Automad 2.0 Beta, the Next-Level CMS

Source: Dev.to

Introduction

Today I’m excited to finally share something I’ve been working towards for a long time: the Automad 2 beta is out.
If you’d rather experience it than read about it, you can try the live demo right now and explore Automad 2 directly in your browser. A fresh demo site is created automatically, so you can jump straight into editing and get a feel for the new workflow within seconds.

Automad 2 is not a small iteration on version 1. It’s a rethink of what a modern, lightweight CMS can feel like — both for people editing content every day and for developers who care about clarity, performance, and long‑term maintainability. The goal was simple: keep Automad fast and predictable, but make it far more powerful and pleasant to use.

New Standard Lite Theme

The first thing you’ll notice is the new Standard Lite theme. It’s a fresh, elegant multipurpose theme that works out of the box for a wide range of projects, from personal sites to small‑business pages. It’s intentionally minimal, but flexible enough to grow with your content.

Editing Improvements

• Reusable components – group blocks once and reuse them across the entire site. Updating a component in one place updates it everywhere.
• Multilanguage support – native handling of multiple languages without hacks or workarounds.
• Draft and publish workflow – preview changes safely before they go live, while auto‑saving ensures nothing is lost while you edit.

Enhanced Editor Features

The editor itself has grown more capable and expressive:

• Code snippets now include syntax highlighting.
• New block types – collapsible sections, callout boxes, and Math/TeX support for technical content.
• Page versioning – tracks changes and lets you restore older versions of a page whenever needed.

Practical Additions

• SMTP email configuration for transactional emails and contact forms, making integrations more reliable and production‑ready.
• A completely refreshed dashboard that feels calmer, clearer, and more focused on the task at hand.

Beta Release Notice

This is a beta release, and the documentation is still a work in progress. Some rough edges are expected, and feedback at this stage is incredibly valuable.

Try the live demo, explore the new editor, and see how Automad 2 feels in practice. If you like where it’s going — or if something feels off — I’d love to hear from you. Automad has always been shaped by real‑world use, and this next version is no exception.