CKEditor 5 v46.0.0 Release Highlights: Introducing Line Height, Server-side Editor API, EU Region, and more
The CKEditor 5 v46.0.0 release introduces several high-impact features across, infrastructure, and regional deployment. The new Line Height feature brings precise typographic control to the editor, while the Server-side Editor API enables content manipulation and collaboration handling entirely from the backend. CKEditor Cloud Services also expands with new EU region support and optional multi-region environments for global applications.
This packed release also includes list marker styling improvements, upgraded Markdown conversion, manual token refreshing, and more. It introduces several major breaking changes, including unified exports, default content styles, and renamed CSS variables. These updates may require changes to your integration. Please read on or refer to the update guide for full details.
NEW Line Height
You can now control the vertical spacing between lines of text with the new Line Height feature. It’s a small but impactful addition that helps maintain consistent formatting through editing, conversion, and reuse.
While a default line height can be set, integrators can also configure class-based presets (single, double, etc.) or numerical values (1.15, 2, etc.) to suit different layout needs.
This feature is especially useful in workflows that demand precise visual layout with strict spacing guidelines, such as legal documents, branded templates, or editorials. It ensures reliable rendering in paginated formats and printed outputs and is fully compatible with Import from Word as well as Export to PDF & Word. That makes it ideal for content that moves across systems or formats.
Line Height is available in the Essential, Professional and Custom plans.
NEW Server-side Editor API
The new Server-side Editor API enables manipulation of CKEditor documents, including using collaboration features such as comments and suggestions, entirely from the backend without interrupting real-time collaboration. Users can continue to work in the editor while backend operations apply changes in parallel.
By enabling editing operations via API, it becomes possible to build services that process content at scale. This includes:
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Automating workflows such as publishing, content migration, and updating shared blocks or metadata
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Applying formatting rules consistently across large sets of documents
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Programmatically processing sensitive content in secure server environments
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Supporting real-time collaboration scenarios through automated backend moderation
From syncing reusable content, like disclaimers or footers, to applying pre-publish transformations, the Server-side Editor API gives integrators deeper control over CKEditor-powered workflows, all without requiring the editor to be opened. It also reduces browser load and enables faster execution of bulk operations, which is ideal for publishing automation, or review tooling.
Server-side Editor API is available in the Professional and Custom plans.
Server-side Editor API is currently available only for SaaS users and will be available on-premises as of 22.07.2025.
NEW EU Region & Multi-region Support
CKEditor Cloud Services now offers Cloud Region feature with a new EU region (based in Frankfurt) alongside the existing US region (based in Northern Virginia). This allows you to select a single region to host your data.
By choosing the appropriate region for your deployment, you can improve performance, reduce latency, and simplify compliance with regional data requirements such as GDPR or industry-specific regulations in sectors like finance, legal, and healthcare.
Additionally, the optional Multi-region Support feature allows you to run environments in both EU and US regions simultaneously. This is ideal for global applications that require smart routing across continents while minimizing complexity on the integrator’s side.
Together, Cloud Region and Multi-region Support enable you to:
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Choose the region best suited for your users and compliance needs
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Create isolated environments per region or client
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Expand globally without legal or latency friction
Cloud Region, which provides the ability to choose between US or EU regions, is available in the Essential, Professional and Custom plans.
Multi-region Support, which enables environments in both US and EU simultaneously, is only available in Custom plans.
Whether you’re building an editor for a Europe-only team, rolling out across North America, or serving a global audience, CKEditor Cloud Services now gives you greater operational flexibility to deploy with precision.
Details about migrating between regions can be found in the Cloud Region documentation.
UPDATED Remove Formatting
The Remove Format feature has been upgraded to:
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Clear unnecessary styles from tables, images, and General HTML Support elements
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Preserve structural integrity while cleaning the look
UPDATED List Marker Styling
List markers (bullets and numbers) now inherit text formatting automatically, including:
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Font size
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Font color
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Font weight (bold, italic)
This applies to multi-level lists as well, ensuring visual consistency across complex documents. This behavior is enabled by default but can be disabled via configuration.
UPDATED Markdown Conversion
The Markdown feature now uses the unified ecosystem, replacing marked and turndown with remark and rehype.
This change brings more symmetrical and reliable conversion between HTML and Markdown, along with better long-term extensibility for teams that depend on Markdown-based pipelines. Additionally, autolinking is now enabled by default when loading Markdown content into the editor.
UPDATED Comments & Threads
The comments system received functional and API-level updates that improve thread creation, UI integration, and annotation management. These changes streamline how comment threads are added and tracked across custom workflows:
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addCommandThreadnow supports specifying a custom range and initial comment content. -
New public APIs allow retrieving a comment thread from an annotation and vice versa.
NEW Manual Token Refreshing
The new config.cloudServices.autoRefresh property allows developers to disable automatic token refreshing, enabling custom token handling strategies (e.g., for session-based control).
Other Updates & Breaking Changes
This release introduces several breaking changes that may require updates to your integration, including unified exports, opinionated content styling defaults, and renamed CSS variables. Please be sure to review the update guide for a complete list of changes and migration steps.
Unified Exports & Renames in Editor API
CKEditor 5 v46.0.0 introduces a unified exports system across all packages as part of the ongoing transition to the New Installation Methods. All public exports are now accessible via the main package entry (index.ts) and follow consistent naming. Additionally, deprecated exports were removed, and previously internal methods that remain accessible are now prefixed with an _.
If your integration relies on internal paths or legacy export names, your build may fail. Use the migration tables in the update guide to refactor imports accordingly.
Opinionated Content Styles & CSS Variable Renames
A new default style layer is now applied to .ck-content, defining font, color, spacing, and layout using CSS variables. These variables enforce consistent styling across platforms. While they follow common browser defaults, their explicit application may affect rendering in projects that previously relied on the absence of editor-defined styles. All variables can be overridden as needed to match your design.
In addition, all content-related variables (for lists, tables, highlights, etc.) have been renamed using the unified --ck-content-* prefix. Previously used names are no longer supported. Update your custom styles and themes accordingly.
AI Assistant Defaults
The AI Assistant now uses gpt-4o as the default model and no longer applies a max_tokens limit by default. This improves response quality and overall capabilities.
If your integration relies on the previous default settings, be sure to explicitly define the relevant editor configuration entry. For details, refer to the update guide.
