Note: This article was last updated on March 27, 2024 and may contain outdated information.
Craft CMS 5.0 launched last week, marking the biggest update to the platform in years. If your website runs on Craft, you might be wondering what this means for you. The short answer: this is an exciting update focused on making content management easier, more secure, and more collaborative.
What’s New for Content Teams
The most noticeable change in Craft 5.0 is the completely redesigned control panel interface. The sidebar is now collapsible, giving content teams more screen space to work with. Navigation has been streamlined with a new breadcrumb bar that includes quick links to different areas, making it faster to move between sections without getting lost in menus.
Element management (how you work with entries, assets, and other content) has been significantly improved. You can now view content as cards instead of just lists, which makes it easier to scan through blog posts, team members, or portfolio items visually. There’s also inline editing for many fields, so you can update simple values directly from index pages without opening the full editor.
For teams managing large amounts of content, the ability to have multiple authors on a single entry is now built-in. This makes editorial collaboration much more natural, particularly for sites where content passes through several people before publication.
Better Asset Management
Working with images and files is smoother in Craft 5.0. Assets now display with larger thumbnails in card view, and you can mark alternative text as translatable for multilingual sites (an important improvement for accessibility).
The asset management interface includes new quick action menus, so common tasks like downloading, previewing, or editing metadata are just a click away rather than buried in submenus.
Modern Security with Two-Factor Authentication
Craft 5.0 introduces built-in two-factor authentication (2FA), a significant security enhancement that was previously only available through plugins. Website administrators can now require 2FA for all users, just admins, or specific user groups.
The system supports authenticator apps (like Google Authenticator or 1Password), recovery codes, and passkeys for biometric login via fingerprint or facial recognition. This means your content management system gets the same level of security protection you’d expect from modern banking or email services.
Improved Accessibility
Pixel & Tonic has put considerable work into making Craft 5.0 more accessible to users with disabilities. Screen reader support has been enhanced, keyboard navigation is more consistent throughout the interface, and visual contrast has been improved.
These changes don’t just benefit users with accessibility needs. They make the platform easier for everyone to use, particularly on mobile devices or in less-than-ideal viewing conditions.
What This Means for Your Website
If your site currently runs on Craft 4, the upgrade to Craft 5.0 requires planning and testing. This isn’t a simple update you can apply with a single click. The changes are substantial enough that themes and plugins need to be compatible, and custom functionality may need adjustments.
That said, the improvements in usability, security, and content management capabilities make it worthwhile for most sites. Content teams will find day-to-day work noticeably easier, and the security enhancements provide better protection for your content and user accounts.
The upgrade process typically takes a few hours to a few days depending on your site’s complexity, custom features, and plugin ecosystem. It’s the kind of work that’s best done methodically, with proper testing before going live.
Ongoing Maintenance Matters
Major updates like Craft 5.0 highlight why regular maintenance is important. Through our website maintenance support packages, we keep client sites updated monthly with the latest patches, security fixes, and compatible plugin updates. This means you’re always running current software without managing it yourself.
When major version updates like Craft 5.0 come along, we handle the planning, testing, and implementation. You get the benefits of new features and improvements without the technical complexity of managing the upgrade process.
If you have a Craft site and want help with the upgrade to Craft 5.0, or if you’re looking for ongoing support to keep your site current and secure, email us at hello@mutual.agency.
Your content management system should make your work easier, not harder. Craft 5.0 represents a significant step forward in usability and capability - it’s worth taking advantage of these improvements.