Version Changes

This page lists all relevant changes that have been made during a version release. It indicates the date installed or when it was released which will approximate the installation date. Bug fixes are not itemized as they are not relevant to this page but are indicated so that you are aware no new functionality or change has been made. Only changes that have been made over the past 12 months are shown.

Version 13.6.1 (released on 2023-06-02) - (installed 06/02/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.6.0 (released on 2023-05-25) - (installed 05/25/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.5.4 (released on 2023-05-22) - (installed 05/22/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.5.3 (released on 2023-05-19) - (installed 05/19/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.5.2 (released on 2023-05-19) - (installed 05/19/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.5.1 (released on 2023-05-12) - (installed 05/12/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.5.0 (released on 2023-05-11) - (installed 05/12/2023)

NEW FEATURES, IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

NEW FEATURE: @INLINE-PREVIEW action tag: When this action tag is added to File Upload fields or Description Text fields, a preview button will be displayed next to the field on survey pages and data entry forms if the uploaded file is an image or PDF file. Clicking the preview button will immediately display the image/PDF inline on the page, after which it can be closed again, if desired. This allows users/participants to view the file without having to download it to their local device.

IMPROVEMENT:  Inline image support (via Descriptive Text field, INLINE or INLINE-PREVIEW action tag, or the “:inline” piping parameter) now works for SVG and WEBP image files.

IMPROVEMENT:  The "Contact REDCap Administrator" link/button on the left-hand project menu now supports the piping of Smart Variables in its URL if using the "Alternate URL for Contact REDCap Admin links..." setting, which is located on the General Configuration page in the Control Center. Note: Data entry specific Smart Variables (e.g., record-name, event-name) cannot be piped; only high-level project/user-related Smart Variables can be piped (e.g. project-id, user-email).

IMPROVEMENT:  All fatal PHP errors will now be logged in the "redcap_error_log" database table to aid REDCap administrators in tracking down the cause of certain PHP errors. On pages that do not disclose any details (for security reasons) about a fatal PHP error when it occurs, such as on surveys and when the user is not an administrator, the generic error message now adds the following text in small font: "REDCap Admins Only: Details of the error may be obtained by running the database query below. select error from redcap_error_log where error_id = X", which can assist administrators in reporting the error.

IMPROVEMENT: When viewing an inline PDF (whether via Descriptive Text field, INLINE or INLINE-PREVIEW action tag, or the “:inline” piping parameter), a PDF resizer option will appear immediately below the embedded PDF, allowing users to adjust the vertical size of the PDF displayed on the page. Clicking the center button on the resizer will set the PDF to be the full height of the browser.

CHANGE: Survey completion timestamp fields will no longer return errors when a user attempts to import them via data import. Instead, they will merely return a warning, and their value will be ignored during the import process.

Version 13.4.13 (released on 2023-05-04) - (installed 05/04/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.4.12 (released on 2023-05-03) - (installed 05/03/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.4.11 (released on 2023-04-27) - (installed 04/27/2023)

IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

IMPROVEMENT: When viewing PDF attachments on Descriptive Text fields on a data entry form or survey, in which the PDF is set to be displayed inline, the PDF frame is now adjustable at the bottom so that its vertical size may be modified by the user/participant for better viewing.

IMPROVEMENT: Searching has now been added in the Action Tags popup and Smart Variables popup to allow users to find content faster in those popups.

Version 13.4.10 (released on 2023-04-20) - (installed 04/20/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.4.9 (released on 2023-04-19) - (installed 04/19/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.4.8 (released on 2023-04-12) - (installed 04/12/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.4.7 (released on 2023-04-07) - (installed 04/07/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.4.6 (released on 2023-04-03) - (installed 04/03/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.4.5 (released on 2023-04-01) - (installed 4/03/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.4.4 (released on 2023-03-31) - (installed 04/03/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.4.3 (released on 2023-03-31) - (installed 04/03/2023)

IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

IMPROVEMENT: "Postal Code (UK)" was added as a new field validation. After upgrading, an administrator will need to enable it on the Field Validation Types page in the Control Center.

IMPROVEMENT: If a participant returns to the first page of a multi-page survey (e.g., by clicking the Previous Page button or returning via their Return Code), the survey instructions can be viewed again by clicking the "View survey instructions" link at the top of page 1. In previous versions, the survey instructions could never be viewed again after the survey had been started (i.e., the first page had been submitted).

IMPROVEMENT: When using the Google/Microsoft Authenticator option for two-factor authentication in REDCap, users will be able to enroll using their Google/Microsoft Authenticator app the very first time they log in to REDCap via 2FA, in which the enrollment QR code will be displayed there the first time they log in via 2FA. This allows institutions to utilize the Google/Microsoft Authenticator option for REDCap without necessarily having to offer the less secure Email option, which is often the fallback/default for when users initially log in via 2FA. In previous REDCap versions, users would have to use a 2FA option other than Google/Microsoft Authenticator the first time they logged in via 2FA. So this behavior change provides a more secure way to offer 2FA.

IMPROVEMENT: HTML "s" strikethrough tags are now allowed in user-defined text, such as field labels, survey instructions, etc.

Version 13.4.2 (released on 2023-24-03) - (installed 03/26/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.4.1 (released on 2023-03-24) - (installed 03/24/2023)

IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

IMPROVEMENT: New option for Form Display Logic: “Hide forms that are disabled”. When enabled, all forms that are disabled will also be hidden (not visible) on the Data Collection menu and on the Record Home Page.

IMPROVEMENT: The text for the setting “Require a 'reason' when making changes to existing records” is now available for translation on the Multi-Language Management page.

Version 13.4.0 (released on 2023-03-10) - (installed 03/13/2023)

NEW FEATURES, IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

NEW FEATURE: Mosio SMS Services

  • REDCap has the capability to send SMS text messages for surveys and for Alerts & Notifications by using a third-party web service named Mosio (www.mosio.com). In this way, users can invite a participant to take a survey by sending them an SMS message, in which the data would be collected in REDCap directly from their phone without having to use a webpage. There are two ways REDCap currently works with Mosio: 1) Surveys – Sending survey invitations and also sending questions and getting replies via text message, and 2) Alerts - Sending one-way Alerts & Notifications via text message.
  • The Mosio Two-Way Text Messaging (SMS) Services work exactly the same as the current Twilio functionality, with the exception of the Voice Call features. Mosio can only send and receive SMS messages. If a user wishes to switch a project from using Twilio to using Mosio, the only thing that needs to be done is for them to get a Mosio account and API key, then disable Twilio and enable Mosio in their REDCap project using their API key. That’s all that needs to be done to migrate from Twilio.
  • For more information and to get a Mosio account, visit https://www.mosio.com/redcap. Mosio specializes in research communications automation, helping researchers improve engagement, adherence, and data collection in studies. The service is both HIPAA and 21 CFR Part 11 compliant and willing to sign BAAs.

CHANGE: The Internet Explorer web browser is no longer supported in REDCap.

Version 13.3.4 (released on 2023-03-03) - (installed 03/06/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.3.3 (released on 2023-02-24) - (installed 02/24/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.3.2 (released on 2023-02-17) - (installed 02/17/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.3.1 (released on 2023-02-10) - (installed 02/10/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.3.0 (released on 2023-02-02) - (installed 02/03/2023)

NEW FEATURES, IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

NEW FEATURE: Embedding file attachments in text & emails

  • Users may now attach one or more files into the text of a survey invitation, an alert, or a field label on a form/survey, among other things, by clicking the file attachment (paperclip) icon in the rich text editor and then by uploading a file from their local device.
  • This feature is available for every rich text editor *with the exception* of non-project pages (e.g., the Email Users page) and also any field with the @RICHTEXT action tag.
  • Note: All files uploaded via the rich text editor will be represented in the text of the editor as a public file-sharing link, which allows the file to be downloaded in any context (e.g., on surveys, on authenticated REDCap pages, and in public areas like emails and public dashboards). This means that if anyone has possession of this link, they will be able to download the file (at least, until the file has been deleted). All files uploaded via the rich text editor will be automatically stored in a special “Miscellaneous File Attachments” folder in the File Repository where they can be accessed and/or deleted, if necessary. If any such file is deleted from the “Miscellaneous File Attachments” folder in the File Repository, the associated download link for the file will cease to be active and thus will become a dead link wherever it has been used.

IMPROVEMENT: A new "preformatted code block" button was added to the toolbar of all rich text editors. 

Version 13.2.5 (released on 2023-01-27) - (installed 01/27/2023)

IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

IMPROVEMENT: Comment lines can be added to calculations and logic to serve as annotations to explain various parts of the logic/calc.

IMPROVEMENT: When setting up the Survey Queue or an individual Automated Survey Invitation, the survey drop-down for the “When the following survey is completed” setting in the dialog now has a built-in search feature to easily find a specific survey in a long list. Additionally, if the survey title does not match the instrument title, the drop-down list will also display the user-facing form name for the survey, which should help users find the right survey quicker in certain cases.

Version 13.2.4 (released on 2023-01-20) - (installed 01/20/2023)

IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

IMPROVEMENT: When using the built-in MyCap feature, users can now explicitly define the title of the project as seen by participants in the MyCap Mobile App. A new button has been added near the top of the “MyCap App Design” to allow users to set the project title that is displayed in the app. If not defined, it will default to using the user-facing title of the REDCap project, which was how it behaved in previous versions of REDCap.

Version 13.2.3 (released on 2023-01-13) - (installed 01/13/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.2.2 (released on 2023-01-06) - (installed 01/06/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.2.1 (released on 2022-12-29) - (installed 01/03/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.2.0 (released on 2022-12-29) - (installed 01/03/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.1.4 (released on 2022-12-28) - (installed 01/03/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.1.3 (released on 2022-12-22) - (installed 01/03/2023)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.1.2 (released on 2022-12-22) - (installed 01/03/2023)

IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

IMPROVEMENT: Users may now pipe Smart Variables or field variables into the Data Entry Trigger URL.

IMPROVEMENT: Users may now pipe Smart Variables or field variables into the External Video URL for Descriptive Text fields.

IMPROVEMENT: When setting up an alert, Step 2's sub-section “When to send the alert?” now contains the new drop-down choice "the day (beginning at midnight) that the alert was triggered" in the sub-option “Send the alert X days Y hours Z minutes before/after [drop-down]”. This new choice in the drop-down allows users to schedule the notification based on the day the alert was triggered and provides greater control and precision with regard to when exactly the notification will be sent. For example, if this new drop-down option is selected along with setting it to “send the alert 1 day 8 hours after…”, this will cause the notification to be scheduled to be sent at exactly 8:00am the next morning. In previous versions, it was not possible to get this level of precision for the notification send-time based upon the alert trigger-time unless you used a date field’s value as a reference.

IMPROVEMENT: When exporting the project logging via CSV file or via API, the record name is now included as a separate column/attribute "record" in the resulting output if the logged event is record-centric (and if not, the record value will be left blank).

IMPROVEMENT: The on/off switches on the Multi-Language Management setup page now have green/red coloring to more clearly denote their on/off state.

Version 13.1.1 (released on 2022-12-16) - (installed 12/18/2022)

IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

IMPROVEMENT: Descriptive Text fields can now have inline PDF attachments that display as an embedded PDF on the page (rather than just displaying a download link).

Version 13.1.0 (released on 2022-12-09) - (installed 12/14/2022)

NEW FEATURES, IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

NEW FEATURE: Redesign of the File Repository

  • Overview: The File Repository page has been redesigned to make it easier to store, organize, and share the files in your projects.Users now have the ability to create folders and sub-folders to help organize their files more effectively. If using Data Access Groups or user roles, users may optionally limit access to a new folder so that it is DAG-restricted and/or role-restricted. Uploading multiple files is much faster with a new drag-n-drop feature that allows for uploading dozens of files at a time. Sharing files is better too, in which users may obtain a public link to conveniently share a file with someone. New API methods also exist that allow users to upload, download, and delete files programmatically using the API. Additionally, the File Repository has a new built-in Recycle Bin folder that makes it easy to restore files that have been deleted. Users can upload as many files as they wish. There is no limit. Additionally, there is no limit to how many folders and sub-folders that can be created (or how deep that they can be nested within other folders).
  • Sharing: Files can be shared via Send-It or using a public link.
  • Recycle Bin: Files that are deleted from the File Repository will be put in the Recycle Bin folder where they will be kept for up to 30 days before being permanently deleted. Any file in the Recycle Bin can be restored back to its original location (so long as doing so does not surpass the project’s file storage limit, if enabled). Administrators can “force delete” any file in the Recycle Bin, which deletes it immediately and permanently.
  • New API methods for the File Repository: 1) Create a New Folder in the File Repository, 2) Export a List of Files/Folders from the File Repository, 3) Export a File from the File Repository, 4) Import a File into the File Repository, and 5) Delete a File from the File Repository.

IMPROVEMENT: The “Alerts & Notifications” page now has its own separate user privilege. Previously, only users with “Project Design and Setup” privileges could access the Alerts & Notifications page. Now, users must explicitly be given “Alerts & Notifications” privileges in order to access the Alerts & Notifications page. Note: During the upgrade to REDCap 13.1.0 or higher, any users with "Project Design and Setup" rights will automatically be given "Alerts & Notifications" rights in order to keep continuity with their current access to the Alerts & Notifications page.

IMPROVEMENT: When setting the designated email field on the Project Setup page or when setting the survey-level designated email field on the Survey Settings page, if the selected field is utilized in more than one event and/or is utilized on a repeating instrument or repeating event, a warning message will be displayed in a yellow box immediately below the email field drop-down to inform the user that any update to the field on any event or repeating instance will change the value of the field in ALL events and repeating instances. This should help provide more transparency to users who might get confused by the fact that the field's value gets updated in all places if the designated email field is located in more than one context in the project.

Version 13.0.1 (released on 2022-12-02) - (installed 12/05/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 13.0.1 (released on 2022-11-23) - (installed 11/28/2022)

IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

IMPROVEMENT: When setting up repeating Automated Survey Invitations, users can now set the repeating interval value as a number with a decimal (in previous versions, the value could only be an integer). This will allow users to approximate the interval of a monthly repeating ASI as 30.44 days since it is currently not possible for repeating ASIs to be scheduled on exactly the same day and time each month. To help users, a note has been added in the repeating survey section of the ASI setup dialog to inform them how to approximate a month as 30.44 days.

IMPROVEMENT: A link to the Codebook page was added inside the Add/Edit Field dialog on the Online Designer. This will allow the user to open the Codebook in a new tab without having to close the dialog to do so.

Version 13.0.0 (released on 2022-11-17) - (installed 11/18/2022)

NEW FEATURES, IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

NEW FEATURE: Integration of the MyCap External Module

  • Introduction: MyCap is a participant-facing mobile application (on iOS and Android) used for data collection and the automated administration of active tasks (activities performed by participants using mobile device sensors under semi-controlled conditions). All data collected in the MyCap app is automatically sent back to the REDCap server as soon as internet connection is available (i.e., it can also be used for offline participant data collection). MyCap is a no-code solution for research teams conducting longitudinally-designed projects or projects with frequent participant contact. MyCap also facilitates participant engagement and retention by providing quick access to project staff and two-way communications (e.g., messaging and announcements) within the app. MyCap is available on any iOS device (iOS v11.0+) and any Android device (Android v8.0+). For more information about MyCap, check out the MyCap website, publication, resources, and a list of MyCap use cases.
  • Project-level settings: The ability to enable or request to enable MyCap in a project will be in the Main Project Settings section at the top of the Project Setup page. There is an informational dialog there that can be opened that contains helpful links to many resources, including the MyCap website, the MyCap Help document (a detailed 16-page instruction manual on setup and usage), and three videos.
  • Project Utilization: Utilizing MyCap in a project consists of two main parts: 1) design, and 2) managing participants. The design portion is where users can enable instruments as MyCap tasks, import active tasks, and design the look and feel of the MyCap app (as the participant sees it). These things pertaining to design are performed in the Online Designer and thus require “Project Design and Setup” rights. The participant portion requires a new user right “Manage MyCap Participants” that appears on the User Rights page after MyCap has been enabled in a project. Having this privilege, a user will have access to the “MyCap Participant Management” page on the left-hand menu. This page will allow users to view, invite, and message their MyCap participants. In many ways, it is very similar to the “Survey Distribution Tools” page when using surveys.
  • External Module Migration: If users have been using the MyCap external module, there is an upgrade path to import all the MyCap EM settings into the built-in MyCap feature. In projects with the MyCap EM enabled, users will see a “Migrate to REDCap” button on the left-hand menu, which opens a dialog with plenty of information about the new built-in MyCap feature. As the dialog will note, users themselves cannot perform the migration, but a REDCap admin must do so for them. The migration is fast and only requires a couple button clicks, after which it will disable the MyCap EM in the project. Note: Currently, the MyCap EM is planned to be supported only until June 2023, so it is recommended that users using the EM attempt to fully migrate well before that time.
  • Smart Variables and Action Tags: Several new Smart Variables and Action Tags can be used with MyCap, some of which are a required, integral part of how users invite participants and also how MyCap imports data into a project. See the documentation for Smart Variables containing the prefix “mycap-” and Action Tags containing the prefix “@MC-”.

NEW FEATURES, IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

NEW FEATURE: Integration of the MyCap External Module

IMPROVEMENT: The project API page now displays the user's API token in a text box with a button next to it that, when clicked, copies the API token to the user's clipboard.

Version 12.5.17 (released on 2022-11-11) - (installed 11/16/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 12.5.16 (released on 2022-11-04) - (installed 11/07/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 12.5.15 (released on 2022-09-27) - (installed 10/28/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 12.5.14 (released on 2022-09-22) - (installed 10/28/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 12.5.13 (released on 2022-10-21) - (installed 10/28/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 12.5.12 (released on 2022-10-07) - (installed 10/28/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 12.5.11 (released on 2022-09-30) - (installed 10/28/2022)

NEW FEATURES, IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

NEW FEATURE: Download all files on a report - When viewing a report (including public reports) that contains one or more File Upload fields or Signature fields, a “Download Files (zip)” button will appear on the page to allow users to easily download all the report’s uploaded files into a single zip file for those fields for the records in the report.

IMPROVEMENT: The project API page now displays the user's API token in a text box with a button next to it that, when clicked, copies the API token to the user's clipboard.

Version 12.5.10 (released on 2022-09-16) - (installed 10/28/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 12.5.9 (released on 2022-09-09) - (installed 09/12/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 12.5.8 (released on 2022-09-02) - (installed 09/12/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 12.5.7 (released on 2022-08-26) - (installed 08/26/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 12.5.6 (released on 2022-08-19) - (installed 08/19/2022)

NEW FEATURES, IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

NEW FEATURE: SendGrid Template Advanced Settings for Alerts & Notifications

  • Introduction - A new “advanced settings” section was added to the Alerts & Notifications interface when building an alert using the relatively new SendGrid Template alert type that gives users more control over the underlying SendGrid API call being made when REDCap triggers a SendGrid Template alert. Note that all of the advanced settings are optional, and they are all disabled by default. If “SendGrid Template email services for Alerts & Notifications” are enabled for a project on the Project Setup page, then these advanced settings will appear in the alert creation dialog after selecting “SendGrid Template” as the alert type. The new advanced settings are all listed in detail below.
  • SendGrid Unsubscribe Groups - SendGrid can allow recipients of its emails to unsubscribe from all emails being sent from a sendgrid account, or from emails associated with specific unsubscribe groups in a sendgrid account. To take advantage of custom unsubscribe groups, you can create unsubscribe groups in your sendgrid account then associate them with alerts in your REDCap project. When a recipient unsubscribes from an email that has been associated with a specific unsubscribe group, they get added to that unsubscribe group's list and any future emails that are associated with that unsubscribe group will not be delivered to them. An alert can be associated with at most one unsubscribe group. Here is SendGrid's documentation on unsubscribe groups: https://docs.sendgrid.com/ui/sending-email/unsubscribe-groups.
  • SendGrid Categories - SendGrid allows you to associate arbitrary categories to each email you send from your account, effectively giving you the ability to tag each individual email sent with different metadata about the email like the email type. Unlike unsubscribe groups, categories don't have to be made in your sendgrid account before associating them with an alert in REDCap. You can define your categories in REDCap as you create your REDCap alert, and your sendgrid account will automatically detect new categories as emails get sent with them. In your SendGrid account's Category Stats page, you'll be able to see data about your emails by category. You can associate up to 10 unique categories per email, and a category name cannot be longer than 255 characters.
  • SendGrid Mail Settings - Full documentation for the SendGrid bypass settings can be found at https://docs.sendgrid.com/ui/sending-email/index-suppressions#bypass-sup....
    • Bypass List Management - When enabled, your email will be delivered regardless of any other existing suppression management control in your account. For example, if a recipient is in an unsubscribe group or the global unsubscribe group, they will still receive the email if bypass list management is enabled. Bypass List Management can't be combined with any other bypass option.
    • Bypass Spam Management - Allows you to bypass the spam report list to ensure that the email is delivered to recipients. Some email services allow recipients to mark emails as spam. In some cases, sendgrid will be notified when a recipient marks an email as spam and will maintain a spam report list.
    • Bypass Bounce Management - Allows you to bypass the bounce list to ensure that the email is delivered to recipients. A bounce occurs when a receiving mail server rejects an incoming email. This can happen if the recipient address is bad, for example. If sendgrid sees too many bounces happening, it will add that recipient to a bounce list and it will stop trying to send mail to that recipient. Enabling this will bypass that bounce list and force sendgrid to retry delivery.
    • Bypass Global Unsubscribe Management - When enabled, your email will be delivered even if the recipient is on your account's global unsubscribe list.
    • Sandbox Mode - Sandbox mode lets you check for errors in the SendGrid API call used to send an email without the potential of delivering the email. If you're unsure about your sendgrid configuration, you can run a test by enabling sandbox mode for an alert and triggering it. If your project's logs state that the alert was sent successfully and you don't see any errors, then your configuration is good to go. However, since sandbox mode was enabled for that alert, an email was not actually sent. After you're satisfied with your tests, you can disable sandbox mode and start sending real emails with your alert.
  • SendGrid Tracking Settings
    • Click Tracking - SendGrid has the ability to detect when a recipient clicks on links in an email. The count of clicks for a given email can be seen in the email activity section of your sendgrid account.
    • Open Tracking - SendGrid has the ability to detect when a recipient opens an email by embedding a single pixel image in an email. Enabling this setting will make sendgrid include this tracking pixel in your emails. You can view the count of opens for a specific email in the email activity section of your sendgrid account.
    • Subscription Tracking - If subscription tracking is enabled and configured on your sendgrid account, this setting lets you choose whether or not you want to include the global unsubscribe link associated with the subscription tracking feature in your emails. Note that you can utilize unsubscribe groups without using the more general subscription tracking feature. I believe subscription tracking is disabled by default on a sendgrid account. Here is some documentation from sendgrid about unsubscribe methods: https://support.sendgrid.com/hc/en-us/articles/1260806604209-Unsubscribe...
  • Miscellaneous Additions
    • Added an External Service Check for https://api.sendgrid.com/v3 in the Control Center's Configuration Check page.
    • Added a line in the Modules utilized section of the Systems Statistics page to keep track of how many non-practice projects are utilizing sendgrid for Alerts & Notifications.
  • Additional SendGrid API Token Requirements - To fully support SendGrid Advanced Settings, the SendGrid API token used in the project's setup needs the permission for getting an account's unsubscribe groups through the API. This permission is mapped to the asm.groups.read scope. You can add this permission to your existing API token by editing its permissions in your SendGrid account and giving it Read Access to Unsubscribe Groups in the Suppression section.

IMPROVEMENT: When utilizing Multi-Language Management in a project, the Field Finder on the Codebook page now supports searching in translated field labels.

IMPROVEMENT: The date of the most recent REDCap upgrade for the system is now displayed near the bottom of the main Control Center page.

IMPROVEMENT: "Project 5 (COVID-19)" was added as a new classification that is selectable under the NIH CDE Repository catalog for the Field Bank feature in the Online Designer. Project 5 (COVID-19) is a classification of NIH-Endorsed CDEs (Common Data Elements).

Version 12.5.5 (released on 2022-08-05) - (installed 08/05/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 12.5.4 (released on 2022-07-27) - (installed 07/28/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 12.5.3 (released on 2022-07-21) - (installed 07/22/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 12.5.2 (released on 2022-07-15) - (installed 07/15/2022)

IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

IMPROVEMENT: Added “json-array” as a new option to the data formats for REDCap::getData and REDCap::saveData. It provides a way around the json data format, for the sake of computer cycles as well as for the sake of being able to pass large data structures. The “json-array” option represents the same flat data structure as decoded JSON data when using the “json” data format for these methods, but it avoids the encode/decode steps.

Version 12.5.1 (released on 2022-07-08) - (installed 07/08/2022)

IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

IMPROVEMENT: When using the Multi-Language Management in a project where the languages created on the MLM setup page have Language IDs that correspond to language ISO codes, if a user or participant has not yet selected their display language via the MLM language-switching choices, REDCap will use their current browser settings to auto-detect and then auto-select their preferred display language. This is meant to be an added convenience to the user/participant. Note: This only occurs if project users have set up their MLM Language IDs as ISO codes.

IMPROVEMENT/CHANGE: Updated the Font Awesome library from v5.15.4 to v6.1.1.

IMPROVEMENT: Stop Actions (for multiple choice fields) and Video Display Format settings (for Descriptive Text fields with videos) are now included in Instrument Zip files when downloading or uploading them for an instrument in the Online Designer. In previous versions, stop actions were not included, and while the video URL was included, the setting that defines if the video is displayed inline or not was not included.

Version 12.5.0 (released on 2022-07-01) - (installed 07/01/2022)

NEW FEATURES, IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

NEW FEATURE: Repeating Automated Survey Invitations (ASIs)

  • Users can now set ASIs to send multiple times on a recurring basis for any repeating survey in a project. If the survey is a repeating instrument or if it exists on a repeating event, then users will see a new section "How many times to send it" in the ASI setup popup in the Online Designer. There users may set the ASI to send survey invitations repeatedly at a regular interval, in which it can repeat forever or a set number of times. This new repeating ASI feature works similarly to how recurring alerts have always worked for Alerts & Notifications.

  • Note: If an instrument is not a repeating survey, then this new section will not appear for that survey in the ASI setup dialog.

  • When an ASI is set up to recur for a repeating survey, the [survey-link] Smart Variable in the invitation text will always point to a different repeating instance of the survey for each time the invitation is sent. For example, if the ASI is set to recur daily, then the first day’s invitation will have a link pointing to instance #1 of the survey, the next day’s invitation will point to instance #2, then the next to #3, and so on.

NEW SMART VARIABLE: [new-instance]

  • This new Smart Variable [new-instance] can be appended to [survey-link], [survey-url], [form-link], and [form-url] to create a URL that points to a new, not-yet-created repeating instance for the current record. In this way, [new-instance] functions essentially as [last-instance]+1. This new Smart Variable works for repeating instruments and also for instruments on repeating events.
  • [new-instance] can also be used as stand-alone, in which it will return an integer. But it will only work when used within the context of a repeating instrument or repeating event, in which it will essentially return [last-instance]+1 for the current repeating context.
  • [new-instance] will auto-append “&new” to the end of the form link or survey link (when used with [form-link/url] or [survey-link/url]) and thus will cause the user/participant to be redirected to the next repeating instance if the current repeating instance (i.e., the instance number in the URL) already exists for the record. Thus, using [form-link] or [survey-link] appended with [new-instance] will ensure that you always end up on a new, not-yet-created instance. And if two participants arrive at the same repeating survey instance with both using the exact same link created by [survey-link][new-instance], then the second participant to submit the survey page will not override the first participant’s response. Instead, it will add the second participant’s response as another repeating instance that does not exist yet.
  • TIP: One of the main intended usages of [new-instance] is to utilize it as [survey-link:instrument][new-instance] inside the text of a recurring alert to allow users/participants to enter data easily into a repeating survey. In this way, it works very similarly to a repeating ASI. However, repeating ASIs do not need their survey link appended with [new-instance] because it is already implied from the ASI setup.

NEW FEATURE: Embedding images in text & emails

  • Users may now embed one or more inline images into the text of a survey invitation, an alert, or a field label on a form/survey, among other things, by clicking the image icon in the rich text editor and then by uploading an image from their local device. Anywhere that the rich text editor is used, users may embed an image into its text (with one exception: the @RICHTEXT action tag on public surveys).

IMPROVEMENT: When setting up an ASI, the sub-section “When to send invitations AFTER conditions are met” now contains the new drop-down choice "the same day (beginning at midnight) that the automated invitation was triggered" in the sub-option “Send the invitation X days Y hours Z minutes before/after [drop-down]”. This new choice in the drop-down allows users to schedule the invitation based on the day the ASI was triggered and provides greater control and precision with regard to when exactly the invitation will be sent. For example, if this new drop-down option is selected along with setting it to “send the invitation 1 day 8 hours after…”, this will cause the invitation to be scheduled to be sent at exactly 8:00am the next morning. In previous versions, it was not possible to get this level of precision for the invitation send-time based upon ASI trigger-time unless you used a date field’s value as a reference.

Version 12.4.5 (released on 2022-06-27) - (installed 06/27/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 12.4.4 (released on 2022-06-24) - (installed 06/24/2022)

IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

IMPROVEMENT: The Multi-Language Management setup page now has an option to “Export or import general settings”. This includes which languages are set as active, default, or fallback, which fields and survey settings are excluded, as well as the settings on the Alerts tabs and Settings tab. Note: The export/import option will appear when at least one language has been created in the project. This option is available as a JSON file only for import/export.

Version 12.4.3 (released on 2022-06-17) - (installed 06/17/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 12.4.2 (released on 2022-06-10) - (installed 06/12/2022)

IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

IMPROVEMENT: New “Multi-Language Management” video (9 minutes) added to the MLM setup page and the Training Videos page.

Version 12.4.1 (released on 2022-05-26) - (installed 05/29/2022)

BUG FIXES;

Version 12.4.0 (released on 2022-05-20) - (installed 05/29/2022)

NEW FEATURES, IMPROVEMENTS/CHANGES & BUG FIXES;

NEW FEATURE: Calendar Sync

  • Users may sync their REDCap project calendar or perform a one-time import of their project calendar events to external calendar applications such as Google Calendar, Outlook, Office 365, Zoho, Apple Calendar, or any application that supports iCal or ICS files. They may choose one of the two options below to sync or import their project calendar events to an external calendar application.
    1. Live calendar feed: Add calendar from URL/Internet - A unique web address will be displayed in a dialog on the Calendar page, in which the URL represents a real-time live feed of the REDCap project calendar. Users may copy the URL to paste it as the calendar URL in their calendar application using the option "Add calendar from URL/Internet". This will subscribe their external application to the REDCap project calendar. Privacy Note: This calendar feed URL on the Calendar page is unique to the user in the project. So if the user gets expired, removed from the project, or deleted from the system, their unique calendar feed will go blank and will not output anything anymore (for privacy purposes).
    2. One-time import: Download ICS file - Download and open the calendar ICS file below to import REDCap calendar events manually into the calendar application on your computer, or upload the file to a web-based calendar service. Notice: This is not a live feed but a one-time import. Thus, any new events added to the REDCap calendar in the future will not be automatically added to the external calendar application.
  • Feed-syncing Notice: Different calendar applications have different refresh rates. So if new events are added to the calendar in REDCap, they may not immediately appear in the external application that is consuming the feed but will appear after the next refresh interval, which might be some time later that day or the next day (depending on the calendar application). Additionally, the calendar feed represents a one-way feed. This means that while changes made to the calendar in REDCap will automatically show up in the external calendar application, users will not be able to modify them in the external calendar application because they will be read-only.
  • Privacy Note: When viewing events from the Calendar page’s feed or downloadable ICS file, any data from Identifier fields will be automatically removed from the feed/file (e.g., if identifier fields are included in the Custom Record Label or Secondary Unique Field, or if the record name is an identifier), in which their data will be replaced with the text “**DATA REMOVED**”.
  • New calendar-specific Smart Variables
    1. [calendar-url] - The web address (URL) of the calendar feed or downloadable ICS calendar file belonging to the current record.
    2. [calendar-link:Custom Text] - The HTML web link that, when clicked, will navigate to the calendar feed or downloadable ICS calendar file belonging to the current record. 'Custom Text' is an optional parameter whereby you can specify the visible link text, and if it is not provided, it defaults to simply displaying the URL as the link text.

NEW FEATURE: SendGrid Dynamic Templates for Alerts & Notifications

  • SendGrid Dynamic Templates give users significantly more control over the style and design of emails when compared to the standard email alert type. Enabling this feature on the Project Setup page will give users another alert type to choose from on the Alerts & Notifications page called “SendGrid Template”. Thus, similar to Twilio, this feature is a project-level feature that users may enable on individual projects (or users can have administrators enable it for them).
  • SETUP & CONFIGURATION: This integration requires that you have an account setup on sendgrid.com. After creating a SendGrid account, you'll need to configure senders for the account, create the dynamic templates you wish to use for REDCap alerts, and generate an API Key with appropriate permissions for REDCap to use. When configuring senders on your SendGrid account, you may specify individual senders, authenticate an entire domain so that any email address associated with that domain may be a sender, or both. Please refer to SendGrid's documentation on how to set up Domain Authentication and how to add individual Verified Senders. To create a dynamic template in your SendGrid account, login to your SendGrid account and use the sidebar to navigate to Email API→Dynamic Templates. Here you can create a dynamic template, give it a name, and associate an email design with it. Please reference SendGrid's documentation on Dynamic Templates and Handlebars to learn more about creating templates in your SendGrid account. Lastly, to create an API Key for REDCap, login to your SendGrid account and use the sidebar to navigate to Settings→API Keys. Here you can create a new API Key and specify its permissions. It is recommended that you create a Restricted Access API Key and only give the API Key the permissions REDCap needs to function. REDCap will need Full Access to Mail Send, Read Access to Sender Authentication, and Read Access to Template Engine. Once you have your API Key, you may use it to configure SendGrid Template email services for alerts & notifications through the REDCap Project Setup page.
  • ALERTS & NOTIFICATIONS: The SendGrid Template alert type will allow you to specify a sender email address that's in your SendGrid account's list of Verified Senders or an email address that matches an Authenticated Domain associated with your SendGrid account. You'll also have an interface to choose which of your SendGrid account's dynamic templates you'd like to use for the alert as well as an interface to specify key/value pairs that will be used to populate your template with REDCap data. Lastly, choosing recipients for SendGrid alerts works the same way as choosing recipients for email alerts.
  • COST: As REDCap makes API calls to SendGrid's Email API using your account's API Key, your SendGrid account will keep track of REDCap's usage and your SendGrid account will be charged accordingly. This is not done by REDCap but is done internally by SendGrid as you use its services. In this way, no monetary transactions are made by REDCap, and thus it is your responsibility to maintain the funds in your SendGrid account in order to ensure that the service continues to work for your REDCap project. If your SendGrid account runs out of funds, the SendGrid services in REDCap will cease to function. You may reference SendGrid's pricing page to get their latest pricing.