Introducing ExpressionEngine Pro!
10/6/2021 / By Tom Jaeger
ExpressionEngine has always been loved by the EE community for the impact it’s had on so many of our lives and careers. Over the years, ExpressionEngine has helped most of us look like rock star designers & developers to our clients!
So two years ago, when the topic of Packet Tide taking the helm of ExpressionEngine first came up, we knew it was something to take seriously. It was a privilege that came with a lot of responsibility.
Taking Inventory
As new stewards of ExpressionEngine, we examined the CMS landscape (and accompanying technologies) to not only see where things are, but more importantly where content management needed to go. With this mindset, and the EE community in view, it was clear we needed to go beyond the baseline capabilities of 6.0, 6.1, 6.2, etc. We had to raise the bar. We had to push the borders and boundaries.
Something New
So we began to ponder… is there a different paradigm we should consider for the management of ExpressionEngine sites? One that wouldn’t compromise what ExpressionEngine already is, but could add to the power and flexibility we’ve all grown accustomed to? What does the future of ExpressionEngine look like? What would it look like to break outside of the confines of the Control Panel?
These types of questions led to the origin of ExpressionEngine Pro.
ExpressionEngine Pro was created with the notion that we can pull off not only front-end editing, but full-featured content administration and all of its underlying technology in a streamlined, more efficient, and effective manner than the basic front-end editing methods that exist in other products.
And after two years of hard work, we’re happy to share the results with you today!
Meet ExpressionEngine Pro
ExpressionEngine Pro adds new layers of features and flexibility to your existing EE sites, including:
Front-End Editing: Pro makes managing your site’s content as streamlined as possible. See something you want to change? Enter edit mode and start making your updates directly on the front-end. It’s as simple as that.
The Dock: The Dock in ExpressionEngine Pro is your front-end command center. It lets you jump into Edit mode to access all of your site’s content, as well as other features to fine-tune your site’s functionality.
Add-On Prolets: Prolets in ExpressionEngine Pro allow you to access the essence of add-ons that are crucial to your site’s operation, all while browsing the front end of your site.
Member Permissions: ExpressionEngine Pro intelligently picks up existing user permissions to determine which channels and add-on Prolets a given user can access.
Front-End Entries: Beyond front-end editing, you can also access your entries listing to quickly and easily access content well beyond the page you’re currently viewing.
Custom Dashboard: Easily bring per-site or per-user information front and center. Custom dashboard widgets open the door to third-party applications and services, which easily surface important information.
White Labeling: ExpressionEngine Pro also introduces the initial steps into white labeling, easily allowing you to add a custom login logo and favicon. (More to come!)
Low Variables: Tried and true. ExpressionEngine Pro comes with Low Variables, giving you a single interface to manage, create, and edit site-wide variables made from all of the complex fields ExpressionEngine offers.
Low Search: Pulling the power of Low Search into ExpressionEngine Pro brings with it full-text indexing as well as greater relevance in results by weighting any searchable field. These features (and more!) will take your existing ExpressionEngine sites and turn them up to 11!
Get Started
ExpressionEngine Pro is included with EE 6.1 and can be installed on top of any existing ExpressionEngine 6 site, including sites that have been upgraded from older versions.
We’re also happy to share that ExpressionEngine Pro is free to use in local development, but will require a paid license to run on a production site. For a quick demo, check out this video!
For more information on ExpressionEngine Pro, we encourage you to check out the new Pro page on the site.
ExpressionEngine Pro will be $50 off for the first year until next Friday (October 15th). For more info on the pricing of Pro, check out the pricing page.
And finally, thanks to everyone in the EE community for your support and encouragement over the last year. It feels great to finally deliver this release into your hands!
Welcome to the new era!