WordPress 6.6.2 Update Resolves Critical CSS Display Issue and Fixes Core Bugs

WordPress has released version 6.6.2, addressing 26 bugs, including a crucial fix for a CSS display issue that was affecting site appearance. Out of these, 15 fixes target the WordPress core, while 11 are focused on improvements to the Gutenberg block editor.

Maintenance Release – CSS Specificity

WordPress maintenance releases, such as this one, are typically intended to address bugs or unintended issues caused by new features in recent major updates. In this case, version 6.6.2 fixes issues introduced by WordPress 6.6, particularly relating to CSS specificity.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is the language that controls the visual aspects of a webpage—such as colors, fonts, spacing, and margins. CSS specificity refers to the set of rules that determine which style should be applied to a specific element on a webpage when multiple styles could be applicable. This feature was introduced in WordPress 6.6 to allow theme developers more flexibility to override default WordPress styles with their own custom styles.

However, the implementation of CSS specificity in version 6.6 caused several unintended issues, significantly altering the appearance of many websites. For example, certain design elements weren’t rendering as intended, resulting in visual inconsistencies across themes. Version 6.6.2 addresses and corrects these issues, ensuring that CSS specificity functions as intended and improving the overall visual consistency of sites.

Given the importance of this fix, it is recommended that site owners and developers who experienced visual issues after the 6.6 update consider upgrading to 6.6.2 as soon as possible.

Other Core and Gutenberg Fixes

In addition to the CSS specificity fix, WordPress 6.6.2 includes a variety of other bug fixes. These are divided between the WordPress core and the Gutenberg block editor.

Core Fixes:

Here are some examples of the 15 core bug fixes included in this release:

• Template contents are wiped out on rename: Fixes an issue where renaming a template could lead to data loss.
• Autofocus query string parameter in customizer URL is broken: Corrects a problem with the autofocus functionality in the WordPress customizer.
• Search functionality in installed themes section: Addresses a bug that caused issues with searching for installed themes.
• Site Health Tool – Directory sizes stuck in loading state: Fixes an issue where directory sizes would fail to load properly in the Site Health tool.

Gutenberg Block Editor Fixes:

Version 6.6.2 also brings 11 improvements to the Gutenberg block editor, such as:

• Don’t allow duplicating template parts in non-block-based themes: Prevents users from accidentally duplicating template parts in themes that don’t support block-based layouts.
• Data Views: Don’t render action modal when there are no eligible items: Corrects an issue with data views rendering incorrectly when no items are available.
• Fix canvas issues by removing VisualEditor’s height: Resolves canvas height issues within the Visual Editor.
• Post Editor: Fix click space after post content to append: Ensures that clicking after post content correctly appends new blocks in the post editor.
• Post Editor: Prevent popover from being hidden by metabox: Prevents the popover element from being obscured by metaboxes in the editor interface.
• Avoid errors for post types without a ‘menu_icon’: Fixes an error triggered when certain post types were missing an associated menu icon.

Reception of WordPress 6.6.2

Early reports from WordPress users have been positive. According to discussions in the Dynamic WordPress Facebook Group, many users, including site managers like David McCan, have updated to 6.6.2 across multiple sites without encountering any significant issues. This suggests that the update is stable and well-received within the WordPress community.

Should You Update?

If you experienced display issues or bugs related to the CSS specificity in version 6.6, this update should resolve those problems. Even if you haven't encountered these issues, upgrading to 6.6.2 is a good practice to ensure your WordPress installation remains secure and up-to-date with the latest fixes.

Additional Information

WordPress regularly issues maintenance and security updates like 6.6.2 to improve the platform's performance and security. These smaller updates do not introduce new features but are crucial in maintaining the integrity of websites, especially for businesses and publishers who rely heavily on WordPress.

For a full breakdown of the changes and to read the official announcement, you can visit the WordPress 6.6.2 Maintenance Release page.