WordPress 7.0 is here, and IM-Press 5.x is ready for it.

The current release line ships with 100 server-rendered blocks, 22 layout patterns, FAQ schema, gallery lightbox, article templates, antispam, SEO tools, forms, products, bookings, OpenAPI discovery, and an experimental agent layer that can be enabled with one constant.

IM-Press v5.0.4 also includes a focused PHPMailer fix for the /imp-email/v1/test-smtp diagnostic endpoint. The user-facing email path was already working through wp_mail(), but diagnostics matter when an agent is wiring a site and needs to prove SMTP health quickly.

Now Available: WordPress 7.0 Native Blocks

On WordPress 7.0+ sites, IM-Press can auto-activate its PHP-only native block layer. These blocks are registered from PHP, rendered on the server, and described with schemas that WordPress can understand without a React build step.

• No custom webpack workflow just to ship a block.
• No frontend JavaScript bundle required for static layout sections.
• No duplicated edit/save logic.
• Cleaner server-rendered markup.
• Better fit for agents that need stable schemas and predictable output.

The native WP 7.0 layer joins the broader IM-Press block system: heroes, feature grids, pricing, CTAs, testimonials, FAQs, galleries, cards, forms, product layouts, article sections, and more.

What Ships in IM-Press 5.x

IM-Press has moved well past the “page builder plugin” shape. The current 5.x feature set includes:

• 100 blocks across base, extended, and WordPress 7.0-native block families.
• 22 block patterns for faster section assembly in Gutenberg.
• FAQ schema for rich-result-ready FAQ sections.
• Gallery lightbox for portfolio, product, and media pages.
• Article templates with table of contents, breadcrumbs, reading time, and structured layouts.
• Antispam protection with honeypot, timing, and JavaScript challenge support for forms.
• SEO stack with meta titles, descriptions, canonical URLs, XML sitemaps, breadcrumbs, redirects, Open Graph/Twitter cards, and keyphrase/readability analysis.
• OpenAPI discovery at /wp-json/imp-openapi/v1/spec.
• Safe Deploy for updating styled pages without stripping inline CSS.
• Products, forms, bookings, media tools, analytics, redirects, and site config under one install.

The goal is simple: one plugin that gives humans a usable editor and gives agents a reliable operating surface.

v5.0.4: Small Fix, Important Signal

The v5.0.4 patch fixes the SMTP diagnostic route: /wp-json/imp-email/v1/test-smtp.

The issue was narrow. WordPress 5.5 split PHPMailer into separate class files, but this diagnostic method still referenced the old monolithic class-phpmailer.php pattern. On modern WordPress installs, the route could fatal with Class "PHPMailer\PHPMailer\SMTP" not found.

The fix loads the current WordPress PHPMailer files behind a class_exists guard: PHPMailer.php, SMTP.php, and Exception.php.

Actual sending through wp_mail() was not affected. The patch matters because diagnostics are part of how agents verify a build. If an agent is configuring a site, the test route needs to fail clearly when credentials are missing, not crash because a support class was not loaded.

Existing installs will pick up v5.0.4 through the normal updater within 12 hours. Fresh installs can use the current ZIP: https://airobotbuild.com/wp-content/uploads/im-press.zip.

The Agent Layer Is Now Testable

IM-Press is also shipping the first page-builder agent layer built around WordPress 7.0’s Abilities API direction and MCP server integration path.

The agent layer is intentionally feature-flagged. To test it on an owned or staging site, add one line to wp-config.php:

define( 'IMPRESS_AGENT_LAYER', true );

That one constant loads the experimental agent classes: MCP Bridge, AI Client Bridge, Agent Workflows, Abilities, and Agent Log.

The plan is straightforward: IM-Press features are described as abilities, MCP-public operations are exposed through the WordPress MCP adapter path, and agents get a typed way to create pages, update SEO, inspect site health, manage products, run workflows, and verify email.

This is not being marketed as “set it and forget it” yet. It is now testable. We are canary-testing it on our own sites first, tightening the WP 7.0 adapter details, and keeping the switch manual until the integration earns a friendlier admin toggle.

Why This Matters

Most page builders were designed for a human dragging sections around a screen. That still matters. But the next layer is different: an agent needs to know what a site can do, what arguments an operation accepts, what permissions are required, and whether the result succeeded.

• Humans get Gutenberg blocks, patterns, templates, forms, galleries, pricing tables, FAQs, and editor controls.
• Agents get REST endpoints, OpenAPI discovery, Safe Deploy, typed site configuration, health checks, SEO tools, and now a testable WordPress 7.0 ability layer.

The bigger bet is that WordPress becomes an agent-native CMS. Not by replacing the editor, but by making plugin features callable, typed, and discoverable.

Pricing

• Starter: $0
• Pro: $49/year
• Agency: $149/year

Starter is for basic pages and testing. Pro unlocks the full block and module set. Agency adds the deeper automation surface: bulk deploy, AI workflows, SEO Workspace, white-label support, and the experimental agent layer.

Try It

• Product page: https://airobotbuild.com/im-press/
• Docs: https://airobotbuild.com/docs/
• Download: https://airobotbuild.com/wp-content/uploads/im-press.zip

For agent-side discovery, install IM-Press and check GET /wp-json/imp-openapi/v1/spec.

For WordPress 7.0 testing, enable the agent layer only on a site where you are comfortable canary-testing:

define( 'IMPRESS_AGENT_LAYER', true );

IM-Press 5.x is the release line where the plugin stops being only a page builder and starts becoming an operating layer for WordPress sites.