Magento 2.3 feature highlights

We’re getting close to the upcoming release of Magento 2.3, and there’s a lot to be excited about. Magento announced many new features that will improve users’ experience and make the software much more refined.

Unlike the previous update, which was released more than a year ago, this one will bring a ton of impactful features. Those running Magento sites will have many new opportunities when it comes to selling to their customers.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at what those features are.

  1. PWA studio

PWA (Progressive Web Applications) studio is probably one of the biggest features that was announced in the Imagine keynote on May 24. Essentially, this set of tools allows Magento users to create a progressive web app using the platform.

What this means is that consumers will be able to access an app-style webpage, which should offer improved performance, push notifications, and offline compatibility. The fact that Magento is implementing this doesn’t come as a surprise, considering how many people browse the web using their phones. Now, they’ll be able to enjoy a great front-end mobile experience.

The key features of PWA Studio include:

  • A toolset for content personalization and adding local preferences
  • Ability to build and manage every channel via one code base, as well as one deployment and app
  • Intuitive user interface with new CMS and commerce theming
  • Specifically designed developer’s tools for debugging, fast prototyping, increased productivity, and rich feedback
  1. GraphQL

With Magento 2.3, module builders will be able to add GraphQL diagrams to their modules. The GraphQL API offers users the following functions:

  • Mutations to support payments and checkout
  • Storefront GraphQL API for orders, accounts, and checkout
  • GraphQL framework improvements
  1. Declarative database schema

When you want to change the Magento schema using the current version of the program, you need to use InstallSchema and UpdateSchema classes in the places where the code is written.

Magento 2.3 makes this much easier by implementing the declarative DB schema. The tables are uniformly defined in XML, which makes upgrades easier and allows you to rollback a module or certain functions.

  1. Multi-source inventory (MSI)

The addition of MSI will help merchants manage their inventory natively by using multiple sources. What this will do is allow for item shipping and stock levels tracking from multiple warehouses. It will also support the ‘pick up in store’ and ‘ship in store’ functions by letting merchants monitor inventory within retail stores. Merchants will also be able to link stock information from different stock locations to external systems through the API.

  1. Page builder

One of the biggest complaints that Magento users have had in the past were the limited page building capabilities of the platform. This is why Magento bought Bluefoot CMS from Gene Commerce in 2016. This module lets users create rich pages that are full of images, videos, widgets, and other elements.

But until now, this hasn’t been available to all users. This is why starting with version 2.3, Magento will be using Page Builder, a rewrite of Bluefoot CMS which will be available to all merchants and partners.

Page Builder will contain a template creation feature, drag-and-drop layout, and a user-friendly UX that is clean enough for users who are not as tech-savvy.

  1. Two-factor authentication (2FA)

Every web system suffers from the same vulnerability – exposure to privacy invasion in case someone gets a hold of the administrator’s password. To make sure that the administrator panel is kept secure, Magento 2.3 features 2FA. The way it works is fairly familiar, as it’s the same as for pretty much every web service. After the initial login, the user will have to prove that they have the right to access the information by requesting a code to be sent to their email or phone. This will help to ensure that malicious users can’t access and misuse sensitive information.

  1. PHP 7.2 support

Magento is staying up to date with the latest technologies with its version 2.3, which is compatible with the newest PHP version, PHP 7.2. This is important because every new language adds a certain number of features, and Magento users will be able to take advantage of all of them. As an added bonus, mcrypt, which has been used in previous versions, is getting replaced by libsodium, which is a stronger encryption technique.

  1. Google reCAPTCHA

The ability to prove that the one accessing a site is a human and not a bot is very important to Magento and its users. This is why Google reCAPTCHA is part of the login page in version 2.3.

  1. Asynchronous API

Asynchronous WebAPI allows the system to asynchronously execute API calls. What this means is that integrations will no longer have to wait until the request is fully processed while making the calls. An obvious advantage is a big boost in performance of integrations that need to handle many API calls, such as customer import and bulk product integration. Both Magento Commerce and Magento Open Source will have this feature.

  1. Message queue

In a similar fashion as asynchronous WebAPI makes asynchronous API phone calls possible, the message queue system is for communication between systems. With version 2.3, this feature is extending from Magento Commerce to Magento Open Source.

The final word

As you can see, there’s a lot to look forward to in the upcoming Magento 2.3. It will remove many limitations that users currently face and open many new doors for the merchants, who will have the opportunity to create even better ecommerce websites.

What you see here are only some of the most noteworthy features of the new upgrade. There are a ton of smaller changes besides that are bound to make Magento even more powerful and capable.

While the exact release date is still unknown, Magento 2.3 is expected to see the light of day by the end of the year. Now that we know what to expect, all that’s left to do is wait with bated breath to experience the new features firsthand.