wordpress-modern

name	wordpress-modern
description	Modern WordPress 6.8+ features including asset loading optimization, speculative loading, enqueue strategies, settings API, AJAX handlers, activation hooks, and performance best practices. Use when optimizing performance, implementing settings pages, or using modern WP 6.8 APIs.

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