Studio by WordPress.com, a powerful and free local development environment designed to help developers build plugins, themes, and entire WordPress websites, has rolled out a significant update with the release of version 1.5.1. This latest version enhances user control by allowing developers to customize their workflow more flexibly — notably, by enabling direct configuration of preferred code editors and terminal applications within Studio itself.
This new feature addresses a long-standing request from the developer community, especially as popular tools like Cursor gain traction among WordPress professionals. The introduction of a dedicated “Preferences” interface not only streamlines development setups but also sets the stage for integrating additional tools in future updates, signaling WordPress.com’s commitment to evolving Studio as a comprehensive, adaptable platform.
How to Set Up Your Development Preferences in Studio
Configuring your preferred development environment in Studio is straightforward. Upon opening Studio, users can access the new Preferences by clicking the “Hello, [Your Name]” button or the “WordPress.com Login” prompt if they have not yet signed in.
Within the Preferences tab, developers can choose their favorite code editor and terminal application from a curated list of supported options. For code editors, choices include widely adopted tools such as Visual Studio Code, Cursor, Surf, PHPStorm, and WebStorm. Meanwhile, terminal options cover popular environments like Terminal (macOS), Command Prompt (Windows), xterm, Ghostty (macOS), and iTerm2 (macOS).
To appear as selectable options, these applications must already be installed on the user’s machine. Once preferences are set and saved, Studio adapts its interface accordingly — updating site overview buttons to reflect the selected tools, thereby creating a more personalized and efficient development experience.
Why This Matters to Developers
The ability to configure your workflow directly inside Studio eliminates the need for manual workarounds and external setups, allowing developers to focus on coding rather than environment management. It also facilitates smoother transitions for teams using different tools, enabling everyone to maintain consistent setups.
Moreover, this update is particularly timely as the WordPress development community increasingly embraces modern editors and terminal apps. By building flexibility into Studio’s core, WordPress.com is positioning Studio to serve as a go-to development hub that accommodates evolving workflows.
What’s on the Horizon for Studio?
Beyond these immediate improvements, the Studio team is actively planning a host of new features aimed at making the tool even more indispensable for WordPress developers:
Pressable Integration: Studio will soon support direct synchronization and full-site deployments to Pressable-hosted WordPress sites, simplifying the process of moving projects from local environments to live servers.
Enhanced Command Line Interface (CLI): Upcoming enhancements to the CLI will streamline developers’ workflows, enabling faster, more intuitive commands to manage projects within Studio.
Developers and users interested in staying up-to-date can track Studio’s progress, preview upcoming functionalities, and contribute feedback or feature requests on the project’s GitHub repository.
Looking Ahead
Since its launch just over a year ago, Studio has rapidly grown into a favored local development tool among WordPress professionals. The year 2025 promises to be pivotal as WordPress.com intensifies efforts to expand Studio’s capabilities, supporting the community with tools that meet the demands of modern development.
For those who haven’t explored Studio recently, this is an ideal time to download the latest version. New features like Studio Assistant and Studio Sync offer powerful ways to enhance productivity and manage projects seamlessly. As WordPress development workflows become increasingly sophisticated, Studio aims to be the central platform empowering developers to build better websites faster.
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