WinterCMS is a Content Management System, which was forked in 2021 from OctoberCMS. This website has originally been developed using October and now runs Winter. It was an interesting journey. Some of the learnings are shared on this site for the benefit of others.
A lightweight and flexible blog system built on top of the Blocks plugin. It enables structured content creation using reusable block elements instead of traditional WYSIWYG editors. The plugin supports categories, excerpts, and dynamic frontend rendering, including AJAX-based pagination and filtering. This makes it well-suited for modern, content-driven websites that require both editorial flexibility and clean frontend output.
https://github.com/helmutkaufmann/wn-blocksblog-plugin
Installation
composer require mercator/wn-blocksblog-plugin
php artisan winter:up
A complete event and calendar management solution for WinterCMS. It provides backend tools to create and manage events, along with configurable frontend components for displaying them in lists or calendar views. It also supports exporting events via iCal and RSS, making it suitable for integrations with external calendar tools and services.
https://github.com/helmutkaufmann/wn-calendar-plugin
Installation
composer require mercator/wn-calendar-plugin
php artisan winter:up
A utility plugin designed to simplify AJAX interactions in WinterCMS, especially when working with dynamic content such as Blocks. It allows calling PHP methods directly from the frontend without writing extensive AJAX handlers, reducing boilerplate code and improving developer productivity in interactive applications.
https://github.com/helmutkaufmann/wn-dynamicajax-plugin
Installation
# Check repository README for installation details
php artisan winter:up
Provides a robust system for handling file uploads and downloads from the frontend. It enables user-driven content submission workflows, such as document uploads or media sharing, with backend management and permission control. Useful for portals, client uploads, or any application requiring controlled file exchange.
https://github.com/helmutkaufmann/wn-loader-plugin
Installation
composer require mercator/wn-loader-plugin
php artisan winter:up
A CLI-based tool that downloads and hosts web fonts locally from providers like Google Fonts, Bunny Fonts, and Fontshare. This improves performance by reducing external requests and enhances privacy compliance by avoiding third-party font delivery. Ideal for GDPR-conscious or performance-optimized projects.
https://github.com/helmutkaufmann/wn-localfonts-plugin
Installation
# Check repository README for installation details
php artisan winter:up
Integrates Matomo Analytics into WinterCMS, enabling self-hosted, privacy-friendly website tracking. It provides an alternative to third-party analytics platforms while maintaining full control over user data, making it suitable for compliance-sensitive environments.
https://github.com/helmutkaufmann/wn-matomo-plugin
Installation
composer require mercator/wn-matomo-plugin
php artisan winter:up
Enhances the default WinterCMS media handling capabilities with advanced image processing features and support for modern formats. It provides more control over image manipulation, optimization, and delivery, making it a strong choice for media-heavy websites.
https://github.com/helmutkaufmann/wn-media-plugin
Installation
composer require mercator/wn-media-plugin
php artisan winter:up
An advanced image resizing system that generates images on demand and processes them efficiently, often using queue-based handling. It reduces memory consumption and improves performance when dealing with large images or high traffic, making it suitable for scalable applications.
https://github.com/helmutkaufmann/wn-mresize-plugin
Installation
composer require mercator/wn-mresize-plugin
php artisan winter:up
Provides a mechanism to generate signed, temporary URLs for accessing protected resources such as files or internal routes. This enables secure sharing of private content without exposing direct file paths or requiring authentication.
https://github.com/helmutkaufmann/wn-secret-plugin
Installation
composer require mercator/wn-secret-plugin
php artisan winter:up
Adds Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) two-factor authentication to WinterCMS backend users. It includes support for recovery codes and enhances overall security by protecting administrative access with an additional authentication layer.
https://github.com/helmutkaufmann/wn-totp2fa-plugin
Installation
# Check repository README for installation details
php artisan winter:up
Extends the Twig templating engine with additional filters and functions, allowing developers to access Laravel features such as cache, session, and storage directly within templates. This significantly increases flexibility for theme and frontend development.
https://github.com/helmutkaufmann/wn-twigext-plugin
Installation
composer require mercator/wn-twigext-plugin "^3.0-dev"
php artisan winter:up
The original version of the Twig extension plugin, offering similar functionality with additional helpers for legacy or backward-compatible setups. It may still be useful in projects that rely on earlier implementations.
https://github.com/helmutkaufmann/wn-twigextorig-plugin
Installation
# Check repository README for installation details
php artisan winter:up
A comprehensive frontend upload solution with backend management capabilities. It allows users to upload files through customizable forms, supports access restrictions, QR code sharing, and notification workflows. Suitable for applications requiring structured file intake and distribution.
https://github.com/helmutkaufmann/wn-uploader-plugin
Installation
composer require mercator/wn-uploader-plugin
php artisan winter:up