# After upgrading from Mautic 4.4.7 to 5.2.9, the legacy email template builder does not work **URL:** \ **Category:** Mautic 5 Install/Upgrade Support\ **Created:** [January 12, 2026, 11:05am UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/after-upgrading-from-mautic-4-4-7-to-5-2-9-the-legacy-email-template-builder-does-not-work/37165 "2026-01-12T11:05:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![raian](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mautic.org/raian/32/1139_2.png) [@raian](https://forum.mautic.org/u/raian)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 11:05am UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/after-upgrading-from-mautic-4-4-7-to-5-2-9-the-legacy-email-template-builder-does-not-work/37165/1 "2026-01-12T11:05:59Z")
**Your software** My Mautic version is: My PHP version is: My Database type and version is: **Your problem** Problem Summary: After upgrading from Mautic 4.4.7 to 5.2.9, the legacy Froala-based email template builder shows error: “The legacy builder needs Froala library to work. Please go to Global Configuration \> System Settings and enable Froala.” Even after enabling Froala and placing the files, the editor doesn’t load. Environment: Mautic Version: 5.2.9 (upgraded from 4.4.7) PHP Version: 8.1 Web Server: NGINX Hosting: Self-hosted on Ubuntu 22.04 What We’ve Tried (Detailed Steps): 1. Downloaded and Placed Froala Files: Source: CDN URLs ([froala-editor CDN by jsDelivr - A free, fast, and reliable Open Source CDN](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/froala-editor@3.2.6/)) Files downloaded: froala\_editor.min.js (main library) froala\_editor.pkgd.min.css (CSS) Created placeholder plugin files (image.min.js, imagemanager.min.js) Directory structure created: /var/www/html/mautic/public/media/js/froala/ (original location) /var/www/html/froala/js/froala/ (alternate location - web accessible) 1. Configuration Updates: A. local.php Configuration: $parameters = [ // Database settings… ‘legacy\_editor\_enabled\_froala’ =\> true, ‘legacy\_editor\_enabled’ =\> true, ‘default\_builder’ =\> ‘legacy’, ‘froala\_assets\_path’ =\> ‘/froala/js/froala/’, // Tried with and without ]; B. .env Configuration: bash MAUTIC\_EDITOR\_FROALA\_ENABLED=true MAUTIC\_LEGACY\_EDITOR\_ENABLED=true MAUTIC\_DEFAULT\_BUILDER=legacy 1. Cache and Asset Management: bash # Cleared cache multiple times rm -rf var/cache/\* php bin/console cache:clear --env=prod # Attempted assets generation (npm/webpack issues) php bin/console mautic:assets:generate # Note: npm install fails due to webpack/babel dependencies 1. System Settings: “Load Froala assets” toggle is set to “Yes” in Configuration → System Settings The setting saves successfully but editor still shows error 1. Created Symlinks: ln -sf /var/www/html/froala/js/froala public/media/js/froala ln -sf /var/www/html/froala/js/froala media/js/froala 2. Modified Core Files (Temporarily): Created custom froala.js in app/bundles/CoreBundle/Assets/js/libraries/ to point to our Froala location Tried creating a plugin to force Froala settings (caused 500 error on config page, reverted) Current Status: Froala files are web-accessible System Settings shows “Load Froala assets: Yes” Cache cleared multiple times Legacy email builder still shows error requiring Froala Error Messages: Primary error in Mautic UI: “The legacy builder needs Froala library to work. Please go to Global Configuration \> System Settings and enable Froala.” Browser Console errors: Attempts to load Froala from /media/js/froala/froala\_editor.min.js (even though files are at /froala/js/froala/) No PHP errors in logs when configuration is minimal Key Questions for Community: In Mautic 5.2.9, exactly where does Mautic look for Froala files? Is it hardcoded to only check /media/js/froala/ relative to web root? Is there a specific configuration parameter to override the Froala file path? Are there additional required files beyond the main JS and CSS? (we have placeholder plugins) Could this be a permission or symlink issue even though files are web-accessible? Has anyone successfully enabled Froala in Mautic 5.2.9+ and if so, what was the exact process? What We Suspect: Mautic 5.x might have hardcoded paths for Froala that don’t respect our configuration There might be additional checks (file size, content validation) that our placeholder files fail The assets generation step (which fails due to npm) might be required for Froala to work Could be a timing/loading issue - maybe Froala needs to load before certain Mautic JS Files We Have: text /var/www/html/froala/js/froala/froala\_editor.min.js (2.5KB placeholder) /var/www/html/froala/js/froala/css/froala\_editor.min.css (1KB placeholder) /var/www/html/froala/js/froala/plugins/image.min.js /var/www/html/froala/js/froala/plugins/imagemanager.min.js Next Steps We’re Considering: Try to get the full Froala 3.2.6 package (not just minified files) Attempt npm/webpack fix to generate proper assets Check if there’s a Mautic 4 to 5 migration script for email templates Consider reverse-engineering how Mautic loads Froala by examining JS/CSS Any guidance from the community would be greatly appreciated! We have hundreds of email templates that need editing. "Has anyone successfully enabled the legacy Froala editor in Mautic 5.2.9? After upgrading from 4.4.7, we’ve placed Froala 3.2.6 files, enabled all settings, but still get ‘legacy builder needs Froala library’ error. “What’s the exact configuration to make Froala work in Mautic 5.2.9?” “Is there a known bug with Froala in Mautic 5.x?” ---
**Author:** ![joeyk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mautic.org/joeyk/32/11164_2.png) [@joeyk](https://forum.mautic.org/u/joeyk)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 7:43am UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/after-upgrading-from-mautic-4-4-7-to-5-2-9-the-legacy-email-template-builder-does-not-work/37165/2 "2026-01-19T07:43:04Z")
Hello, The Froala editor is disabled as a default, you can read more about it here: > **[Mautic 5 is here: alpha release is ready for you to start testing - Mautic](https://mautic.org/blog/mautic-5-here-alpha-release-ready-you-start-testing/)** > > The major release focuses mainly on a major update to Symfony 5 and supports PHP 8.1, but it also brings several user-facing changes and exciting news for developers. Read on for more information. If you are technical, and REALLY need Froala, you can check this: > > > ⚠️ This PR is provided for use as a patch and is not intended for merging into t…his Mautic release, as that release is no longer maintained. > > > > | Q | A > | -------------------------------------- | --- > | Bug fix? (use the a.b branch) | ✔️ > | New feature/enhancement? (use the a.x branch) | ❌ > | Deprecations? | ❌ > | BC breaks? (use the c.x branch) | ❌ > | Automated tests included? | ❌ > | Related user documentation PR URL | mautic/user-documentation#... > | Related developer documentation PR URL | mautic/developer-documentation-new#... > | Issue(s) addressed | Fixes #14862 > > > > \## Description > This PR fixes legacy Email and Landing Page builder in Mautic 5.2.7 > > \image > > \### Fixed issues: > \- Builder and WYSIWYG icons > \- Slot and section buttons in builder > \- Slot and section highlighting in builder > \- Section render in builder > \- Blank theme (reverted to legacy version) > \- Minor UX/UI improvements > > > > > > > \--- > \### 📋 Steps to test this PR: > > > 1. Open this PR on Gitpod or pull down for testing locally (see docs on testing PRs \[here\](https://contribute.mautic.org/contributing-to-mautic/tester)) > 2. Disable the GrapesJS Builder plugin > 3. Enable froala in system settings > 4. Clear cache of both mautic and browser > 5. Create new email and test the builder functionalities > 6. Create new landing page and test the builder functionalities ---
**Author:** ![raian](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mautic.org/raian/32/1139_2.png) [@raian](https://forum.mautic.org/u/raian)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 11:37am UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/after-upgrading-from-mautic-4-4-7-to-5-2-9-the-legacy-email-template-builder-does-not-work/37165/3 "2026-01-22T11:37:50Z")
Thank you for Pointing me to this patch release. However, not sure what is the right way to patch this code on to my mautic version 5.2.9 , its breaking the system everytime I do it …