> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.protoboard.xyz/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.protoboard.xyz/help/changelog.md). # Changelog Release notes and product updates for Protoboard, newest first. {% hint style="info" %} Have a bug report or feature request? Use the in-app **Feedback** button, or email us at . {% endhint %} *** ## Alpha v4.5.4: GPT-6 Astra, Home Dashboard, and a More Resilient ProtoBot *September 10, 2026* v4.5.4 gives Protoboard a new front door: a Home dashboard where you can describe what you want to build and go straight into a board with ProtoBot already working. Behind the scenes, long ProtoBot sessions now recover from interruptions on their own, and cloud saves are more dependable for larger boards.

The ProtoBot model picker listing GPT-6 Astra as a Pro model — GPT-6 Astra, built for long-running tasks, is available to Pro users in the model picker.

The new Home dashboard with the ProtoBot prompt box, model picker, and mode selector at the top of the page — Home: describe what you want to make, and ProtoBot starts on a fresh board right away.

### New features * **GPT-6 Astra for Pro users.** ProtoBot now supports GPT-6 Astra, a model that excels at long-running tasks. Paired with this release's improvements to long ProtoBot sessions, it is well suited to multi-step design work. Astra is available on the Pro plan from the model picker. * **Home dashboard with ProtoBot quick launch.** The dashboard now opens on a Home page built around a ProtoBot prompt. Type what you want to make, pick a model and mode, and press send: Protoboard creates a new board, opens it, and ProtoBot begins your first request immediately. No need to set up a board first. * **Rename and delete conversations.** ProtoBot history now has a menu on each conversation, so you can rename chats to something meaningful or delete ones you no longer need. Recent chat rows are also cleaner and easier to scan. ### Improvements * **ProtoBot keeps going on long tasks.** The "Continue" prompt that interrupted long runs is gone. ProtoBot now keeps working as long as it is making progress, and if it gets stuck repeating itself it changes approach before stopping with a clear explanation. * **Automatic recovery from interruptions.** If a ProtoBot response is cut off by a temporary connection or provider problem, ProtoBot picks up where it left off without repeating the work it already finished. Pressing Stop, switching conversations, or sending a new message cancels the recovery. * **Very long conversations load reliably.** Large ProtoBot sessions keep their full history, plans, and approvals, and reopen cleanly after a reload. * **Clearer error messages.** When a model provider has a problem, ProtoBot now tells you what happened in plain language. * **Refreshed dashboard navigation.** Smoother transitions and an improved layout on mobile. * **New protoboard.ai address.** The Protoboard app is now available at [alpha.protoboard.ai](https://alpha.protoboard.ai), and Protoboard emails come from the protoboard.ai domain. ### Bug fixes * **Medium-sized boards save to the cloud again.** Fixed boards of roughly 500 to 900 KB failing to sync, for both autosave and manual save. * **No duplicate parts or wires after reconnecting.** Reloading, disconnecting, or pressing Stop while ProtoBot was mid-task could occasionally repeat an edit it had already made. Completed edits are no longer applied twice. * **Bad part data no longer crashes the editor.** A part with a malformed definition could crash the app while editing a board. The editor now handles it gracefully. *** ## Alpha v4.5.3: Mobile Polish, Better BOM Exports, and Community Refinements *August 9, 2026* v4.5.3 is a quality release focused on the places people were most likely to feel friction after the v4.5 launch: using Protoboard on a phone, exporting BOMs, discovering community boards, and understanding what happens when a board is locked or shared.

Protoboard running on a mobile phone with a compact header, bottom dock, and mobile-optimized panel layout — Protoboard on mobile: the editor chrome, panels, and touch flows are now much easier to use on a phone.

The My Boards dashboard while signed out, showing a sign-in card and a Community section with featured public boards — Signed-out visitors can now browse featured community boards directly from the dashboard.

### Improvements * **A much better mobile editor.** Protoboard now behaves more naturally on phones, with a cleaner mobile header, touch-friendly controls, improved dialogs, a better settings experience, and bottom-sheet panel behavior that keeps more of the board reachable while you work. * **Cleaner BOM exports.** BOM PDF export has been redesigned with clearer pagination and layout, improved footer branding, a dynamic QR code, and clickable buy links in the PDF. CSV export now shares the same cleaned-up export pipeline. * **Community discovery for signed-out visitors.** The dashboard no longer feels empty when you are signed out: featured public boards now appear right below the sign-in prompt, giving new visitors something real to explore before creating an account. ### Bug fixes * **Touch placement no longer stalls on mobile.** Tapping a part card on a phone now places the part directly instead of falling into a drag flow that does not complete cleanly on touch screens. * **Archived boards no longer leak into discovery views.** Public community surfaces and favorites now hide archived boards more consistently, so discovery stays focused on active projects. * **Locked-board sharing no longer dead-ends.** When a board is locked because of plan limits, the Share control now points users toward the relevant upgrade path instead of acting like a disabled dead end. *** ## Alpha v4.5: The Community Update *July 26, 2026* Hey Protoboard community! This is our biggest release since ProtoBot. Your boards now live in the cloud, a brand-new dashboard is the home for everything you build, and a new Community space lets you publish, explore, clone, and favorite boards from other builders. Sharing, projects, and validation all got smarter along the way. Two follow-up refinements shipped shortly after in v4.5.1, and they are folded into the notes below.

The Community page showing a row of featured public boards with thumbnails, part counts, likes, and favorites — Community: explore public boards from other builders, then clone any one to make it yours.

### New features * **Cloud boards and a new dashboard.** Your boards now save to the cloud automatically and follow you to any device. A new dashboard is the home for all your work: every board and project in one place, with a status indicator that tells you exactly when your changes are saved. Opening the app takes you here first, and each board lives at its own address. Saving to a local file is now a deliberate Export, and Ctrl+S (Cmd+S on Mac) saves straight to the cloud. * **Community.** A new Community space lets you discover public boards from other builders, browse a curated Featured row, and clone any board to start from someone else's design as your own copy, renamed and yours to edit. * **Favorites and likes.** Save boards you want to come back to with Favorites, and like the ones you enjoy. You can clone, favorite, and like right from your own board list, without leaving for Community first. * **Public and private boards.** Every board now has a visibility setting. Keep work private, or make it public to share it and let it appear in Community. Projects pass their visibility down to the boards inside them, so a private project keeps its boards private. * **Projects and archiving.** Group boards into projects, and archive boards or whole projects you are done with to keep the dashboard tidy. Archived items are collapsed out of the way and can be restored anytime. Select several boards at once to move, archive, or change their visibility in a single action. * **Version history.** Protoboard now keeps a history of your board versions, so you can look back and restore an earlier version from a board's history when you need to. * **Scoped share links.** Share links now respect privacy. Generate a link for a private board that only people with the link (or only verified-email recipients) can open, and revoke it whenever you like. * **Library category filter.** The parts library filter now shows the full category taxonomy inside its popover. Drill into a category, follow the breadcrumbs back out, and filter parts by any category or everything beneath it. * **Smarter part icons.** When ProtoBot or a connected agent creates a blank part, it now suggests a fitting icon and can set it, so new parts are easier to recognize on the canvas at a glance. ### Improvements * **Save conflict handling.** If the same board is open in two tabs or on two devices and both make changes, Protoboard now notices and lets you choose what to do: keep your version, take the other one, or save yours as a copy. Nothing is silently overwritten. * **Agent Bridge keeps working in the background.** External AI tools connected through the Agent Bridge now keep running even when the Protoboard tab is not the one you are looking at. A request sent to a sleeping tab is queued and runs the moment you return to it. * **Start or open a board from your agent.** A connected agent can now create or open a board through the Agent Bridge even when none is open, and round-trip a board to a `.protoboard` file with import and export. (v4.5.1) * **Refreshed dashboard look.** The dashboard now shares the canvas editor's floating-panel style, with a floating sidebar and header and cleaner, more consistent spacing. Keyboard navigation across board cards stays clearly visible as you tab through them. (v4.5.1) * **Company at sign-up.** Sign-up now asks for your company or organization, so we can better tailor guidance to what you are building. * **Longer ProtoBot conversations stay reliable.** Extended design sessions with ProtoBot hold up better over many steps, so long conversations keep their history and context instead of running out of room. ### Bug fixes * Fixed a case where a single manual save could permanently hide newer autosaves, so a board could reopen to an older state than your most recent work. Your latest version now always wins. * Fixed double-clicking the middle mouse button on the canvas so it fits your diagram to view, matching the toolbar's fit control. A middle-button drag to pan is no longer mistaken for a click. * Clarified part status labels on hover, which now read whether a part is user or AI created and unverified, or verified by the Protoboard team. ### What's next We are just getting started with the community and cloud foundation this release lays down. * **Hardware teams.** Shared team workspaces so a whole hardware team can collaborate in Protoboard, not just individuals. * **Onboarding and examples.** A smoother first-run experience and ready-made example boards you can open and learn from on day one. * **Smarter ProtoBot.** Ongoing improvements to design review, part suggestions, and the tools ProtoBot and your own agents can call. Tell us what you want to see next. Use the in-app Feedback button or email , and go build something worth sharing. *** ## Alpha v4.4.4: Reasoning Control and ProtoBot Polish *June 17, 2026* A ProtoBot quality release: a new reasoning-effort control, a refreshed chat experience, more reliable interface wiring, and working Mac keyboard shortcuts.

ProtoBot building an Xbox-controller-to-laptop concept board, with the model picker set to GPT-5.4 and reasoning effort set to Medium — ProtoBot with the new reasoning-effort control (set to Medium) beside the model picker.

### New features * **Reasoning-effort selector.** Choose how hard ProtoBot thinks (Off, Low, Medium, or High) from a control next to the model picker. Medium is the default; higher effort suits tricky multi-step design problems, lower effort saves energy on routine work. The option is unavailable for models that do not support reasoning. ### Improvements * **Refreshed ProtoBot chat.** A new branded loading animation, smoother streaming of responses, and clearer tool-call cards that show running, done, and error states at a glance. * **More reliable interface wiring.** ProtoBot now links interfaces between parts far more dependably, picking the right connection (for example, pairing power with I2C instead of power with power) and reporting clearly when it replaces an existing link. * **Sharper validation.** Over-capacity parts are now flagged directly on the part in Board Review, and the panel's "go to" jumps straight to the interface that needs attention. ### Bug fixes * **Mac keyboard shortcuts work.** Cmd+S, Cmd+C / Cmd+V, and undo/redo (including Cmd+Shift+Z) now respond to the Cmd key on macOS. * **Plan acceptance.** Accepting a ProtoBot plan proposal now reliably switches modes and continues the conversation instead of silently failing. * **Board Identity concept images.** The drag-and-drop image area no longer collapses when the panel is short. ### Model lineup * The free-tier default is now **gpt-5.4**; **gpt-5.4-mini** has been retired (existing preferences update automatically). **gpt-5.5** remains the most capable Pro option. *** ## Alpha v4.4.3: Accessibility Improvements *June 10, 2026* An accessibility pass across the app targeting WCAG 2.1 AA: better screen-reader labeling, keyboard focus visibility, and color contrast throughout the interface. *** ## Alpha v4.4: Plan and Concept Modes, Part Artifacts, Auto-Issue Filing, MCP Context *May 18, 2026* v4.4 introduces complexity modes for ProtoBot, attachable artifacts on each part, automatic issue filing back to the ProtoPart library, structured context for external MCP clients (with a Codex CLI compatibility fix), a four-tier lifecycle status system, a redesigned AI onboarding flow, and a registered `.protoboard` file type for the PWA.

Per-part icon and color picker open on a canvas node — Give each part its own icon and color to make the canvas easier to scan.

Moving and resizing a group of parts on the canvas — Move and resize groups to keep larger boards organized.

Lifecycle status badges on canvas nodes and library cards — Lifecycle badges show whether each part is Blank, Unvalidated, Validated, or Official.

Artifacts tab on the Inspector with a file being attached to a part — Attach files and links to any part from the new Artifacts tab.

An external agent connected to Protoboard running board tools — Bring your own agent: connect an external MCP client and run Protoboard tools through the Agent Bridge.

### New features * **Complexity modes.** ProtoBot now operates in one of three modes (Plan, Concept, or Integrate), selectable from the chat header. Plan mode is read-only: ProtoBot proposes a structured plan you can accept or reject with feedback. Concept mode places parts quickly with editable purpose notes on each instance. Integrate mode is the full design experience. The left-sidebar "Plan" tab is now **Board Identity** to reflect its broader scope (requirements, tasks, tags, notes). * **Part Artifacts.** A new **Artifacts** tab on the Inspector lets you attach files (images, code, CAD, datasheets) or links to any part. The Add Artifact dialog auto-detects type across roughly 100 file extensions and recognizes GitHub, Digi-Key, Mouser, Thingiverse, and similar hosts. Library parts ship with thumbnail artifacts; pin any image artifact as the part's preview across Inspector, sidebar, and library views. URLs are scheme-validated. ProtoBot and external agents can attach link artifacts directly via three new tools: `add_template_artifact`, `remove_template_artifact`, and `set_template_preview_artifact`. * **Auto-Issue Filing.** ProtoBot can now request missing library parts, submit fixes to existing definitions, file feature requests, and report bugs without leaving the conversation. Newly-requested parts land on the ProtoPart library tracked as Unvalidated, with the linked GitHub issue surfaced back to the user. A two-layer rate limiter and validated part identifiers keep filings clean. * **External Agent Context (MCP).** Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, and any other MCP client connecting to Protoboard's Agent Bridge now receive structured server instructions, five reference resources (the ProtoPart schema, canonical protocol spec, three example part definitions), and a `create_part` slash command. **Codex CLI compatibility is fixed**: it previously failed during the initialize handshake on auth-failure responses (the known issue called out in v4.3). Tool descriptions across Board Identity, resource allocation, and harness utilities were rewritten for clarity, which also improves how reliably ProtoBot uses them. See [Agent Bridge](/agent-bridge-mcp/overview.md). * **Part Lifecycle Status Indicators.** Every part carries a Blank, Unvalidated, Validated, or Official badge, shown as a colored dot on canvas nodes and library cards. * **AI Onboarding Panel.** The first-time experience for ProtoBot and Agents is now embedded directly in the left sidebar. You can mint an MCP API key and copy the canonical setup prompt without leaving the panel. Left-sidebar panel headers (Bill of Materials, Manage Parts, ProtoBot, Agents, Board Review) share the same height and typography for a more consistent shell. * **`.protoboard` Project File Type.** Boards saved locally now use a `.protoboard` extension with a registered MIME type. Install the PWA and double-clicking a saved file opens it directly in the app. * **Expanded ProtoBot usage on Free and Pro.** Both tiers get more ProtoBot capacity, and the AI Energy window now refreshes every 24 hours from your first message instead of monthly. * **OpenAI-only ProtoBot.** The model picker is consolidated to OpenAI (`gpt-5.5`, `gpt-5.4`, `gpt-5.4-mini`), with `gpt-5.4-mini` as the new free-tier default. * **Per-part icon visuals.** Parts on the canvas can now carry a template-level icon and color, selectable through a polished picker with search, a curated color palette, and a scrollable grid. * **Welcome overlay.** First-time visitors land on a two-card overlay offering *View Example* (a curated public board) or *Start from Scratch* (a blank canvas). A "Don't ask again" opt-out persists across reloads. ### Improvements * **Parts bin polish.** New Import and Blank Part buttons under the search bar; multi-instance locate with smooth fit-to-view; locate-on-click on the canvas with an animation-tweened scroll-into-view; a richer empty state with four quick-add actions; broken-thumbnail fallbacks now survive list remounts. * **Auto-place flow.** Click any in-project part card to drop it at viewport center with grid snap and collision avoidance. Single instances land selected, focused, and framed; group adds get multi-highlight plus fit-to-view. * **Selection and drag-select.** Orange marquee with rounded corners; reduced default node glow; selected nodes get a slightly darker body; right-clicks anywhere on the canvas resolve to the underlying selection consistently. * **Text selection.** The app now defaults to no text selection in chrome surfaces, with opt-in on inputs, dialog descriptions, the inspector pane, BOM tables, annotation bodies, and toasts. Highlight color is a theme-aware soft gray that doesn't clip at rounded input corners. * **Toast (Sonner).** Configuration memoized; the opacity-lock that was fighting exit fades is gone; transitions are smoother on enter and dismiss. * **Copy buttons.** A shared icon-only Copy button with an animated checkmark now drives the BOM-refresh-review and DRC Board Review prompts. * **BOM debounce.** The Bill of Materials viewport debounces re-fetches by one second on board-state version bumps, so agent edit bursts collapse into a single loading screen instead of a flicker per change. * **Inspector.** The three-dot menu uses the standard vertical icon; items renamed (Edit Part, Export Part); the legacy View Remote action is gone; clicking off a part closes the inspector. * **Export Preview dialog.** Now a normal modal instead of fullscreen; auto-closes on Save or Copy with a green-check confirmation; theme toggle moved into the header. * **Scrollbar consistency.** Every native scroll surface (tables, dropdowns, dialogs, code blocks) uses the design-system scrollbar. Native OS scrollbars no longer leak through. * **ProtoBot status bar.** Dismiss state survives panel-driven unmounts (fullscreen toggles, returning from BOM); the ready-state icon is now a Bell rather than a CheckCircle; the inactive AI tab is dimmed. * **Default dark mode** for new sessions. * **Plan tab polish.** Battery badges read "500 WH / DAY" and "1,000 WH / DAY"; heavy SVG meters are memoized so re-renders no longer jank the tab on every usage refetch. * **Inspector pin and multi-select view.** Pinning, multi-selection rendering, the canvas z-index model, and sub-group handling were rebuilt for consistency. * **Group UX.** Move and resize commands, refined annotations, and new group and note MCP tools for external agents. * **Tooltip sweep.** Remaining native browser tooltips across the inspector and library surfaces are now shadcn Tooltip for consistent typography and dark-mode behavior. ### Bug fixes * Canvas drag-select no longer hijacks onto part-name labels. * The ProtoBot status bar's dismiss flag is no longer reset on every panel remount; it now only resets on a real board change. * The Bill of Materials no longer flickers loaded to loading to loaded when a fast-resolving fetch is preempted by a debounce timer. * Single-click locate on a part card no longer flashes before a double-click takes over; the locate is now deferred about 250 ms when a double-click handler is present, then cancelled. * The Export Preview dialog's auto-close timer no longer fires a redundant close when the user manually dismisses during the success window. * Cleaned up timer and animation-frame leaks across the parts bin, copy buttons, and export preview when components unmount mid-animation. * Note edges now keep the handle positions you dragged them to instead of snapping back to default Right or Left after reload. * Focus rings and dialog auto-focus no longer flash or steal focus incorrectly on open. ### Known issues * ProtoBot may emit multiple plan proposals in a single streaming response when the model paces them mid-step; only the most recent card is canonical for now. ### What's next * Dashboard and fully cloud-based projects. *** ## Alpha v4.3: Agent Bridge and ProtoBot Model Selection *April 17, 2026* v4.3 opens Protoboard to external AI tools through the new **Agent Bridge (MCP)**, lets you **pick which model** powers your ProtoBot conversations, and refreshes the parts UI with real component thumbnails. ### New features * **Agent Bridge (MCP).** A new Model Context Protocol server that lets external AI tools (such as Claude Code or any MCP-compatible client) connect to a live Protoboard browser session and run ProtoBot tools remotely. Generate an agent API key in **Settings > Developer**, point your client at the bridge, and call tools like `list_board_parts`, `place_part`, or `run_drc` against your open board. Available on every plan. See the [Agent Bridge](/agent-bridge-mcp/overview.md) docs to set it up. * **ProtoBot Model Selector.** Choose which AI model powers ProtoBot from a selector at the bottom of the chat input. Free users stay on the default Claude Haiku 4.5 for speed and low energy cost. Pro users unlock the full lineup, including Claude Opus 4.6, Sonnet 4.6, and GPT-5.4 for more complex multi-step work. See [ProtoBot Overview](/protobot/overview.md) for the full model list and guidance on picking one. * **ProtoPart Thumbnails.** Part cards and the part inspector now show real component thumbnails pulled from the ProtoPart library, so you can identify parts at a glance instead of relying on names alone. ### Improvements * Developer settings tab for managing agent API keys: create, list, and revoke keys from the new Developer section in Settings. * Canvas background now centers the flow origin on screen for new boards, so parts placed by ProtoBot land where you are actually looking. ### Known issues * **Codex MCP connection.** OpenAI Codex does not currently connect to Protoboard's hosted MCP endpoint. Claude Code and other MCP-compatible clients work as expected. We're tracking a fix; see the [Agent Bridge setup](/agent-bridge-mcp/setup.md) page for the current error signature and workarounds. ### What's next * **Cloud Projects.** Move your boards to the cloud for access from any device and built-in version history. * **Dashboard.** A new home view to see all your projects, recent activity, and usage at a glance. * **Codex Compatibility.** Resolving the current Codex connection issue so Codex users can use the Agent Bridge end-to-end. * **Community Parts.** Continuing to grow the parts library based on your requests and contributions. * **Smarter ProtoBot.** Ongoing improvements to design review, part suggestions, and layout planning. *** ## Alpha v4.2: Board Review and Sharing *April 10, 2026* v4.2 introduces **Board Review**, a new way to validate your designs with live design-rule checks and threaded review comments on the canvas. This release also adds **Board Sharing**, smarter ProtoBot layout, and a refreshed BOM experience.

Board Review tab with design-rule checks grouped by severity — Board Review replaces the old Validate Project form.

### New features * **Board Review.** A dedicated Review tab replaces the old Validate Project form. See design-rule checks grouped by severity, add review comments with canvas navigation, and let ProtoBot help flag issues, all without leaving your board. * **Board Sharing Links.** Share your boards with a single click. Hit the new Share button in the header to copy a shareable link anyone can use to view your board. * **Smarter ProtoBot Layouts.** ProtoBot now places parts and routes harnesses much more effectively. Previous diagrams often needed manual cleanup after ProtoBot struggled with placement and routing. It now plans better and draws cleaner diagrams out of the box. * **Canvas Layout Tools.** A new suite of tools for organizing your board manually: auto-route harnesses to find clean paths, arrange selected parts into tidy grid layouts, resolve overlapping parts automatically, and tidy handles to redistribute them evenly per side without changing their orientation. Available from the right-click context menu, part inspector, and harness inspector. ### Improvements * Right-click context menu redesigned to match the workflows you'd expect from similar CAD apps. * Multi-select parts and harnesses with Ctrl+click or Shift+click for batch layout operations. * BOM refresh now walks you through changes before applying them, so you stay in control of what gets updated. * Supplier verification UX is clearer, with better handling of shared pricing data across parts. * Draft recovery gallery redesigned for faster access to your unsaved work on load. ### Bug fixes * Fixed BOM refresh timestamps not updating correctly after a refresh. * Fixed shared-price normalization issues when multiple parts reference the same supplier entry. ### What's next * **Smarter ProtoBot.** Continuing to improve ProtoBot's review and design assistance so it catches more issues and gives better suggestions. * **Example Projects.** Adding ready-made example boards to the main website so new users can explore real designs from day one. * **Community Parts.** Continuing to grow the parts library based on your requests. * **MCP Agent Bridge.** Bring your own AI tools to Protoboard such as Claude Code, Codex, or Open Code (for advanced users). *** ## Alpha v4.0: ProtoBot AI Agent *March 7, 2026* Alpha v4.0 is our largest update since launch. It introduces **ProtoBot**, an AI agent integrated into the canvas for design assistance through conversation. This release also marks the transition of the Alpha from closed to open testing.

ProtoBot AI agent chat panel on canvas — ProtoBot helps you design boards through natural-language conversation.

### New features * **ProtoBot AI Agent.** An integrated assistant capable of searching and adding parts, configuring connections, planning board architecture, and generating concept images from a canvas chat panel. * **Web-Powered Part Discovery.** ProtoBot can search the web for real-world parts, datasheets, and specifications. * **Vector Part Search.** The parts library now uses semantic search. Type a natural-language description and get relevant matches. * **Pro Subscriptions.** A $10/month tier unlocking private projects, a private parts library, 1,000 Wh/month of ProtoBot energy, and the Developer Discord role. * **Copy and Paste.** Select parts, connections, and groups on the canvas and duplicate them with Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. * **Autosave Draft Recovery.** Continuous local backups with automatic recovery on unexpected browser closure. ### Improvements * Enhanced email system for account and subscription notifications. * Simplified sign-up process, removing the activation code requirement. * Improved UI contrast and theme handling. ### Bug fixes * Fixed harness and note edges disappearing. * Fixed annotation edge visual bugs. * Fixed zoom level persistence between views. * Fixed copy/paste reliability issues. * Fixed resource allocation options in part inspector. ### What's next * Parts library overhaul with thumbnails and taxonomy-based browsing. * Visual polish across the app. * Cloud projects with public share links. *** ## Alpha v3.0: User Profile and Undo/Redo *February 11, 2026* v3.0 focuses on giving you more control over your workflow with full undo/redo support, a comprehensive user profile system, and a refreshed look across the entire application.

New settings dialog with profile, notifications, and plan management.

### New features * **UI Overhaul.** Refreshed visual design across the entire application with improved spacing, refined typography, updated colors, and more consistent component styling for a cleaner, more professional experience. * **Undo/Redo System.** Full history management for all board operations including part placement, movement, deletion, interface creation, function links, harness allocations, and property changes. Use Ctrl+Z to undo and Ctrl+Shift+Z to redo. * **User Profile Settings.** New settings dialog with profile management, avatar upload and crop, company information, and social links. * **Notification Preferences.** Control which emails you receive from Protoboard, with easy unsubscribe options. * **Security Settings.** Manage your account security including password changes and account deletion. * **Plan and Usage Tracking.** View your current plan, see dollar-based AI usage in real time, and manage your subscription. * **Editable BOM Fields.** Override BOM fields with custom pricing and supplier links. Add multiple purchasing sources per part, and create your own source records directly from the BOM table. * **Improved BOM PDF Export.** Completely redesigned PDF export using ReactPDF that mirrors the in-app BOM UI with better formatting and professional styling. * **Welcome Emails.** New users now receive a welcome email when they create their account. ### Bug fixes * Fixed multi-node drag creating duplicate undo entries. * Fixed handle cleanup on part and harness deletion and edge re-rendering. * Fixed interface link restoration on undo operations. * Fixed no-op commands causing false corruption detection. * Fixed activation code not setting admin timestamps correctly. * Fixed profile avatar not resetting on sign-out. * Fixed Google sign-in to use the entered email as a login hint. * Fixed password reset flow to actually send the email. * Fixed activation code race condition in validateCohort. * Fixed capacity calculation when interface definitions are missing. *** ## Alpha v2.3.1: Custom Part Geometry *December 25, 2025* v2.3.1 introduces **Custom Part Geometry**, meaning parts can finally have real outline shapes instead of all feeling like the same generic rectangle. This makes it easier to visually distinguish parts at a glance, and makes connections behave more naturally on curved and irregular shapes. Under the hood, this builds on ProtoPart templates: each template can define an outline using a preset (like a circle) or a custom polyline outline (your own points, optional curved bulge segments, and optional corner rounding). Protoboard measures that outline to size the node correctly, and uses it for interaction so handles appear where you expect, on the outline itself.

Parts with custom outline shapes on the canvas — Parts with real outline shapes, including circles and custom polylines.

### New features * **Part Geometry shapes.** Defaults of rounded rectangle, rectangle, and circle. * **Custom Part Geometry (SVG outlines).** Parts can render using true outline shapes (presets or custom polylines), including curved bulge segments and optional corner rounding, so parts can look more like what they represent. * **Outline-Aware Handles.** Hover and drag handles now project to the nearest point on the part's outline (not just the bounding box), which makes connecting to circles, curves, and irregular shapes feel far more natural. ### Bug fixes * Fixed a bug where certain UI views would display "Untitled" for part names instead of their actual name. *** ## Alpha v2.3.0: Custom Parts *December 1, 2025* v2.3.0 brings quality-of-life improvements for hardware system development. The headline feature lets you add custom parts yourself using [ProtoPart](https://github.com/Delta-Robotics-Inc/ProtoPart), Protoboard's custom parts language. ### New features * **Annotations and Notes.** Add sticky comments with leaders on the canvas, link notes to parts, and edit them in the new Annotation Inspector. * **Template Library and Code Viewer.** Browse library and in-project templates, view ProtoPart JSON source, pull official updates, or work locally with linked vs. local status tracking. * **Custom Parts via ProtoPart JSON.** Create parts in-app using the ProtoPart schema, import and export as JSON, and preview templates before placement. * **Smarter Harnesses.** Name harnesses yourself or let Protoboard auto-name from the interface. Harness edges now show friendly display names. * **Swapping Templates.** Change part template types via dropdown with UI migration assistance for existing interfaces. * **Faster Part Setup.** "Add blank" and "Request part" options in library with improved loading states. ### Improvements * Canvas enhancements, refined template cards, project JSON pasting support, faster template pulling, and improved authentication. ### Bug fixes * "Add Your First Part" no longer blocks part placement. ### What's next * Custom part shapes, undo/redo, and copy/paste. * Manual price and source fields for BOMs. * AI integration for custom components, datasheet processing, and compatibility evaluation. *** ## Alpha v2.2.1 *November 6, 2025* A stability release focused on BOM fixes and a persistent validation panel.

### New features * **Persistent validation panel** in the left sidebar. No need to click the navbar validate button. Submit project validations directly from the sidebar. All validation features work identically to the former navbar button. ### Bug fixes * All in-project ProtoParts now load successfully when opening boards. * Parts with unknown prices show "-" instead of "?". * More stable BOM generation and export functionality. ### Under the hood * Centralized validation state management. * Reduced code duplication. * Better error handling and user feedback. * Improved data persistence. *** ## Alpha v2.2.0: Bill of Materials *October 28, 2025* v2.2.0 adds the **Bill of Materials** export, a screenshot tool, and a rebuilt sign-in flow.

Bill of Materials export with part names, pricing, supplier links, and stock status — Bill of Materials export with live pricing and supplier links.

### New features * **Bill of Materials.** Export parts lists as CSV or PDF with columns for Name, MPN/SKU/ASIN, Category, Supplier, In-Stock status, Quantity, Unit Price, and Total, plus vendor links and live pricing. * **Screenshot Tool.** One-click board capture for documentation and design sharing without third-party tools. * **Sign-in Improvements.** The authentication system was rebuilt. Protoboard uses batch testing with unique activation codes. The process follows: email, code, enter (or sign up). * **"Add first part" UI update.** A new button guides users to the Part Bin when boards are empty. ### Bug fixes * UI colors adjusted for proper theme alignment. ### What's next * Simplify custom part creation and manual system representation so users can represent any system diagram with manual configuration options. *** ## Alpha v2.1.1 *October 28, 2025* ### Bug fixes * Improved function-linking panel in Part Inspector: resource allocation to interface functions now populates properly. *** ## Alpha v2.1.0: The Harness Update *October 19, 2025* In this version, harnesses now have useful labels and only carry a single interface for simplicity. The Harness Inspector has been overhauled with a much better flow for connecting the parts on your board. A project planning view has also been added to the left sidebar. ### New features * **Simplified Harnesses.** Previous versions allowed each connection line to represent everything about connections between devices. Now they're limited to a single purpose. This purpose can still contain multiple wires, but all the wires are contributing to the same interface between parts. * **Labeled Harnesses.** Now that harnesses contain only one function, they also have a visual update: a simple text label on each line in the diagram. * **Individual Function Pairing.** Harnesses can carry multiple wires contributing to the same interface, with visual updates letting you choose which wires or functions within that harness can be linked together. * **Board Plan Tab.** The left menu now includes a Plan tab where you can name, describe, and add requirements that need to be fulfilled for your project to work. * **UI Improvements.** General improvements including light mode and menu visual changes. ### What's next * Bill of Materials. * Image export. * Harness visual improvements. * Custom part geometry. * App UI overhaul. * Design Rule Checker (DRC). *** ## Alpha v2.0.1 *October 15, 2025* ### Bug fixes * Fixed the "Add Blank Part" button failing to do anything. The fix ensures this button now properly adds a blank part to the canvas with the same behavior as library-sourced parts. *** ## Related pages * [**Known Limitations**](/help/known-limitations.md): Current product limitations and workarounds. * [**FAQ**](/help/faq.md): Common questions about Protoboard. * [**Troubleshooting**](/help/troubleshooting.md): Specific issue fixes. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.protoboard.xyz/help/changelog.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.