Release Notes
This improvement allows users to customise the appearance of their Liferay instance more effectively with new properties in the .yaml file for Theme CSS and CSS Client Extensions.
Key benefits:
Admins can personalise the interface for both the admin panel and the entire platform.
A more cohesive, branded appearance will improve usability and satisfaction for all users.
Allows fine-grained control over where customisations are applied.
Elasticsearch 8.17 has been tested and added to the compatibility matrix.
Liferay Self-Hosted deployments can update the Elastic stack to this version. For Liferay PaaS projects, as usual, a new Elasticsearch image will be provided under Liferay Cloud’s Docker Hub account.
As it was first highlighted in the Release Notes of 2024.Q3, per Elastic’s product lifecycle, Elasticsearch 7.17.x versions are supported and maintained until Elasticsearch version 9 is released.
While Elastic does not provide specific release dates for future releases, for Elasticsearch 9.0.0, the new release is anticipated in early calendar year 2025.
Compatibility with Elasticsearch 8 is available on Liferay DXP 7.4 U81+: 
Note: The Elasticsearch 8.x compatibility is provided through the bundled Elasticsearch 7 connector and the REST API Compatibility of Elasticsearch 8.
Official release of Liferay Data Sets, moving from Beta to Release! Data Sets are a powerful and flexible way to retrieve, manage, visualize, and interact with structured data in Liferay DXP. Built on top of Objects and leveraging Liferay’s robust ecosystem, Data Sets exemplify the “build Liferay with Liferay” philosophy. With seamless integration with compatible Headless APIs, administrators can easily configure Data Sets and empower end-users with a rich, customizable experience for consuming and interacting with data.
Key benefits:
Retrieve Data: Fetch information from any compatible Headless API to use as a Data Set source.
Manage Flexibility: Administrators can customize what parts of the API response are included, along with filters, sorting options, and available actions.
Visualize Data: Multiple visualization options make it easier than ever for end-users to consume data meaningfully.
Enable Interaction: End-users can interact dynamically with data using the filters, actions, and tools configured by administrators.
To ensure the quality, stability, and modernity of Liferay DXP, we've updated to React 18, bringing significant benefits in security, performance, and compatibility. This update is critical to maintaining DXP's status as a robust and future-proof platform.
Key benefits:
Security Enhancements: Older library versions can expose vulnerabilities. Upgrading to React 18 mitigates these risks by incorporating the latest security patches.
Performance Improvements: React 18 introduces features like concurrent rendering, which enhances responsiveness and load handling for better user experiences.
Enhanced Compatibility: Upgrading ensures DXP aligns with modern tools and frameworks, minimizing integration challenges and future-proofing our development processes.
Continued Support: Staying current with React’s ecosystem ensures ongoing access to community updates, bug fixes, and innovations.