WordPress Removes Real‑Time Collaboration from Core 7.0
Remove RTC from core, test plugins, update docs.
Remove RTC from core, test plugins, update docs.
Summary
WordPress announced that the real‑time collaboration (RTC) feature will not ship in the upcoming 7.0 release, citing that the current approach is not yet "robust enough." Matt Mullenweg explained that concerns over surface area, race conditions, server load, memory efficiency, and bugs found in fuzz tests made the feature unreliable for core.
RTC was Phase 3 of a four‑phase roadmap, and version 7 was intended to mark that milestone, but the team decided to remove it to keep the release stable. WordPress.com has a controlled rollout of RTC for VIP and Enterprise users since late 2025, but the feature remains unavailable for free sites. The decision was met with relief and debate in the community, with some arguing that RTC should stay in core while others see it as better suited for a plugin. Mullenweg noted that RTC could enable AI‑powered real‑time editing, but that aspect was not yet ready. Work to remove RTC is organized in issue #65205 and the #feature‑realtime‑collaboration project. The release schedule remains May 20 2026, with no change to the overall timeline.
Key changes
- Real‑time Collaboration (RTC) feature removed from WordPress 7.0.
- Removal due to concerns over surface area, race conditions, server load, memory efficiency, and fuzz test bugs.
- RTC was Phase 3 of a four‑phase roadmap; 7.0 was intended to mark that milestone.
- WordPress.com has a controlled rollout of RTC for VIP and Enterprise users since late 2025.
- RTC could enable AI‑powered real‑time editing but is not yet ready.
- Feature removal organized in issue #65205 and #feature‑realtime‑collaboration.
- Release schedule remains May 20 2026 with no change to the overall timeline.
- Community response: relief and debate over core vs plugin implementation.