Mi­cro­pay­ments and premium features in TYPO3

TYPO3 has always been regarded as a powerful open-source CMS with an impressive range of features. But anyone who has ever spent several hours in the backend – perhaps creating content elements, searching for the right page in the page tree, or clearing the cache for the third time that day – knows: that sometimes you just wish there were a few more handy features.

The TYPO3 Backend Wallet

At the heart of the system is a small TYPO3 backend wallet. This is accessible directly within the backend and can be topped up in just a few clicks. The internal currency used is known as TYPO Credits, which editors can then use to unlock or utilise various convenience features within the backend.

The current balance is clearly displayed in the backend at all times. If necessary, additional credits can be topped up directly, ensuring that even spontaneous convenience features in day-to-day editorial work do not fall foul of the budget.

Smart Cache Clear

Clearing the entire page cache in one go is one of the most common actions in the TYPO3 backend – but in many cases it is not necessary at all. At the same time, the subsequent reinitialisation of all caches can be quite computationally intensive, depending on the project. With Smart Cache Clear, TYPO3 first analyses which content is actually affected by a change and then deletes only the relevant page caches, affected content elements and dependent TypoScript configurations. This leaves the rest of the system unaffected and makes it available more quickly.

Cost: 3 credits per usage

Content Element Auto-Save

Anyone who writes long texts in the TYPO3 backend is familiar with the risk: an accidentally closed tab, a brief browser crash or an unstable connection can quickly result in painstakingly written content being lost. Content Element Auto-Save therefore automatically saves changes in the background at regular intervals. This feature makes working much more relaxed, particularly when dealing with longer texts or intensive editorial work. Even just before the end of the working day, the content you have written is preserved.

Cost: 2 credits per session (4 hours)

Meeting Mode

Meeting Mode optimises the TYPO3 backend specifically for agency meetings with clients or presentations. Once activated, the interface becomes slightly calmer and easier to understand: font sizes are increased slightly, colours are rendered more subtly, and particularly technical terms are simplified. For example, instead of “Clear all caches”, the much friendlier phrase “Refresh website” appears. This makes the backend appear clearer and less technical – ideal when navigating content together with clients.

Cost: 1 credit per activation or meeting

Emergency Rollback

Sometimes things happen faster than planned: a change has been published, and shortly afterwards a customer gets in touch with an urgent question. Emergency Rollback is there for precisely such moments – the proverbial ‘Oh no’ button in the backend. With a single click, a page is reset to its last stable and functioning state. This allows unwanted changes to be quickly undone without having to spend ages searching for the right version.

Cost: 5 credits per rollback

Editor Level System

The Editor Level System brings a touch of gamification to everyday editorial work. Editors earn experience points for published content, correctly maintained alt text, or particularly well-structured headings. As their activity increases, they progress through various levels – from Content Apprentice to SEO Explorer and on to Page Tree Master. The system is designed to motivate editors to maintain content in a structured and high-quality manner, whilst also adding a touch of playful dynamism to the backend.

Cost: 8 credits per installation

Page Tree Pet

With the Page Tree Pet, a little virtual animal moves straight into the TYPO3 page tree. It accompanies editors through their daily work, reacts to actions in the backend and provides little, unexpected moments of fun. When content is successfully saved, it visibly rejoices, whilst during longer editorial sessions it might even take a little nap in the Page Tree. If the cache is cleared, it briefly disappears from the page tree in alarm, but reappears a short while later.

Cost: 1 credit per pet

Conclusion

Whether it’s Smart Cache Clear, Emergency Rollback or a little pet in the Page Tree – the possibilities for a TYPO3 backend with micropayments would, in theory, be virtually endless. And who knows, perhaps some of these features might actually make day-to-day editorial work a little bit more pleasant. Fortunately, however, TYPO3 remains what we all value: a powerful system without wallets, credits or paid cache buttons.

As a TYPO3 agency, we deliberately rely on a strong open-source ecosystem in which features, extensions and further developments are created collaboratively. It is precisely this openness and flexibility that has made TYPO3 a reliable and sustainable platform for professional web projects for many years. And all without micropayments in the backend.