Release Notes

New features 

Version 11 Upgrade 

Version 11 offers a variety of bug fixes and UI improvements. We can now set a default page template so that site builders always have the appropriately themed page templates. A notable improvement in V11 is the ability to embed social media in content blocks. In the past, site builders needed to request an embed widget to add a YouTube video to a page. Now, YouTube content (as well as other social media content) can be embedding right into a content block. The original card widget was also experiencing bugs that will be fixed with this upgrade. Performance enhancements have been included as well and we will be testing these to see their impact in our environment. While a new user interface has been introduced with Sitefinity V11, we have decided not to activate it right away. We would like to see the new interface mature a little bit more before we adopt it.  For full version 11 release notes, please visit https://docs.sitefinity.com/release-notes  

RSS feed reader widget

A new RSS feed reader content type and widget allows site builders to show content from WordPress and other RSS feeds on their Sitefinity pages. Learn how to use the new RSS feed reader widget.

Accessibility

To enhance the website’s keyboard navigation capabilities and improve the accessibility of the site, we have added a “Skip to Content “ link, which becomes visible when using a keyboard to tab through a page’s content.  

Improvements

Page picker link for enhanced cards 

In the enhanced card content type, there is now the option to link to an internal Sitefinity page. This allows site builders to link to their own Sitefinity pages and still use their site’s secret “build” addresses (without the links breaking post launch). If both an external link and an internal link are added to the enhanced card, the external link will be used.  

Custom error pages 

Customized error pages have been added to add a friendlier experience when a visitor receives any of the following errors: 404 Not Found, 401 Authentication Required (lack of permissions),  or a 500 server side error.  While we hope you never have to come across an error page, if you do, we hope these make you smile. 

People content type

We have added the tagging field to the people content type. Site builders can now add and filter people using your own tags (for instance by programs they teach, tenure, etc).  We have also updated the widgets to hide the official job title if a web friendly job title has been added to a person’s record. 

Local footer mailto link 

The email address in the footer now has a mailto link to allow visitors to email the address more easily.

Font Awesome 5.3 upgrade 

We have upgraded the icon library to the latest Font Awesome 5.3 version. 

 

Accessibility updates 

The accordion widget and quick links menu all received ARIA updates. This improves the accessibility of these features, as suggested by Assistive Technology Partners. 

Fixed

Alphabetical sorting of enhanced cards 

We are adding a new “title” field to enhanced card which will allow site builders to sort cards alphabetically.  

In-page anchor menu scrolling 

Improvements to the anchor navigation’s scrolling behavior have been added, the anchor will no longer overlap the footer. Learn how to add an anchor menu to a page. 

Groundwork for future improvements

Infographic research 

We are investigating the feasibility of developing an accessible infographic solution.   

Degree program title classification 

The degree program title classification will be populated with a list of degrees from an authoritative source.  

Academic program content type 

The effort to plan, develop and populate a comprehensive Academic Program content type is ongoing.  Current timeline for release is the end of November. 

Performance improvements 

BlueModus has been engaged to review our environment and Sitefinity Implementation. We expect recommendations in the near future.