FileMaker 2025 (aka version 22, released July 2025), features a broad spectrum of improvements, enabling businesses to more efficiently utilize their data, integrate cutting-edge technologies like AI, and optimize their workflows.
AI-Powered Innovation for Developing Smarter Applications
A major highlight of FileMaker 2025 is its enhanced integration with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs). This makes AI approachable for developers using the tools they already know.
- Generate Response from Model: This feature allows developers to build tailored interactions with language models directly within FileMaker scripts, enabling dynamic content generation for automated reports, personalized communications, and more. Imagine automating customer support responses based on incoming queries or crafting dynamic document templates.
- Perform SQL Query by Natural Language: Non-SQL users can now interact with databases using natural language prompts. The AI model translates these prompts into SQL queries, executes them, and returns results, all without sending your actual database data to the AI model. This simplifies complex queries and accelerates development.
- Perform Find by Natural Language: This feature allows users to perform find requests using everyday language instead of traditional criteria, streamlining data retrieval and making it more accessible to a wider range of users. This also supports searches in multiple languages.
- Configure Prompt Template: Developers can define reusable prompt templates for AI operations, ensuring consistency and reducing setup time across different parts of a solution.
- Configure Regression Model: FileMaker 2025 introduces the ability to train, save, load, and unload regression models directly within FileMaker solutions, enabling predictive analytics and forecasting based on text data and numeric values.
- Perform RAG Action: This facilitates interaction with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) spaces on AI model servers, enhancing the contextual understanding and response quality of AI models in your FileMaker solutions.
- Semantic Search & Vector Embedding Improvements: Continued refinements in this area mean more performant, flexible, and functional search results and data analysis. This includes new functions like NormalizeEmbedding, AddEmbeddings, and SubtractEmbeddings for more precise control over vector operations.
- AI Services: FileMaker Server now seamlessly integrates open-source models and Python server functionalities, with improved management capabilities via the Admin Console. This allows for local deployment, configuration, and management of AI services with enhanced security and privacy.
One goal of this release is to continue to enhance the AI capabilities around the entire platform FileMaker, Studio, and Connect.
Enhanced Development Experience
FileMaker 2025 brings significant improvements to the development environment.
FileMaker Pro 2025
- GetFieldsOnLayout Function: Returns a list of fields on a layout as JSON data, particularly useful for debugging and dynamic layout management.
- GetTextFromPDF Calculation Function: Extracts text from PDF files stored in container fields, enabling easier indexing, searchability, and data extraction from PDF documents within FileMaker.
- Go to List of Records Script Step: Enhances navigation by allowing scripts to redirect users to a specified list of records based on defined relationships and found sets.
- Folders for Custom Functions: Custom functions can now be organized into folders, improving manageability and visibility, similar to scripts and layouts.
- Collapse Script Parts: Code folding functionality in the Script Workspace allows developers to collapse and expand sections of scripts, improving navigation and focus on complex scripts.
- macOS UI Refresh: A user interface overhaul modernizes FileMaker Pro’s appearance and functionality on macOS, enhancing the developer and end-user experience.
- Add/Remove Object to Group: Developers can now add or remove objects from existing groups without ungrouping first, streamlining layout object organization.
- JSON Performance Improvements: Parsed JSON structures are now cached, reducing repeated parsing and significantly boosting performance for JSON operations across FileMaker Pro, Go, and Server. New functions like JSONParse and JSONInfo are introduced for better control.
- Upgrade to Major Releases using Check for Updates: FileMaker Pro 2025 is the first major release that can be upgraded via “Help > Check for Updates” from the previous major release (FileMaker Pro 2024), simplifying the upgrade process.
FileMaker Server 2025
- Ubuntu 24 & 22 Support: FileMaker Server now runs on both Ubuntu 24 and Ubuntu 22, enabling faster, cost-effective deployment.
- Upgrade Tool Enhancements: The upgrade tool now supports patching scripts, relationships, themes, layout objects, and field format options, improving upgrade flexibility.
- Performance Improvements: Addresses memory leaks by optimizing script execution threads, improving server responsiveness and stability under high loads.
- Improved Send Thread Pool: Handles more concurrent users smoothly by managing connections more efficiently, enhancing scalability and performance when pushing updates to clients.
- FAC/Admin API Enhancements: The Admin Console includes functionality to flush database pages to disk and allows setting the number of simultaneous FileMaker Script Engine (FMSE) sessions, providing greater control over performance.
- Let’s Encrypt Integration: FileMaker Server’s Let’s Encrypt SSL integration now offers comprehensive management through the Admin Console, simplifying certificate handling with automated renewals and enhanced security.
FileMaker Go 2025
- Keyboard Navigation Support: Enhances accessibility and usability by supporting keyboard navigation via arrow keys and Space/Enter for layout object navigation.
- Hover State Support: Introduces hover effects for various layout objects, similar to what is available using visionOS, enhancing user interaction by providing visual feedback.
- Manage FileMaker Go files in the Files app: FileMaker Go files are now visible in the iOS/iPadOS Files app, providing an alternative way to share and access files without starting FileMaker Go first.
- iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 Support: Ensures compatibility with the latest mobile operating systems.
FileMaker WebDirect 2025
- Right-Click Context Menu: Supports right-click contextual menus for common operations like copy and paste, enhancing user experience.
- Custom Homepage Configuration: Admin API includes endpoints for managing Custom Homepage settings, allowing for programmatic control.
- Browser Back Button Warning: A warning dialog is displayed when users attempt to click the browser’s Back or Forward buttons, helping prevent accidental session termination.
- Performance Improvements: Optimization fixes specifically address performance degradation on secondary machines in multi-machine deployments, supporting higher concurrency (500-1,000 users).
FileMaker APIs 2025
- Data API Client Session Validation: Introduces a client session validation endpoint to provide session status, enhancing scripting and integration capabilities.
- WebHook Support in FileMaker OData API: Enables real-time notifications for record and schema changes in FileMaker databases, allowing for seamless integration with services like Claris Studio and Claris Connect.
Claris Platform Integration and Licensing
FileMaker 2025 strengthens its integration with the broader Claris platform.
- FileMaker Data Sources in Claris Studio: Easily display and update FileMaker data via Claris Studio views, extending your FileMaker Pro custom app to external stakeholders on the web. Claris Studio now supports large record sets (100,000+) and enforces access control down to the record level.
- Unified Claris Platform Access – No Requests Required: With the FileMaker 2025 license, eligible customers can now self-provision Claris Studio and Claris Connect, simplifying access to the full platform.
A Major Advance for a Trusted Platform
FileMaker 2025 offers developers enhanced capabilities to build smarter, more integrated, and efficient solutions. These improvements benefit both developers and users, allowing you to maximize your data’s potential and readily adjust to future demands.
Resources for more info:
- Discover these robust new features firsthand by attending the upcoming webinars.
- Soliant has prepared an excellent in-depth FileMaker 2025 technical executive summary.
- Claris official release notes.
Need assistance harnessing AI for your business or organization?
Tim Cimbura – CEO, CFO and Software Engineer
Tim is an expert in creating custom business solutions that make businesses more effective, productive, and profitable. He specializes in rapid application development with Claris FileMaker, Laravel, and WordPress. He also knows Apple macOS technology inside and out.