wordpress 7.0 armstrong adds an ai client and needs php 7.4+
WordPress 7.0 shipped on May 20, 2026 with AI plumbing in core, a refreshed admin, and a higher minimum PHP version.
- version
- 7.0 'Armstrong'
- requires
- PHP 7.4+ minimum · MySQL/MariaDB 5.5.5+ minimum
- recommended
- PHP 8.4.x/8.5.x · MySQL 8.4.x · MariaDB 10.11/11.4/11.8
- platforms
- self-hosted WordPress
what happened
- WordPress 7.0 'Armstrong' was released to the public on May 20, 2026.[1,2]
- 7.0 adds an AI Client in core that lets WordPress communicate with generative AI models, plus the Abilities API and a Connectors screen to manage those connections.[1]
- The release also brings a refreshed admin dashboard with a new colour scheme, a command palette (⌘K / Ctrl+K), and new blocks including Breadcrumbs and Icons.[1]
- WordPress 7.0 raises the minimum PHP version from 7.2.24 to 7.4, dropping PHP 7.2 and 7.3. The minimum MySQL and MariaDB version is 5.5.5.[3,4]
- For new installs the hosting handbook recommends PHP 8.4.x or 8.5.x, MySQL 8.4.x, and MariaDB 10.11.x, 11.4.x or 11.8.x.[3]
- Sites on PHP 7.2 or 7.3 will stay on the 6.9 branch, and only one branch officially receives security updates. Fixes are backported to older versions only 'as a courtesy when possible'.[4]
- More than 875 people contributed to the release, over 200 of them for the first time.[1]
where sources differMake WordPress Core's January 2026 post said 7.0 was scheduled for April 2026; it shipped May 20, 2026. That post keeps PHP 8.3 as the minimum recommended version, while the hosting handbook recommends PHP 8.4.x or 8.5.x for new installs.
sources4
- 01WordPress 7.0 “Armstrong” ↗ primaryWordPress.orgaccessed 2026-10-21
- 02Version 7.0 ↗ primaryWordPress.org Documentationaccessed 2026-10-21
- 03WordPress 7.0 — Hosting Handbook compatibility ↗ primaryMake WordPress Hostingaccessed 2026-10-21
- 04Dropping support for PHP 7.2 and 7.3 ↗ primaryMake WordPress Coreaccessed 2026-10-21