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<p>WordPress 6.9 Beta 3 is available for download and testing!</p>
<p><strong>This beta version of the WordPress software is still under development</strong>. Please don’t install, run, or test this version of WordPress on production or mission-critical websites. Instead, you can evaluate Beta 3 on a test server and site.</p>
<p>WordPress 6.9 Beta 3 can be tested using any of the following methods:</p>
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<td><strong>Plugin</strong></td>
<td>Install and activate the<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-beta-tester/"> WordPress Beta Tester</a> plugin on a WordPress install. (Select the “Bleeding edge” channel and “Beta/RC Only” stream.)</td>
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<td><strong>Direct Download</strong></td>
<td>Download the <a href="https://wordpress.org/wordpress-6.9-beta3.zip">Beta 3 version (zip)</a> and install it on a WordPress website.</td>
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<td><strong>Command Line</strong></td>
<td>Use this<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/cli/"> WP-CLI</a> command: <br /><code>wp core update --version=6.9-beta3</code></td>
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<td><strong>WordPress Playground</strong></td>
<td>Use the <a href="https://playground.wordpress.net/?php=8.0&#038;wp=beta&#038;networking=no&#038;language=&#038;multisite=no&#038;random=y4q1rn88xn">6.9 Beta 3 WordPress Playground instance</a> to test the software directly in your browser. No setup is required – just click and go! </td>
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<p>The final release of WordPress 6.9 is scheduled for <strong>December 2, 2025</strong>, and the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/6-9/">release schedule can be found here</a>. Your help testing Beta and RC versions is vital to making this release as stable and powerful as possible. Thank you to everyone who helps with testing!</p>
<p>Please continue checking the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/">Make WordPress Core blog</a> for <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/6-9/">6.9-related posts</a> in the coming weeks for more information.</p>
<p><strong>Find out what’s new in WordPress 6.9</strong>: Read the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2025/10/21/wordpress-6-9-beta-1/">Beta 1 announcement</a> for details and highlights.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How to test this release</h2>
<p>Your help testing the WordPress 6.9 Beta 3 version is key to ensuring that everything in the release is the best it can be. While testing the upgrade process is essential, trying out new features is equally as important. This <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/2025/10/21/help-test-wordpress-6-9/">detailed guide</a> provides a walk through on testing features in WordPress 6.9.</p>
<p>If you encounter an issue, please report it to the <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/forum/alphabeta/">Alpha/Beta area</a> of the support forums, or directly to <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/newticket">WordPress Trac</a> if you are comfortable writing a reproducible bug report. You can also check your issue against a list of <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/tickets/major">known bugs</a>.</p>
<p>Curious about testing releases in general? Follow along with the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/test/">testing initiatives in Make Core</a> and join the<a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/core-test/"> #core-test channel</a> on<a href="https://wordpress.slack.com/"> Making WordPress Slack</a>.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Beta 3 updates and highlights</h2>
<p>WordPress 6.9 Beta 3 contains more than 80 updates and fixes since the Beta 2 release.</p>
<p>Each beta cycle focuses on bug fixes, and more are on the way with your testing! You can browse the technical details for all issues addressed since Beta 2 using these links:</p>
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<li><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/commits/wp/6.9?since=2025-10-28&#038;until=2025-11-04">Gutenberg commits for 6.9</a> since October 28, 2025</li>
<li><a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?status=closed&#038;changetime=10%2F28%2F2025..11%2F04%2F2025&#038;milestone=6.9&#038;col=id&#038;col=milestone&#038;col=owner&#038;col=type&#038;col=priority&#038;order=id">Closed Core Trac tickets for 6.9</a> since October 28, 2025</li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/compare/7dcb09c26a1d97c20dcceb866abbd0f3c128388b...81f755846c2d66ce7d21b01623f8163a9f7c6ef6">Comparing commit changes in Core for 6.9</a> since October 28, 2025</li>
</ul>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Beta 3 haiku</h2>
<p><em>Code is poetry,</em></p>
<p><em>and poetry is magic.</em></p>
<p><em>So code is magic.</em></p>
<p class="has-text-align-right"><em>Props to </em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/akshayar/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>akshayar</a> <em>, </em><a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/jeffpaul/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>jeffpaul</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>krupajnanda</a>, <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/mosescursor/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>mosescursor</a>, <em>and</em> <a href="https://profiles.wordpress.org/westonruter/" class="mention"><span class="mentions-prefix">@</span>westonruter</a> <em>for proofreading and review.</em></p>
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