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AI in Umbraco 17: Finally, a Strategy That Doesn't Box You In

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AI is everywhere these days. Every CMS, every SaaS platform, every tool you use has “AI-powered” plastered all over it. But if you've been working with Umbraco for a while, you'll know we like to take our own approach. And, honestly, that’s exactly what's happening with AI in Umbraco 17.

Not Another “AI Button” Feature

Let's clear this up right away. Umbraco isn't racing to see who can launch the most AI features the fastest. Instead, the team is stepping back and asking the more important question: what does AI actually mean for a flexible, open CMS?

Here’s the deal—people use Umbraco in all sorts of ways. Everything from small marketing sites to enterprise-level, composable projects. Dropping some generic, one-size-fits-all AI function into that wouldn’t fit Umbraco. So instead of shoving AI in, Umbraco is building the platform with AI as a core architectural concern.

That difference is a big deal.

The Main Idea: AI on Your Terms

The main principle’s simple: you have the last word on whether, where, and how AI is used.

No forced providers. No hidden “magic.” No “use this model because we made you.” From a developer’s perspective, that matters.

So, you can plug in OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure, or something you cooked up in-house. Decide where AI is allowed or isn’t. Make sure AI outputs stick to brand guidelines, tone, and governance—whatever you need. In other words, AI becomes part of your architecture—not an outside force dictating how things work.

And if you’ve ever had to explain compliance or data residency to a client, you already know why this is a win.

Modular by Design (Because AI Moves Fast)

AI changes at a ridiculous pace. What’s cutting-edge today looks old next quarter. Umbraco’s answer? Don’t hardwire AI into the core.

Instead, think of AI as modular building blocks:

  • Core foundation: stable, well maintained

  • Extensions: swap them out, keep them current

  • Community packages: encouraged, expected, welcomed

This keeps the CMS reliable while letting AI stay flexible. If you’ve struggled with tightly coupled integrations before, you get why this is the only approach that scales for the long haul.

Meet the Foundation: Umbraco.AI

At the center is Umbraco.AI—an open-source package managed by HQ. This isn’t just “another feature.” It’s the brain of the AI environment in your Umbraco project.

Here’s what you set up there:

  • Which AI providers and models you want

  • What jobs each model handles

  • How they behave, the tone, and brand alignment

  • Logging, auditing, and tracing everything they do

  • Versioning and rollback

So, instead of sprinkling random AI calls all over your code, you keep everything centralized—clear, organized, and compliant. Big architectural win. That also means your AI setup is visible, testable, replaceable—all the things developers care about.

AI in Umbraco vs Umbraco in AI

There’s a subtle but important idea here: Umbraco’s AI strategy works both ways.

  1. AI in Umbraco
    This means enhancing the back office and editorial workflows—content creation, summaries, metadata suggestions, automation.

  2. Umbraco in AI
    This is about making Umbraco a part of bigger AI setups—external tools, AI-driven pipelines, agent-based systems.

That two-way approach reflects reality—AI isn’t trapped in one box anymore.

Why This Actually Matters (Beyond the Buzzwords)

Let’s talk about what this changes in practice.

For developers:

  • No vendor lock-in

  • Clean architecture for weaving in AI

  • Freedom to experiment without breaking core stuff

For agencies:

  • Easier conversations around governance and compliance

  • Tailor AI setups per client, not per CMS

  • Future-proofing so you’re not starting over next year

For editors:

  • AI only where it actually helps—not where it gets in the way

  • Consistent behavior across their tools

  • Better workflows, still in control

Maybe most important: You can add AI bit by bit. No big rewrite. No forced upgrades. Just—steady improvement.

The Bigger Picture: Intentional AI

What Umbraco’s really doing is pushing back against the “AI rush.” Instead of just asking, “How do we add AI?” it’s asking, “How do we add AI responsibly, sustainably, and flexibly?” You see it everywhere:

  • Choice instead of lock-in

  • Configuration, not unpredictable defaults

  • Modular thinking, not massive monoliths

And honestly, that’s right in line with how most of us already use Umbraco.

Final Thoughts

AI in CMS platforms isn’t some new thing. What’s new is getting it right.

Umbraco 17 doesn’t try to “out-AI” anyone else. It does something more interesting: creates a platform where AI can grow and change without breaking everything else.

And if you’ve been around this industry long enough, you know—that’s the real hard part.