Ghost Release: 4.36.2

TL;DR

Ghost v4.36.2: Stripe Integration Fixes & Admin UI Improvements

This maintenance release focuses on fixing critical issues with Stripe integration and improving the Admin UI experience. Key fixes include resolving Stripe API disconnection problems, fixing invalid checkout session URLs, and addressing several Admin UI bugs that were causing crashes. The release also includes a strategic change to pin the frontend API version to canary, which aims to simplify API versioning.

Highlight of the Release

• Fixed critical Stripe integration issues including API disconnection and invalid checkout session URLs
• Resolved Admin UI crashes related to member filters and header formatting
• Improved error handling for webhooks with unknown members
• Pinned frontend API version to canary for better consistency
• Enhanced test framework with improved assertion execution order

Migration Guide

This release contains no breaking changes and should be a straightforward upgrade from v4.36.1.

To upgrade:

1. Back up your Ghost installation
2. Follow the standard upgrade process for your installation method
3. If you're using Stripe for memberships, verify that your Stripe integration is working correctly after the upgrade

No database migrations or special steps are required for this update.

Upgrade Recommendations

Priority: Medium

This release is recommended for all Ghost users, especially those using Stripe for memberships or experiencing issues with the Admin UI. The fixes for Stripe integration and Admin UI crashes address important functionality issues that could impact your site's operation.

If you're using Stripe for memberships, this update is particularly important as it fixes issues with checkout session URLs and improves webhook handling.

As this is a maintenance release with no breaking changes, the upgrade process should be straightforward and low-risk.

Bug Fixes

• Stripe Integration:

  • Fixed Stripe API disconnection issues that caused the API to appear configured even after disconnection
  • Fixed invalid Stripe checkout session URLs that were causing payment flow failures
  • Improved error handling for webhooks related to unknown members, preventing unnecessary errors

• Admin UI:

  • Fixed Admin crash when member filters were focused and blurred without entering a filter value
  • Fixed "Header two" formatting toolbar button not working correctly
  • Fixed "Invalid mobiledoc structure" errors that could occur when saving posts with header cards

• Testing Framework:

  • Fixed misconfigured SnapshotManager in e2e tests
  • Fixed admin views path mocking override in tests
  • Fixed logic error in labs mock that only allowed one flag to be mocked at a time

New Features

• Frontend API Version Pinning: The frontend API version is now pinned to canary, which aims to simplify API versioning and provide more consistent behavior across themes.

• Members Table Status Feature Flag: Added a new feature flag membersTableStatus to support upcoming improvements to the members management interface.

• Enhanced Test Framework:

  • Added scaffolding for testing Members with Stripe integration
  • Improved assertion execution order in the test framework
  • Added new matchers for location strings and short date formats
  • Added demo E2E browser tests using Playwright

Security Updates

No specific security fixes were included in this release.

Performance Improvements

• Test Framework Optimizations:

  • Improved webhooks e2e test bootstrap speed by preventing duplicate Ghost boots
  • Split out unit tests from CI matrix to prevent unnecessary test executions
  • Re-ordered and consolidated members tests for better organization and efficiency

• Dependency Updates:

  • Updated multiple dependencies including @sentry/node, eslint, express, body-parser, and various Ghost-specific packages
  • Bumped all Members packages to stay up-to-date with latest fixes

Impact Summary

Ghost v4.36.2 is a maintenance release that focuses on fixing critical issues with Stripe integration and improving the Admin UI experience. The most significant impact is on sites using Stripe for memberships, where this update resolves issues with API disconnection, invalid checkout session URLs, and webhook handling.

For content creators, the fixes to the "Header two" formatting button and header cards improve the editing experience by preventing errors and ensuring formatting tools work as expected.

Site administrators will benefit from improved stability when working with member filters and better error handling throughout the system.

Developers will notice improvements to the test framework and the strategic change to pin the frontend API version to canary, which simplifies API versioning.

Overall, this release enhances stability and reliability without introducing breaking changes, making it a recommended update for all Ghost users.

Full Release Notes