Sales [XenCustomize] News Publisher: Home Page, Portal & CMS 2.3.13

XenCustomize News Publisher v2.3.13 is released!​

We’re happy to release XenCustomize News Publisher v2.3.13, a major update focused on News Ticker improvements, native RSS export, better admin control, and performance optimization.

This version introduces native RSS export for both the main News Publisher index and news categories, along with new admin options to control feed availability, item limits, ordering, content mode, and thumbnail inclusion. This makes it much easier to syndicate your News Publisher content to RSS readers, aggregators, bots, and external services.

A large part of this update is dedicated to the News Ticker. Admins now have much more control over how the ticker behaves, including headline limit, cache lifetime, autoplay interval, thumbnail display, source categories, heading visibility, and mobile-specific thumbnail handling.

We have also added a new account preference option that allows users to hide the ticker when the admin chooses to allow that flexibility.

Behind the scenes, v2.3.13 also delivers an important performance upgrade to the News Ticker. Its loading flow, query handling, visibility filtering, caching strategy, and indexing have all been improved to reduce unnecessary database overhead and make ticker usage much more efficient, especially on larger sites.

To make all of these growing features easier to manage, the News Publisher options page has also been reorganized into clean tabbed sections, including dedicated areas for News Ticker and RSS Export settings.

This is a strong and meaningful update for News Publisher, bringing both powerful new capabilities and quality improvements across the addon.

New Features & Enhancements:​

• Added native RSS export for the News Publisher index and news categories.
• Added new admin options to control RSS feed availability, item limit, feed order, content mode, and thumbnail inclusion.
• Added a new admin option to control how many latest headlines are shown in the News Ticker.
• Added a new admin option to control the News Ticker cache lifetime.
• Added a new admin option to control how often the News Ticker automatically cycles headlines.
• Added a new admin option to show or hide thumbnails in the News Ticker.
• Added a new admin option to limit the News Ticker to selected source categories.
• Added a new admin option to allow users to hide the News Ticker from their account preferences.
• Added a new account preference so users can choose whether to show the News Ticker when the admin allows it.
• Improved the News Ticker layout on small screens for a cleaner mobile presentation with better headline readability.
• Added a new admin option to control whether the News Ticker heading label is shown on desktop, mobile, both, or hidden entirely.
• Added a new admin option to hide News Ticker thumbnails on narrow mobile screens when desired.
• Reorganized News Publisher admin options into tabbed sections to make related settings easier to find, including dedicated tabs for News Ticker and RSS export options.

Performance Improvements:​

• Optimized the News Ticker loading flow so ticker data is only prepared for valid public HTML requests where the ticker is enabled and viewable.
• Refactored the News Ticker query to use a leaner fetch process, removing unnecessary per-visitor relation joins and reducing database overhead.
• Updated News Ticker visibility checks to use viewable category IDs instead of permission cache joins inside the ticker query.
• Added permission-combination-aware ticker caching and refined it to use XenForo simple cache for broader compatibility across different installations.
• Added automatic ticker cache invalidation when news content changes.
• Added a composite database index to improve News Ticker lookups for visible news ordered by publish date.

Changed Templates:​

The following templates have had changes:

• core_xcu_nwp.less
• xcu_nwp_card_grid.less
• xcu_nwp_expanded_list.less
• xcu_nwp_standout_card_grid.less
• xcu_nwp_news.less
• xcu_nwp_news_list_macros
• xcu_nwp_news_ticker
• xcu_nwp_news_ticker.less
• xcu_nwp_rss_content
• xcu_nwp_option_macros

Important Upgrade Notes:​

• When upgrading, please make sure you overwrite all addon files with the latest version files.
• After upgrading, please check your Outdated Templates page and either revert or merge/integrate these templates to ensure that all new changes are applied.

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XenCustomize News Publisher v2.3.12.1 is released!​

This is a small maintenance update that fixes an undefined variable error when creating news and removes a duplicate title assignment in the Create service. A quick but important patch for smooth publishing.

Bug Fixes​

• Fixed an undefined variable issue in the news creation process that prevented reading time from being calculated when publishing new stories. (Reported by @PhineasD)
• Corrected duplicate title assignment in the Create service.

XenCustomize News Publisher v2.3.11 has been released​

This update introduces several improvements and visual improvements requested by users to improve usability and design consistency.

You can now manage the sorting of content in the Latest News widget – by publication date, last updated, or even randomly for variety. On mobile, comment action buttons are now neatly grouped in a drop-down list, providing a cleaner and more intuitive experience.

We've also improved the visibility of tag editing by adding a clear edit icon next to the Related Topics section, making it easier to manage tags directly from the news page.

Finally, this issue introduces our updated News Publisher icon and updated default thumbnails for the first time, giving the expansion a modern and sophisticated look.

New features and improvements:​

• Widget: Order option display (sponsor @@hakyangler)
  • Added a new display order control for the Latest News widget.
  • Administrators can now choose the order in which news is displayed in the widget:
    • Publication date – show the newest published news first.
    • Last update – show the latest updated news first (by default, as before).
    • Random order - Change the order of the news for more variety.
  • This update provides more flexibility and control over how news is displayed in different widget placements.
  • Notes:
    • Existing latest news widgets will continue to automatically use the latest update to ensure compatibility.
    • New widget instances will also be updated by default with the latest update, unless you choose a different order.
• Mobile: Comment actions drop-down menu (supported by @@hakyangler)
  • Action links with comments (e.g., Delete, Reassign, IP, Warn) are now grouped in a drop-down menu on mobile devices.
  • Follows the native XenForo design and provides a cleaner and more compact layout for mobile users.
• Improved visibility of tag editing (with support for @@hakyangler)
  • Added a visible edit icon next to the "Similar Topics" heading when tag editing is allowed.
  • Makes it clearer that tags can be added and edited directly from the news view page.

Branding and visual updates​

• Updated product icon and default thumbnails
  • Replaced the official News Publisher product badge with an all-new, modern design.
  • Updated all standard news thumbnails that come with the add-on to reflect the new branding style.
    • data/assets/xcu_news_publisher/Default-News-Thumbnail-Square.webp
    • data/assets/xcu_news_publisher/Default-News-Thumbnail-Landscape.webp

Bug fixes:​

• Improved handling of default thumbnails
  • Fixed an issue where news articles without a thumbnail and cover image backup would sometimes not display the default thumbnail.
  • Templates now always display the default thumbnail if the thumbnail and cover image backup are missing.
  • Provides consistent visuals across search results, widgets, carousels, and other lists.

Modified templates:​

The following templates have been changed:

• widget_def_options_xcu_nwp_latest_news
• search_result_nwp_news
• trending_content_item_nwp_news
• xcu_nwp_comment_macros
• xcu_nwp_news_list_macros
• xcu_nwp_news_wrapper_macros

Note: After upgrading, check the "Legacy Templates" page and either discard the changes or merge/integrate these templates to make sure all changes have been applied.

XenCustomize News Publisher 2.3.10 is Here! ​

We're thrilled to announce the latest update for XenCustomize News Publisher, packed with features designed to give you more control and enhance your content's reach!

This version introduces configurable Schema.org markup for news items, requested by @AndryOsminin @questlot, allowing you to precisely align your content with Article, NewsArticle, or BlogPosting types for improved SEO.

We've also implemented a request (by @hakyangler) to restrict authors from reacting to their own news stories, fostering fairer engagement. For those who want to allow users to react to their own news stories, our XenCustomize React to Own Content addon now include this functionality.

For those who love to customize, (suggested by @Matt C.) we've added a class identifier for compact display mode, making styling news items even easier. Plus, we've improved API data results for developers, offering more comprehensive information for integrations.

This release also includes important bug fixes for missing alert templates, ensuring a smoother alert experience.

Upgrade today to take advantage of these powerful new enhancements and keep your news section running flawlessly!

New Features & Enhancements:​

• Added an admin setting to choose the Schema.org structured data type for news items — improves SEO alignment with content type. Options include:
  • Article
  • NewsArticle
  • BlogPosting
• Restrict authors from reacting to their own news stories.
• Added class identifier for compact display mode, allowing for easier CSS customization of news items in this display mode.
• Improved API result data for News items, exposing additional properties.

Bug Fixes:​

• Fixed a missing alert template issue causing the error: "[E_USER_WARNING] Template public:alert_user_nwp_news_move is unknown".
• Fixed a missing alert template issue causing the error: "[E_USER_WARNING] Template public:alert_user_nwp_news_approve is unknown".

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XenCustomize News Publisher 2.3.9 is Here! ​

We’re excited to bring you a feature-packed update with some fresh improvements to elevate your news publishing experience.

You can now display a stylish “About the Author” section with the author’s avatar, name, title, and bio. This section uses the “About you” field from the user’s profile and only appears if it’s filled out. You also have full control over the placement - choose to show it below the news story, in the sidebar, or not at all. Thanks to @PhineasD for commissioning and sponsoring the development of this feature!

Tags now appear in a dedicated block below the content. We’ve given them a cleaner look to make related topics stand out better and offer a more modern feel.

We’ve resolved a missing alert template issue that was causing errors related to mentions.

This update is all about polish, personalization, and presentation. Thanks for your continued support - we hope you love the new update!

XenCustomize News Publisher 2.3.8 is Here! ​

We’re excited to bring you another feature update this month, packed with powerful new features, styling improvements, and bug fixes to enhance your news publishing experience!

One of the major updates in this release is the ability to change news dates and times. Admins and editorial teams can now modify both the publish date & time and the last edit date & time, ensuring greater flexibility and accuracy when managing news stories. To maintain consistency, the system prevents setting a last update date before the publish date, and future-dated entries are restricted. Additionally, full timezone support has been added, ensuring accurate timestamp conversions across different regions.

We have also introduced two new display styles for the "Latest News" widget! You can now showcase your latest news using a Carousel Slider, a dynamic scrolling display that enhances user engagement. Additionally, we’ve added a Carousel Slider (Card Grid) option, which retains the structured layout of the Card Grid while incorporating the interactive slider effect. These new styles are not designed for sidebar positions but work beautifully in larger widget areas.

Another requested feature in this update is the Avatar Display Toggle. A new style property now allows admins to enable or disable avatars across all display modes, including Card Grid, Compact List, Expanded List, and Standout Card Grid. This provides greater customization and control without needing to edit templates.

To improve the Card Grid display mode, we have also fixed an issue where news titles could wrap unexpectedly, ensuring a more consistent layout. Additionally, Open Graph and Twitter card images now use getCoverImage() instead of getThumbnailUrl(), improving the accuracy of image selection when sharing news on social media.

Finally, this release includes several important bug fixes, addressing issues with category permissions, missing email templates, and missing phrases. These fixes ensure smoother functionality and a more polished experience for both admins and users.

Special thanks to @80sDude and @SeriousRat for commissioning the new features.

Upgrade today and enjoy the latest improvements. As always, we appreciate your feedback, and if you find this update useful, don’t forget to leave a review!

• Change News Dates & Times
  • Added the ability to modify the news publish date & time.
  • Added the ability to update the last edit date & time for accurate record-keeping.
  • Ensured that the last update date cannot be set before the publish date.
  • Implemented restrictions on future-dated entries for consistency.
  • Timezone support added to ensure accurate timestamp conversions based on the user’s timezone.
• Latest News Widget: New Display Styles
  • Carousel Slider: A dynamic slider-based display for showcasing recent news. (Not designed for sidebar positions.)
  • Carousel Slider (Card Grid): A slider using the Card Grid display mode for a more visually engaging layout.
• Avatar Display Toggle
  • Added a style property setting to toggle avatars on or off in all display modes.
  • Available separately for: Card Grid, Compact List, Expanded List, and Standout Card Grid.
  • Provides per-style control without needing template edits.
• Styling Improvements for Card Grid Display Mode
  • Prevented news title from wrapping unexpectedly, ensuring layouts remain intact.

• News view page now prioritizes the description field over message for metadata snippets.
• Open Graph and Twitter card images now use getCoverImage() instead of getThumbnailUrl(), providing a more reliable fallback for news thumbnails.

• Fixed category permission classes not matching the correct formatter pattern.
• Fixed missing template causing the error: "Template email:xcu_nwp_watched_news_update is unknown".
• Fixed a missing phrase on News category permission page.
• Fixed a couple of missing phrases xcu_nwp_news_x_watched_news_updated and xcu_nwp_watched_news_update_email_html.