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Inside Brightspot: Brightspot v4.5 FAQs

Brightspot CMS Extensible Architecture

Ready to upgrade to Brightspot version 4.5? Plan your update with these resources. Questions? Contact your customer service manager at: support@brightspot.com.

Brightspot v4.5 upgrade FAQs

What are the options to handle the upgrade work? Can Brightspot do it for me? Can Brightspot and my dev team handle it together?

There are several ways to handle your CMS upgrade to Brightspot version 4.5, including deploying yourself with your internal dev resources, working together with the Brightspot team to complete the work, or having the Brightspot team deploy the upgrade on your behalf. The best place to start, as always, is to talk with your Brightspot account representative to identify the solution that best fits your needs.

How much does it cost to upgrade?

Beyond the development resources required to deploy and test the latest Brightspot CMS codebase, there is no cost associated with upgrading. However, depending on what path you decide to take for deployment and testing, you will need to discuss with your Brightspot account representative if there are additional Brightspot development resources required to help facilitate.

How much time will the upgrade take?

The amount of time required to deploy the newest version of Brightspot to your specific CMS instance can occur quite quickly with minimal downtime. However, you will need to allocate adequate time for testing and validation in lower environments, as well as testing in the production environment as soon as the deployment occurs. Please connect with your Brightspot account representative to discuss the most appropriate deployment plan for your project(s).

What should I test to make sure nothing broke from upgrading?

The Brightspot documentation library includes v4.5 Release Notes that outline the various enhancements, bug fixes and new features that are available as part of the release. This documentation also includes breaking changes that will require specific attention as part of any upgrade.

In addition to following your standard deployment testing and validation procedures, your Brightspot account representative can help guide you through v4.5 upgrade test cases that will ensure smooth deployment of your newest version of the CMS.

Some additional standard testing protocols to consider include:
  • Double check the version of the upgrade is the latest that contains fixes based on the features your site is using.
  • Make sure a copydown from production is completed prior to the upgrade being done, so you can make sure you have the latest content.
  • During testing, compare your upgrade test environment to production to see if the upgrade broke something or if it's an existing issue.
  • Use Shot check to compare the content on the 2 sites. (to make sure the upgrade didn't break anything from the UI point of view)
  • Conduct page performance and accessibility testing against both environments (note that lower- level environment typically don’t use the same server specs, but this should give you an idea of any big issues that are the result of the upgrade).

What version of BSP should I be on before upgrading to 4.5?

Brightspot v4.5 includes the latest CMS features as well as a number of important security and accessibility updates to ensure your CMS is as performant as possible. There is no required version needed before upgrading, but for customers running older versions of the CMS (v3.x), we recommend you coordinate with your Brightspot account representative to understand the various new features, upgrades and enhancements that are available by migrating onto v4.5.

To find what CMS software version your project is currently running, open the Admin menu in your CMS left navigation area and click on the About link to view your current Release version.
If you have questions about how to upgrade, when should you upgrade, what is involved and more, please contact your Brightspot customer-service manager to learn more.
Learn more about the bug fixes, improvements and new features included as part of the latest version of Brightspot CMS.

Explore videos of the latest CMS features

Begin creating content with the easy-to-master features in the rich-text editor (RTE). Functioning similar to MS Word and Google Docs, utilize simple and advanced features designed around a singular goal—to make you more efficient.
Let's take a look at how editors can easily create new content types in the CMS without requiring dev support.
Quickly and effortlessly make the changes you need to your homepage section pages and landing pages, update page layouts, add new modules or rearrange existing modules—all without any developer or third-party assistance.
Brightspot CMS integrations screenshot
Mailchimp integration
Create newsletter content inside the CMS and syndicate out to email service providers like Mailchimp to engage with audiences via your email-marketing programs. See how easy it is here to set up Mailchimp newsletters in the CMS using this powerful integration.
Seamlessly connect to your marketing stack by adding forms for email signups, event registrations, gated downloads and more without ever leaving the CMS. And sleep easy knowing all customer inputs flow automatically to your CRM of choice via Marketo.
Before you publish, get guidance on items you need to include like your content's all-important SEO metadata. Post-publish, helpful steps include shortcuts for adding your content to promotional areas throughout your website.

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