Gutenberg Changelog Gutenberg Changelog #125 – WordPress 6.9, Gutenberg 22.1 and Gutenberg 22.2
Nov 30, 2025
JC Palmes, Principal Technical Manager at WebDev Studios, dives into the impressive features of WordPress 6.9 and Gutenberg 22.1 and 22.2. He discusses the advantages of embracing block themes and shares insights on improvements like the iframe editor, the new Abilities API, and better performance optimizations. JC also highlights exciting new blocks such as the accordion and Tabs, as well as crucial upgrades for Media and DataViews. This episode is a treasure trove of developer insights and features enhancing the WordPress experience.
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Blocks As React Components
- Blocks now behave like React components and theme.json acts as the design system contract.
- JC Palmes says this shift improves performance and long-term maintainability for large sites.
Start With Block-Based Starter Themes
- Use a block-based starter theme to reduce custom UI decisions and accelerate builds.
- Birgit Pauli‑Haack and JC recommend aligning custom fixes with core upgrades to avoid long-term maintenance.
Migrate To Block Themes Gradually
- Migrate to block themes gradually using theme-switcher techniques to test editors and content performance.
- JC suggests switching one page at a time to reduce disruption for large, multi-editor sites.