Umbraco 18 is here, the "short and sweet" major release
We call version 18 the "short and sweet" release because unlike other major releases, this one doesn't have a long list of big new features. But it does have one new fundamental one: a new Library section, and the first thing to live there: Elements - making reusable content across your site a lot easier. The release includes other features as well as a lot of minor improvements.
Umbraco 18 is a Standard Supported version, released on June 25, 2026. Support Phase starts on Mar 25, 2027, and it will reach End-Of-Life June 25, 2027
Key Features of Umbraco 18
Elements - phase 1
This introduces a new way to manage reusable content that lives outside the document tree.
In Umbraco version 18, you'll get the foundation for Elements: a dedicated Library section in the backoffice for managing elements, which exhibit all the features you'd expect from a first-class content type: reference tracking, workspace validation, scheduled publishing, rollback, permissions, audit logs, recycle bin, and global search integration.
Watch "It’s Elemental; reuse your content!" for a deep dive into this feature.
UI Library 2.0.
New version of the UI Library containing updated icons, more aligned with Umbraco's brand vision. If partners or package developers are using elements from the UI library they will see changes when upgrading to 18.
Typed OpenAPI schemas for the Delivery API
The Delivery API now has an opt-in option to generate typed OpenAPI schemas for each Document Type, Element Type, and Media Type in your project.
This benefits you if you're generating clients from the specification, as TypeScript types, Swift models, or C# DTOs can now be shaped to your actual content model, rather than a loosely-typed bag of properties, with concrete property access once you narrow on the discriminator.
Replacing Swashbuckle with Microsoft.AspNetCore.OpenApi
This update is relevant for packages and extension developers. The benefit of this change is fewer third-party dependencies, native OpenAPI 3.1 support, and a more sustainable path forward as the .NET platform evolves.
Technical deep dive
If you want to take a deeper dive into the latest features, improvements and breaking changes in Umbraco 18, we recommend reading the Umbraco 18 Release Candidate and the official CMS documentation.
What version should you go for?
If you're already on Umbraco and looking to make a move to a newer version with updated features and performance improvements, here's our recommendations:
Your situation | What version to pick |
Settled on Umbraco 17 LTS, no immediate need for Elements | Stay on Umbraco 17 LTS |
You want the new Library and Elements features now | Move to Umbraco 18 |
You're waiting for fully reusable blocks | Plan for Umbraco 19, Q4 2026 |
Still on Umbraco 13 | Upgrade to Umbraco 17 +, book Extended Long-Term Support |
The Latest and Greatest Features
Umbraco 18 is the active version of Umbraco CMS, receiving new features and improvements until Umbraco 19 is released in Q4 2026. After that, Umbraco 18 will continue to receive 3 months of bug, regression, and security fixes, followed by a final 3 months of security-only fixes.
Running your website or project on an STS version ensures access to the latest features and improvements while staying fully supported for 12 months without major breaking changes. Being on the latest version also provides a smooth path to the next major (LTS) release.
Get started with Umbraco 18 today
Ready to take your web projects to the next level with Umbraco 18? Download the latest version or start a project on Umbraco Cloud to experience the enhanced performance, flexibility, and scalability of Umbraco’s newest release.
If you want to dive further into the features in Umbraco 18, check out:
If you're new to Umbraco and curious about how you get the best start, feel free to contact us to get off to the very best start: