On December 14th, 2023, Umbraco 13 was released. Umbraco is now running on .NET 8 with all the features and improvements that the new framework brings.
And that means several advantages for operating your online business.
We've been waiting for it for so long, and finally, here it is: Umbraco 13!
With this new version come quite a few changes, including the underlying .NET framework, now operating on .NET 8 with C# 12. Additionally, there's an entirely new design for the login page, the ability to use blocks in the rich text editor, and a host of new initiatives within the headless realm.
Furthermore, Umbraco 13 marks the next long-term supported (LTS) version of the Umbraco CMS.
Starting from the release of Umbraco 9 (September 2021), a new and improved version (major) will be released twice a year.
Every 4th of these (every other year) will be a major version, which is long-term supported, referred to as 'Long-term Support (LTS)' by Umbraco. The remaining releases will be Standard-term supported (STS).
LTS consists of 2 phases: the support phase and the security phase.
The support phase begins immediately after a major release. Its purpose is to address errors and deficiencies, whereas the security phase focuses solely on security issues. Both phases last for 12 months.
Read more about it here.
.NET 8 was released on November 14, 2023, which naturally aligns with the latest version of Umbraco now running on the latest iteration of the framework.
.NET 8 encompasses thousands of improvements. For instance, it introduces several options for better and more flexible scaling, potentially enhancing performance and hosting for you. Moreover, you'll notice changes in stability, security, along with a wide array of platform and tool enhancements.
All of these contribute to boosting developer productivity.
Additionally, enhancements have been made to JSON and all the features of C# 12—C# 12 being the latest version of the C# programming language. C# 12 has introduced numerous new features and syntactic improvements aimed at making developers' lives easier while also improving code quality.
With .NET 6, Microsoft introduced the minimal hosting model, requiring fewer files and lines of code to create an app. As this approach is set to gain more ground, Umbraco has now also adapted to this model. This means that new Umbraco projects will be created using the new hosting model.
As part of embracing more headless initiatives, Umbraco now includes webhooks. This means you can notify third-party systems about specific events, allowing them to receive notifications when changes occur in your Umbraco backend—such as when pages are saved, published, unpublished, or deleted within Umbraco CMS.
Through the familiar user interface, you can input the desired URL to call and then choose one or more events for which this particular URL should be triggered. This means you can add webhooks via the webhooks UI without needing any code.
However, as a developer, you can also easily extend this functionality by implementing your own webhooks—an aspect you might already be familiar with from Umbraco Heartcore.
Umbraco Heartcore is a cloud-based, headless CMS solution based on Umbraco CMS technology.
The solution enables you to create, manage, and deliver content across various channels and devices. It contains all the fundamentals of a traditional CMS, but instead of templates, it uses a REST API to extract data.
In the Umbraco 12.2 version, we were introduced to the Media Delivery API. However, there were a few compromises. Those have now been addressed in Umbraco 13.
With Umbraco 13, it's now possible to use blocks in the Rich Text Editor. This is due to the occasional need to adjust inline content within rich text, such as adding a tooltip to a link or incorporating a more complex button within the content.
Umbraco also sees an opportunity for this feature to phase out macros in Umbraco. Eventually, there will be efforts to reuse global blocks across all pages.
However, note that this functionality has been implemented as an alternative solution for specific cases where Umbraco doesn't yet offer suitable alternatives.
Umbraco has been hard at work redesigning the Backoffice (and continues to do so). You might have already heard about it - Bellissima (which is the Italian word for 'beautiful'). With the new Backoffice, new front-end technologies will be introduced, including a UI library.
But even now, you'll experience the new technology on your login page. Therefore, in Umbraco 13, it will appear in a completely new and updated design.
But what is Bellissima?
In short, it's about ensuring that Umbraco's Backoffice is built on modern technology, making it easy to maintain and develop. This way, it will continue to be one of the most flexible CMS platforms available.
This also means that developers of packages and other extensions for Umbraco can reuse these components, ensuring a streamlined design for the Backoffice. However, it's not possible to extend the built-in components or add custom components to customize the Backoffice.
In December 2023, Umbraco will also introduce Buckaroo as an additional payment provider for Umbraco Commerce. This means that the number of standard payment providers will now expand to 9.
If you're on an older version of Umbraco, such as Umbraco 10, we recommend migrating to Umbraco 12 first (Umbraco 11 reached End-of-Life on December 11, 2023) before transitioning to Umbraco 13. This approach makes the process smoother and minimizes disruptions despite the many improvements.
If you're on an even older version of Umbraco, like Umbraco 9, it's advisable to consider migrating soon. Umbraco 9 reached End-of-Life on December 16, 2022.
You should perform regular updates to continuously upgrade to the latest versions of Umbraco. This means that each update will become simpler and quicker to execute, while ensuring that you always have the latest features, fixes, improved stability, and security.
BJARNE FYRSTENBORG, UMBRACO DEVELOPER AND MVP HOS MCB