Ghost Release: 2.32.0

TL;DR

Ghost 2.32.0: Members System & Content Gating

This release introduces a significant new feature set for Ghost - the Members system with integrated Stripe payments and content gating capabilities. Publishers can now offer subscription-based content, manage members, and process payments directly through Ghost. The release also includes important fixes for the editor's "unsaved changes" modal and improvements to URL handling throughout the platform.

Warning: This release contains a critical bug that can result in lost content. DO NOT USE this specific version and update to a newer release.

Highlight of the Release

• Introduction of Members system with Stripe integration for subscription payments
• Content gating capabilities to restrict content to free or paid members
• Member management with CSV import/export functionality
• Fixed critical bug with 'unsaved changes' modal in the editor
• Improved URL handling throughout the platform
• New theme helpers for customizing the member experience

Migration Guide

Upgrading to Ghost 2.32.0

IMPORTANT: Due to the critical bug in this release, you should skip this version and upgrade to a newer release.

If you're upgrading from an earlier version and want to use the new Members functionality:

1. Theme Updates: Your theme will need updates to support members functionality:

   • Add member signup/signin forms using the new data attributes
   • Update templates to handle content visibility based on member status
   • Customize the member experience using the new theme helpers

2. Stripe Integration: To enable paid memberships:

   • Set up a Stripe account if you don't have one
   • Configure the Stripe integration in Ghost settings

3. Content Review: After upgrading, review your existing content:

   • The default visibility for all existing content will be "public"
   • You may want to update visibility settings for premium content

4. Testing: Test the complete member journey:

   • Signup/signin flows
   • Content access restrictions
   • Payment processing if using paid memberships

Upgrade Recommendations

DO NOT UPGRADE TO THIS VERSION (2.32.0)

This release contains a critical bug that can result in lost content. We strongly recommend skipping this version and upgrading to a newer release that includes the fix for this issue.

If you have already upgraded to 2.32.0, you should upgrade to a newer version immediately to avoid potential data loss.

For those on earlier versions looking to gain access to the Members functionality, wait for the next stable release that addresses the critical bug in this version.

Bug Fixes

Critical Issues

• WARNING: This release contains a critical bug that can result in lost content. DO NOT USE this version.

Fixed Issues

• Fixed "unsaved changes" modal incorrectly displaying even when posts have been saved
• Fixed URL transformation issues between relative and absolute URLs in post content
• Corrected handling of internal links when site domain configuration changes
• Fixed regression tests for posts model and database
• Fixed DELETE method for members in admin API

New Features

Members System

• Complete members management system with Stripe integration for handling paid subscriptions
• New database tables and models for storing member information and Stripe customer data
• Magic link authentication flow for members (signup/signin/subscribe)
• Member-specific email templates for different actions
• CSV import and export functionality for member data

Content Gating

• New visibility options for posts: public, members-only, or paid members-only
• Default content visibility setting to control the default access level for new posts
• Theme helpers to customize content display based on member status

Theme Enhancements

• New data attributes for customizing member forms: data-members-form="signup/signin/subscribe"
• Dynamic success and cancel URL redirects for Stripe checkout using data-members-success and data-members-cancel attributes
• Access to member data in themes including name, email, and subscription status
• New @member.paid helper to check if a member has a paid subscription

Security Updates

No specific security fixes were mentioned in this release.

Performance Improvements

URL Handling Improvements

• Refactored URL transformation utilities to avoid unnecessary duplication of "home" URL fetching
• Added transformer methods to mobiledoc cards for more efficient URL handling
• Improved handling of relative and absolute URLs throughout the platform

API Enhancements

• More efficient handling of member creation and updates
• Improved error handling for member operations, returning 422 errors instead of 500 when appropriate

Impact Summary

Ghost 2.32.0 represents a significant evolution for the platform, transforming it from a pure blogging system into a more comprehensive publishing platform with built-in monetization capabilities. The new Members system with Stripe integration enables publishers to create subscription-based business models directly within Ghost, without requiring third-party services.

The content gating functionality allows for tiered content access, giving publishers the ability to offer premium content to paying subscribers while maintaining free content for broader audiences. This creates new revenue opportunities for independent publishers and content creators.

For developers, the release introduces new API endpoints, theme helpers, and data attributes that enable customization of the member experience. Theme developers will need to update their themes to fully support these new capabilities.

The improvements to URL handling throughout the platform help ensure consistency between the editor and published content, particularly when dealing with images and internal links.

However, the critical bug in this release that can result in lost content significantly impacts its usability, making it essential to skip this specific version and wait for a fixed release.

Full Release Notes