Site Designer Guide
release-notes changelog v3.5 new-features updates

What's new in the latest release

Site Designer v3.5 is the current major release. This version focuses on advanced layout tools, an expanded component library, and modern image format support.

How to update

Go to Help → Check for Updates inside Site Designer. If an update is available, click Download and Install. Your project files are not affected by the update — .rsd files are forward-compatible.

v3.5 highlights

Improved CSS Grid editor — Master Grid

The centerpiece of v3.5 is the Master Grid editor, a visual tool for building complex CSS Grid layouts. You can:

  • Define named grid areas by drawing them directly on the canvas grid overlay.
  • Set column and row tracks using fr, px, %, auto, min-content, and max-content units.
  • Use minmax() and repeat() functions with a visual interface.
  • Preview how elements fill their assigned areas in real time.

Existing Grid containers from v3 projects are preserved without change.

Expanded component library — 100+ components

The built-in component library has been overhauled with over 100 new components, organized into categories:

  • Layout blocks: heroes, features, pricing tables, testimonials, CTAs, footers
  • Navigation: headers, mega-menus, breadcrumbs, sidebars
  • Forms: contact forms, newsletter signups, multi-step forms
  • Media: image galleries, video heroes, carousels
  • Content: FAQs, blog cards, team grids, timelines

All components are framework-aware — they use the classes of your selected framework automatically.

WebP image support

Site Designer now natively imports and exports WebP images. WebP files are embedded in the .rsd project file and exported with correct image/webp MIME types. Using WebP reduces image payload by 25–35% compared to JPEG at equivalent visual quality.

Improved SVG handling

SVG files imported through the Resources panel can now be:

  • Used as <img> sources (as before).
  • Inlined directly into the HTML using the new Inline SVG toggle in the Image element settings. Inline SVGs are styleable with CSS and animatable.

Accessibility improvements in form elements

Form elements — <input>, <select>, <textarea>, <button> — now include proper <label> associations and aria-required attributes by default when added from the canvas. The form builder validates that every input has an associated label before export.

Performance improvements for large projects

  • Canvas rendering for projects with 20+ pages is significantly faster.
  • Switching between pages no longer causes a full canvas re-render.
  • The Outline pane loads instantly even in projects with deeply nested elements.

Bug fixes in v3.5

  • Fixed: dragging elements in the Outline pane caused incorrect z-index assignment.
  • Fixed: Foundation data-sticky elements incorrectly retained sticky positioning in the canvas when editing.
  • Fixed: exporting with minification enabled incorrectly stripped some CSS custom property declarations.
  • Fixed: Live Preview URL was not updated when changing the project’s page slug.
  • Fixed: Bootstrap navbar toggler did not animate on mobile in Live Preview.
  • Fixed: .rsd files with embedded AVIF images failed to open on Windows in some configurations.
  • Fixed: the CSS pane did not show computed values for elements inside a Master Grid area.