Gutenberg 22.8 introduced Google Docs-style text selection highlighting to real-time collaboration. The latest update also opens the AI Connectors screen to third-party plugins via a new registry API → make.wordpress.org/core/2026/03... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

These are the this week's feature plugins on wordpress.org plugin page

The WordPress .org plugin directory now has an MCP server. Developers can now use AI tools like Claude and Cursor to validate readmes, check submission status, and submit plugins directly from their coding environment → make.wordpress.org/meta/2026/03... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg has proposed restructuring the sidebar in the WordPress dashboard to separate core items from plugin menus, with frequently-used plugins potentially appearing near the top. → make.wordpress.org/core/2026/03... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

WP Engine has opened registration for DE{CODE} 2026, its free annual virtual conference, scheduled for May 6. This year’s sessions will cover AI-assisted development, GEO, AI citation strategy, WordPress 7.0, and agentic commerce → wpengine.com/blog/wp-engi... h/t: @therepositorywp

ClassicPress 2.7.0 is out, adding admin view transitions for a smoother single-page-app feel and a new APCu object cache option that promises significant speed gains for both logged-in and logged-out users → forums.classicpress.net/t/classicpre... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

The AI Experiments plugin has dropped "Experiments" from its name, rebranding simply as AI in a move mirroring the Gutenberg plugin. → make.wordpress.org/ai/2026/03/2... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

The WordPress AI Team is calling for testers on four community-built AI connector plugins ahead of WordPress 7.0, adding Grok, Mistral, Ollama, and OpenRouter to the built-in provider lineup → make.wordpress.org/ai/2026/03/2... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

Do you need a CMS? →https://joost.blog/do-you-need-a-cms/ (h/t: @theWPWeekly)

Guidelines lands in Gutenberg 22.7: This is a new experimental feature in Gutenberg 22.7 that lets WordPress users define site-wide standards for content, design, and more in one place. →https://make.wordpress.org/ai/2026/03/23/guidelines-lands-in-gutenberg-22-7/ (h/t:@wpcontent_co)

Introducing the Connectors API in WordPress 7.0 →https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/03/18/introducing-the-connectors-api-in-wordpress-7-0/ (h/t:@wpcontent_co)

Organizing Asia’s Biggest WordPress Gathering: A Conversation with the WordCamp Asia 2026 Event Leads →https://wp-content.co/conversation-with-the-wordcamp-asia-2026-event-leads/ (h/t:@wpcontent_co)

Akramul Hasan receives the Yoast Care fund for his contribution to the WordPress community →https://yoast.com/community/care-fund/recipients/akramul-hasan/ (h/t:@wpcontent_co)

WordPress Plugins Team Calls for New Reviewers as Submissions Surpass 500 per Week → www.therepository.email/wordpress-pl... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

Roots Launches WP Composer as Open Source Alternative to WPackagist → www.therepository.email/roots-launch... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

WordPress 7.0 RC1 Delayed to March 24 Over Real-Time Collaboration, Client-Side Media, and Package Size Concerns → www.therepository.email/wordpress-7-... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

WordPress core contributor Jeffrey Paul says he’s a founding donor to the Open Source Endowment, a new initiative exploring a community-funded model to support critical open source projects and maintainers long term. → jeffpaul.com/2026/02/supp... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

“Rough and tumble" discussions don't create strong communities, according to Dynamic WordPress Facebook group founder David McCan. → www.wpbeaverbuilder.com/community-ma... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

PHP developer and maintainer Juliette Reinders Folmer says companies should normalize funding open source, → communitycode.dev/episodes/epi... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

The WordPress Photo Directory now hosts 33,067 photos from 2,846 contributors, continuing steady growth after the project surpassed 30,000 images last year → make.wordpress.org/photos/2026/... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

WordPress Playground has reduced the size of its PHP WebAssembly binaries by 122 MB across supported builds, a 13.7% reduction that should speed up downloads and startup times → make.wordpress.org/playground/2... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

WordPress Campus Connect has reached nearly 4,000 students across 51 institutions and 28 events worldwide, according to the latest Education Buzz report. → make.wordpress.org/community/20... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

Gutenberg 22.7 has been released, introducing the experimental Connectors screen for managing AI integrations and enabling real-time collaboration by default in the WordPress editor → make.wordpress.org/core/2026/03... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

WebDevStudios says women make up 50% of its team, more than double the estimated 24% industry average for women in tech. → webdevstudios.com/2026/03/07/i... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

WordCamp Asia organizers say Contributor Day in Mumbai will include sessions explaining the WordPress release cycle and hands-on testing for WordPress 7.0, which is scheduled to ship that day → asia.wordcamp.org/2026/wordpre... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

Woo’s Brian Coords will host a March 31 panel on building ecommerce communities, featuring Equalize Digital's Amber Hinds, WordPress Executive Director Mary Hubbard, and PressConf's Raquel Manriquez → developer.woocommerce.com/2026/03/10/j... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

WP Engine filed a series of briefs in the U.S. District Court this week opposing Automattic's motion to dismiss its antitrust lawsuit and seeking dismissal of Automattic's counterclaims, → www.courtlistener.com/docket/69221... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

Ollie co-founder Mike McAlister says claims that "WordPress is dead" overlook the platform's massive reach and decades of development, arguing its APIs and mature infrastructure could make it well suited for the AI era. → x.com/mikemcaliste... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

Your AI agent can now create, edit, and manage content on WordPress .com → wordpress.com/blog/2026/03...

The Zeel Thakkar Memorial Scholarship fund for WordCamp Asia 2026 has reached its ₹3,50,000 target with 18 days remaining in the campaign, backed by 10 donors. → www.therepository.email/wordpress-co... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

WordCamp Canada 2026 is heading to Vancouver from November 4–6, with bymiles .ai founder Andy Peatling and Fueled’s Jeff Paul announced as the first keynote speakers → canada.wordcamp.org/2026/wordcam... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

WP Engine customers Ryan Keller and Sharon Schanzer have again urged a federal judge to reject Automattic's motion to dismiss their amended class action, → www.courtlistener.com/docket/69663... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

WooCommerce 10.6 has been released with performance improvements that reduce SQL queries across checkout, product pages, and the admin dashboard, → developer.woocommerce.com/2026/03/10/w... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

🤖 Joost de Valk argues the AI content boom is replaying the early days of SEO → joost.blog/ai-optimizat... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

🎣 Matt Mullenweg shared a close call with an almost-convincing Apple-themed phishing scam → ma.tt/2026/03/gone... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

💻 Andrija Vucinic shared a behind-the-scenes look at upgrading nearly 1,800 database servers to MariaDB 11.8 → automattic.com/2026/03/06/m... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

📊 Derek Hanson says AI finally helped him ship Tufte Blocks, a typography-driven theme he’d struggled to build for years → derekhanson.blog/tufte-blocks/ (h/t: @therepositorywp)

💸 Dries Buytaert says running Drupal's infrastructure costs roughly $3 million a year, or $10 per site, with a funding gap that’s turning into technical debt → dri.es/what-it-cost... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

How to Generate a WordPress Theme with Telex → wordpress.com/blog/2026/03...

Fear of voicing the unpopular opinion within the WordPress ecosystem → coenjacobs.com/blog/fear-vo...

What's Happening in @wordpress.org this Week (19 March) Read Here → wpmore.net/wordpress-7-... #WordPress

WordPress 7 AI Revealed | Here's What Actually Works → www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTyw...

What’s new for developers? (March 2026): Key updates include progress toward the WordPress 7.0 release, →https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2026/03/whats-new-for-developers-march-2026/ (h/t:@wpcontent_co)

The WordPress AI Experiments plugin shipped two updates in a week, adding image generation and editorial review tools in version 0.4.0 before pivoting in 0.5.0 to align with WordPress 7.0's built-in AI infrastructure. → www.therepository.email/ai-experimen... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

WordPress 7.0 Beta 5 has been released for testing, with the final release still scheduled for April 9, 2026. → wordpress.org/news/2026/03... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

WordPress VIP Launches Advanced Professional WordPress Developer Certification → www.therepository.email/wordpress-vi... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

From Experimental Tool to AI Infrastructure: Adam Zieliński’s Vision for WordPress Playground in 2026 → www.therepository.email/from-experim... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

How CloudFest Is Becoming the Most Important WordPress Business Event Nobody’s Talking About → www.therepository.email/how-cloudfes... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

WordPress .com has added new debugging tools to WordPress Studio, including built-in Xdebug support powered by WordPress Playground's WebAssembly PHP runtime, along with easier access to local debug logs → wordpress.com/blog/2026/03... (h/t: @therepositorywp)

We’re Building Google Docs Inside WordPress While the AI Opportunity Slips Away → www.therepository.email/wordpress-co... (h/t: @therepositorywp)