This release adds real-time collaboration, extends the Gutenberg editor, introduces new AI infrastructure, and changes a few long-standing WordPress conventions.

Here’s what is coming and what to prepare for.

1. Real-time collaboration in the block editor

The centerpiece of WordPress 7.0 is real-time collaboration (RTC).

Multiple users can edit the same post simultaneously, with changes syncing instantly across all editors. You’ll see cursors, selections, and edits from other users in real time.

It handles conflict resolution gracefully so when two people edit the same paragraph, changes merge intelligently rather than overwriting each other.

Is it enabled by default?

No.

For security and compatibility reasons, real-time collaboration is opt-in rather than enabled by default. Site administrators must explicitly enable it for their sites.

1. Go to Settings > Writing in your WordPress admin dashboard
2. Scroll to the “Collaboration” section
3. Check the box labeled “Enable real-time collaboration in the block editor”
4. Click Save Changes

For multisite networks, network administrators can control whether real-time collaboration is available to site administrators through network settings.

Once enabled, you’ll see collaboration features appear in the block editor. You’ll need at least two user accounts with editing permissions to test the collaborative features properly.

2. PHP-only block registration

WordPress 7.0 removes a major barrier for developers who want to build blocks without a JavaScript-heavy workflow.

You can now register blocks using only PHP, without needing React, Node.js, or a build toolchain. This removes a major barrier for traditional PHP WordPress developers who have avoided block development because of the JavaScript complexity.

With PHP-only block registration, you write your block in PHP and WordPress automatically generates the inspector controls (the settings panel in the editor sidebar) for you. This is perfect for blocks that don’t need complex client-side interactivity.

Here’s a basic example of registering a block with PHP:

add_action( 'init', function() {
    register_block_type( __DIR__ . '/build/my-block', array(
        'api_version' => 3,
        'title'       => __( 'My Custom Block', 'my-plugin' ),
        'description' => __( 'A simple block registered with PHP.', 'my-plugin' ),
        'category'    => 'widgets',
        'icon'        => 'smiley',
        'supports'    => array(
            'html' => false,
        ),
        'attributes'  => array(
            'content' => array(
                'type'    => 'string',
                'default' => '',
            ),
            'alignment' => array(
                'type'    => 'string',
                'default' => 'none',
            ),
        ),
        'render_callback' => function( $attributes, $content, $block ) {
            $classes = array( 'my-custom-block' );
            if ( ! empty( $attributes['alignment'] ) ) {
                $classes[] = 'has-text-align-' . $attributes['alignment'];
            }
            
            return sprintf(
                '<div class="%s">%s</div>',
                esc_attr( implode( ' ', $classes ) ),
                wp_kses_post( $attributes['content'] )
            );
        },
    ) );
} );

For more complex blocks, you can still mix PHP registration with JavaScript for the editor interface. But for simple content blocks, PHP-only registration means faster development, lighter plugins, and no build toolchain headaches.

3. Introducing the Connectors API

WordPress 7.0 introduces the Connectors API.

This is a new framework for registering and managing connections to external services, providing standardized API key management, provider discovery, and admin UI for configuring services.

The Connectors API works hand-in-hand with the built-in AI Client. It automatically discovers AI providers from the WP AI Client registry and creates connectors with proper metadata. Plugins using the AI Client do not need to handle credentials directly. They describe what they need, and WordPress routes requests to configured providers.

Plugins can register custom connectors or override existing ones using the wp_connectors_init action hook.

Here’s a basic example of registering a custom connector:

add_action( 'wp_connectors_init', function ( $registry ) {
    $connector = array(
        'name'           => 'My Custom Service',
        'description'    => 'Connect to my custom API service.',
        'type'           => 'custom_provider',
        'authentication' => array(
            'method'          => 'api_key',
            'credentials_url' => 'https://example.com/api-keys',
            'setting_name'    => 'connectors_custom_my_service_api_key',
        ),
        'plugin'         => array(
            'file' => 'my-custom-service/plugin.php',
        ),
    );
    
    $registry->register( 'my_custom_service', $connector );
} );

The API provides three main functions for developers:

// Check if a connector is registered
if ( wp_is_connector_registered( 'anthropic' ) ) {
    // The Anthropic connector is available
}

// Get a single connector's data
$connector = wp_get_connector( 'anthropic' );
if ( $connector ) {
    echo $connector['name']; // 'Anthropic'
}

// Get all registered connectors
$connectors = wp_get_connectors();
foreach ( $connectors as $id => $connector ) {
    printf( '%s: %s', $connector['name'], $connector['description'] );
}

API keys can be provided via environment variables, PHP constants, or database settings.

WordPress already ships with an example Connectors implementation, which you can find under Settings > Connectors in the admin.

This API is designed to expand beyond AI providers to support payment gateways, social media integrations, and other external services in future releases. That should make it easier for more plugins to plug into the same connection model.

4. Unified AI interface

WordPress 7.0 includes a built-in AI Client that provides a provider-agnostic PHP API for plugins to send prompts to AI models and receive results through a consistent interface. This is the engine that powers AI features across WordPress, working hand-in-hand with the Connectors API.

The AI Client handles provider communication, model selection, and response normalization. Your plugin describes what it needs and how it needs it. WordPress handles routing the request to a suitable model from a provider the site owner has configured.

Every interaction starts with the wp_ai_client_prompt() function:

// Basic text generation
$text = wp_ai_client_prompt( 'What is the capital of France?' )
    ->using_temperature( 0.8 )
    ->generate_text();

if ( is_wp_error( $text ) ) {
    // Handle error
    return;
}

echo wp_kses_post( $text );

The AI Client supports multiple modalities, for example, image generation:

$image_file = wp_ai_client_prompt( 'A futuristic WordPress logo in neon style' )
    ->generate_image();

if ( is_wp_error( $image_file ) ) {
    return;
}

echo '<img src="' . esc_url( $image_file->getDataUri() ) . '" alt="">';

// JSON-structured responses.
$schema = array(
    'type'  => 'array',
    'items' => array(
        'type'       => 'object',
        'properties' => array(
            'plugin_name' => array( 'type' => 'string' ),
            'category'    => array( 'type' => 'string' ),
        ),
        'required' => array( 'plugin_name', 'category' ),
    ),
);

$json = wp_ai_client_prompt( 'List 5 popular WordPress plugins with their primary category.' )
    ->as_json_response( $schema )
    ->generate_text();

Before showing AI-powered UI, check whether the feature can work:

$builder = wp_ai_client_prompt( 'test' )
    ->using_temperature( 0.7 );

if ( $builder->is_supported_for_text_generation() ) {
    // Safe to show text generation UI
}

These checks use deterministic logic to match the builder’s configuration against the capabilities of available models. They don’t make API calls, so they’re fast and cost nothing. If you want a related developer-facing example of how WordPress is exposing structured capabilities, the WordPress Abilities API is a useful companion.

AI Provider Plugins

Keep in mind that the AI Client architecture consists of two layers:

1. PHP AI Client: A provider-agnostic PHP SDK bundled in Core as an external library. This handles provider communication, model selection, and response normalization.
2. WordPress wrapper: Core’s WP_AI_Client_Prompt_Builder class wraps the PHP AI Client with WordPress conventions: snake_case methods, WP_Error returns, and integration with WordPress HTTP transport, the Abilities API, the Connectors infrastructure, and the WordPress hooks system.

WordPress Core doesn’t bundle any AI providers directly. Instead, they’re developed and maintained as plugins, which allows for more flexible and rapid iteration. The WordPress project has developed three initial flagship implementations:

• AI Provider for Anthropic
• AI Provider for Google
• AI Provider for OpenAI

For developers who have been using the wordpress/php-ai-client or wordpress/wp-ai-client packages, the simplest path is to update your plugin’s “Requires at least” header to 7.0 and replace any AI_Client::prompt() calls with wp_ai_client_prompt().

5. No new default theme

WordPress 7.0 breaks with tradition.

There will be no “Twenty Twenty-Six” default theme. The focus shifts to improving existing block themes like Twenty Twenty-Five through the Site Editor and Phase 3 collaboration tools.

This change signals a maturing approach to WordPress theming. The goal is to show users that you don’t need a new theme every year. You can evolve the one you have using the Site Editor.

This reflects a broader trend in WordPress development. Moving from rigid, theme-controlled designs to flexible, user-customizable layouts. With the Site Editor, users can modify templates, create custom patterns, and adjust styles without touching code. A new default theme each year becomes less necessary when users have these tools at their fingertips.

Breaking changes and compatibility requirements

Real-time collaboration introduces significant compatibility requirements that plugin and theme developers must address.

1. Minimum PHP version bump to 7.4

WordPress 7.0 raises the minimum supported PHP version to 7.4, dropping support for PHP 7.2 and 7.3. This change is necessary to support modern libraries required for collaboration features and AI APIs.

The WordPress core team recommends PHP 8.2 or 8.3 for best performance and security. If your sites run PHP 7.2 or 7.3, you need to upgrade before installing WordPress 7.0. Test the upgrade thoroughly in a staging environment first. Check for deprecated functions, incompatible plugins, and theme issues.

Here’s how to check your current PHP version and prepare for the upgrade:

php -v

Most hosting providers offer PHP version selection in their control panels. If you’re on shared hosting, check your provider’s documentation for how to switch PHP versions. Some hosts may automatically update sites to compatible versions, but it’s better to test first.

2. Meta boxes disable collaboration

This is likely the biggest compatibility issue in WordPress 7.0 for many existing plugins.

The real-time collaboration feature is automatically disabled when classic meta boxes are present on a post. Since the system can’t sync classic meta box content, it turns off collaboration entirely when meta boxes are detected.

This affects thousands of plugins that still use the traditional meta box approach for custom fields and settings. If your plugin adds meta boxes, users won’t be able to use real-time collaboration on posts where those meta boxes appear.

The solution is to migrate from meta boxes to registered post meta with show_in_rest: true. This allows the data to sync through the WordPress REST API, which the collaboration system can track.

Here’s an example of migrating from a traditional meta box to registered post meta:

// OLD: Traditional meta box approach (breaks collaboration)
add_action( 'add_meta_boxes', function() {
    add_meta_box(
        'my_custom_field',
        'Custom Field',
        'render_my_custom_field',
        'post',
        'side',
        'high'
    );
} );

function render_my_custom_field( $post ) {
    $value = get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_my_custom_field', true );
    echo '<input type="text" name="my_custom_field" value="' . esc_attr( $value ) . '" />';
}

add_action( 'save_post', function( $post_id ) {
    if ( isset( $_POST['my_custom_field'] ) ) {
        update_post_meta( $post_id, '_my_custom_field', sanitize_text_field( $_POST['my_custom_field'] ) );
    }
} );

// NEW: Registered post meta (works with collaboration)
add_action( 'init', function() {
    register_post_meta( 'post', '_my_custom_field', array(
        'type'         => 'string',
        'single'       => true,
        'show_in_rest' => true, // REQUIRED for collaboration
        'auth_callback' => function() {
            return current_user_can( 'edit_posts' );
        }
    ) );
} );

// Use in block editor with useSelect
import { useSelect } from '@wordpress/data';
import { store as coreStore } from '@wordpress/core-data';

function MyCustomFieldComponent() {
    const metaValue = useSelect( ( select ) => {
        return select( coreStore ).getEditedEntityRecord( 'postType', 'post', postId )?.meta?._my_custom_field || '';
    }, [ postId ] );
    
    // Render your field component
}

The Block Editor Handbook has a complete migration guide that walks through the process in detail.

3. Plugin architecture requirements

Beyond meta boxes, plugins need to follow specific patterns to work correctly with real-time collaboration. Custom meta field interfaces must use the WordPress data store via useSelect instead of local React state. If you copy store data into component state, your UI won’t update when other collaborators make changes.

Here’s the difference between the wrong approach (local state) and the right approach (useSelect):

// WRONG: Local state breaks collaboration
import { useState, useEffect } from '@wordpress/element';

function WrongComponent( { postId } ) {
    const [metaValue, setMetaValue] = useState( '' );
    
    // This only loads once and won't update when collaborators change the value
    useEffect( () => {
        apiFetch( { path: `/wp/v2/posts/${postId}` } ).then( ( post ) => {
            setMetaValue( post.meta._my_custom_field || '' );
        } );
    }, [postId] );
    
    return <div>{metaValue}</div>;
}

// RIGHT: useSelect enables real-time updates
import { useSelect } from '@wordpress/data';
import { store as coreStore } from '@wordpress/core-data';

function RightComponent( { postId } ) {
    // This automatically updates when any collaborator changes the value
    const metaValue = useSelect( ( select ) => {
        const post = select( coreStore ).getEditedEntityRecord( 'postType', 'post', postId );
        return post?.meta?._my_custom_field || '';
    }, [ postId ] );
    
    return <div>{metaValue}</div>;
}

The key difference is that useSelect subscribes to the WordPress data store, which is synchronized across all collaborators. Local state only reflects the initial value and won’t update when others make changes.

Blocks with side effects on insertion need special consideration too. Since block content syncs immediately to all collaborators, auto-opening modals or triggering animations on insertion will affect everyone editing the post. The recommendation is to use placeholders with explicit user actions instead of automatic behaviors.

What’s Next?

WordPress 7.0 represents a bold step forward for the platform.

Real-time collaboration transforms WordPress from a tool for an individual blogger into a platform for a team. The architectural changes required to make this work will have ripple effects through the plugin and theme ecosystem, but the result is a more modern, capable content management system.

As you prepare for WordPress 7.0, focus on meta box migration first. For many plugins, that is the most immediate compatibility issue. Then test your interfaces in collaborative mode to catch synchronization problems.

These extra efforts now will ensure your site works seamlessly when it’s finally used in WordPress 7.0.

The post What’s in WordPress 7.0 appeared first on Hongkiat.

The Abilities API provides a standardized way for WordPress core, plugins, and themes to define their capabilities in a format both humans and machines can read.

In this post, we’ll explore what the Abilities API is, why it matters, and how to use it in practice with some code examples.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

What is Abilities API?

The Abilities API is a new feature in WordPress that acts like a dictionary of everything a site can do. Before this, there was no simple or consistent way for plugins or external tools to discover a site’s available features. Functionality was often scattered across hooks, REST API endpoints, and various pieces of custom code.

With the Abilities API, automation tools, AI assistants, and other plugins can more easily understand how to interact with a WordPress site. Tools like AI agents, Zapier, or n8n can simply ask WordPress, “What can you do?” and receive a structured list of abilities.

This API also makes cross-plugin collaboration much cleaner. Plugins can call each other’s abilities directly instead of relying on hidden hooks or fragile workarounds.

Getting Started

To use the Abilities API, the first step is to register a new ability. This is typically done within your plugin or theme. An “Ability” should contain:

• A unique name that consists of only lowercase alphanumeric characters, dashes, and forward slashes e.g. hongkiatcom/create-invoice
• A human-readable description and label.
• A defined output and input schema.
• A permission check.

Here is a simple example of how we register an ability that analyzes a site and returns some metrics.

In this example, we call it hongkiatcom/site-analytics-summary. It doesn’t require any inputs and returns an object containing three metrics: visits, signups, and sales. The ability can only be executed by users with the manage_options capability.

add_action( 'wp_abilities_api_init', function () {
    if ( ! function_exists( 'wp_register_ability' ) ) {
        return;
    }
    
    wp_register_ability(
        'hongkiatcom/site-analytics-summary',
        [
            'label'       => __( 'Get Site Analytics Summary', 'myplugin' ),
            'description' => __( 'Returns a simple overview of site performance.', 'myplugin' ),
            'input_schema' => [
                'type'       => 'object',
                'properties' => [],
            ],
            'output_schema' => [
                'type'       => 'object',
                'properties' => [
                    'visits'  => [ 'type' => 'integer' ],
                    'signups' => [ 'type' => 'integer' ],
                    'sales'   => [ 'type' => 'integer' ],
                ],
            ],
            'permission_callback' => function () {
                return current_user_can( 'manage_options' );
            },
            'execute_callback' => function () {
                return [
                    'visits'  => 1473,
                    'signups' => 32,
                    'sales'   => 5,
                ];
            },
        ]
    );
});

Here is another example of registering an ability that processes an order. This ability takes in customer ID, product SKUs, and a payment token as input, and returns the order ID, status, and a confirmation message as output.

add_action( 'init', function() {
    if ( ! function_exists( 'wp_register_ability' ) ) {
        return;
    }

    wp_register_ability( 'hongkiatcom/process-order', [
        'description' => 'Handles payment, creates an order record, and sends a confirmation email.',
        'execute_callback'    => function () {
            // Implementation of order processing logic goes here...
        },
        'input_schema' => [
            'type'       => 'object',
            'properties' => [
                'customer_id' => [
                    'type'        => 'integer',
                    'description' => 'The ID of the customer placing the order.',
                ],
                'product_skus' => [
                    'type'        => 'array',
                    'description' => 'An array of product SKUs (strings) to be included in the order.',
                    'items'       => [ 'type' => 'string' ],
                ],
                'payment_token' => [
                    'type'        => 'string',
                    'description' => 'A secure, single-use token from the payment gateway.',
                ],
            ],
            'required' => [ 'customer_id', 'product_skus', 'payment_token' ],
        ],
        'output_schema' => [
            'type'       => 'object',
            'properties' => [
                'order_id' => [
                    'type'        => 'integer',
                    'description' => 'The ID of the newly created order post.',
                ],
                'order_status' => [
                    'type'        => 'string',
                    'description' => 'The resulting status of the order (e.g., "processing", "pending").',
                ],
                'message' => [
                    'type'        => 'string',
                    'description' => 'A confirmation message.',
                ],
            ],
        ],
    ] );
} );

Executing Abilities

Registering an ability doesn’t do much on its own. We also want to execute it and get the result.

In PHP

In PHP, using an ability is straightforward. WordPress provides a function wp_get_ability() to retrieve the ability object by name, and then you call the ability’s execute() method.

Here’s how you might execute the site-analytics-summary ability we registered:

$ability = wp_get_ability( 'hongkiatcom/site-analytics-summary' );

if ( $ability ) {
    $result = $ability->execute();
}

If the ability requires inputs such as in the process-order example, you would pass an associative array of inputs to the execute() method:

$ability = wp_get_ability( 'hongkiatcom/process-order' );
if ( $ability ) {
    $inputs = [
        'customer_id'  => 123,
        'product_skus' => [ 'SKU123', 'SKU456' ],
        'payment_token'=> 'tok_1A2B3C****',
    ];
    $result = $ability->execute( $inputs );
}

Notice that we didn’t have to manually handle permission checks or input validation here. If the current user didn’t have permission, or if we passed a wrong type of input, execute() would fail gracefully. It wouldn’t run the callback and would return an error or false. This is thanks to the schemas and permission callback we set up during registration. It makes using the ability safe and predictable.

Now that we’ve seen how to declare and use abilities on the back-end, let’s look at how abilities can be accessed from JavaScript, which covers front-end use cases and external integrations.

In JavaScript

The Abilities API supports REST API out of the box, but you need to make sure that you enable the show_in_rest on the Ability registration, for example:

add_action( 'wp_abilities_api_init', function () {
    if ( ! function_exists( 'wp_register_ability' ) ) {
        return;
    }
    
    wp_register_ability(
        'hongkiatcom/site-analytics-summary',
        [
            ...
            'execute_callback' => function () {
                return [
                    'visits'  => 1473,
                    'signups' => 32,
                    'sales'   => 5,
                ];
            },
            'meta' => [
                'show_in_rest' => true,
            ],
        ]
    );
});

Once that’s set, the ability becomes accessible under a special REST namespace wp-abilities/v1/{ability-namespace}/{ability-name}. In our example above, the full REST endpoint to execute the ability would be: /wp-json/wp-abilities/v1/hongkiatcom/site-analytics-summary.

This means external applications or your own front-end code can execute abilities by sending HTTP requests without you writing any extra REST handler code. WordPress takes care of that based on the info you provided.

WordPress is also introducing a JavaScript client library for the Abilities API, making it much easier to call abilities from the browser or any headless JS setup. Instead of writing manual fetch() calls, you can simply use built-in helper functions to list, fetch, and run abilities.

First, we’d need to install the library with NPM:

npm i @wordpress/abilities

Then, we can use it like this in our JavaScript application:

useEffect(() => {
   executeAbility( 'hongkiatcom/site-analytics-summary' ).then( ( response ) => {
       setResponse( response ); // Store the result in state.
   } );
}, []);

Wrapping Up

The Abilities API introduces a new way for WordPress to describe what it can do in a clear and more standardized format. This improves the interoperability of your site and allows it to work more naturally with AI assistants or automation tools.

In this article, we’ve just scratched the surface of what’s possible with the Abilities API. As more plugins and themes adopt it, we can expect a richer ecosystem where capabilities are easily discoverable and usable across different contexts.

And in the next article, we’ll see how we can integrate your WordPress site with external applications like Claude or LM Studio using the Abilities API.

So stay tuned!

The post How to Use the WordPress Abilities API (Register & Execute) appeared first on Hongkiat.

With more than 50,000 options out there, it’s tough to know which ones actually deliver the advanced features and dependable performance most projects now require.

This article highlights eight plugins that consistently stand out for their practical features and the way they support real improvements in editing, layout control, and individual page sections.

Tools like Brizy and wpDataTables show how far WordPress has evolved by making complex work easier and expanding what you can build.

Across the board, these top WordPress plugins help improve performance, support SEO, streamline design, shorten workflows, automate tasks, and keep sites responsive on all devices.

If you’re looking for reliable ways to strengthen a current site or build something new in 2026, these eight options cover a wide span of needs without adding unnecessary complexity.

• Brizy
• Amelia
• wpDataTables
• MapSVG
• LayerSlider
• Slider Revolution
• IvyForms
• Essential Grid

1. Brizy – User-Friendly WordPress Page Builder with Superior Design Flexibility

In brief: Clean UI, real-time inline editing, and monthly demo updates let you craft layouts quickly without digging through complex settings.

Brizy WordPress users will almost unanimously tell you how easy it has been for them to design visually engaging pages.

Brizy’s intuitive drag and drop editor is what makes everything so easy. There are no complicated setups or coding involved nor are there a wealth of options to choose among.

Customizing a demo is often an even faster way to build a page. Check out Brizy Builder’s Smart Learning Site demo and give some thought as to what you could do with it. Brizy releases new demos every month.

In addition to drag and drop simplicity, other feature users like about Brizy include –

• 500+ Pre-Made Blocks: Start fast with expertly crafted, conversion-focused blocks
• Ready-to-Use Design Elements: Text, buttons, images, icons, videos, maps, and more. seconds.
• 4000+ Icons: Find just the right icons with options in both outline and glyph styles, easily searchable by category or keyword.

Plugin Preview

2. Amelia – Appointment and Event Scheduling Automation Plugin

In brief: Efficient booking automation with a clean interface makes appointments predictable, simple, and customizable for different business models.

Amelia’s game-changing Packages feature offers customers a streamlined booking experience by enabling businesses to bundle multiple services into well-organized packages.

Businesses can easily set up and manage packages through Amelia’s intuitive interface, adjusting services as needed. Clients benefit from a simplified booking process where they can select and schedule a package with just a few clicks.

• Amelia automates a business’s entire booking process from initial scheduling to reminders and follow-ups. In doing so it reduces the administrative burden on staff, minimizes the risk of errors, and ensures that appointments are managed efficiently.
• Amelia’s extensive customization options allow businesses to tailor the software to meet their specific needs. The Business Consultancy demo nicely illustrates how self-promotion can effectively be combined with booking appointments.

Plugin Preview

3. wpDataTables – Data Manager and Table and Chart Creator

In brief: A user-friendly plugin that turns raw data into interactive tables and charts, ideal for analytical or e-commerce websites.

wpDataTables’ visual, intuitive interface allows users to quicky and easily create customizable tables and charts. This remarkable WordPress plugin also enables users to access data from multiple databases when building tables and charts.

It places virtually no limit on the amount of data that can be efficiently managed, and the resulting products are responsive, informative, editable, and maintainable.

Yet another top-tier wpDataTables feature is its WooCommerce functionality that enables users to create customizable dynamic product tables like the one illustrated in the Digital Store demo.

• The user-centric design ensures that even those with limited technical knowledge or skills can build professional-looking tables and visualizations.
• wpDataTables’ robust filtering, sorting, and search options, makes it easy for users to analyze data.
• One of wpDataTables’ strengths is its ability to handle large datasets with ease This makes it an excellent choice for businesses that need to manage and display significant volumes of data.

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4. MapSVG – Maps and Data Connectivity Tool

In brief: Flexible mapping plugin that combines database-driven data with visual representation, making complex maps intuitive and interactive.

MapSVG isn’t merely a repository for maps. It does have a nice selection of maps users can access, but it is what they can do with them that makes this WordPress plugin such a valuable tool.

Maps become information windows thanks to the customizable templates that work harmoniously with MapSVG’s database for seamless maps-to-data connection.

• MapSVG enables you to create complex information windows of any complexity.
• You can create any custom objects you choose.
• You can create multicolored maps where the different colors have different values.
• Objects located on a map can be listed in a directory.
• Images can be attached to objects and map regions.

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5. LayerSlider – Redefining What a WordPress Slider Can Be

In brief: LayerSlider lets you build animated sliders, page sections, popups, and visual scenes that combine structure and motion in WordPress.

LayerSlider is a visual design tool for building animated content for WordPress pages. It can be used for classic sliders, striking hero sections, popups, or larger animated scenes that integrate naturally into the page layout.

LayerSlider adds motion and depth to your content. Elements can animate in sequence, react to user actions, or progress as visitors scroll, helping pages feel more expressive.

It adapts easily to different use cases, working just as well for subtle visual enhancements as for more complex animated sections across a wide range of websites.

The best way to explore its range is through the demo library. Templates showcase practical, real-world examples such as landing pages, feature highlights, promotional sections, and popups.

New demo templates are released regularly, offering fresh ideas and ready to use starting points. The LSVR-Tech demo is one example you can explore to see these ideas in action.

• The Project Editor follows a clear and familiar workflow, so tools are easy to find and use.
• A built-in live preview updates instantly, making it easy to refine motion, timing, and layout as you work.
• Integrated content libraries provide access to fonts, icons, stock images, and videos directly inside the editor.

Plugin Preview

6. Slider Revolution – WordPress Plugin for Professional Level Visual Content Creation

In brief: Create standout sliders and hero sections using live previews, responsive editing, and ready-made templates.

Anyone can take advantage of what Slider Revolution has to offer to create striking designs for WordPress. No need to settle for a website design that will blend in with everyone else’s when you have an innovative solution at your fingertips.

Every month Slider Revolution’s development team publishes ultra-modern, responsive, and fully-loaded templates and adds them to their growing inventory. The FutureSight Digital Marketing template is one of the more recent additions.

As you will see, the demo has done the bulk of the work and all you need to do is replace content with your own and customize further to suit your needs.

You can:

• See changes to your design in real time with the visual editor
• Use responsive editing mode to get your designs just right for all devices
• Create transitions, advanced animations, and many other special effects in minutes

Plugin Preview

7. IvyForms – Time-saving Form-building WordPress Plugin

In brief: Lightweight form creation with intuitive controls, spam protection, and embedded workflows keeps data collection simple and flexible.

The IvyForms drag and drop builder combines intuitive design with powerful functionality. It provides conditional logic for smarter workflows, spam protection with just a few clicks, and is easily embeddable.

Everything is lightweight and responsive and form creation is for all practical purposes effortless. That is to be expected since the IvyForms development team is the same team that produced the popular wpDataTables, Amelia, and Trafft WordPress plugins.

With respect to data management, you need not be concerned with compatibility issues since IvyForms will seamlessly integrate with your data collection and organization tools.

Since forms can be created (and edited) using drag and drop you have complete control over the form building process.

• Since your forms will be 100% responsive you can expect them to display correctly on desktop, mobile, and tablet devices.
• The fields you need will always be available and customizing the look of your forms takes only a few clicks.
• Pre-built forms are readily accessible to help you get started and provide suggestions on possible layouts.
• Your WordPress forms can easily be integrated with your mailing lists, payment gateways, marketing services, etc.

Plugin Preview

8. Essential Grid – Creative Gallery Layout Design Tool

In brief: Fast, flexible gallery creation with multiple layout options and content sources, perfect for portfolios or media-heavy sites.

Essental Grid offers several approaches to creating a grid or gallery layout. The most popular one is the library of 60+ customizable templates you can plug and play to get a project off to a lightning-fast start.

The content of these templates naturally varies widely, so you should have no trouble finding one you can work with. The ease of putting an Essential Grid template into play is illustrated in the Furniture Store Lightbox Gallery example with its intriguing scroll and hover effects.

Other features you are encouraged to explore and take advantage of:

• The option to choose from even, masonry and cobble layouts to display your creative work.
• The option to choose from boxed, full-width, and full-screen layouts
• Rows/columns/spacings are adjustable
• Post, Custom Post, Pages, WooCommerce, Gallery, and Social Media can be used as content sources for your galleries.
• Visual skin editor to design your own grid.
• With built-in watermark protection & right click protection features you never have to worry about people stealing your hard work.

Plugin Preview

Now that you’ve seen what these eight top WordPress plugins can do, you should have a clearer sense of which ones can help you move a project forward – whether that means finally starting a site you’ve been putting off or giving an existing one a stronger look and feel.

Several of these tools can quickly shift a site from simply acceptable to something far more polished. Beyond style and added features, these plugins also cover practical needs that matter over the long term.

They simplify tasks like SEO and design adjustments, improve performance, offer future-ready capabilities, work across a range of site types, and come with reliable updates and support.

This list is meant to save you time so you can focus on building the kind of site you want without sorting through thousands of options. With these tools at hand, you’ll be better equipped to create WordPress sites that run smoothly and deliver a strong experience well into 2026 and beyond.

The post 8 Top WordPress Plugins for 2026 (Build Faster, Keep It Simple) appeared first on Hongkiat.

The eight WordPress themes below earn their spot by pairing strong design systems with real-world performance: fast starters, thoughtful builder workflows, WooCommerce depth, and dependable updates.

Whether you’re spinning up a portfolio, scaling a shop, or replacing a patchwork of plugins with one capable framework, this shortlist cuts the noise so you can build smarter, not harder.

• Betheme
• Blocksy
• Jupiter X
• Uncode
• Avada
• Crafto
• XStore
• Total Theme

Betheme – The Ultimate Website Builder for WordPress

TL’DR: A multipurpose powerhouse with 700+ prebuilt sites and BeBuilder; move from brief to launch fast without hitting layout or WooCommerce roadblocks.

Be’s two top features are its library of more than 700 pre-built websites and its family of builders including BeBuilder, the fastest builder on WordPress.

Each Betheme prebuilt website gives you a fully loaded website that’s ready to customize with your own layout ideas and content. The Be Compshop pre-built website, for example, can be easily customized to serve virtually any retail business.

Update/ Demo Release Frequency: New demos are released on a monthly basis.

In addition to BeBuilder, the following selection of builders coupled with Betheme’s other website design tools and aids will give you everything you are ever going to need.

• The WooBuilder with 40+ WooCommerce demos makes it easy to create a store at your fingertips.
• BeBuilder Blocks, combined with a constantly growing library of of-built sections.
• You will also find a Header Builder, a Footer Builder, a Query Loop Builder for Developers, and a Popup Builder for Marketers.
• Multiple (customizable) layouts for your blog, portfolio, and shop pages.

Check Out Betheme

Blocksy – Premium WooCommerce Theme

TL’DR: Lightweight, modern, and WooCommerce-savvy; clean architecture, “Shop Extra” goodness, and flexible layout tools make performance-minded builds feel effortless.

This premium theme is fully integrated with WooCommerce and features a ton of customization options to ensure you can create the online store of your dreams in an amazingly brief time. Easy access to Blocksy’s selection of started sites will enable you to get your WooCommerce-powered store up and running in no time at all.

Looking to establish a blogging magazine site? Check out Blocksy’s Daily News starter site example—it should be easy to customize to give you what you want.

Update/ Demo Release Frequency: New demos are released monthly.

Thanks to its speed, flexibility, and modern architecture Blocksy excels in a wide range of website projects.

• Multifaceted WooCommerce integration, off-canvas filters, and floating carts make Blocksy perfect for high-converting, user-friendly shops.
• Attractive post layouts, reading progress bars, and performance optimizations make publishing SEO-friendly and enjoyable.
• Blocksy’s clean design options and custom layouts help creatives showcase their portfolios with style.

Check Out Blocksy

Jupiter X – All-in-One WordPress Theme to Replace Elementor Pro

TL’DR: All-in-one, Elementor-based theme aiming to replace Elementor Pro and any extra add-ons; granular styling and templates keep complex sites tidy and consistent.

The most talked-about feature of Jupiter X is its native Elementor Pro replacement ecosystem, which delivers everything users normally pay recurring Elementor Pro fees for. With hundreds of pre-made designs to pick from, Jupiter X features one of the largest template libraries in the industry.

Check out the Jupiter X Catering starter site example and give some thought as to how you might want to customize it to fit your needs.

Update/ Demo Release Frequency: Periodically, based on major updates and feature releases (Latest update: 10 new templates in January 2026).

• Jupiter X excels in agency, eCommerce, and business websites of all sizes. It’s widely used for creative agencies, freelancer portfolios, and small business sites thanks to its huge template library and flexible design tools.
• For online stores, its native Shop Builder, SellKit Pro integrations, and advanced WooCommerce features that include sales funnels, smart coupons, and order bumps make it a top choice for conversion-focused projects.
• Jupiter X is also ideal for corporate and multipurpose websites where speed, scalability, and consistent branding across multiple sites are essential.

Exc. discount for Hongkiat users: %10 off all plans, as low as $18/site (pay once), valid until end of January 2026 (coupon HONGKIAT10).

Check Out Jupiter X

Uncode – Creative Multiuse & WooCommerce WordPress Theme

TL’DR: Pixel-precise visuals, smart media handling, and Scroll-triggered animation options; a designer’s theme that still respects Core Web Vitals.

Uncode’s library of demos provide the foundation and the inspiration that can help to get projects off to a fast start and a successful one.

Uncode’s spectacular Portfolio Freelance example has been one of the most highly downloaded demos, and one of the most watchable. You just don’t see a portfolio as engaging as this one every day.

Update/ Demo Release Frequency: 2-3 months, or in accordance with customer demand.

Uncode’s other popular features include –

Scroll-triggered animations for designers looking to create a next-level website.

• A built-in Megamenu for business and e-commerce websites.
• Advanced WooCommerce features for e-commerce creators, listing features to create listing websites.
• An enhanced Frontend Page Builder with an accompanying selection of 85 design modules.
• A Wireframes plugin with access to 800+ section templates.
• A host of design elements and options.

For those tasked with creating agency, portfolio, business, or eCommerce websites, a visit to the Uncode Showcase of User-built Websites is highly recommended.

Check Out Uncode

Avada – The #1 Selling Website Builder for WordPress

TL’DR: Best-seller status for a reason: mature builder ecosystem, steady updates, and deep WooCommerce control for teams that need predictable delivery.

Avada’s website building tools and options, in combination with its ease of use and flexibility, make it easy to understand why it has become the #1 top selling WordPress theme of all time. With Avada, you can customize every aspect of your layout or design, plus everything rests upon a 100% responsive framework.

Website templates always come in handy when you are in a hurry or simply need some inspiration to get started. A one-page website template like Avada’s Business example can be more than helpful.

Update/ Demo Release Frequency: Updates are scheduled to ensure and maintain compatibility with the latest WordPress and integrated plugin updates.

Avada’s feature-rich version 7.11 introduces a range of new design options and exciting new features including –

• Multi-Step Avada Forms, Pixel Width & Flex Grow for Columns, and Mailchimp tag/group support.
• Improvements to the Prebuilt Website Import process, text stroke styling, ToTop button styling.
• You can create a WooCommerce thank you page when designing a site with the Avada Setup Wizard, and more.

Check Out Avada

Crafto – AI-Powered Elementor WordPress Theme

TL’DR: AI-assisted, Elementor-based workflows with sleek demos; great for quick concepts, landing pages, and creative sites that need polish without bloat.

Crafto empowers you to design your entire website, from headers to footers and everything in between, using the intuitive Crafto Theme Builder, the power of Elementor, and the advantages AI brings to the table.

Crafto’s top feature is its selection of highly creative and interactive designs with 52+ full website demos, including the impressive Product Showcase example, and a huge template library that features 1450+ pre-made sections.

Update/ Demo Release Frequency: monthly

• Boost your site with AI-Powered features like content writer, image creation, blog generator and chatbot, all of which are seamlessly integrated into WordPress for enhanced creativity and engagement.
• Crafto’s Theme Builder empowers you to design and customize every key area of your website from headers and footers to single posts, archives, and popups.
• Client-Specific Features include Theme builder for advanced users, Blog builder for bloggers, Portfolio builder for freelancers and agencies, Creative design and animations for UI UX lovers, and eCommerce for shop owners.

Check Out Crafto

XStore | Multipurpose WordPress WooCommerce Theme

TL’DR: WooCommerce specialist with conversion-focused presets, Sales Booster tools, and broad demo coverage for niche storefronts.

XStore excels in all types of WooCommerce-based eCommerce projects. With this multipurpose WooCommerce theme you don’t need paid add-ons.

You get an all-in-one, out-of-the-box solution that includes every essential feature from day one.

Update/ Demo Release Frequency: monthly

XStore’s most successful feature is its “One-Click Demo Import” with 140+ ready-to-use WooCommerce stores. The Electronic Mega-market demo is but one example.

Simply replace the existing content with your own and you are ready to launch.

• You can also add 15+ built-in Sales Boosters (cart countdown, free shipping bar, urgency timers, upsells, cross-sells) that increase conversion without extra plugins.
• If you happen to have an International chain of stores in need of an online presence, XStore features 100% built-in translations for 30+ languages, RTL support, GDPR tools, and compatibility with multilingual plugins.
• For Developers, XStore features a developer-ready structure with clean code, hooks, child theme, custom CSS/JS panel, and 140+ starter templates to speed up development.

Check Out XStore

Total WordPress Theme

TL’DR: A flexible framework with WPBakery at its core, lots of elements/patterns, and sensible defaults for agencies shipping varied client work.

Total is a feature-rich WordPress theme that is bundled with a powerful page builder that is designed to give you all the flexibility you’ll ever need for any project. Total can handle any type of website building project you throw at it because of its superior flexibility coupled with a host of streamlined, time-saving features.

Total’s demos provide an ideal way to get a project off to a fast start and can also serve as sources of inspiration.

Total’s Finance example provides a straightforward and easily customizable foundation for a one-page product or services introductory website.

Update/ Demo Release Frequency: Every 1 to 3 months

These time-saving features include.

• The WPBakery page builder.
• Tons of customizable builder element settings, post type cards for building grids and archives.
• 100+ builder elements, 90+ WPBakery patterns, and 50+ premade demos.
• Total features built in integration for both Elementor and Gutenberg.

Check Out Total

Great WordPress themes reduce friction. The options here cover the essentials—speed, builder comfort, WooCommerce depth. Also covers steady updates—so you can focus on shipping better work, faster.

Start with the theme that solves your biggest bottleneck today (layout velocity, shop depth, or visual polish), preview a demo, and stress-test it against your stack. If it holds up, you’ve found your new default—one that’s built to keep pace with you through 2026 and beyond.

Summary:

Hopefully, you are now well equipped to choose a WordPress theme that augments your 2026 projects with ease and reliability.

The post 8 Best WordPress Themes for 2026: Speed, Flexibility, WooCommerce appeared first on Hongkiat.

If you’re considering developing a bespoke job board system using WordPress, you’ve come to the right place. We present a curated list of 20 premium and free WordPress job board themes and plugins to facilitate your endeavor.

WordPress Job Board Themes

Cariera ($79)

Designed for professionals, Cariera is a WordPress theme built on Automattic’s WP Job Manager. It serves as a comprehensive tool for both job seekers and employers.

The theme features various job listing styles, in-depth analytics, a secure messaging system, and customizable dashboards tailored to different user roles. With a simple import, you can replicate the live demo site in just a few minutes.

Civi ($59)

Civi is an excellent choice if you aim to build a streamlined job board or freelance marketplace using WordPress. This theme allows you to effortlessly establish a fully-responsive job portal, simplifying tasks related to human resource management, recruitment processes, and job listing management.

Jobtex ($59)

Jobtex is a comprehensive WordPress theme designed to create functional and user-friendly job listing websites. More than just a job board, it serves as a complete platform for HR management and recruitment.

The theme is fully responsive and provides a straightforward way to monetize your job portal, making it an ideal choice for those seeking an efficient job board solution.

Jobster ($29)

Jobster is a robust WordPress theme designed for creating job listing websites. With pre-designed demos at your disposal, launching your site becomes a breeze. The theme offers a rich set of powerful and user-friendly features, providing limitless customization options.

It includes various well-designed components, ranging from header sections to job displays and card layouts.

Careerfy ($89)

Careerfy offers an advanced yet straightforward solution for displaying job listings on various types of websites. This WordPress theme enables you to access extensive job databases from major job boards, enriching your site with a wide array of job offers.

It features dedicated control panels for both employers and job seekers, automating many tasks. Some job providers even offer commissions for job link clicks originating from your site.

WorkScout ($79)

WorkScout is a comprehensive WordPress theme designed for recruitment agencies, job offices, and employment services. This theme allows you to launch a polished, professional website in a short amount of time.

Jobhunt ($59)

Jobhunt is a user-friendly and efficiently coded WordPress theme that works seamlessly with WP Job Manager. It provides a full range of features, including searchable job listings, job submissions, and dedicated dashboards for employers.

The theme also supports additional functionalities through the WP Job Manager Core Add-on Bundle, such as resume management, job alerts, and integration with hiring platforms like Indeed.

JobScout (Free)

JobScout is a responsive WordPress theme designed for HR firms and recruitment agencies. It integrates seamlessly with the WP Job Manager plugin, adding job board features to your site. The theme is beginner-friendly, requiring no coding skills, and offers high customizability through an intuitive live customizer.

Job Portal (Free)

Job Portal is a WordPress theme that offers both free access and premium features for building standout job portal websites. It allows easy customization via the WordPress customizer and is fully responsive, ensuring optimal display on various screen sizes.

The theme also supports drag-and-drop page building for effortless layout customization.

JobRoller ($69)

JobRoller is a WordPress theme designed specifically for job boards. It features a range of monetization options for paid job listings and includes dedicated sections for blogs and landing pages.

The theme supports accounts for both employers and job seekers and offers a resume database, job submission forms, and Ajax-enabled search and filtering. Additionally, it comes with a variety of display settings and a comprehensive options panel for quick setup.

Careers ($19)

Careers is a free WordPress theme designed for creating job boards and recruitment websites. With its well-structured layout, customization is straightforward. The theme comes pre-designed with a modern and professional look, requiring minimal adjustments.

It offers features like advanced search, animated stats, a testimonials section, and social media icons. The theme also includes blog pages for sharing valuable insights for both employers and job seekers.

JobEngine ($89)

JobEngine is a WordPress theme aimed at creating robust job board websites. It features a welcoming front-page template and allows users to easily list jobs. The theme offers various monetization options, including charging for job listings or offering premium plans. It supports multiple payment gateways, such as PayPal and Stripe.

With extensive customization options, you can tailor the look of your job board using the built-in page builder. The theme is also translation-ready, making it suitable for multilingual platforms.

Comport ($19)

Comport is a free, user-friendly WordPress theme designed for job listing websites. It features a modern, eye-catching design that is ready to use right out of the box but can also be easily customized to fit your specific needs.

The theme includes an advanced search bar, hover effects, a section for recent jobs, and a newsletter subscription box. It also features a testimonials slider and is optimized for search engines and mobile devices. Additionally, it comes with an active contact form and Google Maps integration.

WordPress Job Board Plugins

WP Job Manager (Free)

WP Job Manager – by Automattic – is a streamlined plugin that adds job board functionality to your WordPress website. Compatible with any theme through shortcodes and minimal CSS adjustments, it is easy to integrate.

The plugin allows you to add, manage, and sort job listings through an intuitive WordPress interface. It also features frontend forms for job submissions, live previews of listings, and options for job seekers to apply directly. Employers can manage their listings, while job seekers can receive alerts for new job postings via RSS.

Recruitly Addons ($27)

Recruitly Addons is an extension designed for the Elementor page builder, aimed at simplifying the job posting process on WordPress websites. It eliminates the need for additional plugins, requiring only Elementor. Employers can easily post job vacancies, while job seekers can apply for roles that interest them.

The plugin offers eight distinct widgets, such as job lists and search panels, to assist applicants in their job hunt. Employers benefit from three categorization options – job sector, job type, and region – to better organize their listings. Additionally, the plugin supports multi-agency postings and allows each recruiter to specify their company details, ensuring that applications are sent directly to the appropriate company email.

Simple Job Board (Free)

Simple Job Board by PressTigers is a straightforward and lightweight WordPress plugin designed to add a job board to your site. It’s user-friendly and highly customizable, allowing you to manage a variety of job openings with ease. By using the shortcode [jobpost], you can display job listings on any page of your website.

The plugin also lets you tailor application forms for each job listing and add unique features to them. Plus, you have the option to annotate applications directly from your dashboard.

JobBoardWP (Free)

JobBoardWP is a user-friendly plugin that adds a comprehensive job board to your website. It features a clean and modern interface where job seekers can browse and search for jobs, while employers can post and manage job listings.

The plugin offers three key pages: a Jobs Page for listing jobs with search and filter options, a Post Job Page for job submissions that can be saved as drafts, and a Jobs Dashboard Page where users can manage their job listings, including editing and deleting posts.

Job Board Manager (Free)

Job Board Manager is designed to help you effortlessly create and manage a job board on your website. It comes with various shortcodes for displaying job archives, submission forms, and user accounts.

The plugin is SEO-optimized and follows schema.org markup standards. It features a tab-based account dashboard that can be customized using filter hooks, allowing you to add or display content as needed.

WP Job Openings (Free)

WP Job Openings is a straightforward yet robust plugin for adding a job listing section to your WordPress site. Designed based on extensive research on job listing layouts, the plugin offers two well-crafted layouts – Grid and List. It stands out for its highly customizable filter options, making the job search process more efficient for users.

easy.jobs (Free)

easy.jobs is a SAAS-based recruitment solution that integrates seamlessly with WordPress and Elementor, offering a complete hiring platform right from your dashboard. It provides advanced filtering systems to evaluate candidates effectively. Whether you need a simple job board or a comprehensive hiring solution, easy.jobs offers a range of features to streamline the recruitment process.

The post 20 Essential WordPress Themes & Plugins for Creating Job Boards appeared first on Hongkiat.

While this feature makes sharing content simple, the default look might not always match your website’s style or layout, as we can see below.

Fortunately, WordPress provides several ways to customize these embeds to better fit your design. In this article, we’ll explore different ways to tweak and personalize WordPress post embeds, so they blend seamlessly with your site.

1. Customizing the Styles

You can easily change the embed’s appearance to better match your website’s theme by adding a custom CSS file with the enqueue_embed_scripts hook, which ensures it’s loaded when the embed is displayed. You can add it in your theme’s functions.php file, for example:

add_action( 'enqueue_embed_scripts', function () {
    wp_enqueue_style(
        'my-theme-embed',
        get_theme_file_uri( 'embed.css' ),
        ['wp-embed-template']
    );
} );

This function tells WordPress to load your custom embed.css file when rendering an embedded post. Now, you can define your own styles in css/embed.css to modify the look of the embed. For example, you can adjust the typography, colors, or layout with CSS like this:

.wp-embed {
    background-color: #f9f9f9;
    border: 1px solid #eee;
    border-radius: 8px;
}

.wp-embed-featured-image img {
    border-radius: 5px;
}

With these changes, your WordPress post embeds will have a unique style that aligns with your site’s design, as shown below:

2. Customizing the Image

By default, WordPress post embeds use a predefined image size for the featured image. However, you can customize this to better match your design by specifying a different image size.

For example, if you want the embed image to be a perfect square but don’t have a square image size set up yet, you can define one using the following code in your theme’s functions.php file. This code will create a new image size called embed-square, which crops images precisely to 300×300 pixels.

add_action( 'after_setup_theme', function () {
    add_image_size( 'embed-square', 300, 300, true );
} );

Then, use the embed_thumbnail_image_size hook

add_filter( 'embed_thumbnail_image_size', function () {
    return 'embed-square';
} );

If you’ve already uploaded images before adding this code, WordPress won’t automatically generate the new embed-square size for them. To fix this, you can use the Regenerate Thumbnails plugin. This ensures that all your older featured images are available in the new size and display correctly in post embeds.

Now, your WordPress post embeds will now use the embed-square image size, as shown below:

3. Customizing the Excerpt

The post embeds also display an excerpt of the post content. However, the default length may not always fit your design or readability preferences. Fortunately, you can control how much text is shown by adjusting the excerpt length by using the excerpt_length

For example, if you want to shorten the excerpt to 18 words specifically for embeds, you can use the following code in your theme’s functions.php file:

add_filter( 'excerpt_length', function ($length) {
    return is_embed() ? 18 : $length;
} );

This code checks if the content is being displayed in an embed and, if so, limits the excerpt to 18 words. Otherwise, it keeps the default excerpt length, as shown below.

Experiment with different word counts to find the right balance in your content.

4. Adding Custom Content

By default, WordPress post embeds display basic information like the title, excerpt, and featured image. However, you might want to include additional details, such as the post’s updated date, to provide more context.

To do so, you can use the embed_content. In our case, we can add the following code in the functions.php file to display the post’s updated date:

add_action( 'embed_content', function () {
    if ( ! is_single() ) {
        return;
    }

    $updated_time = get_the_modified_time( 'U' );
    $published_time = get_the_time( 'U' );

    if ( $updated_time > $published_time ) {
        $time = sprintf(
            '<time datetime="%s">%s</time>',
            esc_attr( get_the_modified_date( 'Y-m-d' ) ),
            esc_html( get_the_modified_date() )
        );

        printf(
            '<p class="wp-embed-updated-on">%s</p>',
            sprintf(
                esc_html__( 'Updated on %s', 'devblog' ),
                $time
            )
        );
    }
} );

Now, the post embeds will display the updated date after the content, as shown below:

Displaying the updated date is helpful for readers to know if the content has been recently refreshed. This is especially useful for articles with time-sensitive information, tutorials, or news posts that may change over time.

5. Overriding Embed Templates

By default, WordPress uses a single template file called embed.php to display embedded content for all post types, including blog posts, pages, and custom post types. If you want to change how embedded content looks across your site, you can create a custom embed.php file inside your theme folder.

Additionally, WordPress lets you customize embeds for specific post types. For example, if you have a custom post type called “product” and want its embed to show extra details like price and availability without affecting other embeds you can create an embed-product.php file in your theme folder and customize it as needed.

<?php get_header( 'embed' ); ?>
<?php $product = wc_get_product( get_the_ID() ) ?>
<div id="embed-product-<?php the_ID(); ?>" <?php post_class("wp-embed") ?>>
    <div class="embed-product-image">
        <?php the_post_thumbnail( 'embed-square' ); ?>
    </div>
    <div class="embed-product-details">
        <header class="embed-product-header">
            <h3 class="embed-product-title"><?php the_title(); ?></h3>
        </header>
        <div class="embed-product-content">
            <?php the_excerpt(); ?>
            <p><strong>Price</strong>: <?php echo number_format($product->get_regular_price()); ?></p>
            <p><button>Buy Now</button></p>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>
<?php get_footer( 'embed' ); ?>

Now, whenever a product post is embedded, WordPress will use this template instead of the default one.

Bonus:

Disable Post Embed for Specific Post Types

While post embeds are a useful feature for sharing content, you might want to disable them for specific posts or post types. For example, you may have private content that you don’t want to be embedded on other sites.

To disable post embeds for a specific post, you can use the embed_oembed_html filter to return an empty string.

Here’s an example of how you can disable post embeds for page post type.

add_filter( 'embed_oembed_html', function ( $html, $url, $attr, $post_id ) {
    if ( get_post_type( $post_id ) === 'page' ) {
        return '';
    }

    return $html;
}, 10, 4 );

Wrapping up

WordPress post embeds make it easy to share content between websites. In this article, we explored several ways to customize how these embeds look, so they match your site’s design and include extra details for your readers. Now, you can try these techniques to create embeds that look better and make your content more engaging.

The post 5 Ways to Customize Your WordPress Post Embeds appeared first on Hongkiat.

To solve this problem, we can mask the author URL with a randomized ID like UUID. This way, the author URL will not reveal the author’s username and will be more secure.

We’ll be looking at two approaches: The hard way, where we write the code ourselves, and the easy way, where we use a plugin.

So, without further ado, let’s see how it works.

The Hard Way

To begin, create a new PHP file, for example uuid-slug.php, inside either the /wp-content/plugin directory or the /wp-content/mu-plugins/ directory, to load it as a must-use plugin. This file will contain the plugin headers…

/**
 * Plugin bootstrap file.
 *
 * This file is read by WordPress to display the plugin's information in the admin area.
 *
 * @wordpress-plugin
 * Plugin Name:       Author UUID Slug
 * Plugin URI:        https://github.com/hongkiat/wp-author-uuid-slug
 * Description:       Use UUID for the author URL.
 * Version:           1.0.0
 * Requires at least: 6.0
 * Requires PHP:      7.4
 * Author:            Thoriq Firdaus
 * Author URI:        https://github.com/tfirdaus
 */

…and the logic required to implement UUID-based author URLs. In this case, we will provide a simple input in the user profile editor to add the UUID.

add_action('show_user_profile', 'add_uuid_field_to_profile');
add_action('edit_user_profile', 'add_uuid_field_to_profile');

function add_uuid_field_to_profile($user)
{
    $uuid = get_user_meta($user->ID, '_uuid', true);
    ?>
    <table class="form-table">
        <tr>
            <th><label for="user_uuid"><?php esc_html_e('UUID', 'hongkiat'); ?></label></th>
            <td>
                <input 
                    type="text" 
                    name="user_uuid" 
                    id="user_uuid" 
                    value="<?php echo esc_attr($uuid); ?>" 
                    class="regular-text" 
                    <?php echo !current_user_can('manage_options') ? 'readonly' : ''; ?>
                />
                <p class="description">
                    <?php 
                        if (current_user_can('manage_options')) {
                            esc_html_e('Enter or update the UUID for this user.', 'hongkiat');
                        } else {
                            esc_html_e('This UUID is read-only for non-administrators.', 'hongkiat');
                        }
                    ?>
                </p>
            </td>
        </tr>
    </table>
    <?php
}

add_action('personal_options_update', 'save_uuid_field');
add_action('edit_user_profile_update', 'save_uuid_field');

function save_uuid_field($user_id)
{
    if (!current_user_can('manage_options', $user_id)) {
        return false;
    }

    $new_uuid = isset($_POST['user_uuid']) ? sanitize_text_field($_POST['user_uuid']) : '';

    if (!empty($new_uuid) && is_uuid($new_uuid)) {
        update_user_meta($user_id, '_uuid', $new_uuid);
    } else {
        delete_user_meta($user_id, '_uuid');
    }
}

function is_uuid($value)
{
    $pattern = '/^[0-9a-f]{8}-[0-9a-f]{4}-[1-5][0-9a-f]{3}-[89ab][0-9a-f]{3}-[0-9a-f]{12}$/i'; // UUID pattern.

    return (bool) preg_match($pattern, $value);
}

For security reasons, this input will only be active and editable for users with the manage_options permission, so only administrators will be able to add or update the UUID for users. Users without the proper permissions will see the input as read-only.

Change the Author URL

Next, we need to modify the author URL to use the UUID instead of the author’s username. This can be achieved by implementing the author_link filter, as shown below:

add_filter('author_link', 'change_author_url', 10, 3);

function change_author_url($link, $author_id, $author_nicename)
{
    $uuid = get_user_meta($author_id, '_uuid', true);

    if (is_string($uuid)) {
        return str_replace('/' . $authorSlug, '/' . $uuid, $link);
    }

    return $link;
}

This implementation will update the generated URL for the author, affecting both the front-end theme and the admin interface.

Handling Queries for Author Archives

Since we’ve modified the URL structure for author archive URLs, we also need to handle the corresponding queries. Without this, WordPress would return a 404 Not Found error because it wouldn’t recognize how to query authors by their _uuid metadata.

To implement this functionality, we can utilize the pre_get_posts hook as shown below:

add_action('pre_get_posts', 'author_uuid_query');

function author_uuid_query($query) {
    /**
     * If the permalink structure is set to plain, the author should be queried
     * by the user ID.
     */
    if ((bool) get_option('permalink_structure') === false) {
        return;
    }

    $author_name = $query->query_vars['author_name'] ?? '';

    if (! is_string($author_name) || ! is_uuid($author_name)) {
        $query->is_404 = true;
        $query->is_author = false;
        $query->is_archive = false;

        return;
    }

    $users = get_users([
        'meta_key' => '_uuid',
        'meta_value' => $author_name,
    ]);

    if (count($users) <= 0) {
        $query->is_404 = true;
        $query->is_author = false;
        $query->is_archive = false;

        return;
    }

    $user = $users[0];

    if (! $user instanceof WP_User) {
        $query->is_404 = true;
        $query->is_author = false;
        $query->is_archive = false;

        return;
    }

    $query->set('author_name', $user->user_nicename);
}

The code above verifies whether the permalink structure is set to something other than the default “Plain” setting. We exclude handling queries for the “Plain” permalink structure because WordPress uses the author ID (?author=<id>) rather than the author_name in this case.

Changing the Author Slug in REST API

The user’s username is also exposed in the /wp-json/wp/v2/users REST API endpoint. To enhance security, we’ll modify this by replacing the username with the UUID. This can be accomplished by implementing the rest_prepare_user hook as demonstrated below:

add_filter('rest_prepare_user', 'change_user_slug_in_rest_api', 10, 2);

function change_user_slug_in_rest_api($response, $user)
{
    $data = $response->get_data();

    if (is_array($data)) {
        $uuid = get_user_meta($author_id, '_uuid', true);

        if (is_string($uuid)) {
            $data['slug'] = $uuid;
        }
    }

    $response->set_data($data);

    return $response;
}

With this implementation, the author URL will now utilize the UUID instead of the username. Any attempts to access the author URL using the original username will result in a 404 not found error.

While this solution works effectively for smaller sites or those with limited users, it can become cumbersome to manage when dealing with a large number of users. In such cases, implementing UUIDs manually for each user would be time-consuming and impractical.

Therefore, let’s explore an alternative approach that offers a more streamlined solution.

The Easy Way

For a simpler solution, we’ll utilize a plugin called Feature Flipper. This plugin provides several security features, including the ability to obfuscate usernames using UUIDs.

You can install the plugin directly from the Plugins section in your WordPress dashboard. After installation and activation, navigate to Settings > Feature > Security and enable the Obfuscate Usernames option.

Once you’ve saved the settings, the plugin will automatically generate UUIDs for all existing users on your site. Additionally, it will assign UUIDs to any new users upon registration.

Conclusion

Implementing UUIDs for author URLs is an effective security measure that helps protect your WordPress site by concealing author usernames. This approach significantly reduces the risk of brute-force attacks and unauthorized access attempts.

Throughout this tutorial, we’ve explored two implementation methods. For those who prefer a custom solution, the complete source code is available in our GitHub repository. Alternatively, the Feature Flipper plugin offers a more straightforward approach for users seeking a ready-made solution.

The post How to Use UUID for WordPress Author URL appeared first on Hongkiat.

Unlike a regular page, a maintenance page uses the 503 standard HTTP status code, which tells search engines the downtime is temporary and prevents SEO penalties.

In this article, we’ll walk you through a couple of different ways to implement this maintenance page. Let’s check it out.

Use Built-in Maintenance File

WordPress has a built-in maintenance mode that activates when you update your site. It creates a .maintenance file in the root directory of your site. This file contains the message you want to show visitors and the time the maintenance mode was activated. Likewise, you could create a .maintenance file manually to put your site in maintenance mode.

You can create the file, .maintenance, at the root of your WordPress site installation where the wp-config.php file resides, as you can see below:

Then put this code below within the file:

<?php $upgrading = time(); ?>

This will immediately activate WordPress maintenance mode. If you call the built-in wp_is_maintenance_mode function, it should return true, confirming that maintenance mode is active. When you reload the page, WordPress will display the default maintenance message.

Customizing the Maintenance Page

The default maintenance message is simple and plain.

You can customize it by creating a custom maintenance page named maintenance.php within the wp-content directory. You can add a custom message and styles to the page to make it more appealing to visitors or make it fit better with your overall site design.

Here is an example code you can put within the file:

<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <title>Maintenance</title>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/normalize/8.0.1/normalize.min.css">
    <style>
    #container {
        display: flex;
        width: 100vw;
        height: 100vh;
        padding-inline: 20vw;
        box-sizing: border-box;
        text-align: center;
        justify-content: center;
        align-items: center;
        flex-flow: column wrap;
    }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <div id="container">
        <h1>Maintenance</h1>
        <p>Our website is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance. We should be back shortly. Thank you for your patience.</p>
    </div>
</body>
</html>    

Now, when you reload your site, you should see the entire page rendered with the updated content and styles from this maintenance.php file.

The problem with this file is that you cannot use WordPress functions such as wp_head, wp_title, wp_footer, esc_html_e, etc. This means that you cannot display the site title, enqueue assets like stylesheets and JavaScript files, or any other dynamic content rendered using WordPress functions within this file.

That’s why, as you can see above, we’ve only added static content and linked stylesheets statically as well.

This leads to additional problems, such as the inability to translate content on the maintenance page. And since stylesheets can’t be dynamically enqueued, the maintenance page design may feel out of place if you change your theme.

Use a Plugin

The easiest way to enable maintenance mode on your WordPress site is by using a plugin. There are several options available, but in this article, we’ll use Feature Flipper. This plugin includes various utilities, one of which allows you to activate maintenance mode easily.

After installing and activating the plugin, navigate to Settings > Features > Site and enable the “Maintenance” option. As we can see below, you can also customize the maintenance page content to match your needs.

The maintenance page automatically inherits styles from your active theme to ensure that the page seamlessly matches your theme’s styles. If you change your theme, the maintenance page will adapt to the new styles accordingly.

Here’s how it looks with some of the popular themes from the WordPress.org repository:

TwentyTwentyFive

TwentyTwentyFour

TwentyTwentyOne

Wrapping Up

In this article, we explored two ways to enable maintenance mode on your WordPress site. The built-in method is quick and easy but lacks customization. Meanwhile, a plugin offers more flexibility and makes it easy to toggle maintenance mode on and off directly from the dashboard.

No matter which method you choose, don’t forget to disable maintenance mode once you’re done so your site remains accessible!

The post How to Put Your WordPress Site in Maintenance Mode appeared first on Hongkiat.

PHP has changed significantly with new features and syntax. For example, it now includes better and proper OOP features and autoloading. However, WordPress still promotes the old procedural programming approach, and it’s not straightforward to include autoloading in your plugin.

This is why I created Howdy, a WordPress plugin boilerplate that aims to make using modern PHP concepts in WordPress plugin development easier.

Scope

Howdy focuses on essential tools that improve productivity without overcomplicating the workflow. Rather than forcing every modern PHP practice into it, it prioritizes two foundational features:

• Namespacing
• Autoloading (with Composer)

Namespacing

Namespacing in PHP organizes classes, functions, and constants into logical groups, similar to how folders structure files, to prevent naming collisions. For example, two plugins defining a Security class won’t conflict if each uses a unique namespace.

Traditionally, WordPress relies on prefixes for isolation. Suppose your plugin is named “Simple Security by Acme.” You’d typically prefix functions and classes with your organization name Acme_ or acme_:

// Prefix in a function name.
function acme_check_security() {
    // Add security check logic here
}

// Prefix in a class name.
class Acme_Security {
    public function check() {
        // Add class-specific logic here
    }
}

While namespaces can be used in WordPress plugins, adoption remains rare. This is because you can’t use namespaces to their full potential without autoloading.

Autoloading

Autoloading classes in WordPress has two key limitations.

First, you can’t autoload third-party libraries, like openai-php/client, without prefixing their namespaces. If two plugins load the same library, conflicting definitions will crash the site.

Additionally, without using Composer, all functions, constants, or static files must be manually loaded with require_once, increasing boilerplate.

These are the two main issues that Howdy aims to tackle.

Once we have these two features properly set up, adopting other advanced PHP patterns, such as dependency injection or facades, becomes much easier.

So let’s install Howdy and see it in action.

Installation

We can install Howdy with the Composer create-project command:

composer create-project syntatis/howdy -s dev

This command will create a new directory, howdy, pull all the project files, and install the dependencies from Packagist.

If you want to create the project in a different folder, you can add the directory name at the end of the command, like below:

composer create-project syntatis/howdy -s dev acme-plugin

It will then ask you to input the plugin slug. The plugin slug is required and should be unique. If you plan to publish your plugin on WordPress.org, this slug will be used in the plugin URL, e.g., https://wordpress.org/plugins/{slug}/. For this example, we’ll use acme-plugin.

The plugin slug will also be used to determine the default plugin name, the namespace prefix, and more. As we can see below, it’s smart enough to transform the slug into the appropriate format. For this example, we’ll keep the default plugin name while changing the namespace to Acme instead of AcmePlugin.

Once the inputs are completed, the necessary updates are made to the project files. For example, the file in app/Plugin.php will include the namespace and the prefix for the dependencies’ namespace.

What’s Included?

Howdy comes pre-configured with these tools to streamline development:

• PHP-Scoper: It allows us to add prefixes for dependencies installed with Composer to prevent conflicts when using the same libraries.
• PHPCS: It includes PHPCS, but instead of using the WordPress Coding Standard, the library applies modern coding standards that are well-established in the PHP ecosystem, such as PSR-12, Doctrine, and Slevomat.
• Kubrick: A collection of React.js components to build applications like the settings page in the WordPress admin.
• @wordpress/scripts: To compile JavaScript and stylesheets. You can run the following command to start watching files and automatically compile changes:

  npm run start
  

Directory Structure

Howdy uses a slightly unconventional structure for a WordPress plugin. However, if you’re familiar with frameworks like Laravel or Symfony, you’ll adapt quickly.

There are three main directories:

1. app: This directory should house your plugin’s core classes and business logic. Classes in this directory are autoloaded automatically if they follow the PSR-4 standard.
2. inc: This directory contains configuration files, utilities, and HTML templates.
3. src: This directory contains the uncompiled source for JavaScript and stylesheet files.

Installing External Dependencies

Now that we have the plugin boilerplate set up, we can easily install additional packages with Composer. For example, if we want to build a plugin with OpenAI integration, we can include the openai-php/client package using the following command:

composer require openai-php/client

Howdy will automatically add a prefix to the namespaces of all classes in this package after it’s installed.

You can also install packages specifically for development. For example, to install symfony/var-dumper, a popular PHP package for debugging, you can run:

composer require symfony/var-dumper --dev

This package provides a more user-friendly debugging experience compared to PHP’s native var_dump function.

Preparing for Production

Lastly, Howdy provides several commands to prepare your plugin for release:

npm run build: Builds all asset files, including JavaScript and stylesheets, in the src directory. These files are optimized and minified for production.

composer run build: Re-compiles the project and removes packages installed for development.

composer run plugin:zip: Creates an installable ZIP file for the plugin. Unnecessary files like dotfiles, src directories, and node_modules are excluded from the final archive.

Wrapping Up

In this article, we’ve explored Howdy and its benefits for WordPress plugin development.

Howdy is designed to modernize plugin development without overwhelming you. It avoids bloating your workflow with every trendy tool (e.g., PHPUnit, PHPStan, or TypeScript are not included by default), but you can add them later as needed.

By solving dependency conflicts and enabling Composer, Howdy bridges WordPress development with the broader PHP ecosystem, unlocking countless possibilities for building maintainable and scalable plugins.

The post Howdy: Modern WordPress Plugin Boilerplate appeared first on Hongkiat.

For Hongkiat.com readers-web designers, developers, and creatives who value innovation-this is especially true.

If a WordPress theme doesn’t look 2025-ready, doesn’t offer built-in flexibility, or hasn’t been actively maintained, it’s bound to cause headaches down the road.

Whichever design or theme you choose should be able to evolve alongside your business (or side project), not hold it back.

But with 5,000+ free and paid WordPress themes (and counting) on the market, it’s easy to feel lost.

So which ones really shine if you aim to stay ahead of the curve?

Below, we’ll take a look at the best WordPress themes (free and paid) in 2025-each one tested, refined, and backed by robust design capabilities.

The Best WordPress Themes for 2025 Include:

These themes feature intuitive page builders, beautiful designs, and the flexibility that developers crave. If you’re looking to streamline your workflow while ensuring your sites look next-level, read on.

Key Takeaways

• Focus on Future-Proofing: Themes must be actively updated and sport a contemporary look. That way, you won’t need to rebuild your site a year from now just because the theme is stuck in 2019.
• Thousands of Options-But Only a Few Will Do: With so many WordPress themes available, the real standouts for 2025 are those like UiCore PRO and Betheme, thanks to their extensive feature sets and design adaptability.
• Look for Developer-Friendly Features: A good theme in 2025 isn’t just about drag-and-drop. It’s about customization, easy mobile editing, high performance, and reliable support-all crucial for developers managing multiple sites or advanced features.
• Why These Themes Shine: Themes like UiCore PRO offer niche benefits such as agency-focused structures, while something like Betheme is famed for its multipurpose approach. Each suits a slightly different developer need, so you can choose based on your unique project.
• Support & Feedback: Themes with dedicated support-like Litho-often spark glowing reviews. This makes a difference when troubleshooting complex builds or rolling out advanced features.

What Sets These WordPress Themes Apart?

These top themes share defining traits that can streamline your development process and enhance your site’s UX.

• Ease of Use: Pre-built demos are fantastic, but only if they’re simple to edit. If you’re spending hours in a confusing backend, that’s a red flag. Themes highlighted here pride themselves on intuitive interfaces and well-documented builder tools.
• Multiple Builder Options: From WordPress’s native block editor (Gutenberg) to powerhouse plugins like Elementor, different developers have different preferences. These themes typically support multiple major page builders, ensuring you don’t have to alter your workflow.
• Flexible Customization: These best WordPress themes for 2025 come loaded with website demos, yet remain highly flexible. Tweak layouts, adjust color schemes, or integrate custom scripts-whatever your vision, you won’t be locked into a cookie-cutter style.
• Forward-Thinking Design: “2025-ready” means not just looking modern but ensuring sites can adapt to future design trends. The multipurpose demos included with each theme should remain fresh and relevant for years to come.
• Mobile Editing: A significant portion of web traffic comes from mobile devices. While nearly all top-tier themes boast responsive design, the page builder’s mobile editing features are vital. You need an easy way to refine how your site appears on various screen sizes.
• Performance: If a theme or builder loads slowly, everyone loses-developers spend more time waiting, and visitors bounce. Each theme here scores well on performance tests, so you can focus on building your site rather than dealing with speed issues.
• Reliable Customer Support: Even pro developers appreciate a guiding hand when deadlines loom. Whether it’s a ticket-based system, knowledge base, or community forum, these themes are backed by active support teams.

Quick Reality Check

It’s tempting to think finding a perfectly matched theme is a walk in the park. While the process can be straightforward with proper research, choosing a future-ready theme is crucial to avoid unexpected redesigns. Keep these points in mind:

• Make a Strong First Impression: Your site should look professional and stand out in a crowded online space. Every theme mentioned here can help you achieve that when used effectively.
• Future Readiness Is Non-Negotiable: As web standards shift, so do theme requirements. A theme that’s frequently updated and built on flexible code can evolve right along with your business-or your personal brand.

The Themes at a Glance

In creating this list, we considered:

• Performance & Adaptability
• Developer Tools
• Business Owner Requirements for 2025 and Beyond

All of these future-proof themes feature clean code, top-notch responsiveness, and SEO-ready structures.

Why These Themes Excel

• Performance: Comprehensive demo libraries to launch site projects quickly
• Ease of Use: Intuitive drag-and-drop builders for pages, headers, footers-even WooCommerce
• Adaptability: Design blocks, templates, developer-friendly layouts, and more
• Ongoing Support: Responsive help desks, thorough documentation, and video tutorials for quick problem-solving

Your Next Steps

Based on the context of the article discussing WordPress themes and their features, I’d complete the last point like this:

• Preview Themes & Builders: Take time to explore each theme’s demos. See if their builder tools align with your typical workflow, whether that’s Elementor, WPBakery, or another preferred editor.
• Match Templates to Project Specs: If you want to see how a theme might look for an eCommerce site versus a personal portfolio, explore the pre-built websites and templates. These provide insight into the theme’s range and design capabilities.
• Pick One That Feels Right: Ultimately, the best theme is the one that keeps pace with your vision and offers the right balance of features, customization options, and ease of use for your specific needs.

1. UiCore Pro: WordPress Theme for Gutenberg and Elementor

UiCore Pro’s impressive array of blocks, widgets, and page sections allows you to customize every nook and cranny of your website.

Its standout feature is its huge library of website templates, template blocks, and inner pages. A beautiful example is Slate, a UiCore Pro top 10 downloaded demo in 2024. Slate would provide an ideal template for creating a services-oriented startup. New demos/pre-built websites are added to the existing library of 60+ pre-built websites monthly.

Other features you will love:

• Next-Gen Theme Options: Provides total control over your site’s look and feel
• Theme Builder: Does the same for the static elements of your website
• Premium Widgets: 250+ premium widgets that take the place of plugins you might otherwise need to generate traffic to your site
• Admin Customizer: Allows users to personalize the admin panel’s look and feel to suit their preferences
• White Label Option: Ideal for anyone interested in customizing UiCore Pro to conform to their own brand

Primary users include Agencies, Architects, Online Shop owners, Startups, and SaaS providers.

Check Out UiCore Pro

Current Rating: 4.6 on Trustpilot

2. Betheme: Fastest Theme of Them All

With Betheme it’s possible to build virtually any type or style website quickly. That is good news for busy web designers, web developers and businesses seeking an online presence.

Betheme’s standout feature (one of several) is its outstanding library of 700+ responsive and fully customizable pre-built websites, and each is just a click away. New demos are made available every month.

How would one of these pre-built websites help you get a project off to a quick start? Try the Be Gadget example, a top downloaded demo in 2024. If you are thinking of opening a small online shop you might be able to put it to immediate use.

Other cool features include:

• Superfast BeBuilder: Completely rewritten for enhanced speed and performance, making site building faster than ever
• WooBuilder: Includes 40+ WooCommerce demos, allowing quick and easy creation of online stores
• Customizable Layouts: Offers flexible layout options for portfolio, blog, and shop pages
• Tools for All Users: A Developer Mode and a Query Loop Builder for developers, Popups for Marketers, and a WooCommerce Builder for sellers
• Five-Star Customer Support: Betheme’s customer service center ensures five-star treatment

Check Out Betheme

3. Blocksy: Popular WooCommerce Theme

Blocksy’s standout feature is its Header Builder that enables you to craft a header that exactly fits your brand. Header elements offer a range of customization options that allow you to design user-friendly and engaging headers. Blocksy is fully integrated with WooCommerce and is an ideal choice for shop owners and web designers with business and marketing clients.

• Starter Site Example: Would you be interested in an idea or example to help initiate a project for a startup business? Blocksy’s Biz Consult starter site example might be just what you need. Be sure to view the live video to get the full effect
• Monthly Pre-Built Sites: New pre-built website selections are released monthly
• Easy Customization: Every part of a Blocksy-designed site will lend itself to easy customization
• Developer-Friendly Tools: Blocksy’s functionality extending hooks, filters, and actions make it developer friendly
• WooCommerce Integration: Blocksy is fully integrated with WooCommerce and is an ideal choice for shop owners and web designers with business and marketing clients
• Top-Notch Support: The average ticket resolution time is less than 24 hours. Documentation and selections of YouTube videos are readily available

Check Out Blocksy

Current Rating: 4.97 on WordPress.org

4. Litho: Modern and Creative Elementor WordPress Theme

Litho is an all-purpose theme that can be used for any type of business or industry niche, whether the need is to create a website, a portfolio, a blog, or all the above.

Features include 37+ ready home pages, 200+ creative elements, and more than 300 templates, all of which can be imported with a single click. Are you in need of a template of an idea for a startup site? Litho’s Home Startup example could be just what you need to get your project underway.

Litho has plenty more to offer, including:

• Integrated Header-Footer Builder: Choose from pre-built layouts or design custom headers and footers tailored to your needs
• Client-Specific Features: Designed to meet the needs of digital agencies, businesses, bloggers, shop owners, and more
• Portfolio Features: Cool portfolio-build features that include attractive hover styles
• Plugin Compatibility: Compatibility with most well-known free and premium plugins, including WooCommerce

Support includes online documentation, YouTube videos, and installation and update guidelines. Average support ticket time less than 24 hours.

Check Out Litho

5. Uncode: WordPress Theme for Creatives

Uncode does not advertise a main feature, and its primary client or target use would be any person, enterprise, or niche.

• Demo Popularity: Uncode’s demos are extremely popular with its users. They often provide the ideas and inspiration that needed to get a project underway
• User Showcase: Uncode even highlights sites its users have created based on these demos
• Featured Demo: Take for example Uncode’s Creative Marketing demo, one of the most popular downloaded demos in 2024. It’s a real attention-getter featuring a clever hover effect and could be just what you are looking for to introduce yourself or your business!

The topical range of available pre-built designs is exceptional. New pre-built website releases take place every 3 to 6 months.

Other popular features include:

• Enhanced Frontend Page Builder: Comes with 85 meticulously designed modules for a streamlined and efficient building experience
• Wireframes Plugin: Includes access to a selection of 750+ wireframes
• Exceptional Support: First-rate support (ticket resolution less than 24 hrs.), plus there is a support group on Facebook

Updates are continuously released based on customer demands.

Check Out Uncode

Current Rating: 4.89

6. Avada WordPress Theme: #1 Best Seller

They have plenty to say with Avada as it is the #1 best-selling WordPress theme of all time with 750,000+ satisfied customers; more than enough to suggest that theme, often referred to as the Swiss Army Knife of WordPress themes has everything going for it.

Avada Business pre-built website is a professional and fully customizable template. It is one you could easily use for showcasing corporate services or creating an awesome online presence for any business.

Avada is responsive, speed-optimized, WooCommerce ready, and lets you design anything you want the way you want to without touching a line of code.

Ideal for anyone from the first-time web designer to the professional with its:

• Responsive Framework: Ensures your website adapts perfectly to any screen size or device
• 1-Click Demo Importer: Quickly import pre-built demos
• Pre-Built Websites: 85+ professionally designed pre-built websites
• Live Visual Drag and Drop Builder: Build and customize your site with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface
• Advanced Theme Options: Capability to customize anything
• Extensive Design Library: 400+ pre-built web pages together with more than 120 design and layout elements

Avada is eCommerce enabled. You can expect to receive 5-star support from Avada’s support team while having ready access to free lifetime updates, its extensive video tutorial library, and its comprehensive documentation.

Check Out Avada

Avada has over 24,000 5-star reviews on ThemeForest. Current Rating: 4.77

7. Total: Easy Website Builder for All Levels

Any website-building project type can benefit from using Total due to its superior flexibility, clean code, and its multiplicity of time-saving website building features.

Total’s standout feature is its easy page builder for DIYers. Total also features comprehensive selections of developer-friendly hooks, filters, snippets, and more.

• Flexible Page Builder Integration: Total uses WPBakery as its page builder as it considers it to be the superior page builder for WordPress. If you happen to be an Elementor fan, Total has built in integration with both Elementor and Gutenberg
• Extensive Design Features: Other features include dynamic layout templates, boxed and full-width layouts CSS effects (animations), custom backgrounds, sticky headers, mobile menu styles, and more
• Robust Design Resources: Total gives you more than 100 builder elements, 90+ WPBakery patterns, and 50+ premade demos to work with. The inspirational demos provide an excellent way to get a project off to a fast start. The Biz for example is a sweet little one-page website that could be used as the basis for starting a business

Check Out Total

Current Rating: 4.86

8. Woodmart: Popular Multipurpose WooCommerce Theme

A first glance at the Woodmart site can be a revelation in that you’re apt to experience an array of content sections that appear to have been created exactly the way you would like to be able to do it when you are having a good day.

Woodmart’s standout feature is its custom layout builder for shop, product cart, and other client-centric features that include “Frequently Bought Together” and “Dynamic Discounts.”

• Store-Focused Design: Much of what Woodmart offers is directed toward in-store design, but there are client-specific features as well including a White Label option, and social integrations for Marketers
• Scalable Store Solutions: Whether your goal is to create a small store, or a multivendor marketplace site, Woodmart has what you need to make it a success
• WooCommerce-Based: Fully integrated with WooCommerce, so you won’t need additional plugins to build your store

Woodmart’s Mega Electronics demo is a great example of the realism you can expect. Substitute your content and you have your store. A new selection of demos is released every month.

Check Out Woodmart

9. Pro Theme + Cornerstone Builder: Most Advanced WP Theme

As these features are maintained at a high degree of usability Pro Theme’s standout feature is the constant flow of updates and features this theme can place before its users.

These features:

• Comprehensive Family of Builders: Includes a Header Builder, Page Builder, Footer Builder, Layout Builder, Blog Builder, Shop Builder, and more
• Design Cloud: Access a rich collection of design assets
• Max Service: Includes a wealth of premium plugins, templates, and multiple custom-designed websites from a leading personal brand agency that designs websites for various leading brands and celebrities
• Demo Collection: An excellent collection of demos like this Konnect example that can be used to kick off an online store project
• Extensive Support Resources: Support materials that feature a support manual, YouTube tutorial videos and a Forum

Updates are released every two weeks.

What is the ideal website project type that Pro supports? The answer is simple: Anything.

Check Out Pro Theme

Why the Right WordPress Theme Matters

A WordPress theme sets the visual and functional foundation of your website.

In 2025, it’s not enough for a theme to look good on desktop alone.

It needs to:

• Work seamlessly with top page builders like Elementor, Gutenberg, or WPBakery
• Offer high-quality prebuilt templates, so you can launch quickly and efficiently
• Support mobile editing, ensuring visitors have a smooth experience on any device
• Provide reliable speed and overall stability, essential for keeping bounce rates low and user engagement high
• Feature dedicated support, so you won’t spend hours troubleshooting an issue that could be resolved in minutes

Spotting a Future-Ready Theme

Much like staying current with design trends and coding best practices, succeeding in WordPress means choosing a theme that’s actively maintained and flexible enough to adapt to technological changes.

A top-tier theme won’t restrict you to specific layouts or color schemes. Instead, it will let you experiment with everything from parallax effects to dynamic animations-without compromising performance.

Testing the Waters

Before committing, test-drive a theme’s builder tools and explore its templates. This hands-on approach reveals how well each theme matches your project’s requirements-whether you’re creating a personal portfolio, a sleek eCommerce shop, or something more experimental.

Making the Final Call

Ultimately, the best theme is one that supports your vision and has the performance capabilities to power your boldest ideas. With the right choice, you’ll avoid costly re-platforming later and can focus on innovation.

If you’re overwhelmed by the 5,000+ WordPress themes available, don’t worry. By focusing on builder compatibility, mobile responsiveness, speed, and reliable support, you’ll quickly identify the ideal themes to power your projects through 2024 and beyond.

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