Ghost Release: 5.51.0

TL;DR

Ghost v5.51.0 introduces a major new feature: embeddable signup forms that can be easily customized and added to any website. This release also includes automatic collections that dynamically populate based on filters, improvements to the AdminX interface, and various bug fixes for the Lexical editor. The update enhances user management capabilities in AdminX with new invite, suspend, and delete actions, while adding multilingual support for signup forms with translations in several languages.

Highlight of the Release

• New embeddable signup forms that can be customized and added to any website
• Automatic collections that dynamically populate based on filters
• Enhanced user management in AdminX with invite, suspend, and delete actions
• Improved image editor UI with transparency grid and better controls
• Multilingual support for signup forms with translations in several languages
• Built-in 'featured posts' automatic collection available by default

Migration Guide

Upgrading to v5.51.0

This release doesn't contain breaking changes that require special migration steps. You can upgrade using your standard upgrade process.

Collections API

If you're using the Collections API programmatically, note that collections are now removed from the stable list in the Admin API. You can access experimental endpoints using the new god_mode parameter while in development.

Permissions

Collections now have proper CRUD permissions. If you're developing custom integrations that work with collections, ensure you have the appropriate permissions set up.

Node.js Requirements

While Ghost still supports Node 16, the yarn dev script now requires Node 18 or above as it uses the --watch flag which is only available in Node 18+.

Upgrade Recommendations

This release is recommended for all Ghost users, especially those looking to grow their audience through embeddable signup forms or wanting to take advantage of automatic collections.

The upgrade should be straightforward with no breaking changes. As always, it's recommended to:

1. Back up your database before upgrading
2. Test the upgrade in a staging environment if possible
3. Ensure your Node.js version is compatible (Ghost supports Node 16+, but yarn dev requires Node 18+)

If you're using custom themes or integrations, test them with this new version to ensure compatibility, particularly if they interact with collections or user management features.

Bug Fixes

Lexical Editor Fixes

• Fixed rendering of contiguous linebreaks in the Lexical editor
• Fixed rendering of multiple nested formats when using the latest jsdom release
• Fixed issues with snippets not being available in the beta editor
• Fixed copy/paste of HR cards between the old editor and beta editor
• Fixed the ability to return to the main post page after scheduling a post

UI and UX Fixes

• Fixed Signup Embed iFrame not loading in Safari
• Fixed loading screen flash issue in dark mode
• Fixed encoded characters appearing for Offers in Portal
• Fixed search input focus on iOS
• Fixed closing modals in admin UI when releasing mouse outside modal
• Fixed editor feature image overlay bug that was covering the alt text input field

Other Fixes

• Fixed flaky frontend members test
• Fixed signup form modal height and scrollbar position
• Fixed showing errors when non 2XX response in signup form
• Fixed type errors in AdminX components

New Features

Embeddable Signup Forms

Ghost now offers embeddable signup forms that can be added to any website. These forms are highly customizable with options for different layouts, colors, and labels. The forms are responsive and can be embedded as a card or in a minimal format, making it easy to grow your audience from external websites.

Automatic Collections

This release introduces automatic collections that dynamically populate based on filters. You can create collections that automatically include posts matching specific criteria such as tags, authors, or publication date. A built-in "featured posts" collection is now available by default.

Enhanced AdminX User Management

The AdminX interface now includes comprehensive user management capabilities:

• Send invites to new users with role restrictions based on the logged-in user's role
• Suspend/unsuspend users with proper state management
• Delete users based on permission levels
• Make admin users owners (if the owner is logged in)
• Manage user profile and cover images

Site Preview in AdminX Design Settings

A new dynamic site preview has been added to the AdminX design settings, allowing you to see changes to your site in real-time. The preview includes mobile view options and a toolbar for switching between different preview modes.

Security Updates

No significant security fixes were mentioned in this release.

Performance Improvements

Database Optimizations

• Disabled autoRefresh when inserting fixtures, saving about 18,000 DB queries for MySQL tests
• Improved oversized batch correction logic for email sending

UI Performance

• Added throttling and animation when updating signup form preview
• Removed signup form preview flickering in Safari and improved responsiveness
• Updated API services to be memoized in case of re-renders

Code Improvements

• Removed coverage checks from regression tests to speed up development
• Decoupled Sentry from analytics events handlers by expecting general exception handler
• Refactored collections work to support inclusion in the Posts Admin API

Impact Summary

Ghost v5.51.0 significantly enhances the platform's audience growth capabilities with the introduction of embeddable signup forms that can be placed on any website. This feature allows content creators to expand their reach beyond their Ghost site and capture subscribers from various online touchpoints.

The new automatic collections feature streamlines content organization by dynamically populating collections based on filters, saving time and ensuring content is always up-to-date. The built-in "featured posts" collection provides immediate value without any configuration.

AdminX continues to mature with comprehensive user management capabilities and improved design settings, making site administration more intuitive and efficient. The addition of a dynamic site preview allows for real-time visualization of design changes.

Multilingual support for signup forms makes Ghost more accessible to international audiences, while various bug fixes and performance improvements enhance the overall stability and user experience of the platform.

This release represents a significant step forward in Ghost's evolution as a complete publishing platform, with features that facilitate audience growth, content organization, and site management.

Full Release Notes