Concrete CMS 9.5.5: what’s changed, and should you update?
Concrete CMS 9.5.5 brings a better thumbnail editor, fixes for forms and page listings, and a security update. If your website runs Concrete 9, it is a release worth reviewing—not just another version number to ignore.
For business owners, the useful question is not how many changes appear in the release notes. It is whether those changes affect the way your website works, and how to install them without disrupting it.
Here are the changes we think deserve attention.
A more useful thumbnail editor
The thumbnail editor gains crop controls, a live preview and improved dialogs. If you regularly add news stories, products or team photographs, this is one of the changes you are most likely to notice.
Consistent thumbnails help keep page listings tidy. Better controls should make it easier for editors to choose the right part of an image without repeatedly saving and checking the result.
That does not replace sensible image preparation. Uploading a huge photograph for a small thumbnail can still create unnecessary work for your website.
Fixes for forms and missing page listings
The release fixes an error when submitting the Legacy Form block. If your site uses that block, form submission should be part of your upgrade testing—including checking that the enquiry reaches its destination, not simply that a confirmation message appears.
There is also a fix for a specific problem introduced with 9.5.4: a Page List block on the homepage, configured to show pages from “Everywhere”, could return no results.
For a business website, that might mean an unexpectedly empty news or content listing. It is a good example of why even a patch update needs checking against the features your own site uses.
Improvements for integrations and site administration
Several fixes affect the REST API, which allows other software to interact with Concrete CMS. These include a block being updated twice and problems saving image links. There are also fixes to the Content Import Format, used when importing structured site content.
These changes will matter more to sites with bespoke integrations or development workflows than to an editor updating a paragraph of text.
Other improvements are more immediately visible: completed tasks should no longer remain displayed as running, the home folder is pre-selected when uploading files from blocks, and the Dashboard remembers a closed panel for longer.
None is a headline feature on its own. Together, they remove some everyday friction.
There is a security update too
The official release notes list a security update alongside the functional changes. That is a reason to review the release promptly, even if your website appears to be working normally.
It is not a reason to update a live business website blindly. Security maintenance and careful deployment belong together.
Should you install it?
If you are already running Concrete 9, our recommendation is to check the release against your current version, hosting environment, theme and add-ons, then test the appropriate update route.
A sensible process is:
- Take a complete backup. Include both the database and website files, and make sure you have a workable recovery route.
- Use a staging copy. Apply the update away from the live website first.
- Test the important journeys. Check contact forms, search, page listings, logins and any booking, payment or external integrations your site relies on.
- Check editing as well as browsing. Upload an image, edit a page and check the publishing workflow.
- Deploy and check again. Confirm the important functions still work in the live environment.
The amount of testing should reflect the website. A brochure site and a customer portal do not carry the same operational risk.
What if you are still using concrete5 5.6 or 5.7?
Do not treat this as an instruction to jump straight to 9.5.5. Older concrete5 installations need a separate assessment of their upgrade or migration options, including custom code, themes, add-ons and hosting compatibility.
The same caution applies to version 8 sites: establish the supported route and dependencies before making changes.
An older website does not automatically need a complete redesign. But it does need a realistic maintenance plan rather than an assumption that it can stay unchanged indefinitely.
Our view
Concrete CMS 9.5.5 is a practical maintenance release. The thumbnail improvements will help editors, the fixes address real website behaviour, and the security update gives owners another reason to pay attention.
Review it, test it and keep your site maintained. The aim is a dependable website, not simply a higher version number.
Not sure which version your website runs, or what an update would involve? Contact Datasouth. We can assess your Concrete CMS installation and explain the options in plain English.