What Changed in WordPress 7.0 — and Why Hosting Matters Now
Quick Answer
WordPress 7.0 introduces real-time collaborative editing — think Google Docs inside your WordPress block editor. To use it, your host must support PHP 8.2+, persistent WebSocket connections, MariaDB 10.6+ or MySQL 8.0+, and a PHP memory limit of 256 MB or higher. Most shared hosting plans fail at least two of these. This checklist tells you exactly how to find out — and what to do if your host falls short.
Every major WordPress release changes what you need from your host. Version 7.0 is the first release that changes it meaningfully. Real-Time Collaboration (RTC) — the headline feature — lets multiple editors work on the same post at once, with changes appearing live in each other's editors. It's a significant workflow upgrade for agencies, editorial teams, and anyone who has been bouncing drafts between Notion and WordPress.
But RTC isn't just a front-end feature. It requires the server to maintain persistent connections and the database to handle concurrent writes with row-level locking. Both are controlled entirely by your hosting stack — and most shared hosts quietly don't support them.
The good news: checking your host takes less than ten minutes, and fixing any gaps before the release is far easier than scrambling after. Here's the exact process.
The Delay: What the New Timeline Means for You
WordPress 7.0 was scheduled for April 9, 2026. On March 31, the release team reverted from Release Candidate back to Beta 3 — a rare move that signals a structural problem, not a polish issue. The cause: the RTC database architecture was producing data loss under concurrent write load in testing. The team switched to a row-level locking model with a dedicated collaboration session table, requiring the additional test cycle (WordPress.org Developer Blog, April 2026).
A new release date is expected to be announced around April 22. Based on the scope of changes, May 2026 is the most realistic window. You can track the schedule on the WordPress Developer Blog.
Use the delay window
The delay gives you a 2–4 week window to verify your hosting stack before the upgrade prompt appears. Running through the checklist below now means zero fire-fighting when 7.0 ships.
The 4-Point Hosting Checklist for WordPress 7.0
All four of these must pass. One failure means RTC won't function — or won't function reliably — even if everything else checks out.
PHP 8.2 or higher
- 1Log in to your MevoHost control panel → PHP Manager
- 2Confirm the version shown is PHP 8.2, 8.3, or 8.4
- 3If below 8.2: click the version selector and switch — takes 30 seconds, no downtime
- 4PHP 8.4 is the recommended version for the best RTC performance
Why it matters: The RTC engine uses PHP fibers and named arguments — both require PHP 8.2+. Running PHP 7.4 or 8.0 will block the RTC feature entirely (WordPress.org, 2026).
WebSocket or Server-Sent Event support
- 1Check your hosting plan documentation for "WebSocket support" or "persistent connections"
- 2If on shared hosting: assume this is blocked unless explicitly confirmed otherwise
- 3If on VPS or managed WordPress: WebSockets are typically supported — verify connection timeout settings are above 60 seconds
- 4MevoHost LiteSpeed plans support WebSocket pass-through natively — no action needed
Why it matters: Each active RTC session needs a persistent connection. Shared hosts typically cap connections at 30–60 seconds, which terminates live editing sessions mid-use.
MariaDB 10.6+ or MySQL 8.0+
- 1Log in to phpMyAdmin via your account dashboard
- 2Run: SELECT VERSION();
- 3Look for MariaDB 10.6+, MariaDB 11.x, or MySQL 8.0+
- 4If below these versions: contact your host — database upgrades typically require a support ticket
Why it matters: The RTC collaboration session table requires InnoDB with row-level locking. Older databases use table-level locks, which cause session corruption under concurrent edits — the exact failure mode that delayed the April release.
PHP memory limit: 256 MB minimum
- 1Check current memory limit: in WordPress admin go to Tools → Site Health → Info → Server
- 2Look for "PHP memory limit" — it should show 256M or higher
- 3For teams using RTC with 3+ simultaneous editors, 512 MB is recommended
- 4In your MevoHost control panel: PHP Manager → PHP Options → memory_limit to adjust
Why it matters: Each RTC session uses ~32–64 MB of PHP memory per concurrent editor above the WordPress baseline (~128 MB). A 256 MB limit supports 2 editors; 512 MB supports up to 6 (WordPress core team estimates, 2026).
| Requirement | Shared Hosting | Managed WP / VPS | Where to Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHP 8.2+ | ⚠️ Available, not default | ✅ Default on MevoHost | Control panel → PHP Manager |
| WebSocket support | ❌ Usually blocked | ✅ LiteSpeed pass-through | Host documentation / support |
| MariaDB 10.6+ / MySQL 8.0+ | ⚠️ Varies by host | ✅ MariaDB 11.x on MevoHost | phpMyAdmin → SELECT VERSION() |
| 256 MB+ PHP memory | ❌ Usually capped at 128 MB | ✅ 512 MB default | WP Admin → Site Health → Info |
How to Test Whether Your Host Supports WebSockets
Host documentation is often vague on WebSocket support. The most reliable method is a direct connection test from your server.
// Open browser DevTools on your WordPress site → Console
// Paste this and press Enter:
const ws = new WebSocket('wss://' + location.host + '/ws-test')
ws.onopen = () => console.log('✅ WebSocket: CONNECTED')
ws.onerror = () => console.log('❌ WebSocket: BLOCKED or UNSUPPORTED')
ws.onclose = (e) => console.log('Connection closed, code:', e.code)
// ✅ = your host supports WebSockets
// ❌ = your host blocks them — contact support or consider migratingA connection error here confirms your host is blocking WebSocket upgrades. An open connection that closes within 30 seconds confirms a timeout issue. Both will break RTC in practice.
Note on the test result
The test above checks outbound WebSocket support from your browser. WordPress 7.0 RTC also requires the server (PHP) to accept inbound WebSocket connections. If your host's web server doesn't proxy WebSocket upgrade requests to PHP, RTC will still fail even if the browser test passes. LiteSpeed — used on all MevoHost plans — handles this natively.
What Happens If Your Host Doesn't Meet the Requirements
There are two failure modes, and it's worth knowing which one you'll hit — they have different impacts on your site.
RTC Disabled (Hard Failure)
PHP / DB version issueIf PHP is below 8.2 or the database version is too old, WordPress 7.0 will detect the incompatibility at activation and disable the RTC feature entirely. Your site operates normally — single-user editing continues to work — but the collaboration UI never appears. You'll see an admin notice explaining the missing requirements.
RTC Degraded (Soft Failure)
WebSocket / timeout issueIf WebSocket support is blocked or connection timeouts are too aggressive, WordPress 7.0 activates RTC but falls back to slow periodic polling. Editors will see each other's changes with a lag of 3–10 seconds — the feature technically works but feels broken in practice. This is the harder failure mode to diagnose, because the UI shows collaboration as "active".
Either way, your existing WordPress content and single-user editing are completely unaffected. This isn't a site-breaking incompatibility — it's a feature-availability issue. But if your team is planning to use RTC for editorial workflows, sorting out the hosting requirements before the upgrade is far less disruptive than debugging it after.
How MevoHost Is Already WordPress 7.0 Ready
Every MevoHost Managed WordPress and VPS plan meets all four requirements out of the box. Here's the current stack:
PHP 8.4 default
All new MevoHost Managed WordPress plans are provisioned with PHP 8.4. Existing plans switch in 30 seconds via the account dashboard → PHP Manager. No restart, no downtime.
LiteSpeed + WebSocket pass-through
LiteSpeed Web Server powers every MevoHost plan and proxies WebSocket connections natively. WordPress 7.0 RTC sessions establish without any server-side configuration.
MariaDB 11.x with InnoDB
All plans run MariaDB 11.x — two major versions ahead of the minimum requirement. Row-level locking and the concurrent session architecture RTC depends on are fully supported.
512 MB PHP memory (default)
MevoHost Managed WordPress plans default to 512 MB — enough for 6 concurrent RTC editors per site. Business and Pro plans support up to 1 GB per site.
No aggressive connection timeouts
MevoHost does not enforce the 30–60 second connection caps common on shared hosting. Long-lived RTC editor sessions are treated as standard traffic.
If you're on MevoHost: run through the checklist above to confirm your PHP version is 8.2+ (switch to 8.4 if not) and your memory limit is 256 MB+. Everything else is already handled. If you're on shared hosting elsewhere and want to use RTC with a team, migrating to MevoHost before WordPress 7.0 ships is the cleanest path.
Safe Upgrade Path: Staging → Scan → Production
Even with a compatible hosting stack, upgrading to any major WordPress version on a live site without testing first is an unnecessary risk. Follow this sequence:
Staging is included on MevoHost Business and Pro
One-click staging environments are built into MevoHost Business and Pro plans. If you're on a Starter plan and want to test safely before 7.0 ships, upgrading your plan now — and then testing on staging — is the most risk-free path.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is WordPress 7.0 releasing?
WordPress 7.0 was originally scheduled for April 9, 2026, but was delayed on March 31 when the release was reverted from RC to Beta 3 due to a database architecture issue in the real-time collaboration feature (WordPress.org Developer Blog, April 2026). A new release date is expected to be announced around April 22. May 2026 is the most widely anticipated window based on the scope of the remaining changes.
Does WordPress 7.0 need WebSocket support from my host?
Yes. WordPress 7.0 real-time collaboration requires persistent WebSocket connections to sync editor state between collaborators. Server-Sent Events are the fallback. Hosts that block WebSocket upgrades or enforce connection timeouts under 60 seconds will either break RTC entirely or degrade it to slow polling with several seconds of lag. Most shared hosting plans fall into this category — always confirm WebSocket support explicitly with your host before relying on it.
What PHP version does WordPress 7.0 require?
WordPress 7.0 requires PHP 8.2 as a hard minimum, with PHP 8.3 or 8.4 recommended for optimal RTC performance. The real-time collaboration engine uses PHP fibers and named arguments that are not available in PHP 7.4 or 8.0. Sites on those older versions will not be able to activate the RTC feature after upgrading to WordPress 7.0, though the rest of the site will continue to function normally.
What happens if my host does not support WordPress 7.0 real-time collaboration?
There are two outcomes depending on which requirement is missing. If PHP is below 8.2 or the database is too old, WordPress 7.0 disables RTC entirely and shows an admin notice — your site operates normally in single-user mode. If WebSocket support is absent or connections time out too quickly, RTC activates but falls back to polling with noticeable lag, making collaborative editing impractical. Either way, existing content and single-user editing are completely unaffected.
Sarah Kim
WordPress Engineer at MevoHost
Sarah specialises in WordPress infrastructure compatibility and performance tuning. She tracks every WordPress core release from alpha through to production and has managed major version upgrades across hundreds of managed WordPress sites at MevoHost.
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