WordPress 7.2 Beta 1: 9 Changes Developers Should Test Before the December Release

WordPress 7.2 Beta 1 is set to be released on October 20, 2026. Developers have seven weeks to test the beta before the official release on December 8. The beta introduces several changes developers should test:

1. wp_kses() functionality has been rebuilt on the HTML API, normalizing HTML output and rejecting certain tag and character element content. Developers who rely on byte-for-byte matches should use a temporary workaround and report issues on the Trac ticket. A tool is available to compare output against the new parser.

2. Custom blocks can now define per-breakpoint styles using getStyleForState() and setStyleForState() functions. This allows for responsive design within blocks, such as varying padding for mobile devices.

3. A new default theme called Ipsum has been introduced, featuring minimal blog templates with WCAG AA compliant color variations. Plugin authors should test their plugins within this theme, as many users will encounter their plugins inside Ipsum first.

4. Nearly all core blocks now support various visual styles, such as backgrounds, gradients, shadows, and text colors. Developers can add these styles to theme.json or use them in their own custom blocks.

5. Text shadow has been added as a block support feature, enabling developers to use predefined text shadow presets within their blocks. Custom blocks can opt in by adding "textShadow" under typography in block.json.

6. The NO_BACKSLASH_ESCAPES SQL mode has been disabled by default in WordPress. Developers who rely on this mode should create a db.php drop-in file to maintain compatibility.

7. Five components (@wordpress/components) are deprecated and will be removed in the next major release. Developers should update their code to use the recommended alternatives.

8. Core icons have been redrawn with strokes, eliminating the need for fill colors in the new version. Developers should use CSS color properties instead.