At the end of 2025, ExpressionEngine 6 will officially transition into legacy product status. This means EE6 will no longer be under active development, will no longer be available for purchase, and software defects will not be addressed, except for major security concerns or issues that could result in data loss. Support for EE6 during this time will still be included with an active ExpressionEngine Support plan.

We do have one final update for ExpressionEngine 6 planned, which will include a set of improvements and final refinements prior to the transition into legacy status.

Per our product lifecycle policy, a legacy product remains in that state for one year before full retirement. With that, ExpressionEngine 6 will reach retirement at the end of 2026, after which it will no longer receive updates of any kind and will not be eligible for support beyond help with upgrades.

The good news: upgrading from ExpressionEngine 6 to ExpressionEngine 7 is seamless. The process is straightforward and in most cases requires only minimal adjustments, making now an ideal time to begin planning your move to the latest version.

If you need assistance with an upgrade or want expert guidance, an ExpressionEngine Partner can help ensure everything goes smoothly.

We will continue to share updates as we approach the transition. Thank you for continuing to build with ExpressionEngine. Your support and involvement are what make this community thrive.

What’s New

The biggest addition is template generators. If you’ve ever found yourself rewriting the same CartThrob template tags or searching through docs for the right syntax, this will save you tons of time. You get code snippets and stubs for all the template tags right in ExpressionEngine, which makes building out your eCommerce site way faster.

We also added a new async consume command for handling background operations, plus some nice quality-of-life updates like the {order_number} variable in the submitted order info tag. And if you need more control over form submissions, there’s now a form_idempotency parameter you can use on individual forms.

For those using Stripe, your payment intents can now include full order details, which helps with record-keeping and customer communication.

Under the Hood

We spent a lot of time making CartThrob more reliable. The async processing system now handles high-traffic situations better without operations stepping on each other. We updated the Opayo and Elavon gateway endpoints, relaxed some overly strict number formatting rules, and gave the Order Manager interface a refresh with better layouts and modern calendar widgets.

The checkout form now checks inventory before it even renders, which prevents some frustrating edge cases. We also improved error messages throughout, especially for Authorize.net transactions.

Fixes That Matter

This release squashes a bunch of bugs that were causing headaches. CartThrob now works smoothly with PHP 8.3, and we fixed stability issues across multiple payment gateways. The notification system is more reliable (no more random failures), and we cleaned up various Order Manager quirks like status change emails not sending and UI glitches.

We also tackled issues with async custom data handling, database versioning, and config file errors that some of you reported.

How to Get It

CartThrob is available exclusively in the Add-on Store. If you’re an existing customer, you can upgrade to version 9.0.0 at a discounted price - but only for the next 45 days. We’re extending this discount to all past purchases, so now’s a great time to update. To upgrade, attach the CartThrob license to your site and then click “renew” to add the renewal to your cart.

After you upgrade, your renewal period will be one year from your purchase date, giving you access to updates and support for the full year ahead.

The Bottom Line

Version 9.0.0 makes CartThrob more stable, more modern, and easier to work with. Whether you’re running PHP 8.3 or just want a smoother development experience with those template generators, this update has something for you.

CartThrob 9.0.0 works with ExpressionEngine 7.x and supports PHP 8.1 through 8.3. It’s ready to use in production right now.

Special Thanks

A huge shoutout to Eric Lamb for his substantial contributions to this release. Eric’s work was instrumental in making CartThrob 9.0.0 what it is today. We’re incredibly grateful for his expertise and dedication to improving CartThrob for the entire community.

The conference was held at the Business Design Center, an iconic venue in the heart of London.

We were able to take some time and share what we’ve been up to, as well as talk about a few noteworthy items in upcoming releases.

For starters, we had the opportunity to share a few details around the ExpressionEngine 7.6 release and what’s going to be included:

• Implementing Monolog in the core
• Updates on Theming
• Mailing List module
• New Control Panel theme
• Editor enhancements
• Conditional field updates
• ..and a bunch of other goodies we’ll be chatting about soon 😊

We also shared a brief update on Expresso Store and CartThrob 9 (arriving soon).

As a team, we left the conference grateful. Grateful for the ExpressionEngine Conference Association and their hard work to pull off the event. Grateful for the presenters and the hours of work they put into their presentations. But most of all, grateful for the opportunity we have to be a part of such a great community; the opportunity to connect with friends we haven’t seen for some time, meet new people, and put faces to names we’ve only known digitally.

Looking for what others are saying about the conference?

• EEConf vs SVI Alberta
• Another year, another successful ExpressionEngine conference
• Live in London - EECONF 2025
• EEConf 2025 - London Edition
• Why I Choose ExpressionEngine

This year’s event will feature two packed days of talks and workshops covering everything from the latest ExpressionEngine advancements to real-world strategies for content, e-commerce, productivity, and business growth. You’ll hear directly from experts who live and breathe ExpressionEngine, with sessions designed to help you:

• Explore the roadmap for ExpressionEngine and what’s next for the platform
• Learn practical techniques to optimize performance, streamline workflows, and deliver better client results
• Discover new ways agencies and businesses are leveraging ExpressionEngine in creative, effective ways
• Network with peers who understand your challenges and share solutions that work

What makes EEConf so special is that it’s 100% community-powered. Every talk, panel, and workshop is crafted for people who actively use ExpressionEngine in their daily work. That means the content is relevant, actionable, and deeply rooted in the needs of our community.

We know that attending EEConf isn’t just about learning; it’s about recharging. You’ll return home not only with new skills and ideas, but also with a renewed sense of inspiration and belonging.

👉 Get your ticket now at eeconf.com and join us in London on October 14-15.

Let’s build the future of ExpressionEngine, together.

We’re excited to officially announce the release of Expresso Store 6, a major update that brings this powerful eCommerce solution into the modern ExpressionEngine ecosystem.

As many in the community know, Expresso Store has long been a go-to choice for adding flexible, customizable eCommerce capabilities to EE sites. Now, as a first-party ExpressionEngine add-on, it’s back, fully updated, and ready for new builds and long-awaited upgrades.

What’s New in Expresso Store 6

✅ Full support for ExpressionEngine 7

✅ Modernized codebase with compatibility for PHP 8+

✅ MySQL 8+ support for improved performance and security

✅ Shipping integrations rebuilt from the ground up for FedEx, UPS, and USPS

✅ Updated payment gateways with guaranteed support for Stripe (others pending QA)

This release marks a major milestone not just for the add-on, but for the ExpressionEngine platform as a whole. By bringing Expresso Store in-house, we’re making a long-term commitment to:

• Regular updates and ongoing support

• Future-facing improvements and new features

• Seamless integration with ExpressionEngine Core

• A stronger ecosystem for developers, site owners, and agencies

Whether you’re already using Expresso Store or exploring your eCommerce options for an EE project, version 6 is the best starting point yet.

🎉 Launch Special: $100 Off for 30 Days!

To celebrate the release and support users upgrading from earlier versions; we’re offering a limited-time discount of $100 off Expresso Store 6.

For the next 30 days only, get it for $199 (regularly $299).

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to dive into Store or modernize your existing eCommerce setup, this is the time!

👉 Buy or Upgrade Now and Save $100

What’s Next

While Stripe has been fully tested and is ready for production use, other gateways (such as Authorize.net, PayPal, etc.) have received updates but are still undergoing final QA. If you rely on one of these, we encourage you to test them in your environment or reach out to us for guidance.

We’re incredibly proud to welcome Expresso Store into the ExpressionEngine family — and this is just the beginning.

Ready to Get Started?

Download Expresso Store 6 today and bring modern eCommerce to your next ExpressionEngine project.

• 👉 Download Store 6 Now
• 👉 View the Documentation
• 👉 Get Started with Expresso Store

As always, thank you for being part of this community. We can’t wait to see what you build with it.

~ The ExpressionEngine Team

Packet Tide is excited to announce the acquisition of CartThrob and Expresso Store from FosterMade, officially making them first-party add-ons for ExpressionEngine. This move strengthens ExpressionEngine’s ecosystem by ensuring long-term support, innovation, and tighter integration of e-commerce capabilities within the CMS.

What This Means for ExpressionEngine Users

This acquisition is more than just a transfer of ownership—it marks the beginning of a new era for e-commerce within ExpressionEngine. CartThrob remains a powerful, flexible e-commerce solution, and we are committed to its continued development. Additionally, we’re thrilled to announce plans to bring back Expresso Store, a long-missed favorite among ExpressionEngine users.

As first-party add-ons, CartThrob and Expresso Store will receive direct support and development from the ExpressionEngine team, ensuring a unified and optimized experience for developers and site owners.

CartThrob 9 Is Just Around the Corner!

As part of our commitment to evolving e-commerce within ExpressionEngine, we’re also pleased to share that CartThrob version 9 is right around the corner! This upcoming release will introduce exciting new features, performance enhancements, and deeper ExpressionEngine integration, making it the most powerful version yet. Stay tuned for more details soon!

What’s Next?

• CartThrob remains fully supported, with version 9 coming soon
• CartThrob 9 will have a significant price reduction
• Expresso Store will be updated and reintroduced with modern enhancements
• Both add-ons will receive deeper integration with ExpressionEngine
• We’ll actively engage with the community to shape the future of ExpressionEngine e-commerce

With CartThrob and Expresso Store now part of ExpressionEngine’s core ecosystem, users can expect tighter integration, dedicated support, and a long-term vision for e-commerce within ExpressionEngine.

We’re excited about what’s ahead and invite the community to join us on this journey! Stay tuned for more updates!

ExpressionEngine

For starters, with the release of Template Generators in version 7.5, ExpressionEngine saw the largest acceleration in site-building speed since ExpressionEngine 1.0. These generators automate the creation of essential template code, drastically reducing the time required to get a fully functional site up and running.

We also introduced major improvements to member management, making it more powerful and flexible than ever before. These updates include a brand-new Members fieldtype in channel entries, support for more custom field types to be used for member data, additional member templating tags, and support for logging in via email address.

Additionally, the Member Management section in the Control Panel received a complete overhaul, bringing it in line with the modern, streamlined design of the Entry Manager.

Another key improvement was the standardization of inline errors for front-end forms, making them easier to work with and more consistent. These error messages are also included by default in the new Template Generators, enabling developers to quickly implement user-friendly forms with minimal effort.

Coilpack

We also took a significant step forward with the release of the Coilpack 2 beta. This version includes Template Generators that now support both Twig and Blade, making it dramatically faster and easier to create sites with these templating engines. Additionally, Coilpack 2 introduces Control Panel access to Coilpack version information and the GraphiQL Explorer, giving developers the tools they need right at their fingertips.

Conference

EECONF 2024 was a huge success, bringing together an amazing community of ExpressionEngine enthusiasts! One particular session to highlight was the unscripted EE Mayhem session, where attendees shared incredible demos showcasing their creativity, the energy in the room was palpable, and the demos awesome! Special thanks to Rick Ellis for stopping by to share his reflections on the early days of ExpressionEngine as well!

Huge shout out to the conference committee for making it all happen! We look forward to meeting in person again this year, in London!

Looking Forward

Similarly as you may recall, at this year’s ExpressionEngine conference, we gave a glimpse into the future of eCommerce within ExpressionEngine. In the near future, we’ll also be sharing some exciting developments about what eCommerce will look like in 2025 and beyond. Stay tuned for more!

We’re truly grateful for the incredible ExpressionEngine community. The creativity, passion, and support you all bring is inspiring. Whether sharing knowledge or solving problems, the collaboration within this community makes it so special. We’re thankful to serve such a dedicated group, and your continued enthusiasm drives us forward. We look forward to working with you in 2025!

Here’s to even greater things in 2025!

– The ExpressionEngine Team