August has been full of exciting updates in the WordPress ecosystem. From new features in major plugins to early previews of the redesigned admin interface, WordPress site owners have plenty to look forward to.
This month’s highlights cover tools for creating professional forms, accepting modern payments, managing events, and improving SEO. You can even schedule LinkedIn posts directly from WordPress.
Here’s a look at the most important news and updates you may have missed.
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WPForms Launches PDF Addon and “Form Themes for All” 🎨
WPForms, the popular drag-and-drop form builder, has shipped two major updates designed to save time and improve form design: a brand-new PDF Addon and Form Themes for All.
The PDF Addon automatically converts submissions into properly formatted PDFs and comes with templates for notifications, documents, financial forms, and certificates.
The templates can be customized with smart tags, optional elements like logos or signatures, and formatting options for headings or bullet points. A live preview in the builder shows exactly how the final document will look.
Advanced settings include paper size, orientation, and delivery options. You can also restrict access with passwords, user roles, or conditional logic to generate different outputs based on a user’s answers.
For many businesses, this means you can eliminate third-party PDF tools while streamlining client communication and recordkeeping.
Alongside that, WPForms rolled out Form Themes for All, a feature that makes form styling effortless.
Users can choose from over 40 designer-made themes, apply them instantly, and customize backgrounds with stock or uploaded images.
This update makes it easier for small businesses, consultants, and marketing teams to create on-brand forms without writing CSS or waiting on developers.
Together, the PDF Addon and Form Themes give WPForms stronger tools for both client communication and form design.
Note 📝: While form themes are available for all users, the PDF addon requires the PRO plan of WPForms.
Charitable Adds Modern Payments Interface with ACH, Cash App, SEPA, and More 💸
Charitable, a popular WordPress donation and fundraising plugin, has released version 1.8.8 with a modern payment form design and more payment options.
The updated payment form is cleaner and easier for donors to use. Organizations can switch between the modern and classic layouts with a single click.
When multiple gateways are active, Charitable now displays the top four options first. Any others appear in a dropdown to reduce clutter.
The update adds new Stripe methods: ACH Direct Debit in the US, SEPA Direct Debit and Cash App Pay in Europe, and BECS Direct Debit in Australia.
ACH gives US donors a lower-cost way to pay directly from bank accounts. On the other hand, SEPA and Cash App make giving easier for European supporters, while BECS adds trusted payments for Australians.
PayPal and offline donations now also include clear instructions on what to do next. This helps donors finish the transaction without confusion.
Plus, the Addons screen has also been redesigned, making extra tools like recurring donations, peer-to-peer fundraising, and donor management easier to find.
Together, these updates reduce friction for your nonprofit business, cut fees, and give your donors more trusted payment options worldwide.
A Peek at the Upcoming WordPress Admin UI 🎨
The WordPress core team has shared a new initiative called “Materials, Concepts & Screens”, which outlines future improvements to the WordPress admin interface.
The work-in-progress designs focus on creating a more consistent and modern experience across different WordPress admin screens.
Key concepts include improved typography, spacing, and color, along with a unified layout system for menus, forms, and notifications.
The goal is to reduce visual clutter and improve accessibility for both beginners and advanced users.
These changes are still under discussion but offer a glimpse of what may come in future WordPress releases.
ClickSocial Adds LinkedIn Scheduling – Share Posts to Your Professional Network Directly From WordPress 📅
ClickSocial now allows users to schedule posts directly to personal LinkedIn profiles from inside WordPress. This update makes it easier for professionals to keep a consistent presence on the world’s largest business network.
Like other platforms supported by ClickSocial, the setup is quick. Users can connect to LinkedIn, draft content in the familiar composer, and schedule it to publish automatically.
Posts can include text, links, images, or videos, making it easy to promote content, share expertise, and post updates without opening LinkedIn.
ClickSocial already supports Facebook, Instagram, and X. With LinkedIn added, WordPress users can now manage nearly all major social platforms in one place.
The plugin also features a unified content calendar for planning campaigns across multiple networks. This helps ensure consistent posting without having to juggle multiple tabs or tools.
For WordPress users, the advantage is clear: all social scheduling happens inside the dashboard. This saves time, reduces distractions, and makes WordPress a central hub for publishing and promotion.
Sugar Calendar Simplifies Event Management with RSVP Add-On
Sugar Calendar is one of the best WordPress event calendar plugins on the market. They have recently released a major update with new tools that make event planning easier and more effective for site owners.
The update introduces the RSVP Add-On, which removes the need for email chains or spreadsheets. Guests can confirm attendance, add plus-ones, and update their status directly online.
Organizers can export attendee lists to CSV with one click. They can also choose to make attendees visible, which can boost social proof and encourage signups.
The update also adds Speaker Profiles for showcasing presenters. Visitors can browse events by speaker, making it easier to discover relevant sessions.
A new dashboard widget shows the next five events at a glance. This helps organizers quickly access details like ticket sales and attendee lists.
Additionally, event tags now provide clearer categorization and filtering. This helps schools, nonprofits, and businesses make it easier for visitors to find the events that interest them.
Together, these features give organizers better tools to manage event attendance, highlight speakers, and keep events organized. And attendees benefit from simpler signups and being able to find events more easily.
Easy Digital Downloads Multi-Currency Add-On Now Auto-Detects Visitor Location to Display Local Pricing
Easy Digital Downloads has updated their Multi-Currency add-on with automatic location detection. Stores can now instantly display prices in a visitor’s local currency.
It uses built-in geolocation to detect where a customer is browsing from, and prices update automatically to create a local shopping experience.
Store owners can still let visitors switch currencies manually. Alternatively, they can lock pricing to the detected currency with a “force detected currency” option.
Exchange rates now update automatically without API keys or third-party services. Site admins can also choose how often rates refresh, from hourly to weekly.
For international sellers, this removes the hassle of manual conversions. Buyers see pricing in their own currency, which builds trust and helps avoid conversion fees.
The update works with all core EDD features, including software licensing, subscriptions, and discount codes. This makes it easier to sell digital products to a global audience.
All in One SEO Launches a New Site Audit Tool to Find and Fix SEO Problems
All in One SEO (AIOSEO) has introduced a new Site Audit module in version 4.8.6.
The feature scans your website for SEO, performance, and security issues directly inside WordPress.
The audit begins with your homepage, checking meta tags, headings, and performance so that you can fix critical issues on your most important page first.
A full site-wide scan then reviews every URL for errors. Two views are available: a page-by-page breakdown or an issue-based list of problems across your site.
Each URL shows how many issues it has. Clicking a result reveals page-level SEO details with tooltips and guidance on how to fix them.
The module also supports 1-click fixes. You can jump straight to the problem area in your content, which saves time compared to manual checks.
Additionally, adding missing focus keywords is possible without opening the page editor. This keeps SEO workflows fast and consistent.
For users who prefer a broad overview, the All Checks view groups issues by type. This makes it easier to see which problems are urgent and which can wait.
Overall, the Site Audit tool gives site owners practical, actionable SEO insights rather than overwhelming reports. It’s designed to help you quickly solve problems so that you can better rank your content in the search results.
In Other News 🗞️
WordPress 6.9 is scheduled for release on December 2, 2025. It will introduce streamlined Site Editor modes, improved template and block workflows, expanded Command Palette access, new developer APIs, and better navigation across the admin dashboard.
The Advanced Coupons plugin now lets store owners exclude specific customers or emails from using coupons. This is perfect for preventing misuse or creating VIP‑only promotions. It also introduces a cart‑total condition where coupon eligibility is based on the final checkout amount (including shipping, taxes, etc.).
Recover more sales and boost engagement with PushEngage’s new WhatsApp integration for Shopify. It features a free click-to-chat widget, plus automated messages for abandoned cart recovery, order updates, COD reminders, and win-back campaigns.
AffiliateWP now offers Multi‑CAPTCHA protection (choose Google reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha, or Cloudflare Turnstile). It can be applied to both registration and login forms to block spam signups to your affiliate program.
Skip the gallery rebuild and migrate effortlessly using Envira Gallery’s new Importer add‑on. It lets you automatically pull in your existing FooGallery or Modula galleries (including layout matching and metadata) and replaces them site‑wide with Envira versions in minutes.
New Plugins & Tools
🔥ClickSocial – The powerful social media scheduling plugin for WordPress now includes LinkedIn scheduling support.
Voice Feedback – Collect audio feedback directly from users on your site.
DB Reset PRO – Reset your WordPress database tables quickly for testing or fresh installs.
That’s all for this month’s WPBeginner Spotlight. Stay tuned for the next edition with more plugin launches, ecosystem updates, and WordPress news!
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