May 2022 was a landmark month for the WordPress ecosystem, marked by the highly anticipated release of WordPress 6.0, continued evolution of Gutenberg, and critical security alerts that demanded swift action from site owners.
Alongside these core milestones, the industry witnessed notable acquisitions, strategic product launches, and the the adoption of block-based design workflows.
This edition of the monthly roundup covers everything you need to know about WordPress in May 2022. From major updates to plugin vulnerabilities, acquisitions, and community highlights, our goal is to provide a complete resource for developers, agencies, and business owners who rely on WordPress as their digital foundation.
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Investments
In May 2022, the WordPress business ecosystem saw meaningful consolidation moves, particularly in the membership and engagement plugin space.
- Groundhogg Acquires Holler Box (May 25, 2022): Groundhogg, a WordPress-based CRM and marketing automation tool, acquired Holler Box, a popular lightweight pop-up and conversion plugin. The acquisition strengthened Groundhogg’s marketing suite by adding on-site engagement tools that integrate seamlessly with email and CRM workflows.
- Memberium (now Membershipper) Acquires WishList Member (May 3, 2022): Membershipper, known at the time as Memberium, completed the acquisition of WishList Member, one of the most established WordPress membership plugins. This move brought together decades of membership site experience and indicated a trend toward consolidated, full-featured membership management solutions.
These acquisitions highlighted a broader pattern in the WordPress product space: specialized tools increasingly merge into unified ecosystems to better serve agencies and growing businesses.
WordPress Core Updates: Refinement and Stability
WordPress 6.0 “Arturo”
On May 24, 2022, WordPress officially released version 6.0, code-named Arturo. This was the second major release of the Gutenberg era and a significant step in refining full-site editing capabilities.
Key highlights included:
- Block Theme Export: Users could now export customized block themes for reuse across projects.
- Style Variations: A more streamlined way to switch between design styles within a single theme.
- Improved List View: Easier navigation and control over nested blocks.
- Block Locking: The ability to lock blocks to prevent accidental edits.
- Template and Pattern Enhancements: Expanded flexibility for site builders.
- Performance and Accessibility Fixes: Nearly 1,000 improvements overall.
The release was made possible by over 500 contributors worldwide, reflecting the strength of the WordPress open-source community.
Gutenberg Editor Releases
Alongside the core update, Gutenberg saw incremental progress:
- Gutenberg 13.2 (May 11, 2022): Introduced server-side saving of preferences, margin and padding visual guides, and enhancements to the comments block.
- Gutenberg 13.3 (May 25, 2022): A new Table of Contents block was added, and existing blocks were refined.
Together, these releases paved the way for developers and creators to adopt block-first workflows more confidently.
Security Alerts & Plugin Vulnerabilities
Security remained a pressing issue in May 2022, with several critical vulnerabilities reported and patched.
- Smush (CVE-2022-1009): The popular image optimization plugin contained a reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability, fixed in version 3.9.9. Site owners were urged to update immediately.
- Jupiter and JupiterX Themes: Multiple vulnerabilities allowed authenticated users to escalate privileges and delete plugins. Patches were released in mid-May, and virtual patching was advised for those unable to update quickly.
Other Plugin Vulnerabilities
According to Sucuri’s May 2022 roundup, several smaller plugins received critical patches. Administrators were reminded to enforce timely updates and monitor for unusual activity.
Action for site owners:
- Constantly update plugins and themes immediately.
- Use a web application firewall or host-level protections.
- Maintain frequent, monitored backups for recovery.
Other WordPress News
- WordPress.com Starter Plan: On May 25, WordPress.com introduced a $5 monthly starter plan, targeting users who outgrew the free tier but did not require business-level hosting.
- WooCommerce 6.5 (May 10, 2022): This release merged WooCommerce Admin into core and improved WooCommerce Blocks, bringing a smoother block-based shopping experience.
- Divi Cloud by Elegant Themes: Elegant Themes launched Divi Cloud, enabling designers to save layouts and assets to the cloud for use across projects. This was especially appealing to agencies and freelancers managing multiple clients.
Industry Trends & Technological Insights
The developments of May 2022 pointed to clear trends in the WordPress ecosystem:
- Block-First Future: The momentum of full-site editing and the release of WordPress 6.0 moved block themes from experimental to production-ready for mainstream projects.
- Commerce Meets Blocks: WooCommerce’s investment in block-based checkout and cart flows highlighted a shift toward modular, modern commerce experiences.
- Cloud-Integrated Workflows: Tools like Divi Cloud demonstrated how cloud-based design libraries could streamline agency collaboration and reduce repetitive work.
- Affordable Hosting Experiments: WordPress.com’s Starter plan showcased hosts experimenting with lower entry-level tiers to attract small business users.
- Modern PHP Adoption: The ongoing encouragement of PHP 8 adoption and performance improvements has reinforced the platform’s shift to a faster, more efficient ecosystem.
Community Excellence: Themes, Plugins, Agencies, and Innovators of the Month
The WordPress ecosystem thrives because its innovators, agencies, and hosting providers continuously push the boundaries of what the platform can achieve. May 2022 was no different, with several standout contributors making a lasting impact on the community.
Theme of the Month: Thrive Themes
Thrive Themes continued to distinguish itself as a leader in conversion-focused design. More than just offering sleek templates, Thrive provides a full suite of tools tailored for marketers and entrepreneurs who prioritize growth.
With features such as built-in A/B testing, customizable lead generation forms, and sales-focused landing page templates, the platform empowers non-developers to create high-performing websites with measurable results.
Its drag-and-drop editor made it easy for businesses to iterate quickly, while integrating with email marketing platforms offered seamless campaign execution. In May 2022, Thrive Themes became the go-to choice for anyone focused on conversions and customer journeys.
Plugin of the Month: ExactMetrics
ExactMetrics earned recognition as a top analytics plugin for WordPress, particularly due to its ability to simplify Google Analytics’ complexity. Instead of requiring users to navigate Google’s interface, ExactMetrics delivers actionable insights directly within the WordPress dashboard.
Features such as real-time analytics, event tracking, affiliate link monitoring, and eCommerce reports gave site owners a complete view of performance without advanced technical knowledge.
The plugin’s focus on accessibility meant that bloggers, small businesses, and agencies alike could make data-driven decisions without needing a developer to interpret the numbers. Its role in democratizing analytics made it stand out during May 2022.
Host of the Month: Pressidium
Pressidium shone as the managed WordPress host of the month, providing an enterprise-grade hosting environment tailored for high-performance websites. Its infrastructure was designed around reliability, speed, and security, with built-in features like automated backups, staging environments, and advanced caching.
Unlike many entry-level hosts, Pressidium positioned itself as a premium solution for agencies, eCommerce businesses, and organizations that needed consistent uptime and fast response times.
The company’s customer support team also earned praise for its expertise, offering more than just generic hosting assistance. In May 2022, Pressidium’s commitment to high-quality managed hosting services set a standard for others in the industry.
Agency of the Month: Seahawk Media
Seahawk Media continued to gain recognition for its wide-reaching contributions to the WordPress community. Known for its design and development services, Seahawk specializes in helping small and medium-sized businesses establish a strong online presence.
Their services ranged from custom theme development and plugin optimization to WordPress maintenance and website migration.
What set Seahawk apart was its dedication to scaling agencies and brands through white-label WordPress solutions. This made it a trusted partner for agencies that wanted to outsource development work. Their focus on combining creativity with performance gave them a standout role in May 2022.
Founder of the Month: Mike Little
Mike Little, along with Matt Mullenweg, was one of the original co-founders of WordPress in 2003. He played a crucial role in forking b2/cafelog to create WordPress, thus setting the foundation for the world’s most widely used content management system.
His contribution in May 2022 is a timely reminder of WordPress’s open-source roots and the visionary individuals behind its inception.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for the WordPress Community
June was set to kick off with WordCamp Europe in Porto (June 2–4, 2022), one of the most significant community events after pandemic disruptions. Developers, agencies, and contributors looked forward to workshops, networking, and discussions about the future of WordPress following the 6.0 release.
Conclusion
May 2022 was a pivotal month that showcased WordPress’s progress toward a block-first ecosystem, strengthened by a major core release, steady improvements to WooCommerce, and innovative services like Divi Cloud. At the same time, the community faced critical reminders about security and the importance of regular updates. With WordCamp Europe around the corner, the stage was set for a summer of collaboration and continued momentum.