Latest Release: 5.18.0

TL;DR

Strapi 5.18.0 introduces new homepage widgets for profile management and task assignments, along with guided tours for better user onboarding. This release also fixes several critical issues including localization handling, relation field conditions, and API token management. The update enhances both the admin UI experience and core functionality reliability.

Highlight of the Release

• New homepage widgets for profile management and task assignments
• Comprehensive guided tours for Content-Type Builder, API Tokens, and Content Manager
• Fixed critical localization issues when updating content in new locales
• Improved relation field handling to prevent condition loss
• Enhanced API token management with proper lastUsedAt tracking

Migration Guide

No specific migration steps are required for this release. The update from v5.17.0 to v5.18.0 should be straightforward:

1. Update your Strapi version in your package.json:

   "strapi": "5.18.0"
   

2. Run the installation command:

   npm install
   # or
   yarn install
   

3. Start your Strapi application:

   npm run develop
   # or
   yarn develop
   

If you're using custom plugins or extensions that interact with the localization system or relation fields, you may want to test thoroughly after upgrading to ensure compatibility with the fixes in this release.

Upgrade Recommendations

This release is recommended for all Strapi users, especially those who:

• Use localization features, as it fixes important issues with preserving non-localized fields
• Work with relation fields and filtering conditions
• Want to take advantage of the new homepage widgets and guided tours
• Use API tokens in their workflow
• Operate Strapi behind a proxy

The upgrade should be straightforward with no breaking changes reported. As always, it's recommended to:

1. Back up your database before upgrading
2. Test the upgrade in a staging environment before applying to production
3. Review the full changelog to understand all changes

Given the number of bug fixes and new features, upgrading from v5.17.0 to v5.18.0 is highly recommended for all users.

Bug Fixes

Localization and Content Management

• Preserved Non-localized Fields: Fixed an issue where non-localized fields were not being preserved when updating localized content for a new locale, ensuring data integrity across localizations (#23830)

• MainField Fallback: Implemented documentId as a fallback for mainField, ensuring proper display of relations when no main field is defined (#23796)

• Relation Field Conditions: Fixed a critical issue where conditions on relation fields were being lost during certain operations, preserving filter functionality (#23885)

UI and User Experience

• API Token Permissions UI: Resolved labels overflowing issue in the API Token creation Permissions accordion, improving readability and usability (#23526)

• API Token Usage Tracking: Fixed an issue where the lastUsedAt field wasn't being updated if it was null, ensuring proper tracking of API token usage (#23870)

System and Infrastructure

• Upgrade Tool Proxy Support: Fixed the upgrade tool to work correctly when operating behind a proxy, improving compatibility with various network configurations (#23847)

• Release Build Process: Addressed issues in the release build process to ensure smoother and more reliable releases (#23917)

• Test Improvements: Added missing e2e test for the homepage profile widget (#23850) and fixed guided tour test types (#23877)

New Features

Homepage Widgets

• Profile Widget: Added a new homepage widget that displays user profile information, making it easier to access and manage profile settings directly from the dashboard (#23829)

• Assigned to Me Widget: Implemented a new homepage widget that shows content items assigned to the current user, improving task management and workflow visibility (#23848)

Guided Tours

• Content-Type Builder Tour: Added a comprehensive guided tour for the Content-Type Builder to help new users understand how to create and manage content types (#23844)

• API Tokens Tour: Implemented a guided tour for the API Tokens section to help users understand how to create and manage API tokens (#23798)

• Content Manager Tour: Added a guided tour for the Content Manager to help users navigate and understand content management features (#23824)

• Guided Tour Overview: Created a comprehensive overview of all guided tours to provide users with a central place to access all available tours (#23868)

Security Updates

No specific security fixes were mentioned in this release.

Performance Improvements

Design System Update

• Updated Strapi Design System to version 2.0.0-rc.28, which may include performance optimizations and improvements to UI components rendering (cedd719a48)

Type System Improvements

• Updated types in reducer tests (#23879), potentially improving TypeScript performance and developer experience

Impact Summary

Strapi 5.18.0 delivers significant improvements to the admin user experience through new homepage widgets and comprehensive guided tours. The profile and "Assigned to me" widgets enhance dashboard functionality, while the guided tours for Content-Type Builder, API Tokens, and Content Manager provide valuable onboarding assistance for new users.

This release also addresses several critical bugs, particularly in the localization system where non-localized fields were not being preserved when updating localized content. The fix for condition loss on relation fields resolves an important issue for users who rely on filtering in their content relationships.

For developers, the upgrade tool now works properly with proxies, and the API token management has been improved with proper tracking of usage timestamps. The UI improvements to the API Token permissions accordion enhance readability and usability.

Overall, this release balances new features with important bug fixes, making it a worthwhile upgrade for all Strapi users. The focus on user experience improvements through widgets and guided tours demonstrates Strapi's commitment to making content management more intuitive and efficient.

Full Release Notes