Princeton University WordPress Service
The latest major update to WordPress, version 6.4, is now installed on our multisite network.
You can preview some of the new features in the following video.
This release also comes with the new Twenty Twenty-Four theme, which leverages the full-site block editor and includes a wide selection of templates and patterns.
Update: The scheduled upgrade to PHP 8.1 was successful. If you encounter any issues, please contact webservices@princeton.edu.
We have scheduled the upgrade for our managed WordPress platform to PHP 8.1 on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. This is a major upgrade from PHP 7, with some significant compatibility issues with older plugins and themes.
PHP 7 is officially unsupported by the PHP community, but our hosting partner continues to provide extended long-term support for this older version.
We have been testing extensively for a few months, and we are confident that most issues are resolved. However, site owners may need to contact webservices@princeton.edu if they experience any issues after the PHP upgrade.
The Editoria11y Accessibility Checker is now available for WordPress, and site admins on our managed WordPress platform can activate it from their site's dashboard. At some point in the future, we plan to activate this plugin across all sites on our platform.
Editoria11y (pronounced "editorially") is an accessibility quality assurance tool that is automatic, unobtrusive, and seamless – like a spellchecker.
Created by John Jameson, Princeton University's Digital Accessibility Developer, Editoria11y was previously only available as a module for the Drupal web content management system. Editoria11y is installed on over 2,700 Drupal sites around the world, and it is a standard feature of the Drupal-powered Princeton Site Builder. One reviewer called Editoria11y "The Best Drupal Accessibility Checker for Content Authors…"
A major revamp of this website is coming soon, but for now, I wanted to provide a quick update. The WordPress 5.8 brought a significant change to the way widgets are edited in the Customizer and the Appearance - Widgets page. By default, the widgets use the Block Editor (Gutenberg) instead of the classic interface where widget boxes on the left are dragged into widget locations on the right.
For those who prefer the classic widget experience, we have installed the Classic Widgets plugin. Site administrators can enable this plugin for all users on their individual sites.
Our managed hosting service includes the basic set up and support of WordPress sites that support the mission of the University, including sites for officially-recognized student groups. Faculty, staff, undergraduates, and graduate students are invited to use the service.
If you can't find what you are looking for, send an email to wordpress@princeton.edu or use the Princeton Service Portal.
OIT’s Web Development Services group administers the managed hosting environment, powered by WordPress.