Grails Blog

Apache Grails (Incubating) 7.0.0-M5 - Release Announcement

By James Fredley

June 15, 2025

The Apache Grails (incubating) community is excited to announce the Milestone 7.0.0-M5 release of the Grails Framework!
We encourage you to try this pre-release version and provide your feedback here.

Download Source Code and Binary Distributions

Apache Grails Downloads

What's Changed

For changes made in Grails 7 prior to 7.0.0-M5, check out the following blog posts:

7.0.0-M5 Changes:

Add permissions to release environments by @jdaugherty in #14795
Force update asf.yaml by @jdaugherty in #14796
explicitly add jdaugherty as approver by @jdaugherty in #14797
back to snapshot by @jdaugherty in #14800
Add add-license scripts for .raw, .java and .groovy by @jamesfredley in #14794
Fixes found as part of the second attempt at M2 by @jdaugherty in #14782
Verify build explanation and minor fix by @sbglasius in #14781
initial attempt at GitHub -> Mailing List notifications by @jamesfredley in #14784
Update Geb documentation changes in Breaking Changes Section by @jamesfredley in #14793
Update grails-forge - google cloud run deploy documentation by @jamesfredley in #14803
Unnest the snapshot zip uploaded to workflow results by @jamesfredley in #14808
Gradle deprecations by @jdaugherty in #14805
Update grails-static-website section on RELEASE.md by @jamesfredley in #14807
Support specifying the publication name so that gradle plugins can be published by @jdaugherty in #14812
Use developmentOnly Gradle configuration scope for webjars by @jamesfredley in #14811
Rework mainClass gradle find logic by @jdaugherty in #14816
fix: #14818 - ensure plugin is the base for web-plugin by @jdaugherty in #14819
Fixing Issue #14173 – Update grails Command Documentation for Grails 7 by @irllyliketoast in #14809
Update to new asset pipeline coordinates by @jdaugherty in #14813
fix: update grails-docs coords in GrailsDocGradlePlugin by @matrei in #14826
Support not adding components from the grails publish plugin by @jdaugherty in #14827
fix: scope webjars as testAndDevelopmentOnly by @jamesfredley in #14829
Update to Spring Boot 3.5.3 which uses Groovy 4.0.27 by @jamesfredley in #14824
database-migration mapped to grails-data-hibernate5-dbmigration by @jamesfredley in #14831
#14832 - support findMainTask caching with plugins & boot tasks in the task graph by @jdaugherty in #14833
Add Documentation: Tomcat 10.1.42 multipart/form-data part count and header size limit by @jamesfredley in #14838
chore(tests): move tests to the correct module by @matrei in #14839
Merge grails-forge into grails-core by @jdaugherty in #14836
Replace google analytics with Matomo, analytics.apache.org by @jamesfredley in #14842
Correct dependency to grails-codecs-core by @matrei in #14844
chore: update to 5.0.12 for the asset pipeline by @jdaugherty in #14879
Fix spelling by @jdaugherty in #14881
fix: #14854 - remove duplicate repo definition (restricted contains maven central) by @jdaugherty in #14882
chore: #14779 - add better instructions on how to build & use the source distribution by @jdaugherty in #14880
chore: #14877 - add DISCLAIMER, LICENSE, & NOTICE files to jar files by @jdaugherty in #14878
Various Cleanup prior to Sitemesh 2 revert by @jdaugherty in #14876
fix: #14090 - fix baseUrl returning the wrong result when forwardPort is null by @jdaugherty in #14884
Revert to Sitemesh 2 for Grails 7 by @jdaugherty in #14875
Issue #14748 - upgrade notes for gradle plugin / task changes by @jdaugherty in #14883
#14316 Use local repo commands instead of the github api for Release Drop Down population by @JudeRV in #14834

Full Changelog: v7.0.0-M4...v7.0.0-M5

Upgrade instructions are available in the documentation.

Dependency Upgrades

In this release, we've upgraded several dependency versions, including but not limited to the following:

Asset Pipeline 5.0.12 (now cloud.wondrify.asset-pipeline)
Groovy 4.0.27
Spring Framework 6.2.8
Spring Boot 3.5.3
Gradle 8.14.2
See all in the grails-bom.

Generating a new Grails 7.0.0-M5 application with Grails Forge

Try out Grails today by visiting our online application generator Grails Forge. This is the quickest and the recommended way to get started with Grails.

After installing the JetBrains' IntelliJ IDEA Grails Plugin, the Grails Application Forge will also be available under New Project in IntelliJ IDEA.

Within your newly generated project you can access the Grails CLIs with the grails wrapper

See Types of CLI for details on each CLI

grail-shell-cli

grailsw

grails-forge-cli

grailsw -t forge

Installing Grails CLIs 7.0.0-M5 with SDKMan

Alternatively, you can quickly install Grails 7.0.0-M5 CLIs (grails-shell-cli and grails-forge-cli) using SDKMan.

See Types of CLI for details on each CLI

If you don't have SDKMan installed, follow the instructions at SDKMan Installation Guide to set it up.
Once SDKMan is installed, open your terminal and run the following command to install Grails 7.0.0-M5:
```
sdk install grails 7.0.0-M5
```
You're all set! To verify the installation, run:
```
grails --version
```

The Grails Shell CLI can be accessed as:

grails

grails-shell-cli

The Grails Forge CLI can be accessed as:

grails -t forge

grails-forge-cli

Upgrading Your Existing Applications to Grails 7.0.0-M5

If you already have a Grails application and want to upgrade to the latest version, follow these steps:

Open the project in your favorite IDE (preferably JetBrains' IntelliJ IDEA).
Update your application's gradle.properties file to specify Grails 7.0.0-M5 as the desired version.
```
grailsVersion=7.0.0-M5
```
Make any necessary adjustments to your application code, configuration, and dependencies to ensure compatibility with the new version. See Upgrade Guide

Normally, Grails Core dependencies are automatically updated using the Grails Bill of Materials (BOM). However, if you have specific versions defined in your build configuration, you may need to manually update them to align with Grails 7.0.0-M5.

By following these steps, you should be able to transition your existing Grails application to Grails 7.0.0-M5.

Exploring Alternative Approaches

If manual dependency updates seem daunting, or you want a more streamlined approach, consider the following alternatives:

1. Use Grails Forge Website

Visit Grails Forge and generate a new Grails application with Grails 7.0.0-M5. Compare the versions in the newly generated application with your existing one to identify any discrepancies. This can serve as a reference point for your update.

2. Automated Dependency Update Bots

Configure automated dependency update bots like Renovate or Dependabot with your source control platform (e.g., GitHub). These bots can automatically detect and update outdated dependencies in your project, including Grails dependencies, saving you time and effort in manual updates.

With these steps and alternative approaches, you should be well on your way to enjoying the exciting features and improvements in Grails 7.0.0-M5.

Why should you try out Grails 7.0.0-M5?

Help us test this major upgrade of the Grails Framework and provide feedback.
Be ready for when Grails 7 is released.

Grails 7 Release Schedule

We will continue to work on updating and fixing issues over the next few weeks.
Based on feedback, an Apache Grails RC release is targeted for July/August 2025.

Apache Grails Mailing Lists

Users Mailing List

The users mailing list will be a General purpose list for questions and discussion about Grails.
Web Archive: https://lists.apache.org/list.html?users@grails.apache.org
Subscribe: Send a blank email to users-subscribe@grails.apache.org

Dev Mailing List

The dev mailing list is focused on the framework implementation and its evolution.
Web Archive: https://lists.apache.org/list.html?dev@grails.apache.org
Subscribe: Send a blank email to dev-subscribe@grails.apache.org

When participating in mailing lists, you should never include any personally identifiable information (PII) like your address, phone number or email address, as all messages sent to these lists are publicly accessible and archived, meaning anyone can view your information. Make sure your email client does not add your signature with these items.

Thank you!

A huge thank you to our amazing community for supporting the Grails Framework over the past 19 years! We’re excited for the future and grateful for the opportunity to continue innovating and pushing Grails forward together.

Contributors

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the contributors who made Grails 7.0.0-M5 possible.
Special thanks to:

Recent Contributors by Project:

Combined Commit List

Their dedication and hard work have significantly contributed to the release of Grails 7.0.0-M5.

Join the Grails Slack Community, share your feedback, and contribute to making Grails Framework even better in the future. Happy coding!