WordPress 7.0 to Skip Real‑Time Collaboration Feature

WordPress has announced that the real‑time collaboration (RTC) feature will not be included in its upcoming 7.0 release, scheduled for May 20 2026. The decision follows a thorough review of the current implementation, which was deemed “not robust enough” due to a range of technical concerns. Issues cited include a large surface area, race conditions, increased server load, memory inefficiency, and recurring bugs discovered during fuzz testing. RTC was originally intended to eliminate post‑locking and allow multiple users to edit a post or page simultaneously, and it represented the Phase 3 milestone of a four‑phase roadmap for the feature. Core developer Matt Mullenweg noted that the technology could also enable AI‑powered real‑time editing in the future, but the present approach was not ready for inclusion in the core codebase.

The feature has already been rolled out to VIP and Enterprise sites on WordPress.com since late 2025, and its progress is tracked on GitHub under issues #65205 and #feature‑realtime‑collaboration. WordPress.com’s rollout has provided a controlled environment for testing, but the broader community has expressed a mix of relief and disappointment. Many users welcomed the decision, relieved that the upcoming release would remain stable, while others argued that RTC should be offered as a plugin rather than core functionality. The announcement did not alter the 7.0 release schedule; WordPress will proceed as planned unless the feature is re‑included at a later date.

Developers are advised to remove any RTC‑related code from themes or plugins and to test post‑editing workflows to avoid errors after the 7.0 launch. The decision underscores WordPress’s commitment to delivering a reliable, well‑tested core while still exploring advanced collaboration features in future releases. The community’s response highlights the importance of balancing innovation with stability in an open‑source ecosystem.