is outlined in the post to <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2024/06/03/help-test-wordpress-6-6/">Help test WordPress 6.6</a>.</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>Devnotes </strong>have been published together with the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/25/wordpress-6-6-field-guide/">WordPress 6.6 Field Guide</a> </p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/28/editing-custom-fields-from-connected-blocks/">Editing custom fields from connected blocks</a></li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/28/updates-to-the-interactivity-api-in-6-6/">Updates to the Interactivity API in 6.6</a> </li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/24/miscellaneous-editor-changes-in-wordpress-6-6/">Miscellaneous Editor changes in WordPress 6.6</a></li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/24/section-styles/">Section Styles</a> </li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/21/wordpress-6-6-css-specificity/">WordPress 6.6 CSS Specificity</a> </li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/20/roster-of-design-tools-per-block-wordpress-6-6-edition/">Roster of design tools per block (WordPress 6.6 edition)</a></li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/20/site-wide-background-images-in-wordpress-6-6/">Site-wide background images in WordPress 6.</a></li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/19/theme-json-version-3/">Theme.json version 3</a></li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/18/grid-layout-type/">Grid layout type</a></li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/18/editor-unified-extensibility-apis-in-6-6/">Editor: Unified Extensibility APIs in 6.6</a></li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/07/preparation-for-react-19-upgrade/">Preparation for React 19 Upgrade</a></li>



<li><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/06/jsx-in-wordpress-6-6/">JSX in WordPress 6.6</a></li>
</ul>



<a href="https://wordpress.org/news/2024/06/wordpress-6-6-rc1/"><img width="652" height="371" tabindex="0" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-28-at-11.35.47.png?resize=652%2C371&ssl=1" alt="Draft highlight grid by the design team. Changes might occur. " class="wp-image-29080" /></a>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>Anne McCarthy</strong> also posted the <a href="https://nomad.blog/2024/06/26/wordpress-6-6-source-of-truth/"><strong>Source of Truth on WordPress 6.6</strong></a> features. It again is a great source to learn about every feature that is coming to a WordPress instance near you on July 16, 2024, tag for theme authors, plugin authors, end users, and enterprise. </p>



<p class="has-accent-color has-light-background-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-bd161c98d845ccce6904985904015b6a">🎙️ Latest episode: <a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast/gutenberg-changelog-103-create-block-theme-wordpress-6-6-training-team/">Gutenberg Changelog #103 – Create Block Theme Plugin, WordPress 6.6, Gutenberg 18.7, and Updates from the Training Team </a> with Nadia Maya Ardiani</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p>In his <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/design/2024/06/17/design-share-58-jun-3-jun-14/"><strong>Design Share #58 (Jun 3-Jun 14)</strong></a>, <strong>Joen Asmussen</strong> shared the work by the WordPress design team in the previous two weeks, among them</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>A light Playground site update</li>



<li>Color &amp; Fill?</li>



<li>Fix site editor frame artifacts</li>
</ul>



<p>In <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/design/2024/06/28/design-share-59-jun-17-jun-28/"><strong>Design Share 59 (Jun 17-Jun&nbsp;28)</strong></a>, Asmussen highlighted: </p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Background/Image Tools</li>



<li>Rename of Fill → Grow for the Flex layouts. </li>



<li>Clean up of Dimension Tools</li>



<li>Aligning Naming Modals</li>



<li>Adding custom fields in data views</li>



<li>Design tools exploration: Contextual color controls and new panels for Background, and Elements</li>



<li>Lessons in Course page</li>



<li>Open Graph images</li>



<li>Theme preview</li>
</ul>



<p>Asmussen also lists helpful links to Figma Design Library, GitHub tracking issues and issues that need design work and feedback. Check in if you&#8217;d like to contribute with feedback and PRs.</p>



<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/design/2024/06/28/design-share-59-jun-17-jun-28/"><img width="652" height="330" tabindex="0" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-29-at-13.13.50.png?resize=652%2C330&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-29103" /></a><em>Mockup of possible screen to add Custom Fields in a very early exploration</em>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&#8220;Keeping up with Gutenberg &#8211; Index 2024&#8221;</a>&nbsp;</strong><br />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: <strong><strong><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index-2020/">2020</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index-2021/">2021</a></strong>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index-2022/">2022</a></strong></strong>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/gutenberg-index-2023">2023</a></strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="plugins-themes-and-tools-for-nocode-site-builders-and-owners">Plugins, Themes, and Tools for #nocode site builders and owners</h2>



<p>Did you know that there are now almost <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/tags/full-site-editing/"><strong>800 block themes </strong></a>available in the WordPress Theme Directory? 796 is today&#8217;s number. The most themes were built by the designers at <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/author/automattic/">Automattic: 183 themes</a>, of which the latest two are <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/sunderland/">Sunderland</a> and <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/otis/">Otis</a>. The designs from all theme designers become more and more interesting, for all kinds of use cases. If you haven&#8217;t done it recently, get our favorite beverage and start a browsing tour. You might be amazed what the Theme directory has to offer, especially after the refresh of the design and the new preview screens for patterns and style variations. </p>



<img width="652" height="184" tabindex="0" src="https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-29-at-13.06.03.png?resize=652%2C184&ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-29102" />



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>Bud Kraus</strong> explored the Block editor&#8217;s Command Palette and takes you along for the tour in his post <a href="https://www.hostinger.com/tutorials/wordpress-command-palette"><strong>Using the WordPress Command Palette to Work With Faster and Smarter</strong></a>. He <a href="https://x.com/joyofwp/status/1805563770384613555">commented on X</a>: &#8220;Even after writing this for Hostinger I still hardly use it. Maybe I am waiting for a more mature tool that we should see once the entire WP Admin gets overhauled.&#8221; What do you think? </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>Jamie Marsland</strong> summarized the most important features in his video: <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4D1dHTZvQQ">WordPress 6.6 &#8211; Huge Changes Coming Soon!</a></strong></p>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="toolbelt-video-wrapper"></div>
</div>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>WPBeginner</strong>&#8216;s editorial staff posted <a href="https://www.wpbeginner.com/news/whats-coming-in-wordpress-6-6-features-and-screenshots/"><strong>What’s Coming in WordPress 6.6 (Features and Screenshots)</strong></a> as a quick overview what will make it into the new version. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="2-word-press-6-0-1-and-6-1-scheduled">Theme Development for Full Site Editing and Blocks</h2>



<p><strong>Justin Tadlock</strong> and <strong>Nick Diego</strong> shared  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyYdkXAx7qw"><strong>What’s new for theme developers in WordPress 6.6</strong></a> in this week&#8217;s Developer Hours. The recording is available on YouTube and Presentation resources were shared in <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p9QzJ9MnFneoSun85f-6ZDRGJiIjlNNe2sqEcTGNDeM/edit#heading=h.uy7q2zyn0xy9"><em>this Google Doc</em></a>. &#8220;WordPress 6.6 will be released on July 16, 2024, bringing many exciting new features for theme developers. In this session, we explore how these updates can enhance your themes and streamline your development processes. Key highlights include: </p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Major upgrades to the block style variations system &#8211;</li>



<li>New color and typography-only style presets &#8211;</li>



<li>Enhanced grid layout options in the Group block</li>



<li>Specificity changes for Core styles &#8220;</li>
</ul>



<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="toolbelt-video-wrapper"></div>
</div>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p>Last week I already shared the short video by Beatrix Fialho, now you can follow the whole discussion via the <strong><a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/25/recap-hallway-hangout-theme-building-with-playground-create-block-theme-plugin-and-github/">Recap Hallway Hangout: Theme Building with Playground, Create-block-theme plugin, and GitHub</a></strong> with shared resources, step-by-step instructions, a recording of the full discussion and the transcript.</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>Carolina Nymark</strong>, core contributor and keeper of fullsiteediting.com updated lessons on her site to include the most recent changes in WordPress.</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://fullsiteediting.com/lessons/global-styles/">Global Styles &amp; theme.json</a></li>



<li><a href="https://fullsiteediting.com/lessons/theme-json-color-options/">Theme.json color options</a></li>



<li><a href="https://fullsiteediting.com/lessons/theme-json-font-size/">Theme.json typography: Font size</a></li>



<li><a href="https://fullsiteediting.com/lessons/theme-json-typography-font-styles/">Theme.json typography: Line height, font weight and more</a></li>



<li><a href="https://fullsiteediting.com/lessons/how-to-add-box-shadows-with-theme-json/">How to add shadows with theme.json</a></li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="3-building-themes-for-fse-and-word-press">Building Blocks and Tools for the Block editor. </h2>



<p><strong>Bernie Reiter</strong> published a <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/06/24/proposal-block-variation-aliases/"><strong>Proposal: Block Variation Aliases</strong></a> for WordPress 6.7 and request feedback on a new method to add Block variations specific class names in front end and database. It will have technical ramification regarding backwards compatibility. </p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" />



<p><strong>Brian Coords</strong> just released a video on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNtHywyxWdc"><strong>WordPress 6.6 is changing the game for Custom Fields</strong></a> in which he walks you through the power of block binding and locking down templates for editing. Later on, he also shows you how to Block Bindings with a block variation. Coords also provides example code. </p>



<p><strong><a href="https://gutenbergtimes.com/need-a-zip-from-master/">Need a plugin .zip from Gutenberg&#8217;s master branch?</a></strong><br />Gutenberg Times provides daily build for testing and review. </p>



<p>Now also available via <a href="https://playground.wordpress.net/?blueprint-url=https://gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/playnightly.json">WordPress Playground</a>. There is no need for a test site locally or on a server. Have you been using it? <a href="mailto:pauli@gutenbergtimes.com">Email me </a>with your experience</p>



<p><img alt="GitHub all releases" src="https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/bph/gutenberg/total?style=for-the-badge" /></p>



<p class="has-text-align-center has-small-font-size"><em>Questions? Suggestions? Ideas? </em><br /><em>Don&#8217;t hesitate to send <a href="mailto:pauli@gutenbergtimes.com">them via email</a> or</em><br /><em> send me a message on WordPress Slack or Twitter @bph</em>.</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />



<p class="has-text-align-center has-small-font-size">For questions to be answered on the <a href="http://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast">Gutenberg Changelog</a>, <br />send them to <a href="mailto:changelog@gutenbergtimes.com">changelog@gutenbergtimes.com</a></p>



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<p>Featured Image:</p>



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