Sun, Swiss Alps & WordPress: What Really Went Down at WCEU 2025?

“So, what really went down at WCEU 2025?”

If you’ve been lurking on dev forums, scrolling through #WCEU2025 tweets, or pestering your plugin pals for insider scoops, take a breath, pal! I’ve got you.

This year’s WordCamp Europe wasn’t just a conference; it was a community-powered celebration in the scenic city of Basel, Switzerland (June 5–7, 2025). And yes, it was as picturesque as it sounds, think Gutenberg blocks, but surrounded by the Alps.

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As a WordPress web dev junkie, Rahul Kaushal, who lives for these community moments, I’m here to walk you through the good stuff ~ the breakthroughs, the brainwaves, and the behind-the-scenes bits you won’t find on the official recap.

Let’s unpack the best of WCEU 2025.

Contributor day: Coffee, code, and a big sustainability comeback

Contributor Day kicked things off in style, with over 640+ contributors rolling up their sleeves (or hoodie sleeves, let’s be honest) across categories like Core, Accessibility, Polyglots, AI, and more.

And get this, the Sustainability Team is back in action! Yup, reinstated because the community spoke up. How cool is that? In a world where we’re optimizing everything for speed, this was a moment to hit pause and build greener practices into the open-source heartbeat of the web.

But the real mic-drop moment?

The all-new WordPress Credits Program.

Here’s how it works: Contribute 150 hours to WordPress, and you earn 6 college credits. Legit.

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Recognized by education boards, it’s a win for students, freelancers, and a huge win for individuals changing careers, needing a solid, resume-worthy portfolio piece that says, “I built the internet.”

Talks that got people talking (and tweeting)

From the second the doors opened to the main stage, you could feel the buzz, because some big names brought big ideas.

Matt Mullenweg + Mary Job: All things growth & AI

Matt and Mary took the stage with the kind of presence that makes you put down your phone and actually listen. They talked about:

• How AI is becoming a co-creator, not a content overlord
  
• Growth opportunities within the contributor ecosystem
  
• Making WordPress more approachable (and rewarding!) for newcomers
  

And yes, AI in WordPress 7.0 is happening, we’re talking smart suggestions in the Gutenberg editor, automated alt-text for images, and improved content structure helpers. It’s like having a helpful assistant who gets WordPress and doesn’t drink all your coffee.

John Mueller (Google): AI overviews & SEO panic management

John Mueller dropped the line of the weekend:

“Websites don’t need to do anything special to appear in AI Overviews.”

Translation: Don’t panic, just keep creating good content. Simple? Sure. But hearing it from Google directly helped calm a lot of anxious SEO nerds (myself included).

Accessibility, cybersecurity & multilingual builds

Sessions here weren’t just “nice-to-haves”; they felt urgent. As the internet becomes smarter, it must also become safer and more inclusive.

From better multilingual architecture to real talk about WordPress’s accessibility roadmap, these conversations mattered.

Product announcements: Big ideas, bigger impact

~ WordPress Credits Program (Official launch: June 25)

I know I mentioned this already, but it deserves its spotlight.
Finally, open-source work is being recognized like real-world internships.
If you’ve ever contributed and thought, “This should count for something,” well, now it does.
Kudos to the team that made this happen. 

This isn’t just progress, it’s validation.

~ Plugin security scanner (Beta rollout)

This one’s a game changer:

• Auto-alerts for vulnerable or outdated plugins
  
• Better trust signals for users
  
• More powerful review tools for maintainers
  

It’s the kind of thing that makes you feel just a little safer about clicking “Update all.”

~ AI in Gutenberg (WP 7.0 preview)

If you’ve ever stared at a blank block, muttering, “I should know how to write this…” relief is on the way.

Here’s what’s coming soon:

• Automated heading suggestions
  
• Alt-text generation
  
• Accessibility-friendly content structures
  

But don’t worry, it’s not here to replace writers or devs. Think of it as a co-pilot, not a captain.

~ A modern WP admin is brewing

Yes, the WordPress admin panel is finally getting the makeover it deserves.
The redesign is mobile-first, clean, and easier to navigate, particularly for first-time users.
Goodbye, clunky menus! Hello, smooth onboarding and better UX!

Sponsors took innovation seriously this year

If you think sponsor booths are just for swag bags and stickers, think again.

~ Cloudways AI Copilot

Cloudways casually demoed an AI assistant that resolves hosting issues in under 5 minutes. No ticketing. No back-and-forth.
Just… fixed.
Devs were literally applauding.

~ Kinsta & Hostinger

Both hosts unveiled blazing-fast, AI-enhanced performance tools. Page speed, resource management, uptime optimization, it’s like they’re turning hosting into rocket science (but still with 1-click installs).

And with 45+ workshops and breakout sessions, everyone walked away having learned something, whether it was how to build better multilingual sites, fine-tune serverless setups, or even optimize your workflow with AI writing assistants.

Why WCEU 2025 meant more than ever

Here’s the truth: WordCamp Europe 2025 wasn’t just about what’s next for WordPress.

It was about who we’re building it with and why.

From sustainability to security, education to AI, this year’s WCEU reminded us that WordPress isn’t just software.

It’s a living, breathing community of people who care.

About the web, inclusion and giving back.

About building the kind of future we actually want to live (and code) in.

So, whether you were there in person or watching from afar this one was special. And if this is the direction WordPress is heading in?

Count me in.

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The road ahead

In case you want a ready reference list of the best AI code review tools, we recommend reading ~ 10 Best AI Code Review Tools Developers Can’t Stop Talking About in 2025.