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6.0.0

Released on May 21, 2026 (working date — subject to change for the beta release)

Summary​

This is a major feature release for 6.0.0 — the first major version since 5.0 shipped in January 2021. Highlights include a completely redesigned admin UI built on Bootstrap 5 (Paradigm), AI features integrated throughout the product, a new notification system, and platform changes including a PHP 8.2 minimum and a utf8mb4 database default.

Read the migration guide before upgrading

6.0 removes the legacy default admin template, raises the PHP minimum to 8.2, converts the database to utf8mb4, and moves the cache directory above the document root. Review the v6 Migration Guide before running the upgrade.

Important Highlights​

  1. Entirely redesigned admin UI built on Bootstrap 5 (Paradigm); the legacy default admin template has been removed
  2. Added AI features integrated throughout Blesta with configurable provider, model, and bypass-protection settings
  3. Added AI chatbot for staff conversational assistance with toggle to hide the AI icon from the icon bar
  4. Added AI generation for email templates and HTML templates
  5. Added AI Summarize feature in Support Manager for faster ticket triage, with automated reply gating when staff have replied first
  6. Added a new notification system surfacing events to staff with timezone-aware timestamps
  7. Added a settings Iconbar and a reorganized settings navigation for faster access to common screens
  8. Added a redesigned dashboard with improved widgets, sortable widget placement, and a quick jump shortcut on the client profile
  9. Added a Task Execution Timeline view on the Automation page for visualizing cron task duration and ordering
  10. Added an optional Redis caching backend for dedicated environments needing performance headroom
  11. Added a system integrity check utility that verifies installed files against the signed release manifest
  12. Added a new utility for clearing all file caches from the admin UI
  13. Added file logs (previously file-only) accessible under Tools > Logs
  14. Added a Database Query Logger developer tool for identifying query bottlenecks
  15. Added utf8mb4 as the default database collation for new installs; existing databases are converted automatically during upgrade
  16. Added a signed release manifest (manifest.json) shipped with every release for integrity verification
  17. Added an unscripted/non-interactive flag (-y / --confirm) to the CLI upgrader for automated upgrades
  18. Added an image upload value type for Configurable Options
  19. Added a recurring billing consent checkbox to the order flow for compliance with payment networks
  20. Added separate light-mode and dark-mode logos and icons under Look and Feel
  21. Added a step-up authentication timer with an extend option for sensitive admin operations
  22. Added the ability for plugins to declare a navigation icon in config.json
  23. Added filtering to the Gateways, Modules, and Plugins list pages under Settings
  24. Added settings search keyword and description metadata for more accurate settings filtering
  25. Added the Example Objects Library — a standalone utility for assembling realistic sample data sets
  26. Upgraded CKEditor to a current version and restored the HTML source toggle
  27. Updated the GoCardless gateway to v2 of the upstream API
  28. Updated OpenSRS module with fixes to expiration/registration dates, nameservers, and additional TLD support
  29. Updated the OVH and OpenProvider domain modules to current upstream client library versions
  30. Standardized button language across the admin UI for a more consistent experience
  31. Migrated the codebase to PHP 8.2+ (supports 8.2, 8.3, and 8.4) and to Composer v2
  32. Moved the cache directory above the document root for improved security posture
  33. Removed Coinbase Commerce gateway — the service has been discontinued by the provider
  34. Removed staff color scheme options in favor of light/dark mode customization
  35. Much more...

Developer Notes for Blesta 6​

PHP 8​

Blesta 6.0 requires PHP 8.2 minimum. Supported versions are PHP 8.2, 8.3, and 8.4. PHP 7.x and PHP 8.0/8.1 are no longer supported.

We recommend PHP 8.3 for new installs. If you maintain third-party extensions or customizations, retest against your target PHP version after upgrading. Report any PHP 8.4 issues for Blesta or official extensions on our forums or Discord #support channel.

Composer v2​

Blesta 6.0 moves to Composer v2 and ships composer.lock in the distribution (no longer git-ignored). If you maintain extensions, ensure your Composer is at least 2.x and update your extension's composer.json as needed.

Plugin event validation​

Plugins can now halt model operations from event handlers. This is a meaningful API addition that lets plugins veto state changes from inside event listeners rather than after the fact. See the developer documentation for examples.

Plugin navigation icons​

Plugins can now declare an icon in config.json to provide a dedicated icon for the navigation bar. Existing plugins without an icon entry continue to render with the default placeholder.

Widget helper​

The widget helper has new options: skip the card-body wrapper to support full-card-width elements like tables, place filters in a card-filter-bar slot instead of the card header, and select a custom nav style. The expandable-row pattern moved from Bootstrap's data-bs-toggle="collapse" to a data-collapse-row attribute.

Bootstrap 5 admin UI​

The admin UI is now built on Bootstrap 5. Custom admin themes targeting the legacy default template will not work without conversion. The Paradigm template is now the only admin template; references to selecting an admin theme have been removed.

Domain Registrar Modules​

No metadata changes required from 5.13. Registrar modules continue to declare their type as registrar in their module metadata.

Hotfix Notice​

Hotfix Notice

Blesta 6.0 supports PHP 8.2, 8.3, and 8.4. PHP 7.x and PHP 8.0/8.1 are no longer supported. There are no Source Guardian or PHP 7.x hotfixes for the 6.x series — Ioncube is the only supported loader, and a single set of files supports all three PHP versions.

Client Template Changes​

The following client templates have been added or updated in this release. (To be populated from the v6 view tree at release time.)

New Client Templates​

Pending — list to be extracted from public_html/app/views/client/bootstrap/ against the 5.13.0 baseline.

Updated Client Templates​

Pending — same source as above.

Staff Template Changes​

The legacy public_html/app/views/admin/default/ template tree has been removed. All staff templates now live under public_html/app/views/admin/paradigm/. (Full list to be populated from the v6 view tree at release time.)

New Staff Templates​

Pending — list to be extracted from public_html/app/views/admin/paradigm/ at release time.

Updated Staff Templates​

Pending — same source as above.

All updates for this release​

New Features​

  • CORE-5559 — Admin assets updated to Bootstrap 5
  • CORE-5560 — structure.pdt updated to Bootstrap 5
  • CORE-5571 (epic) — AI Features integrated into Blesta
  • CORE-5572 — Blesta AI PHP Client Library integrated
  • CORE-5573 — Admin UI updated with Blesta AI configuration settings
  • CORE-5574 — AI features added to the core
  • CORE-5575 — AI features added to the Chatbot
  • CORE-5576 — AI features added to the Support Manager ticket system
  • CORE-5601 — Notification system added
  • CORE-5607 — Dashboard view updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5616 — Packages add/edit redesigned for Paradigm
  • CORE-5620 — Admin settings pages updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5621 — Billing view updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5625 — Tool pages updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5635 — Client views updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5640 — Support Manager admin views updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5641 — Domain Manager admin views updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5642 — CMS admin views updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5643 — Extension Generator admin views updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5644 — Client Documents admin views updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5645 — Reassign Pricing admin views updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5646 — Mass Mailer admin views updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5647 — Webhooks admin views updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5648 — Download Manager admin views updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5649 — Import Manager admin views updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5650 — Auto Cancel admin views updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5651 — PHP IDS admin views updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5652 — Sitebuilder admin views updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5653 — IP Unblocker admin views updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5654 — Order System admin views updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5674 — Settings Iconbar added
  • CORE-5675 — Settings navigation reorganized
  • CORE-5676 — Configurable Options redesigned to match the new design
  • CORE-5677 — Calendar updated to the new design
  • CORE-5681 — Example Objects Library — standalone utility for realistic sample data
  • CORE-5704 — Step-up authentication menu now includes a timer with an extend option
  • CORE-5740 — Search results page updated for Paradigm
  • CORE-5763 — Automation: Task Execution Timeline added
  • CORE-5764 — Utility added for clearing all file caches
  • CORE-5773 — Plugins can declare an icon in config.json for navigation
  • CORE-5779 — Bootstrap 5 module conversion
  • CORE-5785 — Order: recurring billing consent checkbox added
  • CORE-5789 — Configurable Options: image upload value type added
  • CORE-5790 — Signed release manifest implemented for upgrade verification
  • CORE-5792 — Look and Feel: light/dark logo and icon customization
  • CORE-5817 — System integrity check utility
  • CORE-5820 — Optional Redis caching for dedicated environments
  • CORE-5823 — File logs accessible under Tools > Logs
  • CORE-5826 — HTML Templates: AI generation
  • CORE-5845 — Support Manager: AI Summarize feature

Improvements​

  • CORE-4597 — CKEditor upgraded; HTML source toggle restored
  • CORE-5497 — Migration to Composer v2
  • CORE-5530 — CLI upgrade can now run unscripted (-y / --confirm)
  • CORE-5604 — OVH module: ovh/ovh client updated to v3
  • CORE-5605 — OpenProvider module: openprovider/rest-client-php updated to v2
  • CORE-5623 — Database Query Logger (developer tool) added
  • CORE-5632 — Dashboard improvements and fixes
  • CORE-5633 — blesta.js converted to vanilla JS (jQuery removed)
  • CORE-5634 — Various Paradigm dashboard UI issues resolved
  • CORE-5657 — Widget helper updates: skip card-body, card-filter-bar slot, custom nav style
  • CORE-5658 — Misc Paradigm UI polish
  • CORE-5672 — Default HTML template applied to email templates
  • CORE-5673 — Plugin Options column relabeled to Actions
  • CORE-5694 — Settings pages: search keyword and description metadata
  • CORE-5695 — Unused JS cleaned up
  • CORE-5700 — Markdown file handling reviewed for upload security
  • CORE-5701 — GoCardless: upgraded to v2 of the gateway
  • CORE-5708 — v6 client profile fixes (sidebar, widgets, invoice/quote/services widgets, edit flows, notes, contacts, quick jump)
  • CORE-5725 — Legacy admin/default template removed; Paradigm is the only admin template
  • CORE-5738 — Expandable rows pattern converted from data-bs-toggle="collapse" to data-collapse-row
  • CORE-5742 — Settings metadata refined for improved search filtering and internationalization
  • CORE-5745 — Settings pages updated to use the widget helper
  • CORE-5748 — Support Manager Paradigm implementation finalized
  • CORE-5753 — Support Manager: staff notifications
  • CORE-5754 — Order Manager: staff notifications
  • CORE-5755 — Gateways, Modules, Plugins listings: filtering added
  • CORE-5761 — Support Manager: image handling improvement
  • CORE-5765 — Domain Groups and Options hidden from Packages > Configurable Options
  • CORE-5768 — Default utf8mb4 collation for new installs; upgrade conversion for existing databases
  • CORE-5769 — Standardized button language throughout the admin UI
  • CORE-5770 — OpenSRS: expiration/registration date, nameservers, and additional TLD fixes
  • CORE-5773 — Plugins can declare a navigation icon
  • CORE-5775 — Cache directory moved above the document root
  • CORE-5782 — Staff theme color scheme options removed (superseded by light/dark mode)
  • CORE-5791 — Blesta AI: bypass protection added
  • CORE-5793 — Increased timeout for AI chat completions; markdown code fence handling improved
  • CORE-5803 — Extension logos: optional icon in config.json supported
  • CORE-5807 — PHP 8.2-8.4 core deprecation remediation
  • CORE-5811 — Some settings icons updated
  • CORE-5812 — Settings > System > Help: About Blesta updated; Resources page improved
  • CORE-5817 — System integrity check utility
  • CORE-5818 — Option to hide AI icon from the icon bar
  • CORE-5820 — Optional Redis caching for dedicated environments
  • CORE-5825 — Cancel buttons added to Invoice Edit, Quote Edit, Service Manage, Transactions Edit
  • CORE-5827 — Coinbase Commerce gateway removed (service discontinued)
  • CORE-5831 — Chatbot improvements
  • CORE-5836 — All extensions tagged and composer.json updated
  • CORE-5840 — Plugin Event Validation: plugins can halt model operations from event handlers
  • CORE-5842 — Disclaimer and confirmation added to AI system settings
  • CORE-5846 — Support Manager: prevent automated AI reply if staff member replies first
  • CORE-5847 — Payment gateway admin views updated for Paradigm

Bugs (notable user-visible fixes)​

  • CORE-5610 — PHP Object Injection in Custom Fields (security)
  • CORE-5611 — Password Reset Token Expiry Logic Error (security)
  • CORE-5691 — Potential Security Issues for Review in v6 (security)
  • CORE-5775 — Cache directory moved above docroot for improved security
  • CORE-5841 — Email snapshot ACL permissions added
  • CORE-5944 — Authorization Bypass in Client Managers (security)
  • CORE-5950 — Avatar images return 404 when PHP fileinfo is not installed
  • CORE-5951 — Notifications now work when Blesta is installed in a subdirectory

Many additional internal fixes, refactors, and regressions resolved during the v6 development cycle are not enumerated here. See the JIRA release notes for the complete list.

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