WordPress Modern Features Skill

Modern WordPress 6.8+ performance features and optimization patterns.

Modern Asset Loading (WordPress 6.8+)

WordPress 6.8 introduces on-demand block asset loading for better performance.

On-Demand Loading

// Enable on-demand loading for your block
function my_block_should_load_assets( $should_load, $block ) {
	if ( 'my-plugin/my-block' === $block['blockName'] ) {
		// Only load if block is actually used on page
		return true;
	}
	return $should_load;
}
add_filter( 'should_load_block_assets_on_demand', 'my_block_should_load_assets', 10, 2 );

Speculative Loading Filters (WordPress 6.8)

Improve perceived performance with speculative loading:

// Exclude specific paths from speculation
function my_exclude_speculation_paths( $excluded_paths ) {
	$excluded_paths[] = '/checkout/*';
	$excluded_paths[] = '/my-account/*';
	return $excluded_paths;
}
add_filter( 'wp_speculation_rules_href_exclude_paths', 'my_exclude_speculation_paths' );

// Configure speculation rules
function my_speculation_config( $config ) {
	$config['prerender'] = array(
		'eagerness' => 'moderate', // conservative, moderate, eager
	);
	return $config;
}
add_filter( 'wp_speculation_rules_configuration', 'my_speculation_config' );

// Add custom speculation rules
function my_custom_speculation_rules( $rules ) {
	$rules[] = array(
		'source'    => 'list',
		'urls'      => array( '/priority-page/', '/important-page/' ),
		'eagerness' => 'eager',
	);
	return $rules;
}
add_filter( 'wp_load_speculation_rules', 'my_custom_speculation_rules' );

Security Note: Never prerender authenticated pages or forms with CSRF tokens. Always exclude checkout, login, and account pages from speculation.

Conditional Script Loading

function my_conditional_enqueue() {
	// Only load on specific pages
	if ( is_singular( 'product' ) ) {
		wp_enqueue_script(
			'my-product-script',
			plugin_dir_url( __FILE__ ) . 'js/product.js',
			array(),
			'1.0.0',
			true
		);
	}
}
add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', 'my_conditional_enqueue' );

Enqueue Scripts and Styles

function my_enqueue_scripts() {
	// CSS
	wp_enqueue_style(
		'my-plugin-style',
		plugin_dir_url( __FILE__ ) . 'css/style.css',
		array(),
		'1.0.0'
	);

	// JavaScript
	wp_enqueue_script(
		'my-plugin-script',
		plugin_dir_url( __FILE__ ) . 'js/script.js',
		array( 'jquery' ), // Dependencies
		'1.0.0',
		true // Load in footer
	);

	// Pass data to JavaScript
	wp_localize_script( 'my-plugin-script', 'myPluginData', array(
		'ajaxUrl' => admin_url( 'admin-ajax.php' ),
		'nonce'   => wp_create_nonce( 'my_ajax_nonce' ),
	) );
}
add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', 'my_enqueue_scripts' );

Settings API

// Register settings
function my_register_settings() {
	register_setting( 'my_options_group', 'my_option_name' );

	add_settings_section(
		'my_section_id',
		'Section Title',
		'my_section_callback',
		'my-settings-page'
	);

	add_settings_field(
		'my_field_id',
		'Field Label',
		'my_field_callback',
		'my-settings-page',
		'my_section_id'
	);
}
add_action( 'admin_init', 'my_register_settings' );

function my_section_callback() {
	echo '<p>Section description</p>';
}

function my_field_callback() {
	$value = get_option( 'my_option_name' );
	echo '<input type="text" name="my_option_name" value="' . esc_attr( $value ) . '">';
}

// Settings page
function my_settings_page() {
	?>
	<div class="wrap">
		<h1><?php echo esc_html( get_admin_page_title() ); ?></h1>
		<form method="post" action="options.php">
			<?php
			settings_fields( 'my_options_group' );
			do_settings_sections( 'my-settings-page' );
			submit_button();
			?>
		</form>
	</div>
	<?php
}

AJAX Handlers

// For logged-in users
add_action( 'wp_ajax_my_action', 'my_ajax_handler' );

// For non-logged-in users
add_action( 'wp_ajax_nopriv_my_action', 'my_ajax_handler' );

function my_ajax_handler() {
	// Verify nonce
	check_ajax_referer( 'my_ajax_nonce', 'nonce' );

	// Verify capability
	if ( ! current_user_can( 'edit_posts' ) ) {
		wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => 'Insufficient permissions' ) );
	}

	// Process request
	$data = sanitize_text_field( $_POST['data'] );

	// Return response
	wp_send_json_success( array(
		'message' => 'Success',
		'data'    => $data,
	) );
}

Activation and Deactivation Hooks

// Activation
register_activation_hook( __FILE__, 'my_plugin_activate' );
function my_plugin_activate() {
	// Create tables, set default options, flush rewrite rules
	flush_rewrite_rules();

	// Set default options
	if ( ! get_option( 'my_plugin_version' ) ) {
		update_option( 'my_plugin_version', '1.0.0' );
		update_option( 'my_plugin_settings', array(
			'enabled' => true,
		) );
	}
}

// Deactivation
register_deactivation_hook( __FILE__, 'my_plugin_deactivate' );
function my_plugin_deactivate() {
	// Clean up temporary data
	flush_rewrite_rules();
	delete_transient( 'my_plugin_cache' );
}

// Uninstall (use uninstall.php file instead)
register_uninstall_hook( __FILE__, 'my_plugin_uninstall' );

WordPress 6.8 Specific Features

Image Resolution Control

The Cover block now supports specific image resolutions:

// Register custom image sizes for cover blocks
add_image_size( 'cover-high-res', 2400, 1600, true );
add_image_size( 'cover-medium', 1200, 800, true );

// Make available to editor
function my_custom_image_sizes( $sizes ) {
	return array_merge( $sizes, array(
		'cover-high-res' => __( 'Cover High Resolution' ),
		'cover-medium'   => __( 'Cover Medium' ),
	) );
}
add_filter( 'image_size_names_choose', 'my_custom_image_sizes' );

Query Loop Enhancements

// Sort pages by menu order in Query Loop
// This is now natively supported in block settings (WordPress 6.8)
// Can also ignore sticky posts for custom queries

Performance Best Practices

Caching with Transients

function my_get_expensive_data() {
	$cache_key = 'my_expensive_data';
	$cached    = get_transient( $cache_key );

	if ( false !== $cached ) {
		return $cached;
	}

	// Expensive operation
	$data = perform_expensive_query();

	// Cache for 1 hour
	set_transient( $cache_key, $data, HOUR_IN_SECONDS );

	return $data;
}

Object Caching

function my_get_cached_data( $key ) {
	$cache_group = 'my_plugin';
	$cached      = wp_cache_get( $key, $cache_group );

	if ( false !== $cached ) {
		return $cached;
	}

	// Get data
	$data = get_data_from_source( $key );

	// Cache it
	wp_cache_set( $key, $data, $cache_group, 3600 );

	return $data;
}

Lazy Loading Assets

function my_lazy_load_scripts() {
	// Only load when needed
	if ( ! is_admin() && is_singular( 'post' ) ) {
		wp_enqueue_script(
			'my-post-specific-script',
			plugin_dir_url( __FILE__ ) . 'js/post.js',
			array(),
			'1.0.0',
			true
		);
	}
}
add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', 'my_lazy_load_scripts' );

Database Query Optimization

// Bad: Multiple queries in loop
foreach ( $post_ids as $post_id ) {
	$meta = get_post_meta( $post_id, 'my_key', true );
}

// Good: Single query with update_meta_cache
$posts = get_posts( array( 'post__in' => $post_ids ) );
update_meta_cache( 'post', $post_ids );
foreach ( $posts as $post ) {
	$meta = get_post_meta( $post->ID, 'my_key', true ); // Now cached
}

Version Compatibility

Check WordPress Version

// Check WordPress version before using 6.8+ features
function my_plugin_supports_wp_68_features() {
	global $wp_version;
	return version_compare( $wp_version, '6.8', '>=' );
}

// Conditional feature loading
if ( my_plugin_supports_wp_68_features() ) {
	// Use WordPress 6.8+ features
	add_filter( 'wp_speculation_rules_configuration', 'my_speculation_config' );
} else {
	// Fallback for older WordPress versions
	// Use traditional methods
}

WordPress 6.8 Migration Notes

Breaking Changes: None major, but awareness needed for:

• Asset loading behavior changed with on-demand loading (opt-in)
• Speculation rules are new - test thoroughly before production

Recommended Updates:

• Implement on-demand asset loading for performance gains
• Configure speculation rules for performance-critical pages
• Audit asset loading strategies
• Test with SCRIPT_DEBUG enabled to catch warnings

Related Skills

• wordpress-core - Security, hooks, database, coding standards
• wordpress-blocks - Block development, Block Hooks API, Interactivity API

Best Practices Summary

1. On-Demand Asset Loading: Implement conditional script/style loading to reduce page weight
2. Speculative Loading: Configure speculation rules for performance-critical pages (exclude auth pages)
3. Performance Monitoring: Test with SCRIPT_DEBUG enabled to catch re-render warnings
4. Version Compatibility: Target WordPress 6.8+ but gracefully degrade for older versions
5. Cache Aggressively: Use transients and object cache for expensive operations
6. Lazy Load: Only enqueue scripts/styles where needed
7. Optimize Queries: Batch database queries, use meta cache updates
8. Security in Performance: Never prerender pages with sensitive data or CSRF tokens