Current Upgrade Dates

Key Release Date: June 12 2025
Key Backup Release Date: May 29 2025

Global Release Date: June 26 2025
Global Backup Release Date: June 12 2025

Upcoming Upgrades Schedule

We regularly update the list of upgrade features and schedule for both the backup and production environments on this page.

This page will provide a general overview of each upgrade. More information around the system upgrade process can be found below.

Current Upgrade Package (202506.01)

June 2025 Overview

Watch this video to get a general overview of the new features in this release.

Note: while the video states the old rich text editor is fully deprecated and the setting removed, that change will now be targeting the October 2025 release.

To watch this video in full screen, please click on the full screen button on the bottom right.

June 2025 Upgrade Highlights

• Redesigned Header: All clients will receive a streamlined new header with simplified navigation and a new Global Admin icon, making key tools and settings easier to access.
• Enhanced Rich Text Editor: Enjoy improved formatting flexibility with new font and line-height (leading) options.
• Project-Based Test to Production (T2P): The project-based T2P tool is officially ready for general use.
• CommunitySuite Integration: Simplify operations and enhance collaboration across your financial and grants management processes by exchanging data between your CommunitySuite and SmartSimple systems.
• Idea Lab: We're excited to launch a new interactive space to submit your ideas and upvote ideas from the community. More details will be provided during the June release including an FAQ.

Global System Upgrades

The new features listed below are enhancements to the SmartSimple system and will be immediately available to SmartSimple users upon the application of the upgrade to their server:

Major Updates

Redesigned Global Header Now Live

The updated streamlined global header is now available to all clients. It features simplified navigation, a new Global Administrator menu (gear icon), and a dedicated accent area. A new accent color enhances the visibility of key icons. Additionally, if the number of header links exceeds the available space, the extra links will now appear under a "More" dropdown menu. Some elements have been reorganized. For example, "Privacy and Security," "Language," and "Organization Switching" are now located under the user menu. The Title Bar option under the User Menu has been deprecated and will no longer be visible. All links in the User menu will now appear together above the language and organization switcher.

Note: With the new header the menu icon is not automatically enabled for users set as Global Administrator. To display the menu icon for any role, a system administrator can navigate to User Roles > edit the desired role and toggle on Enable Menu Icon permission enabled.

The Classic Logo setting is no longer supported with the new header design. If you were using the Classic Logo, please save a copy of it and upload it to the Logo field under Global Settings > Branding. Then, delete the old Classic Logo. Also ensure the Logo setting within the portal is set to Default.

We have retained the option to temporarily disable the new header in Global Settings > Branding.

Rich Text Editor Updates

The previous version of the rich text editor will be fully deprecated in the October 2025 release. At that time only the new rich text editor will be available, and the option to switch back to the old editor will be removed.

The new rich text editor now includes options to change font face (Arial and Times New Roman) and line height. Users can also access new tools for editing table and cell properties.

Note: when copying and pasting content from Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other external sources into a Rich Text Field, some formatting issues may occur. This is because Rich Text Editors often interpret formatting (such as fonts, headings, spacing, or lists) differently than word processing software. After pasting, please review and adjust the formatting as needed to ensure consistency with the intended style and layout of your content.

SmartSimple is Launching the Idea Lab

At SmartSimple, your ideas have always been at the heart of our innovation. Many of the features you use today began as suggestions from clients like you, and now we’re making it even easier to share your insights as a community.

We're excited to introduce the Idea Lab, a new, interactive space where you can submit enhancement ideas, explore suggestions from other users, join the conversation through comments, and upvote the ideas that matter most to you. This collaborative environment will help us better prioritize what our community truly needs.

Minor Updates

New Report Export Options

We've enhanced the report export functionality to give users greater flexibility when exporting data from SmartSimple. You can now choose the encoding for exported report files as well as the column delimiters when using File Export format.

The new export features include: 

• Character Encoding Options:
  • UTF-8
  • UTF-8 with BOM
  • Windows-1252
• Column Delimiter Options for CSV exports:
  • Comma (,)
  • Tab
  • Pipe (|)
  • Semicolon (;)
  • Colon (:)

New Option to Reprocess Media Library Videos

If a video in the Media Library fails to process correctly, users will now see a message along with a "Retry" button. This provides a simple way to request that the video be reprocessed.

When a video is uploaded, the Media Library automatically generates multiple format versions of the media to ensure compatibility across different devices. If a video or audio file is not ready for playback, try to refresh the page after a few minutes.

Updated Calendar Manager Permission

Users with the "Calendar Manager" permission can now manage calendar access for other users. This includes enabling and editing calendar permissions. For example, granting access to a new employee or removing access for someone who has left the organization.

To use this permission, go to: Global Settings > Security tab > System Feature Permissions > Features tab > Select the desired user roles under Calendars – Manager.

Updated Email Interface

The layout and flow for sending an email from a record, such as a Level 1 application, has been updated to enhance the user experience and align more closely with the group email sending process.

Updated Message Styling

Instructional and warning messages have been refreshed with a new, rounded design to make them more visually distinct and easier to notice.

On-Demand System Upgrades

The following features are available immediately with the application of the upgrade, but must first be enabled or configured by a Global Administrator:

Major Updates

Project-Based Test to Production (T2P) Ready for General Use

The new project-based Test to Production (T2P) tool is officially ready for general use. Since the beta release, we've made several enhancements, including a improved promotion flow, improved project list management, and optimized logging of settings changes. 

Note: This feature is only available in dedicated environments and will be hidden on multi-tenant servers.

New Feature to Update Custom Field Values on Parent Records

You can now update a Level 1 custom field directly from a Level 2 workflow. For example, when a Level 2 appeal is submitted, you can automatically update a field on the Level 1 application to indicate that it is under appeal.

This new approach is simpler and more efficient than using type formulas or multiple workflows to accomplish the same result, with less impact on performance.

To configure this feature, create a workflow on the "Tracking Activities" object using the task type "Update Custom Field Value". Then, choose the "Target Object" to specify updating the parent or current record. This feature allows updates from:

• Level 3 to Level 2
• Level 2 to Level 1

Enhanced AI Translation Feature

We've released an improved version of our AI translation feature, designed to streamline the translation of system configuration captions. Rather than sending translations on a page-by-page basis when each page is viewed, you may now submit all text in bulk for translation.

Clients with AI features enabled can access this functionality by navigating to: Global Settings > System tab > Configuration Translation. From there, select your target language, choose your preferred translation behavior, and click Start Translations.

The system will process captions in batches, sending them to the AI provider and applying updates in the background. You can monitor progress in real time. A downloadable JSON file containing the translated captions is available in the logs.

New Integration with Foundant CommunitySuite

We’re excited to announce a new integration with Foundant Technologies’ CommunitySuite. A solution commonly used for fund accounting. With this upgrade, you may now exchange data between your CommunitySuite and SmartSimple systems, just like you would between SmartSimple platforms.

Global Administrators can access this new integration by navigating to: Global Settings > Integrations, select the “Data Exchange Type” of “New”, and under the export/import settings, choose the new CSuite option.

Note data values that may be exchanged are prescriptive.

This upgrade simplifies operations and enhances collaboration across your financial and grants management processes between the two systems.

Minor Updates

New Role-Based Permission to Unlock Records

We've added a new role-based permission that allows users to override record locks. Previously, only Global Administrators could unlock records in use. Now, you can grant this ability to other roles. For example, you could give a grant manager or support person the ability to unlock a record currently being edited by an applicant.

Note: It’s not recommended to have multiple users editing the same record simultaneously as this may result in lost or overwritten changes.

There are two ways to configure this permission:

• For Organizations and Users: Go to Global Settings > Security tab > Override Record Lock for Organization and User Records
• Within a UTA: Go to Configuration Settings > Security tab > Override Record Lock. Then, assign the permission to the desired user roles. Note: this setting is only visible within the UTA if Record Lock is enabled which is done on the level 1, 2 or configuration 3 tabs. Once enable there is no option to disable record lock.

New Workflow Task to Create Level 1

We’ve introduced a new workflow task that allows you to automatically create a Level 1 record through a workflow. For example, in the volunteering space, when a volunteer opportunity goes live, you can now trigger a workflow to create a Level 1 record in another UTA which would be used to log volunteer hours. This simplifies configuration by replacing the need for custom scripts.

The new task, "Create New Level 1", lets you define the target UTA and key details for the new record, including Type, Status, Customer, Branch, Owner, and Person.

This task is available in workflows for UTA Level 1 and Level 2s, as well as Company and User.

Added Ability to Attach Policies to SSO Settings

Introduced a new setting in the Single Sign-On (SSO) configuration to attach policies. Users authenticating through SSO will now be prompted to acknowledge these policies. This feature integrates with existing policy management and logs SSO access as a collection point.

Added Version-Specific SmartCheck Validation

You can now assign SmartCheck validations to specific versions of a record. This allows you to preserve the original validation rules for older records while also setting up custom validations for newer versions of records. A new setting called Available Versions lets you control which record versions a SmartCheck validation applies to. By default, validations will continue to apply to all versions unless specified otherwise.

Added API Support for Organization as Container Flag

You can use the SmartConnect API to set the organization as container flag. Within the company API, use "sf_Is Container" for UPDATE operations. Valid values are 0 (Off) or 1 (On). You may also pull this information using GET and LIST operations.

Updated SmartConnect API for System and Association Roles

The SmartConnect API has been enhanced to include the ability to retrieve the meta data of system and association roles. To access this information, set the Object Type as "Roles" and set the Action Type to "Get Meta".

Enhanced Standard Field Support in Batch Update

Expanded support for standard fields in both batch update and custom batch update. Fields at Levels 2 and Level 3 for Assigned Person (ID 620) and Contact Person (ID 640) are now supported.

Note for Admins

New Cloning-Safe URL Syntax

We've introduced a new syntax to eliminate the need to manually adjust URLs due to unique attributes like IDs after cloning a system. Intended for SmartSimple staff and partners. The new syntax, @ssurl(objecttype,action,identifier)@, can be used in URL pickers found in portal sections, shortcuts, submit buttons, and routing pages. Common link destinations include signup pages and report chart URLs.

Updates to Cloning Process

For SmartSimple employees and partners, the cloning process has been enhanced to include autoloaders. Autoloaders are now cloned without carrying over report IDs.

New RESTful Request Option

Added the "Web Service - RESTful Request" task type to SmartFolder workflows, allowing users to configure workflows that send RESTful requests when files are uploaded to a SmartFolder. For example, when an applicant uploads a budget justification document the system will send a RESTful request that can be used to run a process outside the system.

New API Options Available

Two new settings have been added to the API for improved security:

• Disable GET requests
• Disable Query Parameters (This will restrict query parameters to the message body and URL query parameters will be rejected)

You can find these new toggles under Global Settings > Integrations tab.

Updated API to Strip Control Characters

Updated the SmartConnect API reports to automatically strip control characters like STX that cannot be displayed in the JSON output.

Updated Service Provider-Initiated Single Sign-On Options

Enhanced service provider-initiated single sign-on (SSO) functionality with two new customizable fields: NameID Policy Format and Authentication Context, allowing greater flexibility in the AuthnRequest configuration.

Update to "Avoid Termination of Pending Workflows"

The behavior of the Avoid Termination of Pending Workflows option has been updated to handle concurrent workflows more effectively. It now applies to currently running workflows in addition to pending workflows.

Updated Records Per Page Options in History and Log Views

The "Show All" option for records per page has been removed from certain areas of the system to enhance performance. This change affects views such as the Field Change History and Configuration Error Log.

Updated Multi-Factor Authentication Code Request Limit

Requests for multi-factor authentication codes are now limited to one code per minute per user.

Updated Advanced Data Table

The custom field for Advanced Data Tables now includes a warning to alert users about potential data loss when reducing the number of rows via configuration. Additionally, new node names will automatically include section names to help ensure uniqueness.

Added Automatic Enrollment for New Privacy and Security Policies

All new and cloned systems will now be automatically enrolled in the new privacy and security policies feature. Existing systems that use the previous version of the policies feature will remain unaffected. You can switch existing systems to use the new version of privacy policies at any time. However, policies must be recreated in the new version, and some configuration is required. To enable the new privacy policies on existing systems, go to Global Settings > Classic Options tab, and toggle off “Enable Classic Privacy and Security Policies.”

Updated Dun & Bradstreet Integration

• Added support for hidelinewhenerrors, meta template, and line template parameters similar to the previous D&B ssGet syntax (and other ssGet usages) and they will need to be passed before the D&B specific parameters are passed
• Meta template variables that can be used are [[recordcount]] and [[now]]
• Template variables that can be used are [[id]], [[name]], [[alias]], [[details]], [[matchscore]], [[source]], and [[url]].

Example Syntax:

@ssGet(D&B,dowjones;;1;;metatemplate start [[recordcount]] [[now]];;line template start [[id]] | [[name]] | [[alias]] | [[details]] | [[matchscore]] | [[source]] | [[url]];;subject=Enron;;subjectType=OrganizationName;;screeningMonitoringMode=OnlyMonitoring)@

Other Fixes

• Fixed an issue with "Select One - Dropdown List", "Select Many - Checkboxes", and "Lookup - Autocomplete Options", when they have Enable Dynamic Content as well as Show Display Value in List Views enabled and these are included in reports using the "Total Group By" option.
• Fixed an issue where the API GET function was returning stored values instead of display values for some fields such as "Select One - Radio Buttons".
• Fixed an issue where changes to user roles updated the "Updated By" and "Last Updated" standard fields but were not reflected in the "Change History" when history tracking was enabled for those fields. Also fixed an issue where role updates made through sigle sign-on (SSO) incorrectly showed the user as the updater instead of the system.
• Fixed an issue with "Payment Allocation Mapping" where modifying a Level 2 payment type and using the "Add More Fields" button caused the payment activity status to incorrectly pull the Level 3 status from the provider UTA. It now correctly pulls the Level 3 status from the current UTA.
• Fixed an issue where the character count did not update correctly in certain scenarios for rich text custom fields.

Service Packs

Aug 14th 2025 (202508.01)

• Updated the behavior of Organization and User records to always display the Activities tab in the left navigation, even when no activities are present, to improve performance and enable faster loading of Organization and user records.
• Updated tags on input fields to remove the autocomplete=off attribute to allow users to auto-fill information more easily.
• Updated the CAPTCHA v3 integration by generating a new, one-time-use token on each sign-up form submission to enhance security.
• Fixed an issue on signup pages where, in certain scenarios involving dynamic field visibility, the mandatory asterisk was not appearing as expected.

• Fixed an issue where the From and To fields were not displaying correctly in the Communications > Email > Email Sent and Email Received lists for some messages generated as part of a new activity.
• Fixed an issue related to keyboard only navigation that was preventing users from selecting items from within a lookup such as the one found on the Owner standard field.
• Fixed an issue where an objemail (Email Anything) that created a Level 3 record did not trigger the associated Level 3 workflow.
• Fixed an issue where updates made within a file in a "System" folder of type "Configuration" on the production environment were sometimes not reflected in the backup environment the next day.
• Fixed an issue on the Workflow Request page where the list sometimes appeared blank and user selection did not function as expected.
• Fixed an issue where batch updates to some Level 2 and Level 3 standard fields were not being recorded in the field change history log.
• Fixed an issue where the red validation error messages displayed beneath fields were not properly read by screen readers. The aria-describedby attribute has been added to improve screen reader support.
• Fixed an issue affecting how screen readers read out links in the accent area of the new header, including the Menu and System Administration icons.
• Fixed an issue where Custom links in the User menu failed to open when Open In was set to open in a new or modal windows and the URL was used for PAC access. For enhanced security external links may only be opened in a new window going forward and an alert will be displayed if an external link is opened using another method.
• Fixed an issue with Signority e-signatures where, in certain timing scenarios, the status incorrectly reverted to Completed – File download pending due to the sequence in which Signority transmitted the file and related data to SmartSimple.
• Fixed an issue where the Trigger Copy Profile workflow task type did not copy files from upload fields.
• Fixed an issue in the new project-based version of T2P where changes such as version snapshot within SmartVersioning were not carried over.
• Fixed an issue with the re-sign-in button that appears when a user's session timed out after logging in via Single Sign-On (SSO).

July 17th 2025 (202507.02)

• Updated the DocuSign signature integration by extending the timeout duration to better handle server traffic and slow response times from DocuSign.
• Fixed an issue with the Message Center email preview where the initial display appeared correct, but navigating back altered the formatting of line breaks and paragraphs.

• Fixed an issue with the Message Queue preview affecting the display of multi-line text fields such as "Text Box – Multiple Lines" custom fields and "Notes".  Now you may use the style "white-space: pre-line;" to preserve line break formatting when using these variables.
• Fixed an issue with email templates where the checkbox for selecting default attachments from SmartFolders was not functioning as intended.
• Fixed an issue with the SmartConnect API where fields containing JSONArray data were causing the API to return an error.
• Fixed an issue where P3 scripts were not being triggered by Level 2 formulas.

July 10th 2025 (202507.01)

• Updated the data retention policy to improve how file removals are handled. Previously, deleted files were replaced with dummy files. Now, when Track Changes is enabled, file deletions will be recorded in the field history. Additionally, the variable syntax @field.numOfFiles@ will now accurately return the current number of files.
• Updated the display of error messages in the 'Failed' tab of the 'Message Queue.' You can now click the 'View Error' link to see the complete list of errors.
• Updated the handling of signatory order in e-signature configurations to better manage cases where index values are non-unique or do not match the number of signatories.
• Updated interface on the session expired screen to improve messaging and clarity.
• Updated Advanced Search, for custom fields that allow users to select values from a list of options (e.g. checkboxes, dropdowns, and Lookup - Autocomplete Options), the options dropdown has been updated to use pagination, instead of loading all options at once. Now, only a limited number of options are loaded initially - based on the user's "Auto Complete Number of Records Displayed" setting in Personal Settings. More options are dynamically loaded as the user scrolls down. This improves performance, especially when a lookup field has a large number of options.
• Updated the Variable Syntax Checker to restrict data return when the user lacks view permissions on the requested record, including Level 1, 2, 3, User, Organization, and Transaction records.
• Fixed an issue with the GuideStar Charity Check integration where the old “Exempt Status Code” field mapping from Candid's deprecated API was still being supported. Previously mapped as “exemp_status_code,” it will now be mapped to “exempt_status_code” (with a “t”).

• Fixed an issue with the object email functionality ('email anything') where the presence of multiple object email values in a single email previously resulted in the creation of multiple level two records per object. Moving forward the system will only create one level two per message for each object.
• Fixed an issue on Message Queue tabs, where deleting or resending an email would trigger an empty search on the 'To' address. The system will no longer perform an empty search by default on these tabs.
• Fixed an issue on organization signup pages using the Ireland Companies Registration Office (CRO) verification service. Organizations with apostrophes in their names now redirect to the signup page as expected when selected.
• Fixed an issue where tapping a link under 'Portal Links' in the header menu on mobile devices did not automatically close the menu.
• Fixed an issue with Question Set Builder fields where the Autosave functionality was not saving the value and an invalid field error was displayed.
• Fixed an issue with level three custom field permissions where level two types were not appearing in the 'Include' and 'Exclude' field setting. Both level two and three types will now be selectable in this setting.
• Fixed an issue where using a submit button to change the status was not updating correctly in annotation mode.
• Fixed an issue related to switching languages when the following security setting was enabled “Enable Logout - Terminate the session and log out when a user navigates to a different website, closes the browser or clicks Log Out”.
• Fixed an issue where the dash in the validity period of the “Keystore” category and “Certificate” type of integration key was not displaying correctly.
• Fixed an issue with the “Select Many Checkboxes” custom field where performing a batch update would unintentionally disable the “Show Checkboxes/Radio Buttons in View mode” setting.
• Fixed an issue where language (lang) tags were being removed from content entered in the “Text Box – Text Multiple Lines” custom field.
• Fixed an issue where the .displayvalue variable syntax was not resolving correctly when pulling values from static sections within the “Special – Advanced Data Table” custom field.
• Fixed an issue where the “System Design Summary” was generating a blank Word document.
• Fixed an issue where the Allow Modify permissions were not being checked when fields are refreshed using the “Refresh On Update” setting for linked record list custom fields.

June 27th 2025 (202506.04)

• Fixed an issue that was preventing user emulation.
• Fixed an issue that was preventing PDF documents from being generated in workflows using the “Generate PDF File Asynchronously” task type.

June 26th 2025 (202506.03)

• Updated the “Workflows” and “Marketplace” links by relocating them within the new header. These links will now appear under the “Menu” icon, as their visibility is controlled by role-based permissions. Initially, these links were displayed under the “System Administrator” icon within the new header.
• Fixed an issue in the consumer provider sublists within a record where the type, role, status, or category fields were not retained after performing a search.
• Fixed an issue where, when sending emails via the Message Center, the specified From Address was not retained and replaced with the user's email address.
• Fixed an issue related to switching languages when the following security setting was enabled “Enable Logout - Terminate the session and log out when a user navigates to a different website, closes the browser or clicks Log Out”
• Fixed an issue related to the autoloader introduced in the previous package where if the autoloader only has a single identifier, but the data file contains a record with an empty identifier column, all records are no longer be treated as matching.

June 19th 2025 (202506.02)

• Updated the new header by moving the “Support” link from the “System Administration” menu (gear icon) to the “User” menu. It now appears above the “Log Out” option. This link allows users to create support tickets and view the deployed SmartSimple version for their environment. The change was made to improve accessibility for more users. Link visibility can be managed by navigating to the desired role’s System Permissions under the Menu tab.
• Updated the Autoloader to generate improved log files.
• Updated the new project-based T2P (Test to Production) tool to promote configuration history of promoted objects. Previously, the user that promoted the changes was displayed as the user that made the configuration change in the change history. When a change is promoted, the change history from the development environment will overwrite the change history in other environments.
• Fixed an issue with the Data Exchange feature where the 'Unpack Complete' message was not closing as expected.
• Fixed an issue with the legacy Rich Text Editor that occurred when Enable Editing was toggled on for the “Special – Web Page View” custom field.
• Updated logo image rendering to reduce cropping issues for images larger than the recommended size of 112px high by 560px wide.
• Fixed an issue with the portal header menu for the common role, where items within submenus did not inherit the allow and deny permissions from their parent dropdown.

About the System Upgrade Process

The objective of the system upgrade process is to ensure that customers have a chance to review how their applications and information will work following the upgrade without compromising the integrity of their production system. In order to take advantage of this, you will need to know how to access your backup instance of SmartSimple Cloud. If you need assistance with this, either refer to the Backup Server and Testing Instances Wiki article or contact the SmartSimple support desk.

Upgrade Schedule Details

The following tables outline the detailed upgrade release cycle.

If you are part of our Key Release your SmartSimple Cloud system will be automatically upgraded according to the following schedule. Generally North American Clients are on the Key release.

If you are part of our Global Release your SmartSimple Cloud system will be automatically upgraded according to the following schedule. Generally clients in Europe, Middle East and Asia as well as Managed Dedicated clients are on the Global release.

If you are on dedicated environment that is client-managed your SmartSimple Cloud system is only upgraded manually by your system administrator or by submitting a request to SmartSimple. The upgrade package is made available for you according to the following schedule.

Backup Environment Update

• Each backup environment will be updated to the "release candidate" prior to the upgrade date.
• This update will provide for instance specific testing of release candidate, as you can log into your respective backup environment and test the changes against your most current data and configuration.
• Internal staff will also be using these environments to perform instance specific testing.

Update Go/No-Go

Subject to satisfactory testing on both the pre-production environments and the backup environments, the Go/No-Go decision will be made on the Wednesday prior to an upgrade release.