June 25th, 2026
This release rebuilds how uiXpress stores its settings and menus from the ground up, moving from the database to lightweight JSON files. The result is a noticeably faster admin experience and a more stable, predictable foundation — one that also paves the way for WordPress multisite support in a future update.
uiXpress settings are no longer read from the wp_options table on every admin page load. Instead, non-sensitive configuration is stored in a simple JSON file at {uploads}/uixpress/settings.json, which is read directly from disk — bypassing database queries, autoload overhead, and object cache inconsistencies entirely.
Sensitive credentials (your license key, instance ID, Google Analytics service account, Turnstile secret key, and remote site app passwords) remain securely in the database. Everything else loads faster.
Existing installs are migrated automatically when you update — no manual steps required. If your uploads directory ever becomes unavailable, uiXpress gracefully falls back to full database storage until file access is restored.
The Menu Creator has moved from a custom post type (uipx-menu) to file-based JSON storage at {uploads}/uixpress/menus.json. This eliminates the paginated REST fetches and localStorage cache-key system that previously ran on every single admin request — published menus are now injected directly on page load, which means faster rendering and fewer moving parts that can break.
A new dedicated REST API (uixpress/v1/menus) replaces the old wp/v2/uipxmenus endpoint, and the sidebar refreshes automatically when menus are saved or deleted. An emergency backup is mirrored to the database whenever the file is written, so your menus are never at risk.
Security has been tightened across the board: the storage directory is protected with .htaccess and index.php, all CRUD operations require manage_options with nonce verification, published menu reads require an authenticated session, and all menu item URLs and metadata are sanitized on both write and output.
Existing menus migrate automatically on upgrade, and legacy CPT posts are cleaned up after a successful migration.
The installed plugins sidebar now supports multi-select with select-all, shift-click range selection, and a floating bulk action bar. You can activate, deactivate, update, toggle auto-updates, and delete plugins in bulk — with built-in safeguards that protect uiXpress from accidental deactivation and skip plugins with unmet dependencies. After each operation you get a clear summary of what succeeded, failed, or was skipped.
Plugin rows also now display version numbers with an "Update available" label when updates are pending.
Fixed WooCommerce layout and styling issues
Fixed layout issues on the widgets page
Fixed style conflicts with the block editor and Etch