WordPress 7.0 Will Not Include Real-Time Collaboration Feature

WordPress has announced that the real-time collaboration (RTC) feature will not be part of the upcoming version 7.0. This decision was made because the current approach is not strong enough to be included. Many in the WordPress community reacted positively, feeling relieved by this announcement.

What is Real-Time Collaboration (RTC)?

Real-time collaboration allows multiple users to work on the same post or page at the same time. Instead of locking a post when someone is editing it, this feature would let everyone see changes instantly. The goal was to improve teamwork and make editing more efficient.

Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress, explained in a Slack post why the feature was removed. He mentioned concerns about technical issues like server load, memory efficiency, and ongoing bugs that were impacting its reliability. He expressed doubt about the current RTC approach being good enough for users.

Announcement Details

WordPress planned to release version 7.0 on May 20, 2026, marking an important milestone in their development roadmap. However, due to challenges in finalizing the RTC feature, the release was delayed. Mullenweg noted that the ongoing legal issues around WP Engine were also affecting progress on this feature.

Community Reaction

The community’s response was mostly supportive of the decision. Many felt that rushing to include a feature that wasn’t fully ready could harm the overall quality of WordPress 7.0. Some users believed that RTC might not be necessary for most people, although features like AI-powered collaboration could be useful.

Comments from community members highlighted this sentiment. One user welcomed the decision, stating it would give developers time to refine the feature and gather feedback. Others agreed that the RTC feature might be better suited as a plugin rather than part of the core WordPress system.

Looking Ahead

While the real-time collaboration feature is on hold, there is hope that it may return in the future. Many in the community feel encouraged by the leadership shown by Mullenweg in making this tough decision. They believe it is better to have a stable release than to rush unprepared features.

In conclusion, WordPress 7.0 will prioritize stability over incorporating unready features, a move that has garnered applause from many in the WordPress community.