Customizer “Publish” button size appears larger in 7.0 compared to 6.9.1

[mohitbsf]

WordPress versions compared:

6.9.1

7.0

Environment: Clean install, classic theme, no active plugins

Steps to Reproduce

Go to Appearance → Customize

Make any change so the Publish button becomes active

Compare the Publish button in WordPress 6.9.1 and 7.0

Expected Result

The Publish button should maintain consistent height, padding, and visual weight across versions unless intentionally updated as part of a UI refresh.

Actual Result

In WordPress 7.0, the Publish button appears:

Slightly taller

Visually heavier

Larger compared to its appearance in 6.9.1

This changes the visual balance of the Customizer header.

Additional Notes

Reproducible on clean installs

No custom admin styles

Reporting to confirm whether this change was intentional

[joedolson]

All buttons were enlarged intentionally, so I think this is intentional.

Pinging @fabiankaegy to confirm; I don't see a problem here, however.

[mohitbsf]

IMO. with all due respect, I think the publish button size should be same as before, as the current one looks like an unfinished job, I totally understand that it can be intentionally done, but revisiting this will be best.

[audrasjb]

This doesn't look like buggy to me.

[mohitbsf]

It's absolutely okay @audrasjb , but if we can consider, that will be best.

That's the only reason I have added this note in the end : Reporting to confirm whether this change was intentional

Team can take further decision on this, but if you see me as the end user after using WordPress for almost 8 years, I will always find that big Publish button as buggy or an unfinished job.

[wildworks]

It seems like the issue isn't with the size of the publish button itself, but rather with the lack of space above and below the button.

Here, I think a compact size seems more appropriate, i.e. 32px instead of 40px. The default button height has been increased from 30px to 40px, which may be too large in some contexts.

diff --git a/src/wp-admin/css/customize-controls.css b/src/wp-admin/css/customize-controls.css
index 3c0d40585c..6a0b1a6328 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/css/customize-controls.css
+++ b/src/wp-admin/css/customize-controls.css
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ body {
 
 #customize-save-button-wrapper {
        float: right;
-       margin-top: 3px; /* Vertically center 40px button in 45px header */
+       margin-top: 7px; /* Vertically center 32px button in 45px header */
 }
 
 body:not(.ready) #customize-save-button-wrapper .save {
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/customize.php b/src/wp-admin/customize.php
index 2065e55ffb..d5d517cccc 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/customize.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/customize.php
@@ -198,13 +198,13 @@ do_action( 'customize_controls_head' );
                        <?php if ( $compatible_wp && $compatible_php ) : ?>
                                <?php $save_text = $wp_customize->is_theme_active() ? __( 'Publish' ) : __( 'Activate &amp; Publish' ); ?>
                                <div id="customize-save-button-wrapper" class="customize-save-button-wrapper" >
-                                       <?php submit_button( $save_text, 'primary save', 'save', false ); ?>
-                                       <button id="publish-settings" class="publish-settings button-primary button dashicons dashicons-admin-generic" aria-label="<?php esc_attr_e( 'Publish Settings' ); ?>" aria-expanded="false" disabled></button>
+                                       <?php submit_button( $save_text, 'primary save button-compact', 'save', false ); ?>
+                                       <button id="publish-settings" class="publish-settings button-primary button button-compact dashicons dashicons-admin-generic" aria-label="<?php esc_attr_e( 'Publish Settings' ); ?>" aria-expanded="false" disabled></button>
                                </div>
                        <?php else : ?>
                                <?php $save_text = _x( 'Cannot Activate', 'theme' ); ?>
                                <div id="customize-save-button-wrapper" class="customize-save-button-wrapper disabled" >
-                                       <button class="button button-primary disabled" aria-label="<?php esc_attr_e( 'Publish Se
ttings' ); ?>" aria-expanded="false" disabled><?php echo $save_text; ?></button>
+                                       <button class="button button-primary button-compact disabled" aria-label="<?php esc_attr
_e( 'Publish Settings' ); ?>" aria-expanded="false" disabled><?php echo $save_text; ?></button>
                                </div>
                        <?php endif; ?>
                        <span class="spinner"></span>

[wildworks]

32px height button in Customizer header

[huzaifaalmesbah]

I agree that using a 32px compact button here makes sense. The default 40px button feels a bit large for the Customizer header, and the compact size provides better visual balance.

Trac ticket: https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/64689

## Use of AI Tools

None

[wildworks]

32px height button in Customizer header

I implemented this approach in ​https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/pull/11389