In this issue of Delicious Brain Bytes, we look into the sessions now available from DE{CODE} 2025, discuss the release of ACF 6.4 and WordPress 6.8, and much more!
DE{CODE} 2025 Sessions Now Available On Demand
WP Engine’s annual DE{CODE} conference wrapped on April 15, 2025, drawing a record-breaking global audience from 114 countries. The virtual event featured 12 sessions across developer, agency, and marketer tracks, alongside keynotes tackling AI’s ethical and practical implications.
CEO Heather Brunner opened the event by celebrating WordPress as “the most successful group project in history,” framing the ecosystem’s growth as a testament to collaborative innovation. AI thought leader Jeremiah Owyang and Humane Intelligence CEO Dr. Rumman Chowdhury headlined the keynote, dissecting AI’s near-term impact on content strategy and its ethical challenges.
Notable sessions included: Vetting AI in 2025: WP Engine’s Luke Patterson and panelists separated hype from actionable tools for scaling WordPress sites. Taming the Block Editor: ACF experts demonstrated custom fields to streamline design consistency and client workflows. SEO and AI: Strategies to protect brand visibility amid AI-generated summaries and attribution risks. All sessions are now available on demand via WP Engine’s YouTube channel, offering flexible access to technical deep dives and strategic insights.
“DE{CODE} 2025 wasn’t just about new tools—it was a reminder that people power this ecosystem,” Brunner reflected post-event. With AI reshaping development and marketing, the conference underscored the enduring role of community in navigating technological shifts.
Rewatch key moments or explore missed sessions here: DE{CODE} 2025
ACF 6.4 Launches WooCommerce HPOS Support
Advanced Custom Fields 6.4 is now live, introducing WooCommerce HPOS compatibility—ensuring seamless operation with WooCommerce’s high-performance order tables for faster queries and simpler migrations.
The update required significant backend refactoring, future-proofing ACF for custom database integrations. Other highlights include Composer-based autoloading (boosting performance) and fixes for paginated Group fields within Repeaters.
Please see the release post for more details.
WordPress 6.8 “Cecil” Launches Amid Shift to Annual Major Releases
WordPress 6.8 arrived April 15, delivering refinements like near-instant page loads via Speculative Loading, bcrypt password security, and a revamped Style Book compatible with classic themes. The release also introduced 100+ accessibility fixes and performance tweaks to the Interactivity API, targeting sub-50ms response times.
The update arrives as WordPress pivots to a slower release cadence. Project leadership confirmed WordPress 6.8 will be the only major release in 2025, citing reduced corporate contributions (e.g., Automattic cut Five for the Future hours from 4,000/week to 16) and stagnant Gutenberg feature development since January.
Amid tensions, grassroots efforts are emerging to address governance concerns. Independent contributors are organizing Alt Ctrl Org, a side event during WordCamp Europe 2025, to foster discussions on power dynamics and community culture. Organizers, including longtime WordCamp leads Takis Bouyouris and Veerle Verbert, cite a “climate of fear” where contributors fear professional repercussions for voicing critiques. The event features talks on free software principles and collective governance, alongside a panel exploring WordPress’s future.
“We’re not trying to take anyone down,” Bouyouris said. “But the community isn’t working the way it used to.”
When “Clever” Becomes a Trap
Ever written a genius one-liner that you can’t even decipher two weeks later? You’re not alone. A recent blog post on Engineer’s Codex argues that “clever” code—think Leetcode-esque puzzles or cryptic syntax flexes—is often the worst kind to maintain. Why?
As Brian W. Kernighan quipped: “Debugging is twice as hard as writing code. So, if you write it as cleverly as possible, you’re not smart enough to debug it.” The post highlights how “code golfing” (prioritizing brevity over clarity) backfires in real-world projects, leading to spaghetti logic that baffles teammates—and future you.
Agencies Optimistic Despite Lean Teams: The Admin Bar’s 2025 Survey
How does your WordPress agency stack up? The Admin Bar just dropped its 2025 survey of 1,233 pros, revealing a sector fueled by grit and growth.
Key takeaways:
- 77% run agencies full-time, while 23% juggle it as a side hustle.
- 57% report growth, though 35% feel stagnant.
- 66% plan to still be in business by 2030.
Dive into the full dataset to filter results by niche, revenue, or client location—and see how you compare.
Components Are Just Sparkling Hooks
A provocative blog post by Slava Knyazev argues that React components and hooks are the same beast—just with different dress codes. Components, it turns out, are simply hooks forced to return JSX, while hooks get to flaunt any data type.
The piece playfully refactors a button-counter component into a useFancyCounter hook, revealing how “headless” patterns decouple logic from UI. Why let a button hog all the state? Expose that increment magic for reuse in modals, dashboards, or even confetti triggers (yes, fireworks are demoed).
The kicker? Unit testing becomes a breeze when logic isn’t welded to markup. “It’s like discovering your umbrella is also a parachute,” Knyazev quips.
Real-world libraries like React Aria already leverage this approach, proving it’s not just theoretical mixology. Dive deeper into this viewpoint here.
Why Agencies Use Low-Code Tools
Architects can draw up plans by hand, but they’re more likely to use CAD software to realize their version faster, with less expense, and no sacrifice in quality. Low-code tools handle templated layouts and client tweaks, while developers focus on performance optimization, security, and custom functionality—the structural engineering of a website. The result? Faster launches, happier clients, and fewer burnout-inducing CSS battles over padding adjustments.
In this article, we talk to three agencies who use low-code tools as part of their stack, and discuss what advantages they realize from doing so.
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