Forge 2025 Year in Review

A Fresh Start: Q1 2025 Launch

2025 kicked off with a major milestone: we launched the all new Forge app, featuring a completely refreshed look, new brand identity, and significant improvements across the platform. This foundational update set the stage for everything that followed throughout the year.

We re-released our community portal, which has become the central hub for collecting important community feedback, sharing product information, and supporting our customers. The community portal is also where we've been running our beta program for Hammer for Mac, which is expected to reach general availability in Q1 2026.

We launched a new documentation site - built with Hammer and hosted on Forge, of course, providing comprehensive guides and resources for developers.

To Sum It Up

2025 was a transformative year for Forge, with major platform enhancements that make building, deploying, and managing web applications faster, more secure, and more powerful.

While we continue to support developers building sites, apps, products, and web businesses, our historical core, we've also made great strides in our value proposition pivot to supporting SaaS and eCommerce companies building their Developer Ecosystems and Plugin Marketplaces with a complete end-to-end solution.

This includes AI-assisted plugin coding (vibecoding), MCP-supported marketplace management, and complete AI-enabled infrastructure and governance—something our team has deep experience with in an AI age.

We rebuilt our plugin marketplace (currently in closed Beta), introduced AI-powered features, enhanced security and developer experience, and built a more intuitive onboarding experience. These updates empower developers to build better applications while giving teams the tools they need to collaborate effectively.

Key Highlights

Developer Ecosystems & Plugin Marketplaces Platform

While we continue to support developers building sites, apps, products, and web businesses - our historical core - we've expanded our value proposition to provide a complete end-to-end solution for SaaS and eCommerce companies building their Developer Ecosystems and Plugin Marketplaces.

Our platform now includes AI-assisted plugin development (vibecoding), MCP-supported marketplace management, and complete AI-enabled infrastructure and governance. This builds on our team's deep experience in the AI age, offering everything companies need to launch and scale their own plugin ecosystems.

Why that matters:: Build and manage your own plugin marketplace with AI-powered tools, streamline developer onboarding, and scale your ecosystem with enterprise-grade infrastructure and governance.

Plugin Marketplace & Ecosystem (Beta)

We launched a plugin marketplace in Beta that transforms Forge into an extensible platform. Developers can now build and publish custom plugins that integrate seamlessly into Forge sites, while users can discover and install powerful integrations with one click. The marketplace includes a secure SDK, comprehensive developer tools, and a streamlined publishing workflow.

Why that matters:: Extend Forge's capabilities with custom plugins, integrate with your favourite tools, and build powerful workflows without leaving the platform.

AI-Powered Development Assistant

Forge AI now provides intelligent assistance throughout your development workflow. Get instant answers to questions about your sites, receive AI-generated comments on deployments, and leverage AI insights to improve your applications.

Why that matters:: Get instant help when you need it, understand changes faster with AI-generated insights, and make better decisions with intelligent recommendations.

Enhanced Security & Privacy

We've significantly strengthened platform security with improved plugin sandboxing, data sanitisation, and permission controls. Custom domains now include SSL validation, and sensitive data is automatically protected from exposure.

Why that matters:: Build with confidence knowing your applications and data are protected by enterprise-grade security measures.

Modern Onboarding Experience

Replaced the old Typeform with an interactive, progress-tracking onboarding checklist that guides new users through Forge's core features. The system automatically detects completed tasks and provides smart navigation to help you get started faster.

Why that matters:: Get up and running in minutes with guided setup, see your progress at a glance, and discover features as you need them.

Unified Notifications System

A new global notifications system keeps you informed about platform updates, new features, and important announcements. Combined with activity notifications, you'll never miss what matters.

Why that matters:: Stay informed about new features, platform updates, and important changes without being overwhelmed.

Improved Custom Domains & SSL

Custom domain management is now more intuitive with automatic SSL validation, clear status indicators, and graceful fallback handling. Preview your sites safely with proper SSL certificate checks.

Why that matters:: Set up custom domains with confidence, see SSL status at a glance, and avoid security warnings in your browser.

Enhanced Webhooks & Integrations

Webhooks are now more powerful with form-specific filtering, rich metadata, dynamic variable templates, and built-in testing tools. Connect Forge to Slack, Discord, email services, and more with pre-configured templates.

Why that matters:: Automate workflows, get instant notifications, and integrate Forge with your existing tools effortlessly.

Developer Experience Improvements

From improved code editors (Express Cloud support) to better deployment previews, enhanced form management, and streamlined UI across the platform, we've made hundreds of small improvements that add up to a significantly better experience.

Why that matters:: Work faster with improved tools, see changes instantly, and manage your projects more efficiently.

Detailed List of 2025 Updates & Achievements

Plugin System & Marketplace (Beta) (August - December 2025)

Plugin Marketplace Launch
• Backend-driven app registry: Complete marketplace infrastructure with REST API
• Plugin installation flow: One-click installation for site and user-level plugins
• Developer dashboard: Analytics, top plugins tracking, and publishing tools
• Plugin status management: Draft, active, and version control for plugins
• Server-provided images: Dynamic plugin imagery from backend

Plugin SDK & Security
• Secure SDK architecture: PostMessage-based communication with permission levels (public, internal, partner)
• Data sanitisation: Automatic protection of sensitive data (auth tokens, GitHub tokens) from plugin exposure
• Enhanced sandbox permissions: Granular control over plugin capabilities (allow-downloads, allow-forms, allow-scripts)
• SDK documentation: Comprehensive guides for plugin developers
• Plugin troubleshooting guide: Common issues and solutions
• Fixed plugin examples: Reference implementations showing best practices

Plugin Development Tools
• Forge Tone CSS: Complete design system for plugins (name TBD)
• Plugin development documentation: SDK guide, troubleshooting, and examples
• Extension points: Support for siteTab registration, projectTab in the works
• Plugin state management: LocalStorage scoped to extensions
• Integration pickers: Support for Miro, Mural, Figma, Vulcan integrations

Plugin Migration & Infrastructure
• Marketplace REST API migration: Moved from Parse Server to dedicated marketplace API
• Plugin data mapping: Seamless conversion between API and legacy formats
• Draft plugin visibility: Developers can see their own draft plugins
• Plugin iframe loading: Fixed navigation errors and loading issues
• Developer detail pages: Enhanced views with marketplace API integration

AI & Intelligence Features (February - April 2025)

Forge AI Assistant
• AI-powered comments: Automatic generation of insights and explanations for deployments
• AI chat improvements: Enhanced layout and interaction patterns
• AI answers saved to comments: Persistent AI insights attached to versions
• Improved AI logic: Better understanding of code changes and context

Prompt System
• Prompt backend API: Centralised prompt management
• Prompt registry: Version-controlled prompt system
• Dynamic prompt loading: Server-driven prompt configuration

Onboarding & User Experience (January - August 2025)

Modern Onboarding System
• Interactive onboarding checklist: Replaced Typeform with progress-tracking UI
• Automatic task detection: Smart completion tracking for:
• Project creation
• Site creation and deployment
• Version deployment with success status
• Version commenting
• Form creation and response tracking
• Webhook configuration
• Forgerc configuration file detection
• Onboarding progress API: Server-side progress tracking
• Next Task navigation: Smart button with scroll highlighting
• Badge award animation: Celebration for onboarding completion
• Settings badge refinement: Visual indicators for incomplete setup

Onboarding Wizard
• Project and site creation wizard: Guided setup for new users
• UI adjustments: Improved navigation and visual hierarchy

Notifications & Communication (August 2025)

Global Notifications System
• Tab-based UI: Activity & News & Updates tabs
• Notification types: News (Blue), Feature (Green), Announcement (Gray/Orange)
• Priority indicators: Emoji-based urgent notifications
• Real-time updates: Pusher integration for live notifications
• Mark as read: Optimistic UI updates with backend sync
• Settings integration: Direct link to notification preferences

Security & Infrastructure (October - December 2025)

Custom Domains & SSL
• SSL certificate validation: Automatic checks for custom domains
• DNS IP update: Migrated to new premium proxy for better stability and performance
• SSL status display: Clear indicators and informative messages
• Preview blocking: Prevents loading iframes without valid SSL
• Favicon handling: Graceful fallback with tracking of failed URLs

Security Enhancements
• Plugin sandbox improvements: Enhanced permission controls
• Data sanitisation: Protection against sensitive data exposure
• Security documentation: Technical debt tracking and security notes

Webhooks & Integrations (August 2025)

Enhanced Webhook System
• Form-specific filtering: Select individual forms for webhook events
• Form scope input: Manual form identification support
• Dynamic variable display: Copy-to-clipboard functionality
• Parameter templates: Pre-configured templates for:
• Slack
• Discord
• Email services
• Other common integrations
• Webhook testing: Built-in test functionality with sample data
• Enhanced list view: Form information and test actions
• Form field conversion: Automatic snake_case formatting
• New API endpoints: Forms and webhook testing support

Forms & Data Management (February - March 2025)

Form Improvements
• Bulk delete for form data: Efficient management of form submissions
• Form data removal: Individual delete functionality with icons
• Form fixes: Resolved issues with Forge forms
• Form submission tracking: Integration with onboarding system

Deployment & Versioning (March - September 2025)

Version Management
• Version scope updates: Enhanced version management
• Socket info for version created: Real-time deployment updates
• Version preview improvements: Better loading during active deployments
• Set version preview: Prevents error pages during deployment

Forge Ignite Features
• Cloud code editor: Added support for Express.js cloud functions
• Cloud code improvements: Enhanced editor and functionality
• Cloud code versions: Fixed bugs in version management
• Ignite folder support: Preparation for Ignite folder usage
• Ignite message fixes: Improved messaging system

UI/UX Improvements (Throughout 2025)

Design System
• Lucide icons: Modern icon library for better visual representation
• Semantic icons:
• IconClock for build minutes
• IconWifi for bandwidth usage
• IconUsers for team members
• IconZap for concurrent builds
• Improved colour hierarchy: Reduced visual overload
• Responsive empty states: Better UX for empty data views
• Hover effects and transitions: Smoother interactions

Navigation & Layout
• Auth views improvements: Enhanced login and registration
• Nav bar improvements: Better navigation structure
• Apps list static data: Improved app discovery
• Developer detail view: Enhanced developer pages
• Publisher area improvements: Better plugin publishing experience
• Billing page enhancements: Use cases section, promotional content, compact layout

Team Workspace
• Enhanced visibility for trial users: Better discovery of Team Workspace features
• Benefits modal: Educational content about Team Workspace
• Enterprise section: Demo CTA for enterprise features
• Terminology updates: Changed from "Organisation" to "Team Workspace"

Developer Tools & Infrastructure (Throughout 2025)

Mostly internal maturity improvements and tech debt cleanup, but long overdue...

Code Quality
• Error handling improvements: Better error messages and handling
• Technical debt documentation: Comprehensive tracking of improvements needed
• Code refactoring: Multiple refactoring efforts for better maintainability

Analytics & Monitoring
• Analytics integration: Manual analytics setup
• Metrics representation: Better icons and visualisations

Apps & Integrations (May - August 2025)

Forge Apps
• App refactoring: Improved app architecture
• Apps list data and images: Enhanced app discovery
• Backend-driven app registry: Server-controlled app availability
• Install flow improvements: Streamlined app installation

Site Features
• Favicon support: Added favicon functionality for sites
• Site version preview: Improved preview experience
• Site list cleanup: Removed debug code

Comments & Collaboration (February - December 2024/2025)

Comments System
• Markdown rendering: Improved markdown support in comments
• Comments sidebar: Fixed touch device issues
• AI comments integration: AI-generated insights in comments

Impact & Metrics

Developer Experience

• Reduced onboarding time: New users can get started in minutes with the interactive checklist
• Faster plugin development: Comprehensive SDK and documentation enable rapid plugin creation
• Better code quality: Reduced debug statements and improved error handling

Platform Capabilities

• Extensibility: Plugin marketplace (Beta) opens unlimited integration possibilities
• Security: Enhanced sandboxing and data protection for enterprise readiness
• Reliability: Improved deployment previews and version management

User Satisfaction

• Clearer communication: Global notifications keep users informed
• Better guidance: Onboarding system helps users discover features
• More control: Enhanced webhooks and integrations give users automation power

Looking Forward

The foundation laid in 2025 sets the stage for even more powerful features in 2026. With the plugin marketplace in Beta, enhanced security in place, and improved developer experience, Forge is positioned to become the platform of choice for modern web application development. We're excited to help SaaS and eCommerce companies unlock true global developer ecosystem value, and we can't wait to bring Hammer for Mac to general availability in Q1 2026, expanding our desktop development tools for the community.

The world of technology looks completely different from just a few years ago. The way people write software has seen a fundamental paradigm shift, bringing the power of building into the hands of subject matter experts. This has opened the funnel widely for new products to be built and launched.

With Forge, we intend to be at the heart of the action, whether you're building a new web app, managing distribution and GTM, or extending your product to new channels and audiences through developer platforms and plugin marketplaces.

Let's go 2026!