Dot All 2025 Recap: Major Announcements and Takeaways for Craft CMS Users

The conference wasn't just about technical updates. It was a clear statement about where Craft CMS is heading: toward better collaboration tools, stronger accessibility standards, and a framework switch that will affect every Craft developer in the coming years.

Event Details: The Big Announcements

Craft 6 Moves to Laravel

The headline announcement sent ripples through the conference hall: Craft CMS 6 will run on Laravel instead of Yii. This isn't a minor update; it's a complete architectural shift. Brandon Kelly, Craft's founder, explained that Laravel's popularity among PHP developers makes hiring easier and opens up Craft to Laravel's extensive package ecosystem.

What makes this change manageable is the backward compatibility adaptor. Most of your Craft 5 code will still work in Craft 6, which means you won't need to rewrite everything from scratch. The timeline gives everyone breathing room too: Craft 6 arrives in late 2026, with Craft 5 receiving security updates for at least five more years.

Real-Time Collaboration Finally Arrives

Picture this: your content team editing the same blog post simultaneously, seeing each other's changes appear instantly. That's what Craft demonstrated with their new Datastar-powered collaboration features. During the live demo, over 70 people edited a single entry at once without any conflicts or crashes.

This isn't just a neat trick. Content teams have been asking for Google Docs-style collaboration for years, and Craft delivered. The feature uses the open-source Datastar project, which means developers can extend and customize how collaboration works in their projects.

Content Releases and Approval Workflows

Publishing coordinated content updates across multiple pages has always been tricky in Craft. The new Content Releases feature changes that. You can now group changes to different entries and schedule them to go live together. Think product launches where you need to update the homepage, product pages, and blog posts all at once.

The approval workflow system adds another layer of control. Content changes can now require sign-off before going live, with a full audit trail showing who approved what and when. For companies with strict publishing guidelines, this native feature replaces third-party plugins that never quite worked perfectly.

Accessibility Takes Center Stage

The control panel got a complete rebuild with accessibility as the primary goal. The team targeted WCAG 2.2 compliance, which goes beyond basic requirements. Keyboard navigation works everywhere now, screen readers can actually understand the interface, and there's even voice control for image editing.

Why does this matter? New accessibility laws in Europe mean many businesses legally need accessible admin interfaces. But beyond compliance, it means team members with disabilities can finally use Craft without barriers.

Why These Changes Matter to You

For Developers

The Laravel switch changes your hiring pool immediately. Laravel developers are everywhere, while Yii specialists are harder to find. We've found that Laravel experience translates quickly to Craft development, which means shorter onboarding times and access to a larger talent pool.

The new front-end component library, built on Lion, speeds up custom admin interface development. Instead of wrestling with custom JavaScript, you get accessible, tested components out of the box.

For Content Teams

Real-time collaboration eliminates the "who's editing this?" Slack messages. Multiple writers can work on different sections of the same article without stepping on each other's toes. The commenting system keeps feedback in context. No more email chains trying to explain which paragraph needs changing.

Scheduled drafts mean you can prepare content weeks in advance and forget about it. Set your Black Friday sale pages to go live at midnight, and they will, without anyone logging in at odd hours.

For Agencies

Craft Cloud's maturity means you can offer managed hosting without managing servers. At $240/month annually, it includes the Craft Pro license, automated backups, and global CDN. The math often works out cheaper than managing your own infrastructure, especially when you factor in DevOps time.

The plugin ecosystem's growth (over $9 million paid to developers) shows a healthy, sustainable community. Those 1,000 plugins mean you're rarely starting from scratch, and the new curation system makes finding quality plugins easier.

Key Takeaways and What to Do Now

Immediate Actions

Start your plugin audit today. Check which plugins you rely on and whether their developers have announced Craft 6 plans. Most major plugin developers attended Dot All and are already planning updates, but it's worth confirming.

Test your sites with screen readers and keyboard navigation. The new accessibility features in Craft help, but your front-end needs attention too. Run a basic accessibility audit now to identify issues before they become urgent.

Consider Craft Cloud for your next project. The platform has moved from beta to a reliable hosting option with features that would cost thousands to implement yourself. The GitHub integration alone saves hours of deployment configuration.

Planning for Craft 6

You have time. Late 2026 is still far away. But start these conversations now:

1. Budget for migration testing. Even with the compatibility adaptor, you'll want thorough testing before upgrading production sites.

2. Evaluate your custom modules. Complex custom code might need more attention during the migration. Document what you have and why it exists.

3. Train your team on Laravel basics. Even if you're not switching immediately, understanding Laravel patterns will help when Craft 6 arrives.

Professional Insights from the Community

The conference conversations revealed interesting patterns. Our experience shows that companies using Craft for content-heavy sites are most excited about the collaboration features, while e-commerce sites focus on the Commerce 5 performance improvements.

Several agencies mentioned switching their entire practice to Craft Cloud. The calculation is simple: if you're managing more than three client sites, the time saved on server management usually covers the hosting costs.

Plugin developers seemed relieved about the long transition period. Many worried about needing to rewrite everything immediately, but the five-year support window for Craft 5 lets them plan gradual migrations.

The accessibility improvements got unexpected attention from government contractors. Several mentioned that WCAG 2.2 compliance in the admin panel solves a major procurement requirement they've been working around with custom code.

Action Items for Different Roles

For Developers

• Review the Laravel documentation if you're not familiar with it
• Test the new Craft Generator CLI tool for faster plugin development
• Join the Craft Discord to follow migration discussions
• Start using Datastar in a test project to understand real-time features

For Project Managers

• Add Craft 6 migration to your 2026-2027 roadmap
• Budget for accessibility audits on current projects
• Evaluate Craft Cloud pricing against current hosting costs
• Schedule training time for new collaboration features

For Marketing Teams

• Prepare for faster content publishing workflows
• Plan how to use scheduled releases for campaigns
• Consider how real-time collaboration changes your editorial process
• Review approval workflows to match the new system

For Agency Owners

• Assess the Laravel switch impact on hiring
• Calculate potential savings from Craft Cloud
• Review client contracts for upgrade provisions
• Consider accessibility compliance as a service offering

Conclusion: Craft's Future Looks Bright

Dot All 2025 demonstrated that Craft CMS isn't standing still. The move to Laravel shows willingness to make bold changes when they benefit the community. The focus on accessibility and collaboration addresses real pain points that teams face daily. And the continued investment in both the core platform and ecosystem suggests a healthy future.

The conference made one thing clear: Craft is building for the long term. The five-year support promise for Craft 5, the thoughtful migration path to Craft 6, and the investment in foundational improvements like accessibility all point to a platform that values stability alongside innovation.

Teams we work with report that Craft's thoughtful approach to major updates gives them confidence in long-term projects. Unlike platforms that force urgent updates or break compatibility regularly, Craft provides a predictable path forward.

If you're evaluating whether these Craft CMS updates align with your content management needs, or if you need help planning your migration path from Craft 5 to the upcoming Laravel-based Craft 6, we can review your current setup and create a practical transition timeline that minimizes disruption to your content operations.