Ghost Release: 4.46.0

TL;DR

Ghost v4.46.0 introduces significant enhancements to newsletter functionality, allowing site owners to customize newsletter names, sender names, and opt-in preferences. The update includes a refreshed newsletter settings interface and fixes several bugs, including AMP image alt text issues and SES mail transport credential problems. This release lays the groundwork for supporting multiple newsletters per site, a feature that will be fully available in future releases.

Highlight of the Release

• Added ability to customize newsletter names and sender names
• Improved newsletter settings interface with a refreshed design
• Added support for controlling auto-opt-in preferences for newsletters
• Fixed AMP image accessibility with proper alt text
• Fixed SES mail transport credential issues

Migration Guide

Multiple Newsletters Support

The backend foundation for multiple newsletters has been added in this release but is currently behind a feature flag. No migration is required at this time, but site owners should be aware that this functionality will be fully available in future releases.

Newsletter Settings

The newsletter settings interface has been redesigned. All existing newsletter configurations will be preserved, but you may want to review your settings to take advantage of the new customization options:

1. Navigate to the Newsletter settings in your Ghost admin
2. Review and update your newsletter name and sender name if desired
3. Check the auto-opt-in preferences to ensure they match your subscriber acquisition strategy

For Developers

If you're using the Ghost API to manage newsletters or members:

• Note the new API endpoints for newsletter statistics and subscription management
• Be aware that the subscribed property for members is now mapped to newsletter subscriptions
• Review the updated schema for newsletters which now includes UUID and additional fields

Upgrade Recommendations

This release contains important bug fixes and enhancements to newsletter functionality. It's recommended that all Ghost users upgrade to v4.46.0, especially those who:

• Use newsletters as a key part of their content strategy
• Have experienced issues with SES mail transport
• Need better control over newsletter branding and opt-in preferences
• Use AMP and are concerned about accessibility compliance

The upgrade process follows the standard Ghost update procedure and should be straightforward with no breaking changes. As always, it's recommended to backup your database before upgrading.

Bug Fixes

Email and Newsletter Fixes

• Fixed missing alt text on AMP images, improving accessibility compliance
• Fixed credentials issue with SES mail transport for more reliable email delivery
• Fixed bulk unsubscribe functionality for newsletter management
• Fixed issue with new members always subscribing to default newsletters
• Fixed issue with creation of multiple newsletters causing UUID conflicts

Other Fixes

• Added default sort order for members.browse endpoint
• Fixed mockLabs disabling all other feature flags in testing environments
• Fixed issue where member was updated when setting geolocation

New Features

Newsletter Customization

• Custom Newsletter Names: Added ability to rename newsletters for better branding
• Custom Sender Names: Added support for setting custom sender names for newsletters
• Newsletter Opt-in Controls: Added ability to toggle auto-opt-in preferences for newsletters
• Backend Support for Multiple Newsletters: Added foundational support for multiple newsletters per site (currently behind feature flag)

API Enhancements

• Added /stats/subscriptions API endpoint for historical subscription counts by tier and cadence
• Added newsletter API query options ?include=count.posts and ?include=count.members
• Added member endpoints for managing newsletter subscriptions

Security Updates

• Updated dependency express-jwt to v7.0.0
• Updated various dependencies including @sentry/node to v6.19.7 and jwks-rsa to v2.1.0
• Added newsletter from address verification for improved email security and deliverability

Performance Improvements

Database and Query Optimizations

• Optimized newsletter subscription mapping for better performance
• Improved caching with newsletter cache invalidation on updates
• Added explicit enum to newsletters.status for better data integrity
• Refactored destroyUser method to use async/await for better readability and maintainability

Code Improvements

• Replaced deprecated String.prototype.substr() with .slice()
• Updated multiple dependencies to newer versions for better performance and security
• Simplified newsletter e2e tests for better maintainability

Impact Summary

Ghost v4.46.0 significantly enhances newsletter functionality with customizable names, sender information, and opt-in preferences. The refreshed newsletter settings interface provides a more intuitive management experience for content creators and site administrators.

This release also addresses several important bugs, including fixes for AMP image accessibility, SES mail transport credentials, and member subscription handling. These improvements enhance both the creator and subscriber experience.

Behind the scenes, this update lays the groundwork for supporting multiple newsletters per site—a major feature that will allow content creators to segment their audience and deliver more targeted content in future releases. The backend infrastructure for this feature is now in place, though the full UI implementation remains behind a feature flag.

For developers, the release includes API enhancements for newsletter statistics and subscription management, along with various dependency updates and code improvements that enhance performance and security.

Full Release Notes