In this release of BLOX NXT (version 0.20.0), we are introducing several key editorial features and improvements, including Batch Edit for making changes to multiple assets at once, enhanced workflow fields in Editorial search, a new "More" button for asset actions, and a right-click context menu for quick actions. Additionally, improvements have been made for print compatibility, collaborative locking for editorial assets, site-specific AI settings, and clearer social summary inheritance. Furthermore, site tags field has been restored, and a new full-screen details view has been added for managing third-party and free circulation services. Data features include a Trending Widget that now links to an asset performance dashboard. Bug fixes have addressed issues related to saved searches, Authors modal, inline asset videos, and UI issues in search screens.
You can now make changes to multiple assets at once in NXT. Editors can select assets from List, Grid, or Summary views using checkboxes with support for Shift+Click and Ctrl/Cmd+Click, then take action using a new Selection Bar that appears at the bottom of the screen. From there, you can perform batch updates to metadata such as Sections, Sites, Flags, and Authors. Even more options will be rolled out over time.
Select All is supported across entire search sets, and actions like View or Edit adapt based on your selection count. All bulk updates run as background tasks with a full log of changes, helping editors work faster and more efficiently across large groups of content.
A new "More" button has been added to all asset interfaces in NXT, offering a dropdown menu with frequently used actions to streamline workflows and reduce clutter. Positioned alongside primary action buttons, this menu consolidates less common but important options into a single, accessible location.
Editors can now quickly Duplicate assets (with “(copy)” appended to the headline), Archive content via a modal with a customizable date, or schedule a Delete action with a clearly highlighted confirmation. This update enhances usability and supports faster, more organized asset management.
We've introduced a right-click context menu in the Editorial application, bringing back a familiar and efficient workflow from our legacy CMS. Users can now right-click on asset rows in search views or from the Asset Library toolkit to quickly access common actions like Edit, Preview, Live View, Duplicate, Delete, and more—without navigating through top-level menus. The menu supports both single and multi-select, respects current tab state, and follows our design system for consistency. This update helps high-volume editors work faster with fewer clicks.
BLOX NXT Software Release - 0.20.0 - Gallery
You can now make changes to multiple assets at once in NXT. Editors can select assets from List, Grid, or Summary views using checkboxes with support for Shift+Click and Ctrl/Cmd+Click, then take action using a new Selection Bar that appears at the bottom of the screen. From there, you can perform batch updates to metadata such as Sections, Sites, Flags, and Authors. Even more options will be rolled out over time.
Select All is supported across entire search sets, and actions like View or Edit adapt based on your selection count. All bulk updates run as background tasks with a full log of changes, helping editors work faster and more efficiently across large groups of content.
Key "Workflow" fields were missing from the Editorial application, limiting filtering and column customization options.
A new "More" button has been added to all asset interfaces in NXT, offering a dropdown menu with frequently used actions to streamline workflows and reduce clutter. Positioned alongside primary action buttons, this menu consolidates less common but important options into a single, accessible location.
Editors can now quickly Duplicate assets (with “(copy)” appended to the headline), Archive content via a modal with a customizable date, or schedule a Delete action with a clearly highlighted confirmation. This update enhances usability and supports faster, more organized asset management.
We've introduced a right-click context menu in the Editorial application, bringing back a familiar and efficient workflow from our legacy CMS. Users can now right-click on asset rows in search views or from the Asset Library toolkit to quickly access common actions like Edit, Preview, Live View, Duplicate, Delete, and more—without navigating through top-level menus. The menu supports both single and multi-select, respects current tab state, and follows our design system for consistency. This update helps high-volume editors work faster with fewer clicks.
Previously, locked assets could not be opened in NXT Admin, but now users can enter a read-only mode to view asset details without editing—enhancing usability while preserving lock integrity from the legacy system.
Editorial Features and Improvements
Batch Edit Now Available in NXT Editorial
You can now make changes to multiple assets at once in NXT. Editors can select assets from List, Grid, or Summary views using checkboxes with support for Shift+Click and Ctrl/Cmd+Click, then take action using a new Selection Bar that appears at the bottom of the screen. From there, you can perform batch updates to metadata such as Sections, Sites, Flags, and Authors. Even more options will be rolled out over time.
Select All is supported across entire search sets, and actions like View or Edit adapt based on your selection count. All bulk updates run as background tasks with a full log of changes, helping editors work faster and more efficiently across large groups of content. 📸 (CMSADMIN-1204)Support for "Workflow" Fields in Editorial Search and Columns
Key "Workflow" fields were missing from the Editorial application, limiting filtering and column customization options. 📸 (CMSADMIN-1204)New “More” Button Consolidates Asset Actions
A new "More" button has been added to all asset interfaces in NXT, offering a dropdown menu with frequently used actions to streamline workflows and reduce clutter. Positioned alongside primary action buttons, this menu consolidates less common but important options into a single, accessible location.
Editors can now quickly Duplicate assets (with “(copy)” appended to the headline), Archive content via a modal with a customizable date, or schedule a Delete action with a clearly highlighted confirmation. This update enhances usability and supports faster, more organized asset management. 📸 (CMSADMIN-1059)Right-Click Context Menu for Quick Actions in Editorial
We've introduced a right-click context menu in the Editorial application, bringing back a familiar and efficient workflow from our legacy CMS. Users can now right-click on asset rows in search views or from the Asset Library toolkit to quickly access common actions like Edit, Preview, Live View, Duplicate, Delete, and more—without navigating through top-level menus. The menu supports both single and multi-select, respects current tab state, and follows our design system for consistency. This update helps high-volume editors work faster with fewer clicks. 📸 (CMSADMIN-1270)rel Attribute Removed from Editor Links for Print Compatibility
We've updated link behavior in the editor to remove the rel attribute from content links. After saving an article, the HTML payload will no longer include rel tags on links, ensuring compatibility with current print workflows and future-proofing for systems like InDesign. (CMSADMIN-1397)Trim for Print Now Supported in NXT Editor
We've added Trim for Print functionality to the NXT editor for TotalCMS users, allowing editors to mark sections of an article to be excluded from print output—just like in the legacy CMS. This improvement helps streamline print layout workflows by preventing unwanted content from being pulled into InDesign.
Editors can now highlight text and apply the Trim for Print tag via the Formatting Pallet alongside other inline tools. Pre-existing trims are also visibly indicated in the editor, ensuring full support for integrated digital and print workflows. (CMSADMIN-1357)Enhanced Print Properties Support for TotalCMS Clients
For TotalCMS clients, we've updated the Print Properties section in NXT to better support print workflows. The Notes field now allows multiple lines, making it easier for newsrooms to communicate detailed instructions to designers. We've also restored the missing Print-ready image file (color) and Print-ready image file (BW) fields for image assets, aligning with what was available in legacy BLOX. (CMSADMIN-1267)Clearer Social Summary Inheritance and Validation Feedback
The Social Summary field now clearly displays its fallback value (from Summary or Body Copy) as placeholder text, resolving previous confusion about what content would be used when the field was left empty—while also improving dynamic validation messages in the Article Assistant. (CMSADMIN-1199)Site Tags Field Restored in NXT Editorial and Syndication Panels
The Site Tags field—previously missing in NXT—has been added to the metadata panels in both Editorial and Syndication, restoring parity with legacy BLOX and enabling editors to manage multi-site tagging, targeting, and distribution workflows. (CMSADMIN-1376)View Locked Assets in Read-Only Mode
Previously, locked assets could not be opened in NXT Admin, but now users can enter a read-only mode to view asset details without editing—enhancing usability while preserving lock integrity from the legacy system. 📸 (CMSADMIN-1396)Collaborative Locking for Editorial Assets in NXT
The NXT Admin now supports collaborative locking, allowing multiple users to edit the same article simultaneously when collaboration is enabled—while still respecting lock states from both legacy BLOX and TCMS to ensure cross-platform consistency. (CMSADMIN-1434)Site-Specific AI Settings for Content Management
AI Settings in Content Management are now site-specific, allowing newsroom editors to enable or disable AI tools independently for each domain. Previously, settings were tied to individual users and applied globally, meaning activating AI on one site would affect all others the user could access.
With this update, editors can experiment with AI features on a single site without impacting others, supporting more controlled rollouts and testing. The AI Settings interface clearly displays the active site context to ensure editors understand changes apply only to the selected domain. (CMSADMIN-1053)Improved Slug Field Placement in Metadata Drawer
Based on client feedback, we’ve elevated the Slug field in the Metadata drawer for all asset types. It now appears at the top of the panel—above Sections—with a link icon, making it easier to find and edit without digging through Properties or Print Properties. (CMSADMIN-1344)
Community Features and Improvements
Apple Pay & Google Pay Indicators in Payment Methods
Apple Pay and Google Pay icons are now displayed on stored payment methods, making it easier for Customer Service Reps to distinguish digital wallet payments from regular cards. These payment types, along with PayPal, cannot currently be reused to start new subscriptions in the New Start Wizard. Apple Pay and Google Pay are in closed beta and require Premium Credit Card Management. To learn more about upgrading, submit a ticket or contact your sales representative. (CMSADMIN-1198)New Full-Screen Details View for Third-Party & Free Circulation Services
We have added a full-screen Details View in BLOX NXT’s subscription Service Management application, for managing 3rd- party circulation services, as well as Free. This improvement streamlines admin access to third-party and nonpaid service types such as Naviga, Newzware, Visiondata, and more. (CMSADMIN-835)
Data Features and Improvements
Trending Widget Now Links to Asset Performance Dashboard
Now, when you click on a story in the widget, you’ll be taken directly to that asset’s Stats tab, instead of the content outline. This provides quicker access to detailed performance insights—empowering admins to make smarter editorial and marketing decisions based on real-time engagement data. (CMSADMIN-905)
Bugs
We fixed an issue where attempting to create a saved search with a duplicate name did not display the correct error message. The alert now properly shows the API response indicating that a search with that name already exists. (CMSADMIN-1343)
We fixed a bug where the Authors modal in Editorial Search would inconsistently display assigned authors. In some cases, the authors wouldn't appear until the page was refreshed, despite the API returning the correct data. This issue has been resolved—authors now load reliably in the modal without needing a refresh. (CMSADMIN-1052)
We fixed an issue where inline asset videos would sometimes fail to play when the play button was clicked. Videos now load and play reliably as expected. (CMSADMIN-1306)
In both the Editorial Search and Contacts Search screens, certain advanced filter options were displaying outside the boundaries of the filter modal. This visual glitch was found in version 0.16.0 and confirmed in production (0.15.1). This issue has now been resolved—filter options remain properly contained within the modal, ensuring a cleaner and more consistent UI. (CMSADMIN-1139)
We fixed an issue where the browser’s back button didn’t work after visiting the Stats tab on an asset. It now returns you to the search results as expected, consistent with other tabs like Metadata. (CMSADMIN-1099)
We’ve standardized the Save, Publish, and Update workflows in NXT to ensure clear, consistent feedback during editing. You’ll now see more informative status messages based on the asset’s state and your selected action. For instance, Clicking Save always triggers a "Saved as draft" notification. Clicking Publish or Update will show tailored messages based on whether the asset is marked "Do Not Publish" and whether it was previously published.
We’ve fixed an issue in the User Account Search where queries containing trailing spaces—such as when copying and pasting a username or email—returned “No results found,” even when the account existed. The search now correctly trims trailing spaces to match expected behavior in legacy BLOX. (CMSADMIN-1049)
BETA
Live Block Preview in Block Manager (Design BETA)
A live preview has been added to the Block Manager during block creation and editing, allowing users to see updates to query rules and customizations in real time—though current previews are raw HTML and unstyled until the final template wrapper will be provided by the Templates team. (CMSADMIN-1020)
This release also makes minor infrastructure changes that should not be noticeable to admin or front-end users.
Previously released
0.19.1 - In this release of BLOX NXT, we pre-released our Collaborative Locking improvement described above (CMSADMIN-1434) to ensure newsrooms using TotalCMS could continue to design pages with fully-prepared assets from NXT.
0.19.2 - In this release of BLOX NXT, we addressed a number of bugs and enhanced the collaborative locking functionality further.
If you experience any issues or have any questions, please contact customer support at (800) 293-9576 or BLOXDigital.com/support.
