--- title: "Release history" description: "Éclair's release history, from 1.0.0 to 1.8.0: art directions, Visual mode, MCP connector, shop, AI assistant and how to update." url: "https://eclair.academy/en/docs/releases" lang: "en" author: "Thierry Gustin" published: "2026-11-02" updated: "2026-11-02" --- # Release history > **Key takeaways** — Éclair went through nine versions between October 28 and November 1, 2026. Version 1.0.0 introduced the database-free CMS, with SEO, GEO and security; then came the AI assistant, themes, the shop, the MCP connector, Visual mode and finally the 12 art directions of 1.8.0. An update touches neither data/ nor media/. This release history traces how Éclair has evolved, from version 1.0.0 on October 28 and 29, 2026 to version 1.8.0 on November 1, 2026. For each version: what changed and what it gives you. The update procedure, which is the same whatever version you start from, is summarized at the end of the page. ## The release history at a glance | Version | Date | Main new feature | | --- | --- | --- | | 1.8.0 | November 1, 2026 | 12 art directions, “Imagine my direction with AI”, Design score | | 1.7.0 | October 31, 2026 | Visual mode in the editor, “Create with AI” | | 1.6.0 | October 31, 2026 | PayPal and Revolut Business payment links, in addition to Stripe | | 1.5.0 | October 30, 2026 | Custom CSS kept during updates | | 1.4.0 | October 30, 2026 | MCP connector for Claude and ChatGPT, choice of AI in the assistant | | 1.3.0 | October 30, 2026 | 6 themes with live preview, lightweight shop | | 1.2.0 | October 29, 2026 | AI assistant, compiled admin translations | | 1.1.0 | October 29, 2026 | Admin in German | | 1.0.0 | October 28 and 29, 2026 | First version | ## Version 1.8.0 (November 1, 2026): art directions This is the current version. - **12 art directions**: Nocturne, Gallery, Clay, Botanical, Poster, Riviera, Chambers, Neon, Gentle, Worksite, Playtime and Press. Each one can be adjusted: 5 colors, 18 heading fonts, case, heading size, corners, spacing, cards, banner, features, sections and icons. The 6 classic themes stay identical down to the byte. - **Imagine my direction with AI**: from a description of your business, the AI suggests 3 genuinely different directions, for about $0.03 with Claude Sonnet 5.5. The method is adapted from [Impeccable](https://github.com/pbakaus/impeccable), by Paul Bakaus (Apache 2.0 license). - **Design score**: a third ring in the Analysis tab, next to SEO and GEO; the tab's score is the average of the three. - **Guaranteed contrast**: text at 7:1, and secondary text, links and buttons at 4.5:1, including on tinted backgrounds. The rule was checked against 20,000 randomly generated palettes. - **Self-hosted font**: the heading font is downloaded once from Fontsource, stored in `media/fonts/` and served by your site, with no third-party service for your visitors. - **Lighthouse 100** in all four categories with four directions (Nocturne, Riviera, Press and Poster), measured locally; a CLS of 0 and an LCP of 0.78 to 0.89 s on simulated mobile. - **480 KB archive**, which stays under 1 MB once unzipped: the admin screens are now compressed, and the PHP zlib extension becomes required. - 550 automated checks. To explore these new features: [Art directions and Design score](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/art-directions). ## Version 1.7.0 (October 31, 2026): Visual mode - **Visual mode**: at the top of the editor, the **Blocks** / **Visual** switch displays the page with the site's real theme and makes it editable right there. Widths of 390 px, 768 px or full width, undo with `Ctrl+Z` up to 50 steps, 3.3 KB compressed with no library. Public pages stay identical down to the byte. - **Create with AI**: in a new piece of content, the AI composes a complete draft (banner, features, FAQ, call to action, SEO title and description) in a single call, for about $0.08 with Claude Sonnet 5.5. The draft opens in Visual mode; anything missing is flagged with a “To complete” placeholder, which the analysis counts as long as it remains. - The MCP connector can also compose a page in sections. - 502 automated checks. How to use them: [Visual mode](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/visual-mode) and [Create a page with AI](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/ai-mcp/create-page-ai). ## Version 1.6.0 (October 31, 2026): PayPal and Revolut Business - **PayPal and Revolut Business payment links**, in addition to Stripe. Éclair recognizes these links and shows “Secure payment with PayPal” or “with Revolut” under the buy button. - The product reference is only added to Stripe links: give each PayPal or Revolut link a clear name so you can recognize your orders. - 460 automated checks. ## Version 1.5.0 (October 30, 2026): custom CSS - A **Custom CSS** field in **Settings › Appearance**, stored with your data (`data/custom-css.php`): updates, which replace `app/` and `assets/`, no longer touch it. - Added after the theme on every page, it takes precedence over it; the `/*dark*/ … /*/dark*/` markers work; 64 KB at most, and the `<` character and `@import` rules are removed. How to use it: [Custom CSS](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/custom-css). ## Version 1.4.0 (October 30, 2026): the MCP connector - **MCP connector**: Claude and ChatGPT read your site, write drafts and prepare changes using your subscription, with no API key and no cost for the site. URL `/_eclair/mcp`, OAuth 2.1 with PKCE, approval given after logging in, revocable tokens. - **Choice of AI in the assistant**: with both keys saved, a Claude or ChatGPT selector appears, and your choice is remembered for your account. - Security review of the connector: password asked for again after 15 minutes, HTTPS required on its URLs, 5 connections at most per person. Image creation was removed from it, so the connector never costs the site anything. How to use it: [Understanding the MCP connector](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/ai-mcp/understanding-mcp). ## Version 1.3.0 (October 30, 2026): themes and shop - **6 themes** (Éclair, Editorial, Atelier, Studio, Shop, Contrast) with a live preview on desktop or mobile, plus a centered header and a list layout for post lists. - **Lightweight shop**: product pages (price, compare-at price, availability, photos, variants without JavaScript, Google Shopping identifiers), Stripe payment links, catalog, product categories, Products block, Product and Offer structured data, and a `/products.xml` feed for Google Merchant Center. The shop only opens once a legal notice and terms of sale are published. - 367 automated checks. ## Version 1.2.0 (October 29, 2026): the AI assistant - **AI assistant**: a live conversation with Claude or ChatGPT using your own API key; it searches, reads, creates drafts and suggests changes, without ever publishing. - Images with GPT Image 2.5, FLUX 3 or Ideogram 3, an editorial profile, a monthly budget and a daily quota, with keys encrypted and excluded from backups. - **Team block**, text touch-ups in the editor and the `Ctrl+J` shortcut. - Admin translations compiled into compressed files, for 6 languages besides French. - 402 KB archive, 299 automated checks. ## Version 1.1.0 (October 29, 2026): the admin in German - Admin translated into **German**. With Italian, Portuguese (Brazil) and Chinese added the same day, it's available in 7 languages. - 315 KB archive. ## Version 1.0.0 (October 28 and 29, 2026): the first version - A PHP CMS **with no database**: a static cache served without loading the application, CSS inlined in the page, responsive WebP images. - Built-in **SEO**: JSON-LD structured data, a sitemap with images and hreflang, an RSS feed, automatic 301 redirects, live analysis. - Built-in **GEO**: `llms.txt`, `llms-full.txt`, a Markdown version of every page, an AI bot policy, the GEO score. - **Security** shaped by an offensive review: 17 vulnerabilities found and fixed, 13 attack scenarios replayed against the fixed version. Argon2id, two-factor authentication and backup codes, brute-force protection, CSRF tokens, a strict CSP, an integrity check, FTP recovery (`data/reset.php`). - Block editor, media library, menus, categories, messages, administrator and editor roles. - Setup wizard and starter content in French, Spanish and English; admin in French, English and Spanish. ## How do you update Éclair? The official guide's procedure applies to every version in this release history. Allow a few minutes. 1. Make a backup: **Security › Download a backup**. 2. Download the [latest archive](https://github.com/Jacckisback/eclair-cms/raw/main/dist/eclair-cms-1.8.0.zip) and unzip it. 3. Via FTP, **delete** the `app/` and `assets/` folders from your site. 4. Upload the `app/` and `assets/` folders from the new version, along with `index.php` and `.htaccess`. 5. **Don't touch** `data/` (content, settings, accounts, custom CSS) or `media/` (images). 6. In the admin: **Settings › Advanced › Clear cache**. Deleting first avoids leaving old files behind, which the integrity check would flag. Run it afterwards: **Security › File integrity › Scan now**. ![Updating: app and assets are replaced, data and media are kept](https://eclair.academy/media/2026/11/eclair-academy-update-en.png) *What an update replaces and what it keeps* > **Before you move to 1.8.0** — Check that the PHP zlib extension is enabled: since 1.8.0, the admin screens are compressed and won't open without it. If you've modified templates in `app/theme/`, keep a copy of them, because the update replaces them. Your custom CSS, on the other hand, has been kept since 1.5.0. Maintenance details are in [Advanced security and maintenance](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/expert/advanced-security). ## Frequently asked questions about releases ### How do I know which version of Éclair is installed? Open the `index.php` file at the root of the site, via FTP or with your host's file manager: the line `define('ECLAIR_VERSION', '1.8.0');` gives the version. The admin doesn't show this number. ### Can I upgrade straight from an old version to 1.8.0? Yes. The official guide doesn't call for any intermediate step: the update procedure is the same whatever version you start from. Just remember to check zlib before moving to 1.8.0. ### Where can I find an older version of Éclair? The `dist/` folder of the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/Jacckisback/eclair-cms) keeps the archives from 1.4.0 to 1.8.0. Preferably stick with the latest one: each version fixes and completes the previous one, as this release history shows.