In this month’s MainWP Roundup, we explore the Admin Bar’s Security Weekly Series, function files in the Twenty Twenty Three Theme, migration to blocks from page builders, and new bulk email requirements by Google and Yahoo.

Let’s go!

The Admin Bar’s Security Weekly

The Admin Bar Security Weekly

The Admin Bar (TAB), a very popular WordPress community, has launched a new series that teaches the basics of website security.

The new series is a collaboration with TAB and Patchstack Security. The articles are being written by Oliver Sid, the company’s CEO and Founder.

So far, the series has one article, but will be a weekly publication. The first article is a basic introduction to security.

Twenty Twenty Three theme does not ship with functions file.

Recently, I came upon a tweet from Jeff Chandler that caught my attention.

Does the Twenty Twenty-Three theme not ship with a functions.php file?

— Jeff (@jeffr0) January 1, 2024

“Does the Twenty Twenty-Three theme not ship with a functions.php file?”

In my agency days, I recall adding several scripts (with assistance) to the functions file to include required elements on the website. It’s not something I get excited about and if there is a good plugin that isn’t full of bloat, I usually default to that.

But, it seems, Jeff’s question highlights a fundamental change moving forward in theme development in WordPress. Block-based themes do not need this file.

See Resource for Full Site Editing.

Justin Tadlock gives us a hint and I’ll touch on it in a bit, but first, Jeff explains why he was curious.

Here is a hint: documentation.

I'm concerned that this is a new trend or practice among themes, which means most of the documentation for our products is going to need updating. We always instruct people to add code snippets to Functions.php, but what if the file doesn't exist?

— Jeff (@jeffr0) January 1, 2024

The scribes are looking out for the community!

Tadlock explains a bit more.

Themes have never required a functions.php. But this is a common question that crops up.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend that folks edit the functions.php of a theme that is going to receive updates. Use a child theme with its own functions.php instead.

— Justin Tadlock (@justintadlock) January 2, 2024

Perhaps we are back to making child things. I know, I know, we were always supposed to, but with page builders it became easier to build on top of something like Astra or GeneratePress.

Scott Buscemi pointed to a support ticket at WordPress.org

https://t.co/6XOwmR55bQ

— Scott Buscemi (@scottbuscemi) January 1, 2024

A block-based theme brings about many changes. There is a lot to learn. But, some things may be like what we have used before.

Have you’ve used the 2023 Theme? Have you noticed the lack of a functions file? I rarely ever use default themes, so I had not.

WordPress Migration to Blocks

WordPress Migration Guides Undermines Divi & Elementor?

Speaking of block-based themes, WordPress now has a conversion documentation to help people migrate from… wait for it, Elementor and other page builders.

As the author of this article notes,

“While it’s understandable that WordPress might want to help publishers and businesses migrate away from Wix, some perceive it as a somewhat controversial move to create a guide to undermine software publishers who are a part of the WordPress ecosystem itself.”

It definitely has the attention of folks in the ecosystem.

The article quotes the discussion in the Dynamic WordPress Facebook Group ran by David McCan.

McCan observed, “If Elementor wrote a guide on how to move from core Gutenberg to Elementor, people would likely call foul.”

Do you think David has a point? What are your thoughts?

Google and Yahoo’s New Requirements for Bulk Senders

Google and Yahoo are implementing bulk sending requirements. If you send emails using a domain, you will probably need to make security authentications.

According to MarTech,

“This February, Google and Yahoo will begin enforcing new requirements for bulk email senders. The guidelines largely focus on three areas: authentication of outgoing emails, reported spam rates and the ability to easily unsubscribe from email lists.”

Another source I read said the end of the first quarter. It sounds like we might to make these changes pretty quickly.

The requirement we might want to pay attention to is authentication of emails. Both are requiring these authentication practices, as mentioned by MarTech.

Having a way to unsubscribe is definitely a good thing, but what’s with the spam rates?

“Google says bulk senders must keep their reported spam rate (i.e., the percentage of outgoing messages reported as spam by recipients) in Google Postmaster Tools below 0.10% and “avoid ever reaching 0.30% or higher.”

Usually, email messaging comes down to marketing messages (think email newsletters) and outreach email messages. The spam rule may have a bigger effect on how we use outreach emails.

“Outbound sales teams in the B2B sector are getting much of the attention around the new bulk email restrictions. Unlike marketing, cold sales outreach in B2B relies mainly on two channels: email and phone calls.”

We likely have clients that engage both, so it is important to protect their domains from getting marked as spam because of poor email messaging tactics.

Below are a couple more resources allowing you to explore this topic more:

https://www.mailpoet.com/blog/navigating-googles-and-yahoos-new-sender-requirements-what-email-marketers-need-to-know/

Hat tip to Rob Cairns.

Wrapping it up

Wrapping it up, this month’s MainWP Roundup covered key topics in WordPress and online communication. The Admin Bar’s Security Weekly Series launched, emphasizing a commitment to regular security updates.

We looked at the absence of the functions.php file in the Twenty Twenty Three Theme raised questions about evolving theme development practices.

We also discussed controversial WordPress migration guides targeting Elementor and page builder users. Finally, new requirements from Google and Yahoo for bulk email senders were highlighted, focusing on authentication practices, spam rate management, and easy unsubscribe options.

As the digital landscape evolves, staying informed about these developments is crucial for WordPress professionals and marketers to adapt effectively.