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Azharuddin Sheikh

At Contentstack, we are always looking for ways to make it simpler for developers to use our APIs. With that in mind, we recently introduced Contentstack command-line interface (CLI) Beta, a simple, seamless way to interact with Contentstack using the command line. With this release, developers can now perform common tasks and bulk actions with just a few keystrokes, without having to code.<h2>Contentstack CLI - Supported Actions</h2>
In this Beta release, you can use the Contentstack CLI to perform the following operations, as long as you have the proper permissions:<ul><li>Bulk publish and unpublish operations</li><li>Content migration operations</li></ul><h3>Bulk Publish and Unpublish Operations</h3>
Using the Contentstack CLI, you can perform bulk operations on entries and assets. By running a series of commands in the CLI, you can perform the following tasks:<ul><li>Publish all entities and assets in bulk</li><li>Publish all draft entries in bulk</li><li>Publish entries and assets from one environment to another in bulk</li><li>Publish all entries of a content type in bulk after adding a new field</li><li>Publish entries in bulk after a non-localized field is updated</li><li>Restore or unpublish entries in bulk</li><li>Unpublish all published entries of a content type in bulk</li></ul>
It’s possible to achieve all of the above actions using our <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/docs/developers/utilities/bulk-publishing-of-entries-and-assets/" target="_blank">Bulk Publish utility</a>. However, using the Contentstack CLI makes managing content changes and publishing in bulk easier and quicker. <h3>Content Migration Operations </h3>
Along with bulk operations, the Contentstack CLI allows you to perform content migration operations from the console. By using specific commands, you can perform the following content migrations operations:<ul><li>Export content: If you want to migrate content from one stack to another, you need to first export the content from the source stack. You can perform export operations using management and auth tokens. </li><li>Import content: After you export content from one stack, you can import the content into another. Again, you use management and auth tokens to perform these operations. </li></ul><h2>Setting Up the Contentstack CLI </h2>
Getting started with Contentstack CLI is easy. You need to first install the required npm module and run csdx help to get all commands. For installation information, read the <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/docs/developers/cli" target="_blank">CLI documentation</a>.
Next, create a stack in your Contentstack account, or ask the admin to create one for you. Make sure you have either the Developer or Admin rights to the stack. You can use the stack’s management token or your auth token to authenticate. 
<h2>Using the Contentstack CLI</h2>
Once authenticated, you can configure the CLI as per your requirements and start using the commands. Read the detailed <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/docs/developers/cli/install-the-cli" target="_blank">instructions on using our CLI commands in our documentation</a>.

At Contentstack, we are always looking for ways to make it simpler for developers to use our APIs. With that in mind, we recently introduced Contentstack command-line interface (CLI) Beta, a simple, seamless way to interact with Contentstack using the command line. With this release, developers can now perform common tasks and bulk actions with just a few keystrokes, without having to code.

In this Beta release, you can use the Contentstack CLI to perform the following operations, as long as you have the proper permissions:

Using the Contentstack CLI, you can perform bulk operations on entries and assets. By running a series of commands in the CLI, you can perform the following tasks:

It’s possible to achieve all of the above actions using our 

. However, using the Contentstack CLI makes managing content changes and publishing in bulk easier and quicker.

Along with bulk operations, the Contentstack CLI allows you to perform content migration operations from the console. By using specific commands, you can perform the following content migrations operations:

Getting started with Contentstack CLI is easy. You need to first install the required npm module and run csdx help to get all commands. For installation information, read the 

Next, create a stack in your Contentstack account, or ask the admin to create one for you. Make sure you have either the Developer or Admin rights to the stack. You can use the stack’s management token or your auth token to authenticate.

Once authenticated, you can configure the CLI as per your requirements and start using the commands. Read the detailed 

cli-beta-product-release.png

Introducing the Contentstack Command-line Interface (CLI) Beta

Here’s some great news for developers: Contentstack recently introduced our JavaScript Management SDK. 
The JavaScript Management SDK provides easy access to our Content Management APIs (CMA), allowing developers to create, update, or delete content, and fetch resources such as entries, assets, environments, languages, webhooks, extensions, releases, tokens, and more. 
This SDK now lets you create and manage content in your Contentstack account from anywhere. This opens up a lot of possibilities for developers. Using the Contentstack JavaScript Management SDK, it is incredibly easy to: 
<ul><li>Import content </li><li>Build webhook integrations</li><li>Create content automation apps</li><li>Keep content in sync with external systems or apps </li><li>Create custom scripts or tools to cater to specific requirements</li></ul>
The <a href="https://github.com/contentstack/contentstack-management-javascript" target="_blank">JavaScript Management SDK is available on Github</a>. To get started with the SDK, you will need your Stack API Key as well as the Management Token. 
Although you can fetch entries using this SDK, it is not optimized for content delivery. To deliver content to your web or mobile properties, especially on a large scale, we strongly recommend using our <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/docs/developers/javascript-browser#use-javascript-delivery-sdk" target="_blank">JavaScript Content Delivery SDK</a>.
For more information, check out the documentation on the <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/docs/developers/javascript-browser/#use-javascript-management-sdk" target="_blank">JavaScript Management SDK</a>.

Here’s some great news for developers: Contentstack recently introduced our JavaScript Management SDK.

The JavaScript Management SDK provides easy access to our Content Management APIs (CMA), allowing developers to create, update, or delete content, and fetch resources such as entries, assets, environments, languages, webhooks, extensions, releases, tokens, and more.

This SDK now lets you create and manage content in your Contentstack account from anywhere. This opens up a lot of possibilities for developers. Using the Contentstack JavaScript Management SDK, it is incredibly easy to:

. To get started with the SDK, you will need your Stack API Key as well as the Management Token.

Although you can fetch entries using this SDK, it is not optimized for content delivery. To deliver content to your web or mobile properties, especially on a large scale, we strongly recommend using our 

For more information, check out the documentation on the 

javascript-sdk-management-feature-release-contentstack.png

Introducing JavaScript Content Management SDK – Create and Update Content From Anywhere

Imagine you’re a content manager for a Contentstack-powered website. While browsing through your website, you see a typo. Of course, you want to fix it immediately. So, you log in to your Contentstack account, go to the corresponding stack, search for the entry, open the entry, and then make changes to it.
Although these are quick steps, the process of navigating from the web page to the corresponding entry may take anywhere between 10 seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on the number of entries you have in your stack. Making updates could get frustrating if you have to perform these steps several times a day. 
The process for making changes is now easier for content managers with the new Contentstack Google Chrome extension. 
<h2>Introducing Contentstack Google Chrome Extension</h2>
The new Contentstack Google Chrome extension helps you jump from a live web page to its corresponding entry in Contentstack in a single click.
The following explains how to set up and use this extension. 
<h3>Setting up the Extension </h3>
Before an editor of your website can set up the Contentstack extension in Chrome, your site developer needs to add a few attributes to the body tag to the website’s page templates, as a one-time activity. 
Here’s a <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/docs/developers/utilities/contentstack-google-chrome-extension/" target="_blank">step by step guide</a> on how to set up your stack to enable adding the Contentstack extension. 
Once the developer has added the code in Contentstack, visit our <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/contentstack/kliacmaffhaakhphcelpjcmienmikgoa" target="_blank">Chrome extension page</a> and click the “Add to Chrome” link to add the extension to your Google Chrome browser. Once added, a prompt appears asking for the following details: 
<ul><li>Stack API Key: This is the unique ID of your stack. You can get it from a developer, administrator, or the owner of the stack. </li><li>Domain: The base URL of your website, for example, <a href="http://www.example.com" target="_blank">example.com</a>. </li><li>Region: Select the Contenstack region where your app is hosted. You can get this from the organization owner. </li><li>Button preferences: You can choose the color for your edit button. You can also decide where to place this edit button on the page, for example, right bottom corner and so on.</li></ul>
<img data-image="b83efxknt0aq" src="https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt77283b164776448a/bltf6aa25257e2a5b1c/5eea39d834f8f30c7cfb27da/edit-button-custom-settings.png" data-sys-asset-uid="bltf6aa25257e2a5b1c" alt="edit-button-custom-settings.png">
As an editor, these are the only settings you need to configure for this extension. 
<h3>Using the Extension </h3>
After you have set up the Contentstack extension, you will see an “Edit” icon on all the web pages powered by Contentstack that you have edit access. 
<img data-image="qiwa5bpogsi7" src="https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt77283b164776448a/bltc5754530bb9689aa/5eea39ed43f6b42a02432036/extension-edit-button-on-webpages.png" data-sys-asset-uid="bltc5754530bb9689aa" alt="extension-edit-button-on-webpages.png">
Clicking this button will take you to the corresponding entry in Contenstack, where you can make your edits. 
<img data-image="gk0olsmqlmk0" src="https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt77283b164776448a/blt8e72d568f5745afa/5eea39fc6aaf2924fd230c48/contentstack-edit-entry-page.png" data-sys-asset-uid="blt8e72d568f5745afa" alt="contentstack-edit-entry-page.png">
This extension eliminates the need to search for the corresponding entries in Contenstack and makes the process of editing quicker and easier. 
For information on the Contentstack Google Chrome extension, see the detailed guide on <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/docs/developers/utilities/contentstack-google-chrome-extension/" target="_blank">how to set up the Contentstack extension</a>.

Imagine you’re a content manager for a Contentstack-powered website. While browsing through your website, you see a typo. Of course, you want to fix it immediately. So, you log in to your Contentstack account, go to the corresponding stack, search for the entry, open the entry, and then make changes to it.

Although these are quick steps, the process of navigating from the web page to the corresponding entry may take anywhere between 10 seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on the number of entries you have in your stack. Making updates could get frustrating if you have to perform these steps several times a day.

The process for making changes is now easier for content managers with the new Contentstack Google Chrome extension.

Introducing Contentstack Google Chrome Extension

The new Contentstack Google Chrome extension helps you jump from a live web page to its corresponding entry in Contentstack in a single click.

The following explains how to set up and use this extension.

Before an editor of your website can set up the Contentstack extension in Chrome, your site developer needs to add a few attributes to the body tag to the website’s page templates, as a one-time activity.

 on how to set up your stack to enable adding the Contentstack extension.

Once the developer has added the code in Contentstack, visit our 

 and click the “Add to Chrome” link to add the extension to your Google Chrome browser. Once added, a prompt appears asking for the following details:

As an editor, these are the only settings you need to configure for this extension.

After you have set up the Contentstack extension, you will see an “Edit” icon on all the web pages powered by Contentstack that you have edit access.

Clicking this button will take you to the corresponding entry in Contenstack, where you can make your edits.

This extension eliminates the need to search for the corresponding entries in Contenstack and makes the process of editing quicker and easier.

For information on the Contentstack Google Chrome extension, see the detailed guide on 

contentstack-chrome-extension.png

A Google Chrome Extension to Edit Content On-The-Fly

Today, we are excited to announce the release of our new Contentstack European instance. This was a highly requested region and allows us to better serve our growing customer base in Europe.
<h2>One App, Two Regions</h2>
The European instance provides all the features and functionalities of the North American Instance. However, these are two completely separate instances, running on separate cloud infrastructure. Data stored in one region is not shared with the other region. They have different login URLs, username and password management mechanisms, and they function independently of one another.
<h2>Better Performance for European Customers</h2>
While both regional instances operate using the exact same SLAs, the European instance’s close proximity to our European customers ensures minimal latency and better app performance for users in that region.
<h2>GDPR Compliance and Security</h2>
Contentstack is a GDPR-compliant organization and therefore our new European Instance adheres to all compliance requirements inherent to the GDPR. This means that data <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/trust" target="_blank">security and privacy</a> are guaranteed with Contentstack.
<h2>Regional Availability for All</h2>
Your choice of a regional instance is not limited to your location. This means that you can choose between North America and Europe, irrespective of where you and your business are located. Both regions offer the same experience, UI, features, support, security, and performance.
<h2>Migrate Data Easily</h2>
If your organization’s data is in the North American instance, Contentstack allows you to migrate it to the European instance in just a few simple steps. Contact our support team at <a href="mailto:support@contentstack.com" target="_blank">support@contentstack.com</a> for more details.
<h2>API endpoints for European instance</h2>
For European accounts, there are different base endpoints to access the APIs. Here are the European endpoints:
Contentstack App: https://eu-app.contentstack.com/
Contentstack CDN: https://eu-cdn.contentstack.com/
Contentstack API: https://eu-api.contentstack.com/
Contentstack Images: https://eu-images.contentstack.com/
Contentstack Content (other than images): https://eu-assets.contentstack.com/
<h2>More resources</h2>
You can read more about the new European instance here:
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.contentstack.com/docs/developers/contentstack-regions" target="_blank">European Instance (document)</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.contentstack.com/docs/developers/contentstack-regions/api-endpoints" target="_blank">API convention</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.contentstack.com/docs/faqs#contentstack-regions-faqs" target="_blank">FAQs</a></li>
</ul>

Today, we are excited to announce the release of our new Contentstack European instance. This was a highly requested region and allows us to better serve our growing customer base in Europe.

The European instance provides all the features and functionalities of the North American Instance. However, these are two completely separate instances, running on separate cloud infrastructure. Data stored in one region is not shared with the other region. They have different login URLs, username and password management mechanisms, and they function independently of one another.

Better Performance for European Customers

While both regional instances operate using the exact same SLAs, the European instance’s close proximity to our European customers ensures minimal latency and better app performance for users in that region.

Contentstack is a GDPR-compliant organization and therefore our new European Instance adheres to all compliance requirements inherent to the GDPR. This means that data 

Your choice of a regional instance is not limited to your location. This means that you can choose between North America and Europe, irrespective of where you and your business are located. Both regions offer the same experience, UI, features, support, security, and performance.

If your organization’s data is in the North American instance, Contentstack allows you to migrate it to the European instance in just a few simple steps. Contact our support team at 

For European accounts, there are different base endpoints to access the APIs. Here are the European endpoints:

Contentstack Content (other than images):

You can read more about the new European instance here:

european-instance-data-center_hero.png

Introducing Contentstack European Instance

Saving In-Progress Entries

In this week’s release, we introduced the ability to save content with empty required fields. Let’s understand this feature in detail.

<h2>What Is an In-Progress Entry?</h2>
An entry is a piece of content that you create using a content type. An in-progress entry is an entry that includes one or more mandatory fields with no set value. Previously, Contentstack did not allow saving entries if the required fields were left blank. While it was helpful for validation, such an implementation made it impossible for content managers to navigate away from content entry midway, for example, to edit content later or to create entry references.

Note that the “mandatory” field validation is checked when publishing the entry.

<h2>Why Allow Saving In-Progress Entries?</h2>
The following lists some situations where saving in-progress entries is beneficial.

Avoid data loss: The ability to save entries with no values in mandatory fields allows you to save data at any time while editing. Being able to save data helps guard against data loss that may arise to a sudden power outage or a system crash.

Edit in multiple sessions: You may want to work on an entry over a long period of time, due to the size or complexity of the entry. In such cases, you can save the entry as incomplete and come back later for further editing.

Create references on the go: While creating an entry, you may want to create reference entries on the go. However, to do that, you have to navigate away from the parent entry page. Saving in-progress entries makes this easier and helps ensure content is up to date without any loss of data.

<h2>How to Save In-Progress Entries</h2>
Saving in-progress entries is not different than saving a normal, complete entry. To save an in-progress entry:

<ul>
	<li>Go to the entry page</li>
	<li>Add content (you can choose to skip adding values to the mandatory fields)</li>
	<li>Click "Save"</li>
</ul>
This saves the entry as being in progress.

There are, however, certain limitations on the actions that you can perform on in-progress entries. Read more about them below.
Note: This feature is not available by default. To enable in-progress entries for your organization, contact us a <a href="mailto:support@contentstack.com">support@contentstack.com</a>.

<h2>What You Cannot Do with In-Progress Entries</h2>
An important point to note is that entries cannot be published until they are complete. In fact, all the actions related to publishing the entry cannot be performed for in-progress entries. This means that the in-progress entries:

<ul>
	<li>Cannot be published</li>
	<li>Cannot be added to release</li>
	<li>Cannot be scheduled for publishing</li>
	<li>Cannot be part of bulk publishing</li>
	<li>Cannot be sent for publishing as reference</li>
</ul>
So all rules that were applicable to publishing are still the same, ensuring that only complete content can go live.

Read more about <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/docs/content-managers/#author-content" target="_blank">saving in-progress entries</a>.

saving-in-progress-entries-headless-cms-hero.png

Contentstack CMS Releases Customizations for Rich Text Editor (RTE)

The Rich Text Editor (RTE) is a key component of any content management system. With RTE, a content manager doesn't have to worry about content formatting and styling from the code-end. It makes life easier for content managers to apply styles and formatting to content without needing the help of a developer.

Better yet, we have taken it one step further to give developers the flexibility to customize and control the formatting options in the RTE, including only the ones that content managers are likely to use while omitting the ones that are unnecessary.

<h2>Customization Options for RTE</h2>
Until now, when you create a content type and add a Rich Text Editor field, you only had the option to choose either the Basic or the Advanced editor with pre-set formatting selections. We have now introduced the Custom editor option so that you can choose the desired formatting options that are specific to your needs.

The customizable Rich Text Editor (RTE)&nbsp; gives developers more control and provide content managers with a smoother and more tailored editing experience.&nbsp;

Let’s look at how developers can customize the RTE field through the web app.&nbsp;

<h2>Steps to Customize the RTE</h2>
<ol>
	<li>Create a content type Log into your Contentstack account and create a content type.</li>
	<li>Add an RTE field Click on the field and edit the field properties that are available on the right side panel. 
	<ol>
		<li>In Editor Version, select Latest.</li>
		<li>Inside Editor Type, select Custom.</li>
		<li>Select the Formatting or Inserting options that you want. If you want all the options, click on Select All.</li>
	</ol></li>
	<li>Save your settings Once you have added the required options to your editor, click Save and Close.</li></ol>
Now, on the entry page, the content managers would be able to see the RTE field with only the options that you selected in the above step.&nbsp; 

<img src="https://images.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt1264fa9b448be721/blt1cace7eb41ce340c/5c777c2f92df139760420770/download" data-sys-asset-uid="blt1cace7eb41ce340c" alt="RTE v2.gif" data-image="16rnavgigxa6">
Note: Only the roles that have permission to create content types can customize the RTE field.&nbsp; 

Read more about the <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/docs/developers/create-content-types/">customized RTE</a> on our documentation site.

Azharuddin Sheikh

Posts by Azharuddin Sheikh