Ghost Release: 5.51.2

TL;DR

Ghost v5.51.2 brings a useful word count feature to the beta editor, fixes critical issues with post history for email-only posts, and resolves a bug that caused signup embed previews to crash when icons were empty. This maintenance release improves the editor experience and fixes important functionality issues for content creators and developers.

Highlight of the Release

• Added word count functionality to the beta editor
• Fixed post history functionality for different publishing scenarios
• Resolved crash in signup embed preview when icons are empty

Migration Guide

No migration steps are required for this release. The update can be applied without any special considerations or changes to existing configurations.

Upgrade Recommendations

This release is recommended for all Ghost users, especially those who:

1. Use the beta editor and would benefit from word count functionality
2. Publish content via email and use post history features
3. Use signup forms with customized icons

The fixes address important functionality issues that could impact content management and subscriber conversion, making this a worthwhile update for most installations.

Bug Fixes

Post History Fixes

Fixed an issue with Post History functionality for posts sent as emails. The fix implements proper behavior based on the post's publication status:

• Published-only posts: Users can view history and restore previous versions
• Published and sent posts: Users can view history and restore previous versions
• Email-only posts: History is now correctly hidden

For unpublished/unsent posts, history viewing and restoration capabilities are available in all states.

Signup Embed Preview Fix

Resolved a critical bug that caused the signup form embed preview to crash when an icon was added and then removed. The issue occurred because undefined icon settings were being passed to the signup form's all-in-one style without proper validation. The fix adds appropriate checks for this.settings.icon before attempting to replace the image path, ensuring the component renders correctly even when icon settings are undefined.

New Features

Word Count in Beta Editor

The beta editor now includes word count functionality, making it easier for content creators to track the length of their posts. This feature has been implemented through the <WordCountPlugin> which enables the UI to display the current word count as users write and edit their content.

This addition helps writers maintain optimal content length for SEO purposes and provides immediate feedback on content volume without needing to use external tools.

Security Updates

No security fixes were included in this release.

Performance Improvements

No specific performance improvements were mentioned in this release.

Impact Summary

Ghost v5.51.2 is a maintenance release that improves the editor experience and fixes critical functionality issues. The addition of word count to the beta editor enhances the writing experience for content creators, while the post history fixes ensure proper functionality based on publication status. The signup embed preview fix prevents potential crashes that could impact subscriber conversion.

These changes primarily benefit content creators through improved editing tools and more reliable post history functionality. Developers and site owners will appreciate the more robust handling of signup form components, preventing potential user-facing issues when customizing newsletter signup forms.

While this is a minor version update, the fixes address important functionality that could impact content management workflows and subscriber conversion, making it a recommended update for most Ghost installations.

Full Release Notes