EmDash releases: 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3

EmDash versions and release dates

The latest stable npm dist-tag is 1.3.0, as of 18 October 2026. GitHub, npm and the official blog published this release on 15 October.

Timestamp sources: GitHub release records and npm version metadata. npm’s earlier 1.0.0 entry is dated 27 April 2026. GitHub’s 1.0.1 notes explicitly identify that September release as EmDash 1.0.

EmDash 1.0: stable launch on 28 September 2026

The official 1.0 announcement introduces the stable Astro CMS and its public plugin registry. It describes sandboxed plugins, an admin built into the site, and APIs, a CLI and an MCP server for working with content.

The core release tag is emdash@1.0.1. Its notes remove APIs deprecated during 0.x and establish that future breaking changes belong in major releases. They also fix recreating deleted collections and WordPress media-link rewriting. Despite the patch-shaped version number, this is the 1.0 launch entry and includes breaking changes for 0.x sites.

Read the 0.x-to-1.0 migration guide before upgrading. For example, comment components move to emdash/ui/comments, and the deprecated experimental.registry setting moves to the top-level registry option.

EmDash 1.1: released 1 October 2026

The 1.1 announcement, published 2 October, highlights a publishing calendar, isolated HTML blocks with CSS and JavaScript, iframe embeds, faster image authoring and Microsoft Entra ID sign-in. An experimental WebMCP search component lets supported browser agents query published content.

The 1.1.0 release notes also fix collection pagination with empty sort fields and a Cloudflare setup failure when the site origin is unset. Custom renderers and content security policies need review before enabling the new rich-content blocks. See our EmDash 1.1 article for the Peachfin walkthrough.

EmDash 1.2: released 6 October 2026

The 1.2 announcement, published 7 October, introduces a redesigned editor, video blocks, numbered collection pages and an admin workflow for moving domains. It also adds the upgrade-emdash updater and improves Cloudflare startup.

The 1.2.0 release notes include changes to review before upgrading. Check the stored Site URL used for email links, locale-prefixed entry IDs, plugin install and activation hooks, and custom video renderers. Collection sitemaps now paginate at 2,000 entries; submit the sitemap index if you previously submitted an individual collection sitemap.

Our What’s new in EmDash 1.2 post documents testing all 34 Peachfin EmDash Astro themes with 1.2.0, including video blocks, on Node and Cloudflare Workers. Browse our Astro themes or Spec for a starting design. The Astro Pass covers the collection; the EmDash setup guide explains the theme workflow.

EmDash 1.3: released 15 October 2026

The 1.3 announcement, published 15 October, introduces readable revision history, a revised visual editing toolbar and image picker, and a Disallow AI training setting. Contributors can edit their own drafts, and EmDash 1.3 makes fewer database round trips on Cloudflare D1, making logged-out pages load faster on sites using D1 sessions without coalesce.

The 1.3.0 release notes include changes to review before upgrading. Check scoped plugin MCP tool names, guest byline settings, external auth role numbers and earlier ACF imports. Keep emdash and @emdash-cms/cloudflare on the same version.

Read What’s new in EmDash 1.3.

The pre-1.0 history

The CMS’s first npm version, 0.0.1, was published on 1 April 2026. Cloudflare announced the 0.1.0 preview that day. The GitHub release history then spans 42 distinct 0.x minor lines, 0.1 through 0.42, before the September launch. This counts minor lines rather than every patch; 0.25 is represented by 0.25.1. The earlier 0.0 line is excluded from that total. Source: the GitHub release history.

For adoption signals across that period, see EmDash statistics. Release frequency does not tell you how many sites upgraded.

How to check your version and upgrade

Follow the official update guide from your site’s project directory. Its preview command reads installed EmDash package versions and reports the proposed targets and intervening changes:

npx upgrade-emdash@latest --dry-run

To apply the dependency updates:

npx upgrade-emdash@latest

Read .emdash/UPGRADE.md, complete the relevant project actions, then build and check the site. The updater does not modify your application code, apply migrations or deploy. It requires EmDash 0.35.0 or later; the guide provides an intermediate upgrade route for older sites. --to selects a dist-tag, not an exact version.

The deployment instructions require a recovery point before starting or deploying when migrations or data-changing actions call for one. Keep emdash and @emdash-cms/cloudflare on matching versions. Check the admin, a public page, a disposable content edit and media upload, plus scheduled tasks and sandboxed plugins where used. Reinstalling an older package does not undo database migrations.

Where to follow EmDash releases

Read the official blog for summaries, GitHub releases for each package’s notes, and the core CHANGELOG for the core package history. npm metadata gives publication timestamps and distribution tags. The repository releases more than the core package, so check the package name as well as the version.

Plugins have their own release histories. Use the EmDash plugin directory to reach each publisher’s listing and review its requirements before updating.

MonographDesign portfolios with a photographic project indexSide QuestPersonal journals with dated timelinesFitting RoomFashion shops with portrait lookbooksSyllabusCourse sites with curriculum and lesson previews

See all 40 EmDash themes · WordPress to EmDash migration, from $990

Frequently asked questions

What is the latest stable EmDash release?

As of 18 October 2026, npm’s latest tag points to EmDash 1.3.0. GitHub and npm published it on 15 October; the official announcement appeared the same day.

Source: npm metadata and official announcement.

When was EmDash 1.0 released?

The official stable launch was 28 September 2026 and shipped as emdash@1.0.1. npm also records an earlier 1.0.0 package timestamp in April, which is not the September launch date.

Source: 1.0 announcement and npm metadata.

Does the EmDash updater deploy my site?

No. The updater changes dependencies and writes an upgrade work order. You still need to complete the project actions, build, handle any required migrations and deploy using the official update guide.

Source: update guide.