Cloudflare has unveiled EmDash, a fresh open-source content management system created as a contemporary alternative to WordPress, emphasizing plugin security and a serverless structure. According to the company, WordPress plugins pose significant security risks due to their direct access to a website’s database and filesystem, with 96% of security issues on WordPress sites arising from plugins. EmDash addresses this issue by executing each plugin in its distinct isolated sandbox known as a Dynamic Worker. Plugins are required to specify the exact permissions they necessitate, like content reading or email sending, and are restricted from accessing anything else.
EmDash is entirely written in TypeScript and is licensed under the permissive MIT license, permitting unrestricted use, modification, and distribution. Cloudflare affirms that no WordPress code was utilized in its construction. The CMS is compatible with Cloudflare’s serverless platform, automatically scaling down to zero during idle times to reduce expenses and can also be deployed on any Node.js server.
The framework is supported by Astro, a web framework tailored for content-centric websites. Themes are developed as Astro projects and are incapable of executing database operations, enhancing security measures further.
EmDash integrates native support for x402, an open standard for pay-per-use content payments. Website owners can monetize specific content without the need for subscriptions or coding.
Cloudflare highlights that the CMS is designed to be overseen by AI agents, featuring agent skills, a command-line interface, and a built-in Model Context Protocol server. Authentication is based on passkeys by default, removing the need for passwords.
Users have the option to import existing WordPress sites using a WXR file or a specialized exporter plugin. EmDash is currently accessible as a v0.1.0 preview on GitHub. Developers can experiment with it locally by utilizing `npm create emdash@latest` or opt for a Cloudflare deployment. Additionally, an online playground is at your disposal.