WordPress 6.3 RC2 is ready for download and testing.

This version of the WordPress software is under development. Please do not install, or run, or test this version on production or mission-critical websites. Instead, you should evaluate RC2 on a test server and site. 

While release candidates are considered ready for final release, additional testing and use by the community can only make it better.

WordPress 6.3 is scheduled for release on August 8, 2023 – just two weeks from today.

Get an overview of the 6.3 release cycle, check the Make WordPress Core blog for 6.3-related posts, review new features in WordPress 6.3, or watch a recorded demo.

Developers and extenders should review the comprehensive WordPress 6.3 Field Guide for detailed technical notes regarding new features and improvements.  

RC2 Highlights

Since the RC1 release on July 18, 2023, there have been approximately 15 issues resolved in Editor and Trac.

Notable updates for this release include:

• Footnotes will be reverted or restored with post revisions (#52686).
• Distraction free adds a missing command in the site editor (#52868).
• Global styles revisions will display text if no revisions are found (#52865).
• The About Page has been completed (#58067).
• The About Page now includes a “Get Involved” section (#23348).
• The dark mode option has been restored in the block editor iframe for Twenty Twenty-One (#58835).
• Max height value was fixed in the image scaling in the Edit Media screen (#50523).
• Additionally, some issues regarding internationalization were addressed (#58879, #58067 and #58864).

Test features in WordPress 6.3

Testing for issues is a critical part of developing any software, and it’s a meaningful way for anyone to contribute—whether you have experience or not. While testing the upgrade process is essential, trying out new features is too. 

• Encountered an issue? Please report it to the Alpha/Beta area in the support forums. If you are comfortable writing a reproducible bug report, you can file one on WordPress Trac. You can also check your issue against a list of known bugs.
• New to testing? This detailed guide is a great place to start if you’ve never tested a beta/RC release.
• Want to know more about testing releases in general? Follow along with the testing initiatives in Make Core and join the #core-test channel in Making WordPress Slack.

Vulnerability bounty doubles during the Beta/RC phases

The monetary reward for reporting new, unreleased security vulnerabilities is doubled between the Beta 1 release and the final release candidate (RC). Please follow responsible disclosure practices as detailed in the project’s security practices and policies outlined on the HackerOne page and in the security white paper.

Get WordPress 6.3 RC2

You can test WordPress 6.3 RC2 in three ways:

• Option 1: Install and activate the WordPress Beta Tester plugin (select the “Bleeding edge” channel and “Beta/RC Only” stream).
• Option 2: Direct download the RC2 version (zip).
• Option 3: Use the following WP-CLI command:wp core update --version=6.3-RC2

Thanks to WordPress plugin and theme developers

Do you build plugins and themes? Your products play an integral role in extending the functionality and value of WordPress for users of all types worldwide. 

Hopefully, you have already tested your themes and plugins with WordPress 6.3 betas by now. With RC2, you will want to continue your testing and update the “Tested up to” version in your plugin’s readme file to 6.3. 

If you find compatibility problems, please post detailed information to the support forums.

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Haiku for RC2

Time is nearly hereWordPress shines thanks to you allLet’s get testing, dear

Thank you to the contributors who collaborated on this post: @Priethor, @AudrasJb, @DavidBaumwald, @DanSoschin, @JPantani and @Meher.