Plone 6.1: A Powerful and Flexible CMS

The wait is over! Plone 6.1 is here, bringing a host of new features and improvements that make content management more intuitive, efficient, and flexible than ever. Whether you’re a developer, content editor, or site administrator, Plone 6.1 introduces several enhancements designed to streamline your workflow and optimize your digital experience. Let’s dive into some of the most notable updates in this release.

Introducing Plone Distributions

Plone has always been a versatile CMS, serving as a powerful foundation for a wide range of websites, from government portals to corporate intranets. However, this flexibility often required a certain level of technical expertise to tailor Plone for specific use cases. With Plone 6.1, Plone Distributions simplify this process by offering pre-configured setups for different industries and applications. This makes it easier than ever for organizations to get started with Plone while still retaining the flexibility to customize and expand as needed.

Enhanced Layout Options: Grid and Teaser Blocks

In previous Plone versions, users relied on third-party add-ons to create multi-column layouts. Plone 6.1 changes this by integrating Grid and Teaser Blocks directly into the core, providing a standardized way to craft visually compelling pages easily. These new blocks allow editors to design sophisticated, responsive layouts without requiring additional plugins or extensive technical knowledge.

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Dynamic Teasers: Keeping Content Up to Date Automatically

Creating landing pages with teasers has never been easier! In earlier versions, teaser blocks required manual updates when linked content changed. With Plone 6.1, teasers are now dynamic by default, automatically updating when the original content is modified. This not only saves time but also ensures that users always see the latest information.

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Previously, editors had to initiate the deletion process of a content object to check for potential broken links. Plone 6.1 introduces a dedicated Link Integrity View, allowing editors to see where content is linked before making changes. This proactive approach ensures smoother site maintenance and prevents accidental content disruptions.

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Simplified Block Ordering with Drag & Drop

Managing complex page layouts is now a breeze with Plone 6.1’s improved drag-and-drop functionality. A new "order" tab in the editor sidebar enables easy reordering of blocks, even for large or deeply nested elements. This feature enhances usability, allowing editors to fine-tune layouts with minimal effort. It also allows to drag and drop teaser blocks between grid blocks.

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Improved Image Browsing Experience

Selecting the right image is now easier than ever with the new image preview mode in the object browser. Editors can switch between a structured folder view and a tile-based preview mode, making it effortless to identify and choose the perfect image for their content.

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Additional Improvements in Plone 6.1

Plone 6.1 also comes packed with several other enhancements, including:

  • Anchor Links for Headlines (PLIP #4298): Navigating long articles and documentation pages is now more user-friendly. Plone 6.1 automatically generates anchor links for headlines, making it simple to link directly to specific content sections.

  • Block Indexing in ZCatalog (PLIP #4778): Allows tracking where blocks are used for better site analytics.

  • Optimized Image Loading (PLIP #1428): New image components with srcset support improves performance, especially on mobile devices.

  • New Relations Control Panel (PLIP #3383): Enables easier management of content relations, including batch editing and fixing broken links.

  • TypeScript Support (PLIP #4689): The Plone frontend officially supports TypeScript in its core, making development more robust.

  • Upgrade to React 18 (PLIP #5641): Keeps Plone up to date with the latest front-end technologies.

  • Slots System (PLIP #5775): Allows add-ons to insert custom components into predefined page locations.

  • Streamlined Core (PLIP #3956, PLIP #3958): Refactored backend core components reduce dependencies for a leaner, more efficient system.

  • Modernized Development Toolchain (PLIP #3670): Adopts the latest best practices from the Python ecosystem for improved maintainability.

Get Started with Plone 6.1 Today!

Plone 6.1 is a significant step forward, making content management easier, more efficient, and more adaptable to diverse needs. Whether you’re upgrading an existing site or starting fresh, this release offers exciting new features that enhance both the editor and developer experience.

Ready to experience Plone 6.1? Check out the official Plone 6.1 Documentation and start exploring all the new possibilities today on demo.plone.org:

https://demo.plone.org/