WordPress 7.2 gets text shadows as a setting for blocks. Aki Hamano describes the feature in a dev note dated November 11, 2026 on make.wordpress.org: In the block inspector, you'll find a control called „Text shadow“ for paragraphs and headings, along with the presets „Light“ and „Strong“.
In WordPress 7.1, a text shadow could only be stored as a value in theme.json; there was no interface for it in the editor. According to the Beta 5 post, WordPress 7.2 is scheduled for release on December 8, 2026.
Where is the control in the editor?
The „Text shadow“ control is located in the Typography panel of the block inspector and is hidden by default. You show the control via the panel's options menu. The dev note does not say how the German interface translates the label.
Setting up text shadow in WordPress 7.2
How to set a shadow for paragraphs and headings
- Choose a blockSelect a paragraph or heading in the editor
- Open the panelExpand Typography in the block inspector
- Show the controlEnable Text shadow in the panel's options menu
- Choose a presetLight, Strong, or an entry from the theme
The feature is in Beta 5; the release is scheduled for December 8, 2026.
Sources: Make WordPress Core, WordPress News
Paragraph and heading support text shadows by default. For other blocks, you enable the feature in block.json with supports.typography.textShadow, as the dev note explains. A preset is selected; WordPress stores its slug in the textShadow attribute and outputs a class such as has-strong-text-shadow. From seven presets onward, the control appears as a dropdown instead of a list.
How do themes create their own shadows?
Custom presets are defined in theme.json under settings.typography.textShadowPresets, each with name, slug, and textShadow. Each preset generates a CSS variable named --wp--preset--text-shadow--{slug} and a class .has-{slug}-text-shadow.
In case of conflicts, the most specific value wins: Global Styles override the theme's defaults, and a value on an individual block overrides both. You reference a preset in the styles with var:preset|text-shadow|light. The styles.typography.textShadow property from 7.1 remains and now also supports such references.
For disabling, the dev note names two settings: defaultTextShadowPresets: false hides the default presets, textShadow: false removes the feature entirely.
What this means for you
Test the feature first in a test environment with Beta 5, not on the live website: The WordPress team writes that the beta is intended only for testing and development. The fastest way to test is in the browser with WordPress Playground, alternatively with wp core update --version=7.2-beta5 or the WordPress Beta Tester plugin.
If you maintain your own theme, define your shadows as presets in theme.json instead of assigning a fixed class to each shadow via CSS. Editors then choose from a fixed list in the editor.
If your agency delivers client sites on which no shadows should appear, you disable the feature with textShadow: false. Our assessment: A shadow is no substitute for contrast. So check headings on images for legibility, including with shadows, before you release a preset for all pages.
Aki Hamano published the dev note on November 11, 2026.
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