Release Highlights

CMS 8.30 - Release highlights

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Release schedule:

The Pangea CMS 8.30 release is scheduled for March 12th 2024 at the times listed below:

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
  • Prague time: 06:00 am - 07:30 am
  • DC / Miami time: 01:00 am - 02:30 am
Voice of America
  • DC / Miami time: 03:30 am - 05:00 am
  • Prague time: 08:30 am - 10:00 am
Office of Cuba Broadcasting
  • DC / Miami time: 05:00 am - 06:00 am
  • Prague time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am
LibertyNet
  • Prague time: 07:30 am - 08:30 am
  • DC / Miami time: 02:30 am - 03:30 am


What's new?


New builder for Sections, Infopages, Regions, Landings, and YMAL

We're happy to present a new and improved builder for the following pages and segments in Pangea CMS:

  • Sections
  • Infopages
  • Regions
  • Landings
  • You Might Also Like (YMAL)

We've reviewed and optimized the entire workflow for building these pages / segments. You can look forward to:

  • A simplified method for managing widgets and layout blocks, with no more drag and drop.
  • Reorganized settings, with a clear description for each option.
  • New features, such as Preview and Custom URL.

For a summary of the main changes, see our dedicated guide:



Flourish added to allowed external media embeds

Flourish is now included on the list of allowed external media embeds. This means you can conveniently embed a Flourish visual using just an embed code.

Flourish is a tool for data visualization and storytelling. Using Flourish, you can make animated graphs, charts, maps, quizzes, and more.

To learn more about Embed external media items in Pangea CMS, see the following article:

To learn how to retrieve an embed code via Flourish, see the following external article from the Flourish Help Center:



Review of allowed external media embeds

We've reviewed and updated the list of allowed external media embeds in Pangea CMS. This list lets you check the external media items that can be embedded using just an embed code / URL.

You might notice the following improvements:

  • We've removed redundant items that are no longer used or no longer exist.
  • We've created a fresh new look with bigger icons, so you can browse the available options more easily.
  • We've updated the requirements for each embed. Hover over the ? icon to see what you need to embed the item (embed code or URL).

To learn more about Embed external media items in Pangea CMS, see the following article:



Sensitive content warnings in Slider galleries

When you create a new Slider Gallery in Pangea CMS, you can now add a sensitive content warning for any image pair. When an image pair includes a sensitive content warning, the image pair is censored on the public site. To view the image pair, a visitor must first hit Click to reveal.

We suggest adding a sensitive content warning if one or both of the images in the pair might be offensive, disturbing, or upsetting for certain audiences.



Access the "Now" button with a single click

The Now button is now accessible directly on the Publication options dialog. Previously, this button was only accessible via the date and time picker. This improvement was implemented based on feedback from CMS users.

Hit Now to instantly fill the current date and time under Last update. This is useful if the same content page is updated multiple times and you need to update the last update information on the page.



New names for primary navigation menus

In the primary navigation in Pangea CMS, we've changed the names for the following menus:

  • New is now Create
  • Sections is now Build
  • Scheduler is now Stream

The aim is to better communicate the purpose of each menu for new CMS users.



"Main image" renamed to "Main visual"

The Main image setting is now renamed to Main visual on all content page edit screens in Pangea CMS.

The aim is to better communicate that the Main image (now Main visual) does not need to be an image. Depending which type of content page you are editing, you might use the following items as the Main visual on the page:

  • Dynamic infographics
  • Image
  • Loop video
  • Photo gallery
  • Slider gallery
  • Video



New Pangea CMS Guide

The new Pangea CMS Guide is now published on the Pangea Showcase site. In this guide, find simple how-to articles that describe the main features in Pangea CMS. This is a helpful resource for new CMS users, as well as experienced CMS users who want to learn about unfamiliar features.

Each tile points to a dedicated landing page, where you can browse all the articles on a particular topic.

Access the new Pangea CMS Guide via the link below:



YouTube Music replaces Google Podcasts

From March 2024, Google plans to retire the Google Podcasts platform. Instead of operating this platform, Google will be increasing its investment to the podcast experience on YouTube Music. Learn more via the YouTube Official Blog:

You can expect the following changes after the CMS 8.30 release:

  • On the Edit Category (Zone) screen in Pangea CMS:
    • The Google Podcasts URL field will be removed.
    • The YouTube Music URL field will be added.
  • On the public site:
    • The Google Podcasts link will be removed from the subscription options dialog.

If your service transfers a podcast from Google Podcasts to YouTube Music, you will need to go to the Edit Category (Zone) screen in Pangea CMS and add the new third-party URL under YouTube Music URL.

After you perform this action, the YouTube Music link will be added to the subscription options dialog for the podcast.

For information about podcast management in Pangea CMS, see the following article:



New embed codes for YouTube playlists

YouTube recently started generating a new type of embed code for playlists. This caused issues with embedding some YouTube playlists on Pangea sites. We have now updated our code to support the new embed codes. After the 8.30 release, embedded YouTube playlists will be displayed without issues.

Because of this update, some YouTube playlists embedded using old embed codes might display an error on the public site. To resolve this issue, embed the playlist again using a new embed code from YouTube.

To learn how to retrieve the embed code for a YouTube playlist, see the following external article from YouTube Help:

To learn more about Embed external media items in Pangea CMS, see the following article:



A new solution for the editorial bar is in progress

The editorial bar has been missing since the CMS 8.29 release. This issue was caused by an attempted fix, with which we aimed to circumvent new limitations on third-party cookie sharing imposed by Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. The editorial bar is dependent on third-party cookies to know when you are logged in to Pangea CMS.

We have now identified an effective long-term solution, which will allow the editorial bar to stay on Pangea sites (despite the limitations on third-party cookie sharing). Our solution will require significant development, including new functionality in Pangea CMS to let users manually allow the editorial bar. Because of the extended scope, the new solution is not part of the CMS 8.30 release. However, this task is one of our top priorities for the CMS 8.31 release (currently scheduled for April 23rd 2024).

We understand that the editorial bar is popular and heavily-used feature. We thank you for your patience while we implement the new solution.