Payload CMS Release: 3.29.0

TL;DR

Payload CMS v3.29.0 brings significant improvements with Lexical richtext editor upgrades, performance optimizations for the job queue system, and enhanced form handling. Key additions include conditional tabs, vector column support in PostgreSQL, and improved bulk editing capabilities. This release focuses on developer experience with better field access controls, email validation, and more flexible configuration options.

Highlight of the Release

• Lexical richtext editor upgraded to version 0.28.0 with improved table features and markdown support
• Performance optimizations for job queue system using direct database calls
• Support for conditional tabs that can be shown/hidden based on document data
• Vector column type support added for PostgreSQL databases
• Enhanced bulk editing with better handling of nested fields and form state

Migration Guide

Lexical Upgrade

If you installed lexical manually, update it to 0.28.0. Installing lexical manually is not recommended, as it may break between updates. Use our re-exported versions instead.

If you encounter richtext-lexical errors after upgrading, follow these steps:

1. Delete node_modules
2. Delete your lockfile (e.g. pnpm-lock.json)
3. Reinstall your dependencies (e.g. pnpm install)

Job Queue System Changes

The job queue system now uses direct database calls for better performance. If you've added custom hooks to the payload-jobs collection, you'll need to set the new runHooks: true property in your job configuration to maintain the previous behavior.

Note that using runHooks: true will revert to slower payload operations. In most cases, using the onSuccess or onFail properties in the job config will be sufficient and much faster.

Additionally, if you're using the depth property in your job configuration, the system will also fall back to normal payload operations.

API Changes

• The FieldAccessArgs type is now exported, which may affect custom field access implementations
• The i18n argument is now passed through field label and description functions
• The pictureClassName prop has been added to the Media component

Upgrade Recommendations

This release contains significant improvements and bug fixes with minimal breaking changes. It's recommended to upgrade to v3.29.0 as soon as possible to benefit from the performance improvements and new features.

If you're using the Lexical richtext editor, make sure to follow the migration steps to update to Lexical 0.28.0. If you've customized the job queue system with hooks, review the changes to the job queue system and consider using the new runHooks property if needed.

The upgrade process should be straightforward for most users:

1. Update your Payload dependencies to v3.29.0
2. If using Lexical, ensure you're using our re-exported versions rather than installing it manually
3. Test your application thoroughly, especially if you're using richtext fields, job queues, or bulk editing features

Bug Fixes

UI and Form Fixes

• Fixed bulk edit for nested fields and subfields
• Corrected handling of relationship filter options in non-default locales
• Fixed scheduled publish timezone display and selection
• Improved error states in collapsibles, tabs, and arrays
• Prevented "Leave Page" dialog when opening links in new tabs
• Fixed upload preview display based on displayPreview setting
• Ensured form processing state disables standalone fields

Richtext Editor Fixes

• Fixed error when setting a richtext field as useAsTitle
• Corrected handling of block collapsed preferences
• Fixed HTML converter issues with unchecked list items and link attributes
• Made toolbar indent button respect disabled nodes configuration

Authentication and Access Control

• Added distinct error for unverified email login attempts
• Fixed access control for upload URLs by passing ID and data to read access functions
• Improved email validation with stricter format rules
• Ensured only authenticated users can access locked documents collection

Plugin Fixes

• Fixed S3 client uploads when using more than two instances of the plugin
• Corrected multi-tenant redirect route formatting
• Fixed import-export plugin handling of translated preview labels and draft exports

New Features

Richtext Editor Improvements

• Upgraded Lexical from 0.27.1 to 0.28.0 with improved table features including column freezing and alignment
• Added support for escaping markdown characters
• New HTML, plaintext, and markdown converters with better documentation
• Option to disable TabNode and control indentation behavior for specific nodes

Database Enhancements

• Added vector raw column type for PostgreSQL to support vector embeddings
• New forceSelect property for collections/globals to ensure specific fields are always selected
• Support for passing custom IDs during document creation with acceptIDOnCreate flag
• Added sort support for payload.update and payload.db.updateMany operations

Form and UI Improvements

• Support for conditional tabs that can be shown/hidden based on document data
• Form state select API for requesting partial form state
• Radio field support added to the form builder plugin
• Improved handling of field paths in bulk edit operations
• Added pictureClassName prop to Media component for styling picture tags

Security Updates

Authentication and Access Control

• Improved email validation with stricter format rules to prevent potential security issues
• Added distinct error for unverified email login attempts without revealing account existence
• Fixed access control for upload URLs by properly passing ID and data to read access functions
• Ensured only authenticated users can access the payload-locked-documents collection

Data Protection

• Fixed issue where fields removed from schema could still be returned in MongoDB results
• Added option to strip keys from data that don't exist in the schema from read results
• Improved handling of login redirect routes with proper URL encoding

Performance Improvements

Job Queue System Optimization

• Replaced payload.* operations with direct payload.db.* calls in the job queue system
• Added new updateJob and updateJobs helpers to handle task status generation outside normal hook lifecycle
• Added runHooks property to job configuration for cases where custom hooks are needed

Image and Upload Optimizations

• Optimized image selection for upload list view by prioritizing best-fit size
• Ensured only image files are processed for thumbnails, avoiding redundant requests for non-images
• Added guard check for populate docs in upload field to prevent unnecessary requests
• Reduced bandwidth usage by selecting more efficient image sizes

Form State and Data Loading

• Added find to payloadDataLoader to cache local API queries
• Implemented form state task queue to prevent excessive network requests
• Added select-like API to form state endpoint for partial form state processing
• Improved bulk edit by requesting only selected fields instead of entire schema

Impact Summary

Payload CMS v3.29.0 delivers a substantial update focused on performance, developer experience, and content editing improvements. The Lexical richtext editor upgrade to 0.28.0 brings enhanced table features and markdown support, while the job queue system has been optimized with direct database calls for significantly faster performance.

Content editors will benefit from improved bulk editing capabilities, better handling of nested fields, and conditional tabs that can be shown or hidden based on document data. Developers gain access to new database features like vector column support in PostgreSQL and the ability to pass custom IDs during document creation.

The release also addresses numerous bugs across the UI, form handling, and plugins, with particular attention to richtext editor issues and access control improvements. Performance optimizations extend to image handling in the upload list view and form state processing, reducing bandwidth usage and network requests.

Overall, this update represents a well-rounded improvement to Payload's core functionality while maintaining backward compatibility, making it a recommended upgrade for all users.

Full Release Notes