Platform - Releasing July 2026

We improved some things related to the security and performance of the Platform, along with a few other small enhancements.

Platform Security

Swagger API documentation now requires a login. You don't need a security role, just a valid MinistryPlatform user name and password. When you navigate to the documentation, you'll be prompted if you aren't already logged in.
SPoCs and technical users: There's now a dedicated security role for API client permissions called Administer Api Clients. This role provides access to manage API clients and authentication, limiting exposure to API keys and enhancing security. We've removed API client permissions from the Administrators security role, so review your admins to ensure they have the right access.

In case you missed it — On April 27, we released several behind-the-scenes improvements to help your system run more smoothly, including:
- Better performance and reliability - We tuned and refactored several database jobs and services so that large and busy systems run more consistently, especially around scheduled routines and high‑volume activity.
- Database and reporting improvements - We optimized indexes and added key database clean‑ups to support faster queries and reports, particularly for larger datasets.
- System insights - We added tracking to give us more insight into where systems bog down so that we can target the worst bottlenecks for you.
Additionally, we identified and addressed the top CPU-consuming queries. We updated things behind the scenes to reduce server-side CPU load across the Platform.

To improve performance further, there's a new security role for Live Chat. When a user has the Live Chat security role, they will see the Live Chat icon that allows them to chat with Support.
Attention: Action required for administrators: You must assign the Live Chat security role to any staff member who can chat with Support. We recommend including this role as part of your staff onboarding/offboarding procedures to ensure people have the appropriate access.

Continuing our theme of improving performance, charts at the top of each page are now cached for 30 minutes. This way, charts load quicker when you navigate between pages. Charts will still refresh when you change the view so they match the data in that view.
- Need to make sure a chart is showing the latest data? You can manually refresh a chart by clicking the icon in the top corner of the chart then selecting Refresh.
- Need charts to refresh sooner than 30 minutes? There may be a specific case where you need charts to show up-to-the-minute data. You can change the time interval using the Cache Minutes field under System Setup > Charts. But remember, this change was made to improve performance, so you can always change it back to 30 minutes later if needed.

Column search is now the default when you're using Grid Layout. You'll see a search box at the top of each column, where you can enter the data you're looking for related to that column. This provides faster, more precise search results. Of course, you can always switch back to simple search if you prefer that.
When searching across all columns using simple search, text queries no longer look for results in numeric-only columns. For example, if you search for "Joe", the search will not try to find results in the ID column or any Yes/No columns. This improves both the performance and accuracy of the search.

Have you seen our help guides? Check out the latest ones for Admins: Setting Up New Users and New Users: Getting Started.
Are you more of a visual learner? Check out our video library for MinistryPlatform! We are constantly adding and updating new videos, and you can submit video topics that you'd like to see next. Check it out and let us know what you think!
Portal access has ended. You can still use portal redirects if needed. See this article for details.
Reminder about Support Hours: Support is available Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST/EDT. If you submit a case outside of these hours, including on a holiday, the case will be reviewed at the start of the next business day. If your concern cannot wait, you can call 843-413-8400 and leave a voicemail. We are notified and will work to assist you. Hourly rates may apply for off-hours assistance. For all the details, see Support Hours & Holidays.