v3.6 | P4 Community Survey Report 2024, Smarter Layouts, Better Search, Node.js v20, Accessibility Enhancements, Bug Fixes, and More!

Surprise! It’s not Quentin in your inbox this time—he’s off recharging somewhere far from bug tickets and sprint boards. So while he’s living his best life, I’m here with your sprint scoop! This sprint, we’ve got slick layout switches, improved search accessibility, a shiny Node.js upgrade, many bug fixes—and more. Let’s dive in:

⭐️P4 Community Survey Report 2024

First of all, a big thank you to everyone who took the time to share your thoughts with us—your input is incredibly valuable! The results are full of insights about our community, and we’re excited for you to explore them. Check out what we’ve learned together in the 🔗 P4 Survey Report 2024.

Features 🛠️

PLANET-7772 Listing pages: dynamic layout switch without reloading the page

We’re bringing back instant layout switching—no page reloads needed. Your layout choice will be remembered across filters and listing pages, using browser storage. We’ll use the previous CSS class method to make it work smoothly.

PLANET-7718 Accessibility and Usability Improvements for the Search Page Results

The search page is getting improvements for better accessibility and usability. Changes include a clearer search input, enhanced screen reader support for filters, a skip link to jump directly to results, and, pagination to replace the “Show more” button.

PLANET-7707 Update Node.js to v20

Node.js has been updated to the latest supported version to improve performance and compatibility. All related configurations and dependencies were reviewed and updated to ensure assets continue to compile correctly.

PLANET-7676 Change Anti-Flicker Snippet to VWO

To support A/B testing with VWO and reduce page flicker when loading test variations, an anti-flicker snippet has been added.

🆕What’s new:

Ensures a smoother visual experience during A/B testing by keeping the page hidden until the correct variation loads.
Introduces a VWO-specific anti-flicker snippet to prevent showing the wrong variation briefly.
Uses the same opt-in setting previously available for Google Optimize.
Updated help text explains the feature and when to use it.