Snow Time Just like the Current for WordPress.com

Bringing again a frosty function (plus extra enhancements for WordPress.com customers)

About 17 years in the past we added an choice referred to as “Present falling snow on my weblog” to WordPress.com. The identify mentioned all of it: it added falling snow to your weblog. Then, sooner or later, it disappeared. It wasn’t as a result of spring got here and melted the snow away. We have been cleansing up code, juggling a lot of totally different priorities, and the snow was shoveled away.  

After we first introduced this little bit of enjoyable in 2007, we have been impressed as a result of WordPress co-founder and our CEO Matt Mullenweg was lacking out on a White Christmas in his hometown of Houston. Ever because it went away, a few of you may have tell us you’ve additionally been lacking out on snow — on WordPress.com. Because of everybody who reminded us, we’re bringing again this frosty function in the present day, obtainable now for each WordPress.com consumer.

Need to be part of the enjoyable? Log into your WordPress.com account and go to Settings within the left-hand sidebar. There, you’ll discover an choice so as to add some recent powder to your website:

Your private snow machine, free for all WordPress.com customers.

Voilà! With one click on, your guests can get pleasure from a wintry shock, irrespective of the place they’re on this planet: 

We like to think about it as a enjoyable present for a time of 12 months when so many individuals world wide will likely be sharing presents — whether or not or not it’s snowing the place you’re writing in your weblog.

Now, we all know not everybody appreciates snow as a lot as we do. So, we’ve been working arduous on a flurry of different presents over the previous few months too, including tons of enhancements to WordPress.com. Till now, we simply haven’t advised you about them on our weblog! This looks as if a good time to acknowledge all these different small options, enhancements, and wishlist objects that make the WordPress.com world just a bit bit nicer:

We added over 65 themes to our Free, Private, and Premium plans within the final half of the 12 months. Should you haven’t taken a have a look at our new themes currently, take a second and browse round now. Should you’re on the Marketing strategy and above, you should use any theme — even customized ones — however we’re all the time attempting to be sure to have a terrific, curated checklist of high-quality choices on our cheaper plans too.

We additionally introduced again Bulk Plugin Administration, so Enterprise and Commerce plan customers can effectively handle and replace plugins throughout all of your WordPress.com websites. Should you’re managing a number of websites, this may prevent a number of time, so you’ll be able to spend extra time doing what you like.

The WordPress core growth group created a brand new part for managing knowledge referred to as Knowledge Views. We’re utilizing this performance in our Internet hosting Dashboard, bettering the expertise of managing your websites and domains.

Builders know that PHP — a programming language that’s close to and pricey to our hearts — is the spine of the net (and WordPress itself). By no means heard of it? To not fear. Simply consider PHP because the magic that makes your WordPress web site potential. WordPress.com upgraded to PHP 8.1 this 12 months, making certain your websites keep top-tier efficiency and compatibility together with your favourite themes and plugins.

With all these new options and enhancements, there’s snow time like the current to construct your web sites with WordPress.com. Feeling the giving spirit too? It’s simple to share WordPress.com with a present subscription. No stress, in fact. Benefit from the snow, and search for much more enhancements and options to return in 2025!