WordPress 4.0 launched today as the whole development community has been anticipating the latest version. If you have not received the update or plan on updating the WordPress instance, be sure to create backups in case something breaks on the website. Let’s take a look at the newest additions to the platform and what you can expect as a webmaster.

What’s New With WordPress 4.0?

The new update makes managing media and plugins a lot easier and more eye appealing. New in the WYSIWYG are embed codes. Since WordPress 2.9, users were able to add the embed code directly to the WYSIWYG which WordPress would automatically add the referenced media at a width appropriate to the theme currently installed. Adding a YouTube embed link comes to mind. The editor shows a true preview of your embedded video, saving everyone time. With WordPress 4.0, that automatically embedded code can now come from 20+ sites that are supported on WordPress. This is a step in the right direction when it comes to media management. The plugin addition received an overhaul. The new interface is in a grid format that makes adding plugins even easier. The new look replaces the delineated items and have been replaced with cards, which summarize a plugin’s title, description, author, rating and last update, as well as informs authors if the plugin works with the current version of WordPress.

Below are just some more features WordPress added to the update.

• Manage your media with style: Explore your uploads in a beautiful, endless grid. A new details preview makes viewing and editing any amount of media in sequence a snap.
• Writing and editing is smoother and more immersive with an editor that expands to fit your content as you write, and keeps the formatting tools available at all times. The formatting now scrolls with the author during when entering a blog post.
• There are more than 30,000 free and open source plugins in the WordPress plugin directory. WordPress 4.0 makes it easier to find the right one for your needs, with new metrics, improved search, and a more visual browsing experience.
• Finding the right plugin: There are more than 30,000 free and open source plugins in the WordPress plugin directory. WordPress 4.0 makes it easier to find the right one for your needs, with new metrics, improved search, and a more visual browsing experience.

What do you think of the latest version of WordPress?