What’s new

This is an especially large update to the NC State Web Platform, with more changes you’ll notice than usual.

It marks a turning point in how the theme’s features are organized and how training is delivered. Feature Packs, now in beta, let site administrators choose which blocks appear in the editor. New on-demand trainings let your team learn those features whenever it suits them.

The theme is also changing how it uses red. Most headings now display in dark gray, so red can be saved for calls to action and draw visitors’ attention where it matters most.

This release also adds a new Due Dates block that helps visitors plan ahead by showing deadlines and turnaround times that update on their own.

Feature Packs (Beta)

You can now choose which blocks show up in your editor. Blocks are grouped into five Feature Packs: Base, Advanced, Storytelling, Engagement and Events and Dynamic Content. Turn on the packs your site needs and leave the rest off, so the block list stays short and easy to use.

Feature Packs are in beta until February 1, 2027, and using them is optional during the beta. Nothing changes on your site unless an administrator turns on a pack. To try them, go to NC State Settings -> Feature Packs. Each block there has a plain-language description of what it does.

Each Feature Pack has a matching on-demand training with short videos and hands-on tasks. Anyone can start them now. Starting with version 4.19 in November, administrators can choose to require the trainings before editors can add a pack’s blocks. When the beta ends on February 1, 2027, Feature Packs and the training requirement will be turned on for every site.

Learn more about Feature Packs, including the full rollout timeline.

Updated Heading Colors

Subheadings (H2 through H6) now use dark gray text instead of your site’s primary color (red on most sites). Page titles (H1) haven’t changed.

Using red less often makes it more effective. When most headings are gray, red buttons and links stand out, so visitors can more easily spot what you want them to do next. No action is needed on your part.

Pro Tier: New Due Dates Block

The new Due Dates block shows deadlines that update on their own. It has two modes:

• Days From Today shows a date a set number of business or calendar days from today, such as “Your order will be ready Friday, October 2.” Use it to share your usual turnaround time.
• Date Picker lets visitors choose a date, such as their event date, and see the last day they should send a request.

Business days skip weekends and university holidays. The Due Dates block is part of the Advanced Feature Pack.

Two-Column Lists

Bulleted and numbered lists have a new Two Column List style. It’s handy for long lists that would otherwise take up a lot of space. Select a List block and choose Two Column List under Styles in the block settings.

Pro Tier: In the News Stories in the Category Callout Block

The Category Callout block can now show your In the News stories as well as regular posts. Choose Publication Category as the source to link to your latest coverage on other news sites.

Other Improvements

Search That Matches Unbranded Sites

For unbranded sites, the search overlay now follows your site’s own branding settings. Before this release, unbranded sites used the standard NC State branded search experience, which didn’t match the rest of the site.

VPN Reminder Removed

The dashboard no longer shows the notice asking editors to connect to the NC State VPN. Recent improvements by OIT, which now uses Cloudflare to help protect university websites, have made the VPN less important for editing your site than it used to be. We still encourage you to connect to the VPN when you can.

Bug Fixes

• Timeline block images: Images in the Timeline block now load when visitors arrive through a jump link, a link that goes straight to a specific section of the page.
• Highlight block label: Changing the section label on a Highlight block now updates on the page.
• Special characters: Characters such as ampersands and quotation marks now display correctly in content cards, instead of as codes.
• Protected pages: Sites that use the NC State Protected Content plugin now show the correct page title.

Full release notes can be found in GitHub. If you do not have but would like access to these technical release notes, please email [email protected].

Need help?

Have questions? Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns at go.ncsu.edu/ucomm-dev-request.