Ghost Release: 5.117.0

TL;DR

Ghost v5.117.0 introduces several enhancements to the platform, including new social media profile fields for users (Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn), improved ActivityPub integration, and a revamped Traffic Analytics interface. The update also includes refinements to the two-factor authentication system with clearer messaging based on different security scenarios. Several dependency updates and bug fixes round out this release, making it a recommended upgrade for all Ghost users.

Highlight of the Release

• Added new social media profile fields for users (Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn)
• Improved Traffic Analytics with better layout, calculations, and visualization for locations and sources
• Enhanced ActivityPub integration with better author attribution and layout improvements
• Refined two-factor authentication with clearer messaging based on security context

Migration Guide

No significant migration steps are required for this update. The new social media profile fields are added to the database schema automatically, and feature flags control their visibility in the UI until themes are updated to support them.

For developers working with Traffic Analytics data, note that a new Tinybird conversion script has been added to convert CSV to NDJSON format, which may be useful when migrating data between Tinybird Classic and Tinybird Forward workspaces.

Upgrade Recommendations

This update is recommended for all Ghost users. The release includes several quality-of-life improvements, particularly for administrators and content creators who will benefit from the expanded social media profile options and improved analytics. The security enhancements to two-factor authentication also provide a better user experience with clearer messaging.

There are no breaking changes in this release, making it a safe upgrade for all installations. As always, it's recommended to backup your database before upgrading.

Bug Fixes

General Bug Fixes

• Fixed layout break with long content in ActivityPub notifications by adding proper word break styling
• Fixed profile page breaking when using @[email protected] format
• Prevented 1Password from attempting to autofill verification code inputs
• Fixed calculations and parameters in Analytics for proper data representation

Dependency Updates

• Updated lint-staged from 15.5.0 to 15.5.1 to fix crashes when encountering uninitialized submodules
• Updated nodemailer from 6.10.0 to 6.10.1 to fix socket closure issues
• Updated ts-jest from 29.3.1 to 29.3.2 to fix transpilation of JS files from node_modules
• Updated microdiff from 1.4.0 to 1.5.0 with fixes for CommonJS type resolution
• Pinned dependencies for @radix-ui/react-select and i18n-iso-countries

New Features

New Social Media Profile Fields

• Added new columns to the users table for additional social media profiles: Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn
• Implemented feature flags to control the visibility of these new social links in the UI

Enhanced Traffic Analytics

• Completely revamped the Traffic Analytics app structure with an improved UI
• Added locations and sources data visualization to the React version of Traffic Analytics
• Implemented unified heading for all pages in the first version
• Fixed duration data calculations to use weighted averages properly

Improved ActivityPub Integration

• Added author image and name to new posts in ActivityPub
• Fixed layout issues with long-form content in ActivityPub notifications
• Improved post author data handling for articles

Security Updates

Two-Factor Authentication Enhancements

• Updated 2FA verification screens to display different messaging based on security context
• Added different error codes to distinguish between new device detection and forced/required 2FA
• Improved user experience by providing clearer explanations of security requirements
• Added autocomplete="off" attribute to verification code inputs to prevent password managers from interfering

Performance Improvements

Session Service Improvements

• Refactored session service for better code organization and readability
• Improved test structure with better organization of stubs and cleaner usage patterns
• Removed erroneous arguments from test functions to reduce confusion

Analytics Performance

• Improved data calculation methods in Traffic Analytics for more accurate reporting
• Enhanced the structure of the Traffic Analytics app for better performance
• Added Tinybird conversion script to convert CSV to NDJSON format for data migration

Impact Summary

Ghost v5.117.0 represents a solid incremental update that enhances the platform's social media integration capabilities, analytics functionality, and security features.

The addition of seven new social media profile fields (Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn) significantly expands Ghost's social media integration options, allowing content creators to better connect with their audiences across more platforms.

The Traffic Analytics improvements provide administrators with better insights through improved data visualization, more accurate calculations, and a more intuitive interface. This will help site owners make more informed decisions about their content strategy.

Security enhancements to the two-factor authentication system improve the user experience by providing clearer messaging based on whether the verification is due to a new device detection or a required security policy.

ActivityPub integration continues to improve with better author attribution and layout fixes, enhancing Ghost's capabilities in the federated social web ecosystem.

Overall, this release demonstrates Ghost's commitment to continuous improvement across user experience, security, and integration capabilities.

Full Release Notes