WordPress 7.1 “Mary Lou” was officially released on August 19, 2026. This was a major release, which usually requires a large team with many different roles, such as developers, designers, and coordinators. However, the work does not stop there. After a major release comes out, the team needs to release smaller updates, called maintenance releases or minor releases, to fix any bugs that users find.
The teams for these maintenance releases are much smaller than the major release teams. Typically, a minor release team has only one to three people. Because it is a small group, the release manager has several important responsibilities.
How You’ll Make WordPress Better
The main tasks of a minor release manager include:
Who Can Volunteer
If you were part of the team that worked on the 7.1 major release, you are strongly encouraged to stay on and help as a release manager for the 7.1.x maintenance updates. Your experience would be very valuable. However, you do not need to have been on the major release squad to join a minor release team. Anyone with the right skills and interest is welcome to volunteer.
The Expected Release Timeline
The date for WordPress 7.1.1 has not been set in stone yet. It will be scheduled based on how many bugs are reported and how serious they are. The team expects that the release will happen sometime between September 1 and September 24, but this is only a rough estimate. Please keep this two-to-three-week window in mind when you decide whether to volunteer as a release manager.
Don’t Miss the Deadline
If you are interested in volunteering to be a release manager for the 7.1.x maintenance releases, you need to act soon. The team asks that you reach out by August 28. You can contact Aaron Jorbin directly by sending him a message, or you can share your interest by leaving a comment on the official post. You can find that post at the following link:
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