WordPress.com Changelog: A New Hosting Dashboard, a ChatGPT Plugin, and WordPress 7.1

WordPress.com added ChatGPT as an MCP-compatible AI agent that can draft posts, categorize content, moderate comments, fix missing alt text, and assist with SEO, with MCP access included in paid plans and a 30-day free trial for new free sites, according to the company's August 14–27, 2026 changelog. The same changelog announced a new Hosting Dashboard with a persistent sidebar and top bar across managed sites, and confirmed that WordPress 7.1 shipped on August 19 and is already running on WordPress.com sites, adding shareable links to specific post revisions and automatic approval of internal link notifications.

August 14 – 27, 2026 Welcome back to the WordPress.com changelog. Today, we’re talking about a new way to manage your sites, working on them with ChatGPT, and a new version of WordPress. The Hosting Dashboard for your site management needs Switching between sites you manage used to mean reopening the same menus, re-finding the same settings, every time. The Hosting Dashboard now keeps a persistent sidebar and top bar in place as you move between your sites, so domains, hosting details, updates, and performance stats are always easily accessible, no matter how many sites you manage. Learn more in our announcement blog post https://wordpress.com/blog/2026/08/19/hosting-dashboard-update/ . Manage your site from ChatGPT You can now connect ChatGPT alongside Claude https://wordpress.com/support/mcp/connect-claude/ and other MCP-compatible AI agents https://wordpress.com/support/mcp/ directly to your WordPress.com site. Ask your ChatGPT to draft posts, categorize your posts, moderate comments, help with SEO, fix missing alt text, and more, all through a conversation. Nothing is published or changed without your go-ahead. MCP access is included in paid plans, and free sites can try it for the first 30 days after the site is created. Learn more in our ChatGPT support doc https://wordpress.com/support/mcp/connect-chatgpt/ , and try the plugin today: WordPress 7.1 has arrived WordPress 7.1 https://wordpress.org/news/2026/08/mary-lou/ , the latest version of the WordPress software, shipped on August 19, and your WordPress.com site is already running on it. That’s the deal with hosting your site on WordPress.com: you get the newest, most secure version of WordPress without lifting a finger. Two features worth knowing about: 1. You can now share a link to a specific revision of a post, so a collaborator or client can review its history without you having to walk them through every change. 2. When one post on your site links to another, WordPress 7.1 now approves that notification automatically, so your moderation queue stays focused on comments that need your attention. Fixes and improvements We also shipped a handful of fixes and improvements over these last few weeks: - There’s now extra protection against unauthorized changes to your account email address, and our password reset flow is now even stronger. - Check out your WordPress Agent settings page http://my.wordpress.com/me/agent to see how you can set up site management via Slack. GitHub PR https://github.com/Automattic/wp-calypso/pull/113852 - Backup restores now warn you up front if restoring could trigger charges for WooCommerce Subscriptions renewals. GitHub PR https://github.com/Automattic/wp-calypso/pull/113605 - Staging sites are now hidden from your main sites list by default — a new filter lets you show them again. GitHub PR https://github.com/Automattic/wp-calypso/pull/113759 - Each track in your Playlist block https://wordpress.com/support/wordpress-editor/blocks/playlist-block/ now has its own toolbar for more control and customization. GitHub PR https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/80368 - The Reader’s https://wordpress.com/reader groups are now called Shelves, each with its own color and icon in the sidebar. GitHub PR https://github.com/Automattic/wp-calypso/pull/113778