Classic Monks v2.2.0 ships 37 changes this release. 1 core rework. 11 new features. 8 enhancements. 13 bug fixes. 2 options removed. 2 security hardening updates.
We built Classic Monks to replace 20–30 separate plugins with one. Promising that is easy. Earning it is the hard part: a single plugin only deserves the claim when every feature is genuinely good, not just present.
The centerpiece of v2.2.0 is email. We rebuilt the SMTP engine so it can stand next to the plugins people pay for separately, and then we went past them. That is the headline. Everything else in this release, and there is a lot, finishes the core features we have shipped since v1.
Email can finally match a dedicated SMTP plugin
This is the big one, and it deserves the top spot. If you have been running a separate SMTP plugin, this is the release that lets you delete it.
- Multiple SMTP connections with automatic fallback. If your primary provider drops, mail still goes out.
- OAuth 2.0 sign-in for Gmail, Google Workspace, and Outlook.
- Integrations with 20+ providers: SendGrid, Mailgun, Amazon SES, Postmark, and more.
- An automatic retry queue that re-sends failed emails instead of dropping them silently.
- Email fallback and routing. Pick the default connection, set a fallback, and route specific From addresses to dedicated connections.
- Delivery reports straight to your inbox, plus a global email signature with per-email toggles.
Two things make this better than “we added an SMTP tab.” First, the retry queue and fallback chain are runtime behavior, not a settings screen. Silent email failure is the kind of bug that makes a site look broken and costs a reputation; this stops it at the source. Second, it slots into the whole reason Classic Monks exists: one plugin, not a stack. SMTP was the last big thing holding people to a paid add-on. Not anymore.
We put the test where the claim is. The SMTP system holds up against the dedicated plugins people pay for, and it is built into the toolkit you already run.
The features that matured
With email handled, we went back and finished the core features that shipped since v1. Broken link scanning, 404 and redirect management, admin columns, admin notices, the modals, two-factor. Each of them got a real upgrade this week.
Admin Columns got its biggest upgrade yet
The Admin Columns Manager from v2.0 could add custom fields, taxonomy columns, and frozen columns to your list tables. Now it does the thing you actually do all day:
- Inline editing. Change values right in the table, no opening each item.
- Inline filtering. Narrow the list without leaving the table.
- ACF date picker values now display correct dates, the Order column integrates properly, and it remembers the last post type you were working in.
Two-factor, without the friction
The 2FA login is better than ever, with multi-provider support, security hardening, CSV log export, and a logging overhaul. And there is now a path that is often better for real users: replace the 2FA requirement entirely with email OTP. If you would rather not hand out authenticator apps, skip them. Email OTP gets people in with far less friction while keeping the account protected.
The admin just feels calmer now
- The Admin Notice Manager got a full UI/UX overhaul, with its dashboard settings consolidated into one place. Notices are clearer, and where they live is no longer a mystery.
- Browser alert popups are gone. Confirmation dialogs are now styled in-page toasts, and modals open as clean slide drawers, a consistent and more user-friendly experience across every module.
- 404 monitoring and redirect management were reworked, with smarter redirects, bulk actions on 404 logs, and your tab remembered after reloading.
- Broken link scanning now detects visitors, avoids duplicate scans, and runs on a schedule.
The rest
Everything else in this release is polish that makes the plugin feel finished:
- Modular feature tabs let you show or hide the WooCommerce, Bricks, and AI areas so the plugin only displays what you actually use.
- SVG watermark support, with clearer error handling when restoring watermarked files.
- Add and manage additional roles directly from the user profile.
- Sortable, searchable debug log columns with your preferences remembered.
- Core setup options grouped into clear sections, and the “Relaunch Setup Wizard” moved to where the rest of your core options live.
- The Image Converter is WordPress 7.1 ready. When Auto-Convert is on, it bypasses WordPress 7.1’s new client-side media processing, so you never get duplicate conversions or metadata conflicts.
- Lazy loading that avoids duplicate fetches, more reliable license update checks, and a WooCommerce Code Manager that no longer fatals when WooCommerce is inactive.
Still the story that started it: OTP login
v2.0 shipped our most-requested feature, SMS + Email OTP Login & Registration, the one people kept asking for on the idea board. Passwordless login, registration, and password resets by one-time passcode, sent over email, SMS, WhatsApp, or Firebase. It works on the frontend, and it can take over the default wp-admin login entirely. Nothing changed about that in v2.2.0. It just sits next to the maturity this release brings, and together they cover the two login paths people actually want: passwordless when it is convenient, email OTP when two-factor is too much friction.
Security
- The secret login URL no longer leaks through
wp-login.phpredirects. - Login redirects now return 404 instead of exposing information.
- Debug log files are saved with an unguessable name to prevent unauthorized access.
Tested up to
WordPress Version: 7.1
WooCommerce Version: 11.0.1
Bricks Builder Version: 2.3.11
