New Capability: Management of your software versions

You’ve asked for it, and we’ve heard you. You want more control over which versions of key software you’re running. And you want to be able to initiate upgrades yourself, on your timeline.

Now you can. We’ve introduced a new setting page where you can control which versions of software are running in your environments.  

Example screenshot of the Software Management panel, with the WordPress options displayed

In the Software Management panel, you can manage versions and initiate upgrades for:

  • WordPress itself
  • PHP
  • WordPress VIP MU plugins
  • Node.js

Historically, we’ve prioritized immediate and automatic updates for WordPress. This meant that environments would be upgraded to the latest version of WordPress very shortly after the official release. However, upgrading on the day of the release is not always possible and desirable for some complex applications, so we introduced a process for delaying upgrades. With this new capability you directly control when you update your environments and applications.

Per our upgrade policy, WordPress VIP will support the current version of WordPress and one major version behind. All minor updates, including security and maintenance releases, will continue to be applied immediately. For Node.js, we support all active LTS or maintenance LTS releases, and all environments will receive security updates within the same major version as soon as they’re made available. Available versions of PHP will be determined by the official PHP support schedule—if a version is still receiving security updates, it will be available.

This new capability should prove especially helpful for the upcoming upgrade to PHP 8.  We recently provided guidance on how to get ready for this upgrade. Now that you can control versions on your own, it should be much easier to test PHP 8 in your non-production environments, work through any issues, roll back if needed, and eventually initiate the upgrade of PHP before the November 15 deadline. Don’t worry, though, we’ll always be here to help if you need it.

Read more information on how to use software management.

New Release: Jetpack 11.2

Jetpack 11.2

Jetpack 11.2 is now the default version on VIP.

What is being added or changed?

Enhancements

  • Native block inserter: only display blocks under a Jetpack heading if the host app is WordPress.
  • VideoPress Block (beta): add block transforms for the VideoPress block.

Bug fixes

  • Admin menu: display the translations for the plan name.
  • Comments: avoid PHP Notice when using Jetpack’s Comment form feature when your site is no longer properly connected to WordPress.com.
  • Connection: fix Jetpack redirect after registration.
  • Masterbar: ensure that the WordPress.com Add Ons menu item doesn’t display on Jetpack-connected sites.
  • Sharing: ensure that sharing buttons are not displayed for excerpts.
  • Sharing: hide button information in Blog Posts block in editor.
  • Slideshow Block: support wide and full alignment options.
  • Subscribe block: fix support for allowed HTML tags in submit button.
  • VideoPress: avoid PHP notices when inserting videos that miss some metadata.

Other changes

  • Add last_updated API field to the sites endpoint.
  • Cleanup old videopress player code.
  • E2E tests: cancel partner plan when resetting test environment.
  • Init 11.2-a.6 cycle.
  • Jetpack 11.2 changelog editorial
  • Jetpack 11.2-a.5 changelog editorial.
  • Publicize: Remove folder from modules.
  • Search: remove Calypso search page link in admin menu for simple sites.
  • Update analytics.
  • Updated package dependencies.
  • Updating composer.lock.
  • VideoPress block (beta): under the hood improvements such as emit events to window where bridge runs.
  • WordPress.com REST API: remove default for 'dont_change_homepage' in the '/sites/%s/themes/mine' endpoint.

For more details about this release (including specific changes), please see the release notes.

Questions?

If you have any questions, related to this release, please open a support ticket and we will be happy to assist.

Call for Testing: Jetpack 11.2 Beta

Jetpack 11.2-beta is available now and the download link is available here.

Jetpack 11.2 will be deployed to VIP on Thursday, August 4, 2022*. The upgrade is expected to be performed at 17:00 UTC (1:00PM ET).
*This deployment date and time are subject to change if issues are discovered during testing of the Jetpack release.

What is being added or changed?

  • This is mainly a maintenance release with various bug fixes. Some of those are related to:
    • Fixing sharing buttons in the blog posts block.
    • The Slideshow block.
      • Preventing a gap from displaying underneath the slideshow when a large number of images are present.
      • Adding CSS to fully support the options to align wide and full.
    • The Form block.
      • One fix is related to checkbox group option color.
      • A fix for preventing removal of the submit button.
    • Form submissions issue with line breaks not appearing correctly should be fixed and form submissions from 404 pages should work properly.
  • On a larger scale, this release should see the remainder of connection related issues fixed

A full list of changes is available in the release notes and the commit log.

What do I need to do?

We recommend:

  1. Installing the beta release on your non-production sites using these instructions.
  2. Running through the testing flows outlined in the Jetpack Testing Guide.

As you’re testing a few things to keep in mind:

Questions?

If you have any questions, related to this release, please open a support ticket and we will be happy to assist.

WordPress 6.0.1 Maintenance Release

WordPress 6.0.1, a maintenance release, has been pushed out to all VIP sites running WordPress 6.0 that were not locked to a specific version.

This maintenance release features 13 bug fixes affecting WordPress 6.0. To see a full list of changes, you can browse the list on Trac, read the 6.0.1 RC1 post, or visit the 6.0.1 documentation page.

Have questions?

If you have any questions related to this release, please open a support ticket and we will be happy to assist.

New Release: Jetpack 11.1

Jetpack 11.1 is now the default version on VIP.

What is being added or changed?

Enhancements

  • Dashboard: add “Getting started with Jetpack Backup” video to Assistant and “At a glance” dashboard.
  • Recipe Block (beta): introduce a new Recipe block to display an easy to read recipe anywhere on your site. Currently a JETPACK_BETA_BLOCKS feature.
  • VideoPress: enable blocks with VideoPress markdown to be previewed within the mobile app.
  • VideoPress Block (beta): introduce VideoPress block currently in beta status.

Improved compatibility

  • Blocks: add Jetpack block elements to WPML configuration so they can be translated.
  • Connection: update connection banner to use updated Emerald styling.
  • Publicize: configure Publicize only when the module is active.
  • VideoPress: update non-iframe player to latest version for sites using the jetpack_videopress_player_use_iframe filter.

Bug fixes

  • Assistant: fix unclickable banner dismiss button.
  • Comments: update UI to reflect that Google accounts are no longer a sign-in option.
  • Custom CSS: avoid PHP notice when using the Sass preprocessor on PHP 7.4+.
  • Payments Block: ensure Payments Block can only auto-select an existing product.
  • VideoPress: remove strict comparison to fix average color parameter.
  • Stats: ensure the Stats column can always be displayed, even when the post type does not support comments.
  • Subscriptions: fix typo in confirmation message.
  • VaultPress: fix a bug that caused certain cards in the Dashboard to flicker in some circumstances when VaultPress is active.
  • VideoPress: fix validation errors for core video block usage.
  • WAF: add activation/deactivation hooks for WAF feature.
  • Widget Visibility: avoid PHP warnings when loading widgets in some scenarios.

For more details about this release (including specific changes), please see the release notes.

Working Together: The Path to PHP 8.0

In May, we announced that PHP 8.0 was now available on WordPress VIP environments. Since then, we’ve been excited to see many customers testing this version on their child environments, while other customers have completed the update to PHP 8.0 on their production sites.

WordPress VIP wants to ensure that every customer is supported along their PHP 8.0 update path and that no one scrambles toward the finish line. To aid your planning, take note of the key dates below. The timeline provides high-level milestones for WordPress VIP customers to keep everyone on track and mitigate potential risks as early as possible. 

WordPress VIP Update Timeline

While Nov. 28, 2022 is the date PHP 7.4 will stop receiving security updates, WordPress VIP will begin updating any customer not yet on PHP 8.0 on Monday, Nov. 15, in an effort to minimize risk of security vulnerabilities. Please review the timeline below, and reach out to your Technical Account Manager or our support team with questions.

MONDAY, AUG. 1, 2022

All new environments are created on PHP 8.0

Existing customers begin creating any new environments on PHP 8.0. If you have an upcoming project in preparation, work with your Technical Account Manager, who will help you incorporate this into your planning. If you have questions or concerns, create a ticket with our support team. If you’re a Premier customer, your account team is already aware of this timeline and can also answer questions.
*New customers have already begun launching their sites on PHP 8.0.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 15, 2022

Customer check-in: All non-updated customers

Customers who have not yet updated all environments to PHP 8.0 receive communication inquiring about a target migration date. The goal is to help us understand potential risks and make sure you’re on your way to a successful update.

MONDAY, OCT. 17, 2022

30 days from deadline: Customers planned for VIP update

WordPress VIP begins formalizing a plan to update customers who have not updated to PHP 8.0 and who have not provided a target date for updating in advance of Nov. 15. We will reach out to customers with next steps and flag potential risks.

Note: Customers updated by WordPress VIP will not have a rollback option. Issues related to the update will be the responsibility of the customer to address and solve. 

TUESDAY, NOV. 1, 2022

Last day to roll back to PHP 7.4

Our goal is to have all WordPress VIP customers updated to PHP 8.0 before Nov. 1. After this date, working with your teams on post-update issues will be the priority.

MONDAY, NOV. 15, 2022

WordPress VIP updates any customer applications not yet on PHP 8.0.

How to prepare your WordPress site for PHP 8

If you’re just getting started, but have more questions than answers, we’ve got you covered. Our resident PHP expert, Gary Jones, Engineering Lead for Premier customers, has written a comprehensive outline covering everything from a PHP 8.0 overview and getting started, to looking for compatibility issues and considerations around PHP 8.1. Even if you have a finalized PHP 8.0 plan, it’s a great resource to review to make sure you’re covered. 

How to prepare your WordPress VIP site for PHP 8.0

Related VIP Documentation:

Prepare application code for a PHP version upgrade
VIP Code Analysis Bot

New Feature: Deployment validation for Node.js Applications

GitHub Pull Request feedback

To improve the reliability of deployments, Node.js applications now benefit from automated validation of pull requests on GitHub. 

This validation flags issues that would prevent the application from building, deploying, or working as expected on the WordPress VIP platform. Used in a traditional pull request–based workflow, it prevents developers from accidentally merging code that could lead to a failed deployment.

Note: Currently, this feature is available for all VIP Node.js applications but is disabled by default. To opt-in, create a WordPress VIP Support request and we will enable it. Eventually, it will be enabled for all VIP Node.js applications by default, with an option to opt-out.

Learn more about automated pull request feedback in our documentation. 

Call for Testing: Jetpack 11.1 Beta

Jetpack 11.1-beta is available now and the download link is available here.

Jetpack 11.1 will be deployed to VIP on Thursday, July 7, 2022*. The upgrade is expected to be performed at 17:00 UTC (1:00PM ET).
*This deployment date and time are subject to change if issues are discovered during testing of the Jetpack release.

What is being added or changed?

Enhancements

  • Recipe Block (beta): introduce a new Recipe block to display an easy to read recipe anywhere on your site. Currently a JETPACK_BETA_BLOCKS feature.
  • WAF: update messaging around sites without latest firewall rules access.
  • WAF: add links to support documentation.
  • VideoPress: enable blocks with VideoPress markdown to be previewed within the mobile app.

Improved compatibility

  • Blocks: add Jetpack block elements to WPML configuration so they can be translated.
  • Publicize: configure Publicize only when the module is active.

Bug fixes

  • Contact Form: support saving array of data, such as multiple checkboxes.
  • Payment Block: fix issue preventing images in payment buttons.
  • VideoPress: fix average color parameter for seekbar.
  • Connection: move the connection_url_redirect action handling to the connection package.
  • Dashboard: format anti-spam stats properly, including in languages using a space as thousands separator.
  • Mailchimp Block: center spinner during loading block content.
  • Contact Form Block: display expected success message when used in FSE header or footer.
  • Photon: do not return Photonized URLs to the block editor in WordPress 6.0.
  • Search: avoid broken images in search results by preferring the _jetpack_featured_media_url postmeta over the GUID.
  • SEO Tools: allow WooCommerce to use custom SEO description for the shop page.
  • Sharing: avoid fatal errors when email sharing process is called without clicking on the button.
  • VideoPress: fix embeds in classic editor when theme has no $content_width set.
  • VideoPress Block: fix Cancel button on block and provide better error message when video format is not supported.

A full list of changes is available in the release notes and the commit log.

What do I need to do?

We recommend:

  1. Installing the beta release on your non-production sites using these instructions.
  2. Running through the testing flows outlined in the Jetpack Testing Guide.

As you’re testing a few things to keep in mind:

Questions?

If you have any questions, related to this release, please open a support ticket and we will be happy to assist.

New Feature: Media Export

Managing your media just got simpler. With our new media export, you can now export and download media library files for your WordPress environments right from the VIP Dashboard. 

This is a real efficiency boost if you share media across multiple sites, download media for backups, export media for your internal teams to modify in another tool, or simply ship media to a local development environment. Best of all, media exports run in the background and will not affect the performance or management of your site.

Media export is flexible enough for single-site or multisite environments. For multisite environments, you can export the entire media library or just the media for a specific network site. To access Media Library Exports, go to the the Data panel option in the sidebar menu on the left side of the screen.

Learn more about Media Library Exports in our documentation. We’d love your feedback on Media Export— get in touch!

New feature: HTTP Strict-Transport-Security management

VIP Dashboard's HSTS Settings page

We’re pleased to announce that you can now configure HTTP Strict-Transport-Security (HSTS) response headers via the VIP Dashboard.

HSTS headers are an important security measure that can help prevent person-in-the-middle attacks, protocol downgrade attacks, and cookie hijacking. When enabled, the header will be applied to all domains listed on your environment (and optionally, their subdomains too).

Learn more about HSTS in our documentation.

We’d love to know what you think about this feature; please get in touch!