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Pangea 8.45 - Release highlights

Pangea 8.45 - Release highlights video
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Pangea 8.45 - Release highlights video

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Release schedule:

The Pangea 8.45 release is scheduled for January 27, 2026 at the times listed below:

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
  • Prague time: 6:00 AM - 7:30 AM
  • DC / Miami time: 12:00 AM - 1:30 AM
Voice of America
  • DC / Miami time: 2:30 AM - 4:00 AM
  • Prague time: 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Office of Cuba Broadcasting
  • DC / Miami time: 4:00 AM - 5:00 AM
  • Prague time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
LibertyNet
  • Prague time: 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
  • DC / Miami time: 1:30 AM - 2:30 AM


What's new?


New streamlined layout for articles

We're introducing a streamlined one-column layout for articles and other text content pages. This more intuitive structure helps readers stay focused on the story, based on insights from research interviews with website readers.

The new one-column layout will be introduced for the following types of text content pages:

  • Article, Blog, Feature, News, Transcript

You can learn more about the changes below:

Summary of changes

At the top of the article:

  • (A): The key article metadata (category, author, publication date & time) is now centralized in one column together with the title.
  • (B): Action buttons ('Listen', 'Share', 'See comments', 'Print') are now grouped together in one toolbar above the main visual.
  • (C): The title is smaller on desktop for better content visibility without scrolling.

All elements are centralized, creating a linear path for the eye. This reduces cognitive load and matches how most people naturally read.

At the bottom of the article:

  • (A): A new horizontal line clearly signals the end of the story.
  • (B): We've added action buttons ('Share', 'See comments') for readers who want to take these actions after reading the story.

Related content has a simplified new design without images. We've also changed the placement on desktop, so Related content now appears at the bottom of the story on all devices. This prioritizes the reading experience, allowing readers to finish the current article before considering related links.

Changes in Pangea CMS

We've updated the article edit page in Pangea CMS to match the new layout for published articles. On the Editor subpage, the position of the following buttons has changed:

  • (A): Add Categories
  • (B): Add authors
  • (C): Now
  • (D): Add Related content

On the Editor subpage, 'Add Related content' is now below the article body. To avoid scrolling on longer articles, use 'Related content' in the left panel.



New overlay for comments

On all content pages with commenting enabled, comments now appear in an overlay rather than directly on the page. This creates a cleaner design and reduces the length of the page, which is especially important for readers scrolling on mobile devices.

To open comments, readers can hit the See comments button. This appears both at the top and bottom of the article for enhanced visibility. If readers have already left comments, the number of comments appears on the button.



Region retirement

Regions have been retired and will automatically disappear from Pangea websites after the 8.45 release.

Find more details below:

A Region is a collection of widgets that appears on article pages (at the side of the page on desktop and below the main content on mobile devices).

The decision to retire Regions was made in consultation with RFE/RL news division management for the following reasons:

  • For readers on mobile, Regions can create an overwhelming experience with too much content stacked below the article body.
  • For readers on desktop, Regions can disrupt the reading experience and increase cognitive load. Removal of the side panel including the Region is essential to achieve the streamlined one-column layout.

No action is required. However, you may want to review the content promoted through Regions and implement alternative promotion strategies.

Consider these alternatives:

  • You Might Also Like (YMAL): A collection of widgets that appears at the bottom of the article. Each article automatically displays the YMAL assigned to its Primary Category.
  • Core navigation: Elements (such as Primary and Footer navigation) that appear on every page and typically include links to key pages.
  • Related content: A collection of content links that appears at the bottom of the article. Editors can add Related content manually for each article.
  • See also links: Card-style links (similar to social media previews) that editors can manually add inside the article body.

Migrating content from Regions to YMAL

Be selective with YMAL content. We don't recommend automatically transferring everything from a Region to its corresponding YMAL. Instead:

  1. Review both the Region and YMAL for each Category.
  2. Select the content that provides the most value to readers.
  3. Display only this high-value content in the YMAL.

For detailed guidance and tips on how to optimize YMAL, see the following article:

In Pangea CMS, Regions will stay accessible and available to view until after the 8.46 release (March 24, 2026). After this date, all Regions will be removed from Pangea CMS and the Regions list will no longer be available via ‘Build’ in the primary navigation.

If you would like advice or assistance on how to promote the content from your Regions, please contact Pangea Customer Care. We will be happy provide tips and practical training on how to work with Pangea CMS features.



Slide-in widget retirement

Slide-in widgets have been retired and will automatically disappear from Pangea websites after the 8.45 release.

Find more details below:

A Slide-in widget is a special widget that slides in at the bottom of an article page after a reader starts scrolling.

The decision to retire Slide-in widgets was made in consultation with RFE/RL news division management for the following reasons:

  • Website data shows very low audience engagement with Slide-in widgets.
  • During research interviews, website readers reported that Slide-in widgets are disruptive to the reading experience, especially on smaller mobile screens.

No action is required. However, you may want to review the content promoted through Slide-in widgets and implement alternative promotion strategies.

Consider these alternatives:

  • You Might Also Like (YMAL): A collection of widgets that appears at the bottom of the article. Each article automatically displays the YMAL assigned to its Primary Category.
  • Core navigation: Elements (such as Primary and Footer navigation) that appear on every page and typically include links to key pages.
  • Related content: A collection of content links that appears at the bottom of the article. Editors can add Related content manually for each article.
  • See also links: Card-style links (similar to social media previews) that editors can manually add inside the article body.

For detailed guidance and tips on how to optimize YMAL, see the following article:

In Pangea CMS, Slide-in widgets will stay accessible and available to view until after the 8.45 release (January 27, 2026). After this date, all Slide-in widgets will be removed from Pangea CMS and the Slide-in widgets list will no longer be available via ‘Build’ in the primary navigation.

If you would like advice or assistance on how to promote the content from your Slide-in widgets, please contact Pangea Customer Care. We will be happy provide tips and practical training on how to work with Pangea CMS features.



AI Audio narration - New disclaimer

We've updated and redesigned the disclaimer that appears with the Listen button on text content pages. Now, the disclaimer appears when a reader hits the info button — it's no longer visible directly on the page.

New disclaimer text

Following a request from RFE/RL news division management, we've also updated the global disclaimer text. The global text is now:

  • This audio is automated

Site admins should update local texts to reflect the new global text. This text can be managed on the Site localization page in Pangea CMS using the following key:

  • ArticleNarration.AIGenerated

Option to add 'Learn more' link

Sites can add a Learn more link to the disclaimer that opens an Infopage with information about your site's AI policy. (RFE/RL news division management will distribute standard text for this page.)

Contact Pangea Customer Care to add a 'Learn more' link to your website's Audio narration disclaimer. In your request, please include:

  • The URL for the link.
  • The 'Learn more' text in your local language.



AI Audio narration - ElevenLabs becomes additional provider

The Audio narration feature can now be powered by either of the following third-party service providers:

  • ElevenLabs (NEW)
  • Azure AI

ElevenLabs supports fewer languages compared to Azure AI, but can offer higher quality audio with more natural-sounding speech for some languages.

Find more details below:

Follow the steps below:

1) Check if your language is supported

A list of the supported languages for ElevenLabs is available here:

2) Try the different voice options

If your language is supported, create a free ElevenLabs account and try the available voice options for your language with any sample text. To sign in or create a new account, click this link:

ElevenLabs free accounts limit the amount of text you can convert to audio. To hear full articles in audio format, contact Pangea Customer Care. We can create and share extended audio samples in each of your shortlisted voices.

3) Contact Pangea Customer Care

Contact Pangea Customer Care if you would like to proceed with enabling Audio narration for your website. In your request, please include the language and the name of the specific voice you want to use from ElevenLabs.

Yes. If your website already uses Audio narration with Azure AI and you are happy with the voice quality, no action is required.

To learn more about Audio narration, see the following article:



Simplified process for embedding content

In Pangea CMS, we've simplified the process for inserting embedded content on articles and other text content pages.

On the Select layout dialog, you see all the available layouts with a supporting graphic for each option. Conveniently select the layout you want to use with one click.

For detailed information about how to insert embedded content, see the following article:



Action bar - New 'Newsletter' button option

Websites can now add a Newsletter button to the action bar. This button shows an envelope icon.

To add a 'Newsletter' button to your action bar, contact Pangea Customer Care. In your request, please include:

  • The URL for the link (normally your newsletter subscription page).
  • The button title in your local language.
  • Your desired order for the buttons.
  • If you want the new button to replace an existing button.

NOTE: On mobile, the Search button always appears in the action bar. We recommend showing a maximum of 3-4 additional buttons, though this may vary depending on button size.

For detailed information about the action bar and other core navigation elements, see the following article:



Section titles move to the page body

We've moved Section titles from the header into the page body on desktop. This makes titles more visible and helps visitors navigate your site with confidence.

Title graphics and banners

On Section pages that display traditional title banners, you'll now see both the plain title and the banner together. (The plain title will appear directly above the banner.)

To avoid this duplication, choose one of the following options:

  • Remove the title banners to show only the plain title.
  • Replace title banners with title graphics using the 'Title graphic' feature on the Section edit page in Pangea CMS. To learn more, see the following article:



Smaller page titles on desktop

Most page titles are now smaller on desktop. This balances title prominence with content visibility, so visitors can see more of your page without scrolling. The title size remains unchanged on mobile.

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