Craft CMS 5.8 arrived this week with additions focused on content structure and quality control. The new Content Block field type, Generated Fields functionality, and content validation features give site builders more tools for creating sophisticated, maintainable content systems.
Content Block Fields for Reusable Structures
The standout feature in Craft 5.8 is the Content Block field type. These are essentially nested field layouts that can be reused across different content types, creating consistent content structures throughout your site.
Think of Content Blocks as content templates. You might create a “Call to Action” block containing heading, body text, button label, and button link fields. That block structure can then be used in blog posts, landing pages, product descriptions, or anywhere else you need calls to action.
This matters because it:
- Ensures consistency: Content editors fill in the same fields the same way across different contexts
- Simplifies training: Once editors understand a content block type, they can use it anywhere it appears
- Makes maintenance easier: Update the block structure once, and it updates everywhere it’s used
For sites with repetitive content patterns - marketing sites with common components, publications with standardised content formats, or e-commerce sites with recurring content structures - Content Blocks reduce duplication and maintenance overhead.
Generated Fields for Auto-Populated Content
Generated Fields represent automatic content population based on rules you define. These fields calculate their values from other content rather than requiring manual entry.
Common uses might include:
- Automatic summaries: Generating preview text from the first paragraph of body content
- Calculated values: Deriving prices, dates, or other computed information
- Assembled content: Building formatted text from multiple field values
Generated Fields reduce manual data entry, eliminate synchronisation problems between related fields, and ensure derived values stay current when source content changes.
Content Validation Actions
Craft 5.8 adds “Validate [type]” actions to element edit pages. You can now explicitly validate content before publishing, checking that all required fields are populated, relationships are valid, and content meets your defined rules.
This is particularly useful for complex content with many required fields or strict validation rules. Rather than attempting to publish and discovering validation errors, you can validate first, address any issues, then publish with confidence.
For editorial workflows where content quality matters, this validation step helps maintain standards systematically rather than relying on manual checking.
Better Link Field Functionality
The Link field type introduced in version 5.3 continues getting improvements in 5.8. Link condition rules now include an “is of type” operator, making it possible to filter or conditionally show content based on what kind of link is stored (URL, email, phone, or relation).
Link fields also gained support for SMS links and better handling of URLs without top-level domains. For modern web applications where tel: and sms: links are common, this expanded support makes Link fields more versatile.
Improved Relational Field Search
Relational fields set to a single element source now show search inputs by default. Previously, search was only available for multi-source fields. This change makes it easier to find and select related content even when working with focused content collections.
For sites with large content libraries - hundreds of blog posts, extensive product catalogues, or comprehensive resource collections - being able to search for related content rather than scrolling through lists makes content management noticeably faster.
Matrix Field Expansion Controls
Matrix fields using inline-editable blocks view now include “Expand all blocks” and “Collapse all blocks” actions. When working with complex pages containing many content blocks, these controls make it easier to get an overview (collapse all) or dive into details (expand all) without toggling each block individually.
What This Means for Content Quality
Craft 5.8’s additions are about content structure and quality control. Content Blocks make consistent content structures easier to implement and maintain. Generated Fields reduce manual entry and synchronisation errors. Validation actions help enforce quality standards systematically.
For sites where content quality matters - which should be all sites - these features provide better tools for maintaining standards without adding complexity for content editors.
Building Better Content Systems
The technical capabilities in 5.8 enable building more sophisticated content management systems. Reusable content structures, automatic value generation, and systematic validation are foundational elements of professional content management.
Whether you’re building a new site or improving an existing one, these capabilities make it possible to create content systems that guide editors toward producing good content rather than just providing empty fields to fill.
Keeping Current With Ongoing Improvements
Craft releases like 5.8 demonstrate the platform’s continued evolution. You’re not just maintaining software - you’re gaining new capabilities for content management that weren’t available when you launched your site.
Through our website maintenance support packages, we ensure client sites receive these updates monthly. When new features like Content Blocks or Generated Fields arrive, you get access to them without managing the update process or technical implementation.
If you have a Craft site and want help staying current with releases like 5.8, or if you need support building sophisticated content structures with features like Content Blocks and Generated Fields, email us at hello@mutual.agency.
Content management systems should enable better content, not just store it. Craft 5.8’s additions to content structure and validation provide exactly the kind of foundational improvements that make creating quality content systematically easier.