docs/release-notes/17-8-0/README.md
Release date: 2026-09-02
We released OpenProject 17.8.0. The release contains several bug fixes and we recommend updating to the newest version. In these Release Notes, we will give an overview of important feature changes. At the end, you will find a complete list of all changes and bug fixes.
OpenProject 17.8 brings powerful new possibilities for connecting AI assistants with your project work: the MCP Server can now create and update work packages, add comments, and manage work package relations. The release also introduces multiple target versions per work package, adds sprints and milestones to the project timeline, and brings further improvements to wikis, Backlogs, meetings, and administration.
And there is good news for Community users: displaying relations in the work package table is now available in the free Community edition. This makes it easier to see and work with relationships between work packages directly from the table.
Take a look at our release video showing the most important features introduced in OpenProject 17.8:
[feature: mcp_server ]
OpenProject 17.8 significantly extends the capabilities of the MCP Server. AI assistants can now create and update work packages directly in OpenProject, instead of being limited to searching and reading project information.
The new create_work_package and update_work_package MCP tools follow the same permissions and business rules as the regular OpenProject UI and API. This includes required fields and lock_version checks for updates.
The MCP Server also gains several additional capabilities:
Responses from the MCP Server have also been streamlined to reduce unnecessary information sent to AI assistants. Unnecessary action links and the HTML representation of formattable properties such as descriptions and comments are removed from responses. Output schemas have also been removed from MCP tool definitions.
Internally, MCP tools and resources are now registered through a registry pattern, making the server easier to extend in the future.
Displaying work package relations in the work package table is now available to all OpenProject users in the free Community edition.
Displaying relations as columns in the work package table makes it easier to see how work packages are connected without having to open individual work packages.
OpenProject 17.8 introduces multiple target versions for work packages. The existing Version field is renamed to Target versions and changes from a single-value field to a multi-value field. This allows a work package to be assigned to several versions at the same time, for example when a fix is included in several release lines or a feature spans multiple milestones.
For existing OpenProject installations, this conversion does not happen automatically with the 17.8 update. Administrators can enable it manually under Administration → Work packages → Versions and categories. New installations have multiple target versions enabled by default.
[!IMPORTANT] Enabling multiple target versions is a one-way conversion and cannot be reverted.
Existing version assignments are preserved during the conversion so no data is lost. And once multiple values is enabled users can start assigning more than a single version to a work package.
Existing functionality such as roadmaps, version boards, bulk editing, project copying, queries, filters, exports, and notifications continues to work with target versions.
For API clients, a new targetVersions property replaces the single-value version field. Integrations that manage version assignments should migrate to targetVersions BEFORE enabling multiple versions on the OpenProject instance.
For more information about the change, migration options, and API compatibility, see the multiple target versions documentation.
OpenProject 17.8 also extends CKEditor's attribute value macros with a singleline and multiline layout argument. This allows multi-value attributes to be displayed either as a comma-separated line within a sentence or as a list.
[feature: time_entry_time_restrictions ]
Administrators can now configure global restrictions for time entries under Administration → Time & Costs → Time.
For example, administrators can:
All validations are disabled by default, so existing OpenProject behavior remains unchanged after updating. These settings are instance-wide.
Project-specific overrides are not yet included and are planned as a future enhancement.
For more information about recording time in OpenProject, see the time tracking documentation.
OpenProject 17.8 brings several improvements to Backlogs and sprints.
Users can now change sprints and backlog buckets using bulk edit, making it easier to reorganize multiple work packages at once.
Changes to a work package's backlog bucket are now recorded in the Activity tab, just like changes to sprint assignments.
Sprint and backlog bucket cards can now be dragged into external applications. Depending on the target application, dropping a card into a chat, text editor, another browser window, or rich-text editor provides a usable link to the OpenProject work package.
When creating a new Scrum demo project, the default Epic and User story work package types now include an embedded related work package table showing their children. This makes it easier to see related work directly on the work package page and demonstrates how embedded related work package tables can be used.
OpenProject 17.8 brings further improvements to project wikis.
The term internal wiki has been replaced with project wiki throughout the interface, making the distinction from external wiki integrations such as XWiki clearer. The project wiki provider is called OpenProject.
The project wiki settings remain accessible even when project wikis have been disabled instance-wide, with an explanation of why the feature is unavailable.
The project wiki sidebar now makes it easier to navigate the wiki hierarchy. Pages are collapsed by default and can be expanded to show their sub-pages. When opening a page, its parent pages are automatically expanded, and a search field lets users filter the hierarchy while showing where matching pages are located.
The create and edit page has been updated with a modernized user interface.
The Create page dialog improves a parent page selection, making it possible to create root pages directly. The parent selection step is now labeled Parent.
Finally, wiki link and creation macros, such as Existing wiki page and New wiki page, are available in more rich text editors, including meeting descriptions, outcomes, comments, wiki page content, and text custom fields.
The Project timeline widget on the project overview now provides a more complete picture of important project dates by displaying milestones and sprints alongside project phases.
Milestones are displayed below the project phases and link directly to their work package full view. A footer link also lets users open all milestones in the Gantt chart.
Sprints are displayed below milestones. They are shown as read-only items and cannot be moved using drag and drop. A footer link leads to the sprints overview.
If the Backlogs module is disabled for a project, sprints are automatically hidden from the timeline. If a user lacks necessary permissions, the widget remains empty.
Search results and autocompleters now prioritize exact identifier matches over fuzzy matches. OpenProject also distinguishes correctly between project-based identifiers such as ACSMT-5 and numerical work package IDs, including when identifiers are entered with a # prefix.
If a work package URL does not contain the canonical identifier of the work package, OpenProject now automatically corrects the URL in the browser without redirecting or reloading the page.
Searching for work packages from the BlockNote editor has also been improved. Searches triggered using shortcuts such as # or / now display a loading indicator as well as clear No results and Error states.
The BlockNote editor extensions additionally support a separate proxyUrl alongside baseUrl. This ensures that links generated for pasted or typed work package references point directly to OpenProject instead of through an integration proxy.
[!NOTE] Project identifiers should not be treated as confidential information, even for private projects when project-based work package identifiers are enabled. Identifiers can become visible through public documents, anonymous access, or cross-project references.
The connection between meetings and work packages is more visible.
The Activity tab of a work package now shows when the work package was added to a meeting, removed from a meeting, moved between meetings, or discussed in a meeting. This also applies to meeting templates and meeting series.
This gives users important meeting context directly in the work package without requiring them to open the separate Meetings tab.
For users who prefer a less detailed activity stream, a new Hide meeting updates filter can be used to collapse these entries.
OpenProject 17.8 continues the modernization of administration and account pages with Primer UI components.
The Create new account page, project Overview actions, and additional legacy pages have received updated interfaces and improved inline validation.
The More actions menus on the project Overview and under Project settings → Information have also been reorganized and standardized. Archiving a project now uses a consistent danger-styled confirmation.
The authentication setting controlling who can create projects now includes a note explaining that users may be able to see project identifiers.
The page for creating a new two-factor authentication device during an enforced 2FA login has also been updated to the modern Primer-based interface. For more information, see the two-factor authentication (2FA) documentation.
The Activity tab polling interval can now be configured using the WORK_PACKAGES_ACTIVITIES_TAB_POLLING_INTERVAL_IN_MS setting. Previously, this interval was hardcoded or configurable only through an environment variable.
Users can also reduce the minimum width of split-screen views to 430 px, providing more room for the main content area. This applies to all split-screen views except the Gantt chart.
A very special thank you goes to Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, City of Cologne, Deutsche Bahn and ZenDiS for sponsoring released or upcoming features. Your support, alongside the efforts of our amazing Community, helps drive these innovations.
Special thanks for reporting and finding bugs go to Christoph Jansen, Chris Kerrison, Laurent Redor, Gernot Hollinger, Thomas Knäuper, Gábor Alexovics, Rince wind.
Last but not least, we are very grateful for our very engaged translation contributors on Crowdin, who translated quite a few OpenProject strings. This release we would like to particularly thank the following users:
Would you like to help out with translations yourself? Then take a look at our translation guide and find out exactly how you can contribute. It is very much appreciated!