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2024 Annual WordPress Report & Business Meta Analysis
WordPress has long since been the Kingpin of content management systems, enjoying the fruits of its labor with over 60% of the current CMS market share, and powering over 40% of all the world’s websites. Current statistics estimate there are over a billion websites on the Internet, which means WordPress powers 400 million websites. That’s a staggering number. Its future is bright and its mission is clear: “Democratize publishing”.
However, what’s not clear is exactly what the future holds for you and your business, which relies on WordPress to keep your website operational and your business running smoothly.
In this first-of-its-kind Annual WordPress for Business Report by Site Assembly, we’ll discuss the Future of WordPress and how it relates to business operations. We’ll share our expertise and explain why we’re qualified to make predictions and assessments about the world’s most popular CMS. And, finally, we’ll provide insight on how you can future-proof your business by implementing our suggestions based on the predictions in this report.
Much like the stock market, it’s not about making the correct predictions 100% of the time; It’s about making the right predictions when it counts. That’s what we aim to do with this annual report.
WordPress-as-a-Service: Why We’re Qualified To Analyze and Report
Site Assembly has been in business for close to a decade (2015) and we’ve grown every year since because we’re knowledgeable, passionate about technology, and understanding of client requirements. WordPress is at the core of what we do. We began as a WordPress development agency and have blossomed into WordPress infrastructure specialists and a burgeoning WP devOps agency. We stay up on all things WordPress, we use only the most updated WP technologies, and our systems and infrastructure — both internally and externally — are built on… you guessed it, WordPress. All of our team members and contributors are WordPress experts and we routinely hold continuing education seminars to debrief staff members on the newest technologies on WordPress’s horizon. You can say we live and breathe WordPress.
2023 WordPress Recap
To fully understand what’s to come in 2024, let’s first take a look at some of the highlights from 2023. Each year, Matt Mullenweg hosts a “State of the Word” event, which is a multi-day event focused on the accomplishments of WordPress for that year, and what to expect in terms of new features, enhancements, integrations, and other important topics. The five major talking points in this year’s Keynote were:
- Gutenberg Block Editor
- Interactivity API
- Collaboration
- Artificial Intelligence
- Data Liberation
Gutenberg Block Editor
The History of Gutenberg
Gutenberg Block Editor was first launched in 2018. The vision was there, but it desperately needed help before it could become the powerful block editor we all anticipated. Early users were impressed with the flexibility Gutenberg provided compared to its predecessor, the “Classic” Editor. Nonetheless, WordPress continued to invest its resources into Gutenberg, leading to its inevitable success.
2023 showed us that the Gutenberg Block Editor is robust, performant, and extremely flexible. It has achieved what many Page Editors and Site Builders have aimed to do yet fallen well short. It provides site owners with complete control over content structure, templating, page formatting, and user experience while continuing to focus on page speed and on-site search engine optimization. What makes it different is that it’s a Block Editor and not a Page Builder. Page builders, like Beaver Builder, Elementor, and Divi, may be easy to use for non-technical users, but they often add code bloat to your site leaving it clunky and slow. Gutenberg doesn’t add any additional or unnecessary code. It’s a stripped-down, bare-bones, super-powerful page editor based on the design principle of “blocks”.
All that said, the Block Editor still has much room for improvement. 2024 is the year of reckoning for Gutenberg and we’ll dive into the “why” later.
Interactivity API
The History of the Interactivity API
Built upon the Gutenberg Block Editor, the Interactivity API aims to offer a standard way for developers to add interactive features to the front end of their websites using blocks. White it’s still in its experimental phase, hopes are high for the Interactivity API.
“The Interactivity API started as an experimental plugin in early 2022, became an official proposal in March 2023, and was finally merged into WordPress core with the release of WordPress 6.5 on April 2, 2024.” (WordPress.org)
This means the API is available to begin creating interactive features such as dynamic image resizing, inter-block communication, custom frontend calculators, dynamic search, and more. The Interactivity API sets WordPress way ahead of its competitors by giving users more generative ways to create interactions and later, integrate with its ever-growing library of Artificial Intelligence tools and blocks.
Collaboration
The History of WordPress Collaboration
Collaboration is something that happens organically throughout the WordPress ecosystem. Developers collaborate to report issues and recommend new features, while users collaborate on publishing content and managing sites daily. Naturally, the WordPress community and the core dev team have made collaboration a top priority.
In the 2023 State of the Word, Matias Ventura, Lead Architect of Gutenberg, shared a working prototype of some new collaboration features in Editor. Perhaps the most exciting of all was the Sync Engine. According to Ventura, the sync engine “allows real-time edits to be visible across sessions.”
Collaboration features have always been lacking in WordPress, especially if more than one person edits a page or post at the same time. The “Take Over” feature was WordPress’s temporary answer to collaboration, ensuring updates made by other users weren’t lost. Using the new core collaboration features, users can edit the same page or post at the same time and see updates in real-time. If you’re familiar with Google Docs, you know this type of functionality isn’t new. However, it is something that was left out of past WordPress versions and an important tool for teams and users to effortlessly collaborate and communicate without leaving WordPress.
How It Affects Your Website
Notable features that will positively impact your WordPress experience include:
Distraction Free Mode
Edit in WordPress peacefully with Distraction-Free Mode, a new feature and nod to writers and editors who prefer to work without distractions. Enabling Distraction-Free Mode in Site Editor cleans up user’s viewing screens by:
- Removing the Top toolbar until hover-over
- Removing unnecessary toolbar buttons
- Auto-closing open sidebars
- Hiding various “add block” options
- Hiding the block toolbar
Sync Engine
Not much has been discussed openly regarding Sync Engine, but Matias has graciously shared some insight about Sync Engine during State of the Word 2023, stating, the “sync engine [will] allow real-time edits to be visible across sessions.”
The goal of creating a real-time Sync Engine is to “allow concurrent collaboration, shared edits, and online presence of peers.” Sync Engine will be the foundation of collaboration within WordPress from this point forward.
WordPress is finally lifting collaborative restrictions that have been present in WordPress core for years; i.e. the forced “Take Over” in Site Editor which allows users to disable editing permissions for anyone working on a page or post and “take over”, kicking the previous user out unbeknownst. The Sync Engine fixes this glaring issue and opens the door to a slew of possibilities.
Improved Site Editor
WordPress is hinting toward a big push for a faster Site Editor with a sleeker user interface that makes editing sites and collaborating across teams more productive and efficient. During the 2023 “State of the Word” address, the WordPress core team highlighted its goal of making Site Editor at least twice as fast. Implementing these performance improvements benefits all WordPress users.
Customizable WordPress Admin
WordPress is a fantastic tool for site publishers and developers as a whole, but that doesn’t mean improvements shouldn’t be made. One improvement WordPress intends to make is the Admin Dashboard. Currently undergoing an overhaul and redesign, the next generation of Admin will take cues from the Site Editor, with a vision of allowing users to shape their WordPress Admin experience based on their unique needs. This update will cross over into multiple categories of improvement including collaboration.
How it Affects Your Business
The newly introduced Collaboration features will streamline site design and web development within WordPress. In addition, editing and publishing posts will become more collaborative and allow multiple users to edit a page or post simultaneously. Better performance, collaboration, and integration means better business.
For the last half-decade, WordPress has become a powerful content management engine capable of almost anything. The WordPress site design and editing experience is becoming more user-friendly and collaborative. Businesses can rely on WordPress to continue innovating and providing a superior system. Choosing the right technology is important. WordPress is the foundation — a stable, secure, and scalable cloud infrastructure future-proofs your business.
What’s On the Horizon?
Looking back at 2023 and ahead into 2024 collaboration will become a key component of WordPress, with a redesign of the WP Admin dashboard, WordPress core updates, and Site Editor enhancements that aim to make the WordPress experience more inclusive and collaborative. Collaboration is fundamental to business. WordPress has been great at a lot of things, but collaboration wasn’t a focus of previous WP versions. If 2023 was the year of expressing the importance of collaboration inside WordPress, 2024 will be the year of implementation.
The dubbed “third phase” will foster seamless collaboration, tie together the various intricacies of the user experience, and streamline content management flows. As a result, creators and teams will be able to work together within WordPress more efficiently.
Artificial Intelligence
The History of AI x WordPress
There’s been an open and in-depth conversation around Artificial Intelligence as it relates to WordPress Core since May 2023. The consensus is that Core doesn’t need to build AI infrastructure because its current ecosystem allows for the developer community to create plugins and innovate freely. WordPress is intent on doing what it does well, and to continue to build on that concept again and again. Right now, implementing AI requires third-party integrations, making Core integration a formidable challenge but certainly not one that hasn’t already been extensively talked about in the WordPress community.
The WordPress team doesn’t intend to build their own AI tools within WordPress core. However, making it easy for users to integrate third-party AI tools is a top priority. Therefore, we can safely assume that as Artificial Intelligence continues to expand globally, WordPress will continue to advocate for AI and incentivize developers to build APIs and plugins that fill the gap.
How It Affects Your Website
AI is still in its newborn stages, at least when it comes to public adoption. WordPress isn’t in the business of artificial intelligence, its focus is on making it easy for all to publish websites. That said, there’s a case for developing AI tools directly within WordPress core, but it’s not a priority for the WordPress team in 2024 or for the foreseeable future. For now, you’ll need to continue to rely on third-party AI tools and plugins to integrate AI into your WordPress website.
How it Affects Your Business
Keeping AI out of WordPress core doesn’t prevent users from integrating AI into sites. AI tools and plugins are more abundant than ever and frameworks such as OpenAI and Gemini by Google allow developers to create AI. Doing this means there are no limits to what AI can do for your business. Integrating AI into your WordPress site is as simple as installing one of the numerous free AI WordPress plugins.
What’s On the Horizon?
Future WordPress versions will likely include more intuitive ways to integrate third-party AIs. However, it’s not in the current plans to build out Core AI features. Right now, AI is still on the rise, taking shape through open innovation, and evolving into a tangible ecosystem that will one day be used by every business in some way. Why not stick to what WordPress does best and let the AI community contribute to WordPress by way of building plugins, APIs, and AI tools? By doing so, WordPress keeps its eyes on its mission and allows AI to shape itself.
Data Liberation
The History of Data Liberation
The Data Liberation project is an internal effort introduced by WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg. The concept was first addressed at the State of the Word in December 2023. The project aims to make migrating your website from another platform to WordPress “super duper easy.” (Josepha Haden Chomphosy.)
Historically, migrating websites and databases from another platform to WordPress required a moderate understanding of multiple tools including web hosting, server infrastructure, database administration, and file configuration. At times, it wasn’t even possible to migrate from somewhere else to WordPress, requiring users to start from the ground up. Those days are long gone.
The Data Liberation project aims to give site owners complete control over their data. The idea is to centralize all of your data — from social media, sales funnels, Site Builders, and CRMs — into one SuperSystem. Think of this as your Brain Center, a virtual neural network that can be built and managed using WordPress.
Once an ambitious goal, WordPress’s Data Liberation project now enables site owners to own their data, Intellectual Property, and site assets under one roof. With an optimized cloud infrastructure and a more interactive user experience, WordPress developers are ensured stability, scalability, and success.
Different platforms and tools you can now migrate from into WordPress or WordPress blocks include:
- Avada -> Blocks
- Divi -> Blocks
- Elementor -> Blocks
- Kadence -> Blocks
- WPBakery -> Blocks
- Blogger -> WordPress
- Contentful -> WordPress
- Drupal -> WordPress
- HTML -> WordPress
- RSS -> WordPress
- SquareSpace -> WordPress
- Tumblr -> WordPress
- Wix -> WordPress
- WooCommerce Product -> WordPress
- WordPress -><- WordPress
The Data Liberation project launched in January 2024 and will be fully completed and integrated by November 2024.
How It Affects Your Website
The Data Liberation project is launching a new and improved Data Liberation Plugin. Formerly the MVP/Prototype plugin, the refined plugin will create a more seamless migration experience and an elegant interface.
One of the coolest plugin features to debut is the integration of Staging Sites.
Building staging websites wasn’t an easy task before. Now it’s possible without relying on clunky third-party plugins, expensive services, or unreliable development teams. This aligns with the core mission of Data Liberation: to hand over complete ownership and control of website data and infrastructure.
How it Affects Your Business
Owning and controlling data is a key part of scaling a business. There are now more data management tools out there than ever. As a consequence, managing data is more complex. The Data Liberation project means enterprises can go from being data-insufficient to data-driven with simplified cross-platform migrations, one-click staging sites, and the centralization and ownership of data.
What’s On the Horizon?
By the end of 2024, Data Liberation will become a core feature of WordPress and a valuable asset to WordPress developers and users. Contributors are eager to move the project forward. With the full backing of Automattic Inc. and the entire WordPress community, there’s no doubt that the Data Liberation project will meet all its objectives on time, launching a new era for Content Management Systems, one that could potentially leave others in the dust.
Precautions must still be taken to ensure the smooth rollout of the toolset. If there’s one thing WordPress does well, it’s building value in its technology for developers and users. During 2024’s “State of the Word” event, we can expect to hear about big changes and updates related to the Data Liberation project.
Other Notable Updates & Improvements
Plugin Marketplace Updates
The WordPress Plugin Marketplace recently received a front-end refresh, updating its interface and user experience to a more modern design. The basic functionality remains pretty similar to the previous version, however, logged-in users can now save plugins to their favorites, and discovering new plugins is now easier than ever through the WordPress Administrator Portal. Incremental improvements like finding, installing, activating, and configuring plugins on your WordPress site are more efficient than ever. Now boasting 60,000 approved plugins, the Marketplace is a huge and growing library for users.
Security Vulnerabilities and Improvements
In 2023, WordPress released four security and maintenance updates, covering a wide range of patches and improvements. Below is a timeline of security releases in 2023, including a description of updates.
Version: 6.2.1
Release Date: May 16, 2023
- Block themes parsing shortcodes in user-generated data was resolved.
- A CSRF issue updating attachment thumbnails was resolved.
- A flaw allowing XSS via open embed auto-discovery was resolved.
- Bypassing of KSES sanitization in block attributes for low-privileged users was resolved.
- A path traversal issue via translation files was resolved.
Version: 6.2.2
Release Date: May 20, 2023
- Issue with block themes parsing shortcodes in user-generated data was resolved.
Version: 6.3.2
Release Date: October 12, 2023
- Found a potential disclosure of user email addresses and resolved it.
- Found an RCE POP Chains vulnerability and resolved it.
- Identified a XSS issue in the post link navigation block and resolved it.
- Discovered an issue where comments on private posts could be leaked to other users and resolved it.
- Identified a way for logged-in users to execute any shortcode and resolved it.
- Identified a XSS vulnerability in the application password screen and resolved it.
- Identified XSS vulnerability in the footnotes block and resolved it.
- Identified a cache poisoning DoS vulnerability and resolved it.
Version: 6.4.2
Release Date: December 6, 2023
- A Remote Code Execution vulnerability was discovered that is not directly exploitable in WP core. Mostly affecting multi-site installs, the security team resolved the issue.
What’s Coming In 2024?
- A Core Focus On Accessibility: https://wordpress.org/about/accessibility/
- Easier Migrations and Data Harmonization: https://wordpress.org/data-liberation/
- Artificial Intelligence Plugins and Integrations:
- Gutenberg Block Editor Enhancements:
- Interactivity API: https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/03/30/proposal-the-interactivity-api-a-better-developer-experience-in-building-interactive-blocks/
- New Ways to Collaborate:
A Core Focus On Accessibility
“WordPress is not currently conforming with ATAG 2.0, but pledges to pursue features that are accessible and which help users create accessible content in pursuit of the long-term goal of ATAG compliance.” (WordPress.org)
The WordPress team and its contributors have been mindful of inclusion and accessibility as it affects its users and developers. Both front-end and back-end accessibility standards have been woven into WordPress core, but not to the extent required to be ATAG 2.0 compliant. On the back-end, users, regardless of device type or ability, can publish content and maintain a website or application with ease thanks to Accessibility features implemented in WordPress core. However, on the front end, Accessibility features are essentially non-existent as part of the WordPress ecosystem, relying instead on plugins, developer contributions, and third-party integrations.
In 2024 and beyond, WordPress must consider putting more effort into Accessibility features. Not only to create and publish content to the Web but also for front-end users who may require certain accessibility features to access a site fully. While there are plenty of options and add-ons available, leaving accessibility out of WordPress core and the Block Editor are choices the team must re-examine and mitigate.
Easier Migrations and Data Liberation
Coming soon.
Cross-Platform Optimization
Coming soon.
Artificial Intelligence
In 2023’s State of the Word, Matt Mullenweg showed enthusiasm for AI and its uses within WordPress. Matt’s advice was to “Learn AI deeply”. That was in December 2023. A keen eye towards the future suggests that wasn’t a mere suggestion but a call to all businesses and developers. Don’t take this advice lightly.
Contributors have been experimenting with natural language processing and WordPress Playground to create and build AI plugins and test third-party AI integrations. There are dozens of top-rated AI plugins already available in the marketplace. More will be available soon.
Gutenberg Block Editor Enhancements
Improved User Interface
The WordPress core team will continue to improve upon Block Editor’s user interface,
Faster User Experience
Coming soon
More Integrations
Coming soon
How It Affects Your Website
If you’re currently using the Classic Page Editor, it’s time to convert your site to WordPress’s default Gutenberg Block Editor. If you’re unsure what version of the editor you’re currently running, check with your web host or site manager.
If you’re running the updated version of WordPress Core but still see the outdated Classic Editor when editing a page or post, it’s likely the Classic Editor plugin is still installed. To check if you have this plugin installed, follow the instructions below.
STOP: FULL DISCLOSURE
If the WordPress Classic Editor plugin is installed, do not deactivate or uninstall it yet. Doing so without taking proper precautions may break your site. Talk to your site manager first to see what steps are necessary to properly convert your site from the Classic Editor to the default Gutenberg Block Editor.
If the Classic Editor is not installed, WordPress core is updated to the latest version and your active theme is updated, you’re likely already using the Block Editor. No further action is needed.
Note: This is not a tutorial. Annual reports may contain instructions on how to access features, but for more in-depth tutorials, please visit our WordPress Insights page.
How It Affects Your Business
Using outdated technologies on your website can leave your site vulnerable, slow, and increasingly difficult to manage. When a software update becomes available, it typically includes vulnerability fixes, bug fixes, and feature enhancements.
In the case of the Classic Editor vs. Gutenberg Block Editor, Gutenberg is more robust, flexible, efficient, and user-friendly. It’s leaps and bounds ahead of what the Classic Editor could only dream of being.
Eventually, the Classic Editor will be deprecated (removed from the Marketplace) and Gutenberg Block Editor or its successor will be the only option. If this happens and you’re still running the Classic Editor, your site will likely experience downtime until a proper conversion is completed. However, you shouldn’t wait for this to happen. Updating to Gutenberg Block Editor now can save your business unnecessary downtime and ensure your website is future-proofed from future downfalls.
What’s On the Horizon?
WordPress has promised to continue investing heavily in its flagship page builder, the Gutenberg Block Editor. With the full power of Automattic behind it, the future of WordPress will clearly involve Gutenberg. WordPress ensures that Artificial Intelligence will play a key role in future Gutenberg releases. Collaborative tools and data-driven touchpoints will make it a force to be reckoned with in all industries.
New Ways to Collaborate
Coming soon.
Web Application Capabilities with Interactivity API
The goal in 2024 and beyond is to enable web app development using WordPress Block Editor. It has the potential to turn any WordPress website into a full-fledged web application. Once the vision is fully realized WordPress users will be able to build interactive front-end features that enhance the functionality of a website in all new ways.
Adding interactive frontend features and functionality used to rely on complicated JavaScript libraries and at least a moderate level of understanding of the PHP framework. The Interactivity API is a lightweight JavaScript library that standardizes the way developers can build interactive HTML elements on WordPress sites. It allows developers to build features such as counters, popups, instant search, carts, image resizing, calculators, and robust checkout experiences more easily and with greater flexibility. Even non-developers can use Interactivity API. An example of the types of features and functionality the Interactivity API provides can be found here.
Whereas the “heavy lifting” was typically handled by back-end developers, the Interactivity API greatly reduces barriers to entry by providing blocks that can be turned into patterns. As a JavaScript library with a full-access API available, programming on top of the Interactivity API is even more robust.
How It Affects Your Website
The Interactivity API is now fully integrated into the WordPress Block Editor. Your team can now create interactive features using blocks and a little dev magic. In practice, this means site Admins can now scope, plan, and launch new, interactive frontend features to scale their marketing, personalize user experiences, enhance existing landing pages, and build features that previously required more technical expertise and heavy lifting.
For some practical ways to begin implementing the Interactivity API and its features into your website, check out WordPress’s own documentation page here: https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2024/04/11/a-first-look-at-the-interactivity-api/
How It Affects Your Business
A website’s user experience is based heavily on how users interact with its page elements such as links, buttons, images, videos, forms, and more. The Interactivity API makes creating and deploying better user experiences more accessible. The time from planning to launching new WordPress website features has been greatly reduced thanks to the capabilities of the Interactivity API. Due to the ease of use and reduced barriers to entry, businesses can utilize the Interactivity API to enhance their marketing efforts and create more compelling user experiences that convert more site visitors into clients and subscribers.
What’s On the Horizon?
Now that the Interactivity API is fully available as a tool in WordPress Core’s block editor, WordPress will focus intently on enhancing features and capabilities, fixing bugs and addressing user concerns, patching security vulnerabilities, and continuing to build an even stronger developer community around Block Editor. Artificial Intelligence, Data Availability, and Automation will be heavily integrated into future updates. Soon, the Interactivity API will be so engrained into the fabric of WordPress that it will become just another toolset. Familiarizing yourself with the Interactivity API and using it on your website should be considered if you have specific use cases that call for interactive front-end features such as popups, AJAX carts, smart calculators, image enhancements, and more.
WordPress Market Share and Projections
WordPress
From 2019 to 2024, WordPress’s market share has grown 11%. Currently, WordPress enjoys over 43% of the total CMS market share. That’s ore than all of its competitors combined. Five-year projections are promising for WordPress users, contributors, and agencies. Past statistics indicate WordPress will own the lion’s share of the CMS market by 2026. What this means for WordPress users is guaranteed stability and reliability. Technology evolves rapidly. WordPress is no different. WordPress has a rock-solid foundation so businesses can confidently invest in its infrastructure.
WooCommerce
As an e-commerce solution, WooCommerce is second in total market share (20.1%) behind Shopify (26.2%). Not much is on the radar for WooCommerce in 2024. It wasn’t a hot topic at 2023’s State of the Word an though it’s a solid e-commerce solution, it appears other efforts take precedence over WooCommerce in 2024.
There are a large number of WooCommerce-compatible plugins in the WordPress marketplace. And WooCommerce offers a myriad of their own plugins to extend its default functionality. Of course, all frontend web pages can be completely custom-designed including the Cart and Checkout pages.
The Interactivity API will integrate with WooCommerce allowing users and developers to customize AJAX-style carts, auto-checkouts, one-click checkouts, and more.
Plugin Marketplace
WordPress Marketplace is packed with around 60,000 plugins currently available for download. 2023 saw an overhaul of the Marketplace frontend design, but not much has otherwise changed. It’s a sufficient marketplace, and easy to use. However, it does have an abandonment issue.
Statistics are scarce, but searches for plugins in WordPress yield many results with the notification, “Not compatible with your version of WordPress”. Using incompatible plugins often leads to site errors. Worse, these plugins include security vulnerabilities that may provide attackers with ways to inject malware into your site.
The reason is irrelevant as to why there are such high numbers of abandoned plugins in the marketplace. The only thing that matters is that WordPress site admins keep their sites optimized and secure. One way to do this is to keep your themes and plugins updated, keep WordPress core updated, and remove abandoned and deactivated plugins.
There’s not much WordPress can do about abandonment. However, some basic filters do exist which enable users to display plugins that are compatible with the latest version of WordPress.
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