Off-Site Icons in Menus

Menu items that link to an external website now automatically display a small icon indicating the link will take visitors off your site. This happens automatically, but the feature can be disabled by going to NC State Settings -> NC State Theme -> General -> External Link Icon Appending. You can also specify additional domains that should not be considered “external” sites for the purposes of appending the icon.

This feature gives visitors a clear, consistent cue before they leave your site and supports accessibility best practices.

Transform Paragraphs Into Fancy Paragraphs

You can now convert an existing Paragraph block into a Fancy Paragraph block directly in the editor — no need to rebuild the content from scratch. Select your Paragraph block, open the block-type switcher in the toolbar, and choose Fancy Paragraph. Your text moves into the main content area, ready for you to add supporting content beside it, such as an image, quote, fact, contact card, or spotlight.

This is a great way to give existing pages a quick visual lift. If a page has a dense wall of text, transforming a paragraph and pairing it with supporting content can improve both readability and comprehension. See all of your options in the Fancy Paragraph schematic.

A More Organized Icon Picker

The icon selector — used anywhere you add an NC State brand icon — now groups icons into categories. Instead of scrolling through one long list, you can browse by category to find the right icon faster.

PremiumTier: Turn Off Magazine (Issues) Functionality

For sites with the Premium add-on: you can now deactivate the Issues custom post type from the Premium Add-on settings. If your site doesn’t publish digital magazine issues, turning this off removes the Issues area from your dashboard, keeping your workspace focused on the tools you actually use. (This works much like the existing Mega Menu toggle in the same settings area.)

Other Improvements

Design System Styling Updates

Several blocks have been updated to match our design system’s styling parameters, keeping spacing, typography, and color consistent across the theme. These are visual refinements — no action is needed on your part.

Bug Fixes

• Icon Links block text styles — The normal and hover text colors on the Icon Links block were reversed. This has been corrected.
• Compact menu long items — Fixed an issue where long menu items in the compact menu could run off the edge of the screen.

Full release notes can be found in GitHub. If you do not have but would like access to these technical release notes, please email wordpress@help.ncsu.edu.

Need help?

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