Umbraco has announced the general availability of Umbraco 17, the long-term supported (LTS) release of its .NET-based open-source content management system. The release introduces several new features, with a focus on load balancing and flexibility for content-driven enterprises.
Scalability focus
The introduction of comprehensive load balancing capabilities in Umbraco 17 enables organisations to have multiple editors working on website content simultaneously, regardless of their geographic location. This addresses a common need among enterprises running large-scale websites and digital services that require collaborative editing across distributed teams.
"One of the features that I'm most excited about is load balancing. Starting with Umbraco 17, users can now load balance their Umbraco projects, including the back office. This will be a game-changer for enterprises that need to have several content editors working on their website at the same time," said Filip Bech Larsen, Chief Technology Officer, Umbraco.
The new load balancing function covers the back office environment, not just public-facing web content, offering additional reliability and performance for organisations with complex editorial workflows.
Custom search options
Umbraco 17 delivers enhanced search functionality, giving customers the option to integrate their preferred search providers. This includes support for semantic search technologies, positioning agencies and businesses to offer more granular or context-aware retrieval of site content.
"Where our digital agency partners are being asked to include semantic search in customers' sites, Umbraco 17 will enable them to plug in abstractions that deliver those capabilities," said Bech Larsen.
Migration and compatibility
For organisations currently using Umbraco 13, direct upgrade paths to the new LTS version are supported. Features retained from earlier versions include core headless content management, webhooks for easier systems integration, and extensibility to allow custom functionality.
Bolette Kern, Senior Product Manager on Umbraco's CMS team, confirmed, "Organisations that have built projects on Umbraco 13, our previous LTS version, will have a direct upgrade path to Umbraco 17."
Architecture updates
Umbraco 17 adopts Microsoft's .NET 10 framework, also an LTS release, reflecting a wider industry move towards keeping key software platforms on synchronised long-term support cycles. This ensures improvements and optimisations introduced by Microsoft are inherited by the CMS.
"Being on the latest .NET version ensures that any optimisations and improvements incorporated into .NET 10 are also reflected in Umbraco 17. Both are LTS versions, which means that your Umbraco 17 projects will be future-proofed for at least three years," said Kern.
Editing experience
The new back office architecture in Umbraco 17 introduces additional extensibility and security, building on upgrades delivered in previous versions. The platform now uses a new text editor based on TipTap, replacing Tiny MCE. This aims to streamline licence compliance and improve content editing for users.
Features such as role-based permissions using the Client Credentials function allow for more granular access control within the CMS. Block Level Variations help international organisations make localised content changes while retaining overall brand consistency.
Continued extension strategy
The release emphasises an 'extension-first' approach, with expanded and documented extension points designed for robust customisation.
"We are committed to our CMS platform strategy of providing an extendable, future-proof foundation that grows and scales with your organisation. Umbraco takes a unique extension-first approach, where customisation is a first-class citizen. Umbraco 17 strengthens this aspect with even more extension points that are registered, documented, and supported, to ensure that organisations' customisations are robust," said Bech Larsen.
