Ghost Release: 3.36.0

TL;DR

Ghost 3.36.0 introduces content snippets, improved member management, and editor enhancements

This release brings a new content snippets feature allowing for reusable content blocks, improvements to the member management system including support for complimentary memberships via API, and editor enhancements like the Ctrl/Cmd+P shortcut for previewing content in a new tab. Several bugs were fixed including issues with image gallery cards and member authentication tokens.

Highlight of the Release

• Introduction of content snippets for reusable content blocks
• Added support for creating complimentary members through the Members API
• New Ctrl/Cmd+P shortcut in the editor to open preview in a new tab
• Fixed image sizing issues in gallery cards
• Improved member authentication with fixes for special characters in single-use tokens

Migration Guide

Content Snippets

If you're developing custom themes or integrations, be aware that this release introduces the new content snippets feature. While no specific migration steps are required, you may want to explore how this feature can be utilized in your workflows.

Members API

If you're using the Members API programmatically:

• The API now supports the comped field when creating members
• Note that if comped is set to true and Stripe is not connected, the API will now throw an error instead of skipping the field
• Review any integrations that create members to ensure compatibility with this change

Upgrade Recommendations

This is a minor feature release with several improvements and bug fixes. It's recommended for all Ghost users to upgrade to benefit from the new content snippets feature, member management improvements, and editor enhancements.

The upgrade should be straightforward with no breaking changes for most users. However, developers using the Members API should review the changes to the comped field handling if they're creating members programmatically.

As always, make a backup of your Ghost installation before upgrading.

Bug Fixes

Member Management Fixes

• Fixed an issue where member email settings (newsletter and support) were being set to null during imports
• Fixed a typo in private setting import handling
• Fixed member search to return 200 status instead of 404 when no results are found, preventing API client errors

Content Rendering Fixes

• Fixed width/height attributes in gallery cards not matching resized images
• Updated dependencies for improved image optimization handling

Authentication Fixes

• Fixed special characters in single-use authentication tokens
• The token generation logic now properly replaces all instances of + or / with URL-safe characters (_ or -)

New Features

Content Snippets

• Added a new content snippets feature allowing for creation and management of reusable content blocks
• Created database structure and permissions for snippets functionality
• Implemented full CRUD API endpoints for snippets management
• All staff users can browse/read snippets for use in the editor
• Only administrators, editors, and admin integrations can create/edit/delete snippets

Member Management Improvements

• Added support for the comped field when creating members through the Members API
• Enables creating members with complimentary plans via API integrations (e.g., Zapier)
• Added default support address fallback for member site data

Editor Enhancements

• Added Ctrl/Cmd+P shortcut in the editor to open preview in a new tab
• Moved definition of default max image width to config for better customization

Security Updates

No specific security fixes were mentioned in this release.

Performance Improvements

Model Loading Optimization

• Loaded Action model after all other models to ensure it can access all registered models
• This prevents potential issues with arbitrary model selection during initialization

Dependency Updates

• Updated multiple dependencies to their latest versions including:
  • eslint to v7.11.0
  • ajv to v6.12.6
  • @sentry/node to v5.26.0
  • mocha to v8.2.0
  • Various @tryghost packages

Impact Summary

Ghost 3.36.0 introduces several quality-of-life improvements that enhance content creation workflows and member management capabilities. The new content snippets feature is particularly impactful for publications that frequently reuse content blocks, allowing for more efficient content creation and consistency across posts.

The improvements to the Members API, particularly the ability to create complimentary members programmatically, opens up new automation possibilities for membership management. This is especially valuable for publications using Zapier or custom integrations to manage their membership programs.

The editor enhancements and bug fixes address specific pain points reported by users, such as the gallery card image sizing issues and the need for a quick preview shortcut. These changes, while seemingly small, contribute to a more polished and reliable content creation experience.

Overall, this release continues Ghost's focus on improving both the content creation experience and the membership management capabilities of the platform.

Full Release Notes