Weekly updates (October 8, 2026)

Platform Enhancements

• When using the validateOnly query-string parameter, the Metadata API now checks for required custom metadata fields and returns a clear error message when one is missing.
• The Map Layers pane in the map editor has been updated to align with the Tyler Design System. Functionality is unchanged, so you'll just notice a slightly refreshed look.

Accessibility Enhancements

• Stories – Table of Contents block:
  • The "Update Table" button now displays correctly.
  • The toolbar that appears when you select a heading now meets color contrast requirements, making it easier to read.
  • The "Add a link" dialog now works better with screen readers and other assistive technology.
• Stories – HTML embeds: Embedded content now has a descriptive title, so screen reader users know what an embedded frame contains before entering it. The title comes from the embedded visualization's name or from the "Title Attribute" field in the HTML embed dialog. Existing embeds will get a title the next time they're edited and saved.
• Stories – Linked images: When you add a hyperlink to an image, you'll now be asked to add a description (alt text), and the image can no longer be marked as decorative. Previously, a linked image marked as decorative created a link with no accessible name, so screen readers couldn't tell users where it led. We also made the link dialog easier to use: invalid link errors now appear once you move out of the field instead of while you're typing, and very large images no longer stretch the dialog during cropping.
• Stories – Reading order: Screen readers now read Story content in the same order it appears on the page. Previously, if a block was moved above another block, a screen reader could still read it afterward.
• Dataset Overview Pages: The menu button in data table column headers now has a larger click and tap target, making it easier to select. Disabled pagination controls now meet color contrast requirements.
• Site header navigation: Keyboard focus is now clearly visible on navigation links, dropdown menus, and the language selector in the site header. This applies to signed-out users on desktop using branded layouts.
• Data catalog: Catalog page content now displays properly at high zoom levels and on small screens, so text and controls are no longer cut off.
• Filters overridden by the Global Filter Bar: Visualization filters that are overridden by the Global Filter Bar are now marked as read-only for assistive technology.

Bug Fixes

• Numbers on the data preview page now display correctly on sites using languages such as Spanish or Catalan. Previously, in languages that use a comma as the decimal mark, columns with "Hide thousands separator" turned on could drop the decimal, so a value like 12,5 would appear as 125.
• The Crop and Reset options in a Story's Author Block now only appear for uploaded images, where cropping saves as expected. Previously, these options also appeared for the default author image, but any crop made there wasn't saved after clicking Update.