The newest version of WordPress just came out – so it’s time to upgrade! Before you do, remember to backup your database and all files first. If you’re running an e-commerce shop or a pretty outdated version of WordPress, it’s best to do some testing locally before you upgrade your live site, to make sure there aren’t any issues. Upgrades can be tricky, so we’re happy to help if you need any assistance!

There are a bunch of neat things that are happening in the newest version – see our list below for some features to be aware of!

Media upload changes

One of the biggest changes you’ll notice is in uploading media files. The box that pops up when you add new media has had quite an overhaul on the design and functionality. It’s much more streamlined and easy to use now, especially if you’re looking to use an image that has already been uploaded to your site.

Editing images from the Media Library is now easier as well, with a more user-friendly layout that is closer to the look of a post.

Admin panel design update

The WordPress admin panel features some new design changes that streamline the design, making it a bit sleeker. Buttons and text fields are slightly different, more modern looking. The Add Media button now has text on it, instead of just an image, which will be really helpful for newer users. Also, the “HTML” tab when you’re editing a post has changed it’s name to “Text,” making it a bit easier for people to understand.

Embedding media just got easier

WordPress already allowed easy embedding of a few third-party media services like YouTube, Vimeo and Flickr, where you could paste the url of the media in the post box, and it will be changed to the actual media in the published post. Now, they’ve added a few more services to the list: Soundcloud, Slideshare, and Instagram. Paste in the url to your post, and you’ll see the video, picture, or actual media in your post when you publish or preview it. Pretty neat.

Links are missing

This is a feature that has been around a long time, although they’ve found that most people don’t use it so they decided to get rid of it. It’s the list of links, or blogroll, that you could add as a widget to your sidebar. You won’t see it on any new installations of WordPress, although if you update an existing installation, it will still be there. So if you do use it and want to keep it, it’ll still be usable for you! You can also add it back in as a plugin on any new installation.

Responsive Twenty Twelve theme

WordPress comes with a default theme, Twenty Twelve, and it’s seen some great updates with this new WordPress version. It’s pretty minimal, but a great theme to add on to, and it’s now responsive, which is a really great addition!

We’re excited about these new changes with version 3.5. WordPress is continually updating, upgrading and making things easier, better, faster, and more secure, which is why we love using this platform for our blog and our clients. Looking forward to seeing what WordPress will come out with next!