WordPress 4.0 “Benny” Has Launched – Here’s Everything You Need To Know

WordPress 4.0 has been released! WP Engine will start rolling out updates in the next few weeks. Here’s what you need to know:

For non-security, major point releases, we do not upgrade customers immediately. Above all else our priority is the stability, security and functionality of your sites. To give our users time to test the new version against their current configuration, we will start to roll out updates to 4.0 in the next few weeks.

If you’re not already familiar with how we do things, our system will send out two notices before the upgrade(s) start. One will be sent seven days prior to your scheduled upgrade. The second will be sent four hours before the process starts. Should you find—as the date gets closer—that you need more time to prepare your site(s) for the upgrade, we encourage you to contact our Support Team. They’ll be more than happy to work out a time frame for upgrading your site(s).

Please note: If you contact Support to delay the upgrade process, they will need a list of every site on your account that needs to opt-out.

However, if you do prefer to update immediately, you are more than welcome to do so. Simply start a live chat requesting that we update your site(s). Someone from our Support Team will hand-upgrade your site using our Automated Upgrade Protection as soon as possible.

Our Automated Upgrade Protection process creates a backup of the current state of your site. We then perform the upgrade to 4.0. As soon as the upgrade is complete, we’ll test the site to make sure your site is loading.

If the site loads without any detected problems, you will then be notified that you’ve been upgraded to 4.0. Should something appear to be off, we’ll automatically roll your site back to the previous version, and investigate what might have gone wrong. All of this will happen without any intervention required from you.

What’s New in WordPress 4.0?

The release of WordPress 4.0, named after jazz musician Benny Goodman, offers a smoother writing and managing experience.

• A new Details Preview allows you to view your uploads in an aesthetically pleasing, endless grid.
• Easier video embedding.
• An editor that expands to fit your content as you write, while keeping your formatting tools available.
• Improved plugin resources and search capabilities.

Just to recap, we are scheduled to begin rolling out WordPress 4.0 in a few weeks. But if you’d like to upgrade sooner, you’re more than welcome to. Simply start a live chat with to our Support Team and they can get it all figured out for you. 

Thanks, as always, for choosing WP Engine!

Jason Cosper works as the Senior Technical Advisor for WP Engine and helps customers with their WordPress security concerns on a daily basis. He spends most of his days getting elbows deep in huge messes and doling out WordPress optimization advice. In his spare time, Cosper enjoys spending time with his wife and very tiny dog, grilling meats, sampling assorted craft beers, writing cranky tweets about the Lakers and brewing coffee.