Ghost Release: 3.19.0

TL;DR

Ghost 3.19.0 introduces several member management improvements including custom domain support for member emails, shared custom views, and label assignment for imported members. This release also fixes multiple bugs related to bookmark cards, member list updates, and geolocation tracking for paid signups. Note that this version contains a timezone bug that requires immediate upgrade.

Highlight of the Release

• Custom domain support for member email 'from' addresses
• Shared custom views for all users, managed by admins
• Label assignment for imported members via CSV
• Improved theme upload process with safer file operations
• Better error handling and messaging throughout the application

Migration Guide

Timezone Bug Warning

⚠️ Ghost 3.19.0 has a timezone bug. Anyone on this version should upgrade immediately to avoid potential issues with scheduled posts, timezone-dependent features, or data inconsistencies.

From Address Domain Change

If you've been using a custom email service for member emails, you may need to verify your from address again using the new magic link flow. The system will guide you through this process when you attempt to change the domain part of your from address.

Upgrade Recommendations

Immediate Upgrade Required

Due to the timezone bug present in Ghost 3.19.0, it is strongly recommended to upgrade immediately to a newer version if you are currently on 3.19.0.

If you're on a version prior to 3.19.0, consider upgrading directly to a version after 3.19.0 to avoid the timezone issue altogether.

The upgrade process follows the standard Ghost upgrade path and should be straightforward for most installations.

Bug Fixes

Member Management Fixes

• Fixed location not being recorded for paid member signups by moving geolocation into the token->session exchange step
• Fixed member list not updating when manually adding a new member
• Fixed members list not updating after deleting a member
• Fixed members list not refreshing after adding yourself
• Fixed change password button state on staff screen
• Added context and help messages to member linking with Stripe account errors

Content Creation Fixes

• Fixed original URL/query parameters not being used in bookmark cards, which preserves important data like affiliate links
• Improved error message output when oembed request fails, providing more specific information than "No provider found for supplied URL"

Email Fixes

• Fixed "from" parameter handling for bulk email by wrapping it in double quotes and escaping quotes in site title

Other Fixes

• Fixed no-shadow linting errors in oembed controllers
• Fixed wrong require in post email serializer
• Fixed wrong use of moment in timezone calculations

New Features

Custom Domain Support for Member Emails

You can now use custom domains for your member email 'from' addresses. The system verifies the new email address using a magic link flow to ensure it's valid and accessible before making the change.

Shared Custom Views

Custom views are now shared across all users and managed by admins rather than being per-user. This provides a more consistent experience for all team members.

Label Assignment for Imported Members

When importing members via CSV, you can now assign labels to all imported members in one go. This makes it easier to organize and filter newly imported members.

Bookmark Card Improvements

Bookmark cards can now be created without requiring a description, making them more flexible for various use cases. Additionally, the system now preserves original URLs and query parameters, which is particularly useful for affiliate links.

Security Updates

No specific security fixes were mentioned in this release.

Performance Improvements

Theme Upload Process Improvement

Theme uploads now use a safer approach by moving the existing theme to a backup folder before copying the new files into place. This prevents situations where a failed delete operation could leave the site with an invalid active theme.

CSV Processing Improvement

Replaced the format-csv module with papaparse, which offers better performance (approximately 40% faster than csv-parser), better test coverage, and improved stability. This change will benefit member import and export operations.

Impact Summary

Ghost 3.19.0 brings significant improvements to member management capabilities, particularly around email customization and member organization. The addition of custom domain support for member emails enhances branding opportunities, while label assignment for imported members streamlines organization workflows.

Content creators will appreciate the more flexible bookmark cards that no longer require descriptions and preserve original URLs including query parameters.

The shift to shared custom views represents a philosophical change in how Ghost approaches user interfaces, moving from individual customization to team-wide consistency managed by administrators.

Behind the scenes, developers will benefit from safer theme upload processes and improved CSV handling performance.

However, the timezone bug in this version necessitates an immediate upgrade to avoid potential scheduling and data consistency issues.

Full Release Notes