FAQ
This FAQ complements the official guides with answers pulled from the public docs, the repository README, and open GitHub issues. The “current caveats” section reflects publicly visible project status as of April 7, 2026.
General
Section titled “General”What is EmDash?
Section titled “What is EmDash?”EmDash is an Astro-native CMS focused on type-safe content, an admin panel for non-developers, and a plugin architecture that can run in sandboxed Cloudflare Worker isolates. If you know WordPress, the shortest description is “WordPress ideas rebuilt around Astro, TypeScript, and portable deployment.”
See the introduction, why EmDash, and the project README.
Does EmDash require Cloudflare?
Section titled “Does EmDash require Cloudflare?”No. EmDash runs on Cloudflare, but it can also run on Node.js with SQLite and local or S3-compatible storage. The main exception is sandboxed plugins: the README notes that Dynamic Workers are currently only available on paid Cloudflare accounts, so that specific plugin isolation model is tied to Cloudflare’s platform.
See Deploy to Node.js, Deploy to Cloudflare, and the README.
Can I run EmDash locally without Cloudflare?
Section titled “Can I run EmDash locally without Cloudflare?”Yes. The local getting-started flow uses a standard Astro project and works without a Cloudflare account. For local development or simpler deployments, Node.js + SQLite is the most direct setup.
See Getting Started and Deploy to Node.js.
Do content changes require a rebuild?
Section titled “Do content changes require a rebuild?”No. EmDash is documented around Astro Live Content Collections, so content changes can appear at runtime without rebuilding the site.
See Getting Started, Querying Content, and Architecture.
How does authentication work?
Section titled “How does authentication work?”EmDash is passkey-first. The default flow uses WebAuthn passkeys, with optional magic-link and OAuth fallbacks when configured.
See Authentication.
Is EmDash production-ready?
Section titled “Is EmDash production-ready?”The repository README currently describes EmDash as beta preview. That means it is usable for real evaluation and development, but you should still expect active API and feature changes.
See the README status section.
If you want a broader overview first, read What Is EmDash? and EmDash vs WordPress.
Current Caveats
Section titled “Current Caveats”Does admin.settingsSchema already auto-generate a plugin settings UI?
Section titled “Does admin.settingsSchema already auto-generate a plugin settings UI?”Not reliably yet. The plugin settings guide describes schema-driven admin UI generation, but issue #341 reports that the schema is validated and typed without producing the expected settings form in the admin panel. Treat this as an in-progress feature until the issue is resolved.
Related doc: Plugin Settings.
Can the menu editor accept relative URLs like /about?
Section titled “Can the menu editor accept relative URLs like /about?”There is an open bug report saying it currently rejects relative URLs because the form uses
type="url" and browser validation expects a full URL with a scheme.
Track issue #342 if internal relative paths are important to your menu workflow.
Can plugins register custom widget components for widget areas?
Section titled “Can plugins register custom widget components for widget areas?”Not yet, at least not as a completed public feature. Issue #343 requests both the registration API and the runtime rendering support needed for plugin-provided widget components.
If your plugin strategy depends on reusable widget blocks, assume additional framework work is still needed.
What should I verify before adopting EmDash for a production site?
Section titled “What should I verify before adopting EmDash for a production site?”Check four things first:
- Your target deployment model: Cloudflare vs. Node.js
- Whether you need sandboxed plugins, and if paid Cloudflare features are acceptable
- Whether the current plugin APIs cover your use case without relying on open issues
- Whether your team is comfortable adopting a beta-preview CMS
For most teams, a small pilot project is the right starting point before a full migration.