WordPress 5.1: Key Features & Improvements with Screenshots

The release of WordPress 5.0 “Bebo” in December 2018 brought to you a plenty of new features and improvements, including a brand new block-based content editor called Gutenberg and a stunning new default theme Twenty Nineteen. And now, the WordPress Core team is back again with a new version of WordPress, 5.1, which is named “Betty” in honor of the jazz musician Betty Carter.

Unlike the previous release, the new version of WordPress focuses on improving the overall speed and performance of the content editor as well as attempts to make the CMS even better, faster, and more secure. If you haven’t got your hands on WordPress 5.1 yet, here are all the goodies you get with WordPress 5.1.

#Site Health Features

Since both Speed and Security play a vital role in maintaining the health of a WordPress site, the new Site Health features have been introduced in version 5.1 to notify users about long-outdated versions of PHP.

Consequently, when you install new plugins in WordPress 5.1, the new Site Health features check them against the PHP version your site is using. In case a plugin requires a specific PHP version to work, WordPress doesn’t allow you to install that plugin.

#Enhanced Editor Performance

Gutenberg editor, which was introduced in version 5.0, has been improved to load faster and speed up writing. As a result of solid performance improvements, the editor now starts quickly and typing feels much smoother than before.

Since the WordPress Core team is continuously working on making the content editor even better and faster, expect to receive a couple of improvements in one or two https://wordpress.org/about/roadmap/upcoming releases.

#Cron API

Prior to WordPress 5.1, when you use a function to modify scheduled tasks, it used to return ambiguous values. To make the process of returning data efficient and apparent, several new functions have been added to the Cron API. As a result, the functions now return values that indicate users about the success or failure of the function call. Also, new filters have also been included to facilitate the modification of the Cron storage.

#Multisite Metadata

Introducing wp_blogmeta, a new database table, WordPress 5.1 not only stores metadata associated with sites but also allows for the storage of random site data relevant in a multisite network. However, developers should be very cautious about using it as there is a trade-off between using site metadata and site options.

#New JS Build Processes

Following the reorganization of code that took place in WordPress 5.0, a new JavaScript build option has been introduced in version 5.1. Consequently, accessing the editor sidebar and hovering over menus now offers you a much smoother experience.

#Minor Improvements & Fixes

In addition to the above groundbreaking features and improvements, WordPress 5.1 also brings several minor improvements and fixes to make developers’ lives easy and convenient. These include:

• Values for WP_DEBUG_LOG constant have been updated.
• New test config file constant and new action hooks.
• Short-circuit filters have been introduced for wp_unique_post_slug(), count_users(), and WP_User_Query.
• A new human_readable_duration function.
• Enhanced taxonomy metabox sanitization.
• When using WP_Meta_Query, there is limited LIKE support for meta keys.
• When registering REST API endpoints, you’ll get a new “doing it wrong” notice.

…and more!

That’s all about WordPress v5.1!

Want to test the new version of WordPress? Just log in to your WordPress dashboard, click “Please update now” link and you’re good to go. Don’t forget to backup your site first!

Alternatively, you can download the release candidate from here and test it out on your local machine. In case you face any issue while updating your site to WordPress 5.1, feel free to contact us.