8 Best WordPress Resources for December 2022

As 2022 comes to a close, there are still plenty of new things to think about for your WordPress website. The new year is the perfect time to plan updates or changes to your designs or interfaces.

Here are eight new design tools and resources to explore:

1. What to Expect with Kadence Blocks 3.0

One of the most anticipated updates to Kadence Blocks will happen in January with version 3.0. The update is packed with design goodies. Here are just a few to get you excited for the upcoming release:

• New block settings layout with an easier, faster-to-use interface
• Row layouts will use Grid CSS for more flexible layouts and patterns
• Completely revamped form blocks that stores information in a database and can accept user-submitted content
• Ability to import, export, and reset block defaults to speed up monotonous workflows
• A new icon option will be available in the Advanced Text block

Plus, other updates. Learn about What to Expect with Kadence Blocks 3.0.

2. State of the Word 2022

This year’s State of the Word covered everything from the WordPress landscape in 2022. The event kicked off with talks about the power of open-source, something most WordPress users don’t think about but is a key element of the platform.

Some of the ideas that resonated with us most include:

• The maturity of the Gutenberg editor and that we are now halfway through the four phases of its development
• More no-code and block-based designs on the horizon
• The WordPress Community Summit will return for an in-person event in 2023 (you can submit topic suggestions through Jan. 16)
• The plugin repository will get a facelift and, hopefully, organization that makes it easier to use

There were plenty of other great nuggets of information as well. Head over to the iThemes blog to read the State of the Word Recap 2022.

3. 10 New Year’s Goals for Nonprofits

There are a lot of New Year’s resolutions posts floating around the web right now, but this one has a lot of practical applications for nonprofit website owners. These goals are designed to help you get organized and set clear priorities online as we move into 2023.

You can learn more about how to set and meet each of these 10 New Years Goals for Nonprofits from GiveWP.

• Clean up and declutter data
• Streamline the donation process
• Create more authentic asks
• Plan events now
• Recruit more volunteer fundraisers
• Try a new social media strategy
• Dedicate more time to understanding what donors want
• Try gamification
• Put your data to good use
• Commit to retention

4. Start Blogging and Building with Blocks [Podcast]

Do you have a 2023 resolution to start blogging or restart a neglected blog? Jake Pfohl joins The Kadence Beat podcast and shares how he got started blogging and his evolution toward providing solutions to help other bloggers do more with WordPress and Kadence.

You’ll learn about some of the challenges of getting started and how sharing your expertise makes awesome content. It’s a great conversation and can help provide you with the inspiration to meet your blogging goals and help you think about content creation and what you’ll actually blog about.

Listen now.

5. WordPress Vulnerability Report

You need to keep up to speed on WordPress issues to help keep your site safe and running smoothly. The WordPress Vulnerability Report shows all of the core issues that might pop up if you aren’t on the latest version of WordPress as well as vulnerabilities with plugins.

One big thing to consider is that there is an unpatched vulnerability in WordPress Core. This vulnerability was reported by Thomas Chauchefoin, and at this time, it affects all versions of WordPress. However, probable exploitation of this vulnerability is very low, and to fully protect yourself, all you’ll need to do is turn off XML-RPC or pingbacks on your WordPress site.

Another significant point is that WordPress has recently dropped support for core versions 3.7-4.0. If you aren’t running the latest version, it is time to update.

Did you know one of the best things you can do to prevent these vulnerabilities on your website is to keep plugins up to date?

Some things to be on the lookout for in the latest report include vulnerabilities with these popular plugins: White Label CMS, WP Custom Admin Interface, Image Hover Effects Ultimate, Authenticator, and many others.

Read all the WordPress Vulnerability Reports for December:

6. WordPress Plugin Roundup

If you want to keep up with everything happening in the world of WordPress, join the monthly Plugin Roundup. Each month Nathan Ingram combs the WordPress plugin directory for interesting plugins that have been added or updated in the last 30 days and assembles a list of helpful and unique plugins for your WordPress website. And it’s free! The next online event is on January 3rd. Register today.

7. Best of iThemes Plugin Roundup

In each month’s iThemes Plugin Roundup, Nathan Ingram scours the WordPress plugin directory for new and interesting plugins that have been added or significantly updated in the last 30 days. This webinar features the best of the best from July-December 2022.

8. WordPress News Roundup

If you want to stay up-to-date on everything happening in the world of WordPress, join the monthly
WordPress News Roundup. In this session, Ingram will discuss the latest developments in the WordPress ecosystem in this informational webinar. We’ll talk through this month’s WordPress news with plenty of interaction and Q&A. The next event is on January 17th.

Wrapping Up

New tools and resources for WordPress are being released all the time, and we hope this list helps you discover new ways to improve your workflows. Did we miss something you want to highlight? Tweet us @ithemes.