Changelog for Expose Dashboard client connection/disconnection state to Node-RED flows

src/changelog/2026/09/client-presence-events.md

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+---
+title: Track Client Presence in Your Flows
+description: Detect when a client connects, reconnects, or leaves your dashboard, keyed to a stable client ID that survives reconnects.
+date: 2026-09-02 12:00:00
+release: "3.1"
+authors: ["noley-holland"]
+tags:
+  - changelog
+issues:
+  - https://github.com/FlowFuse/node-red-dashboard/issues/2135
+---
+
+You can now track which clients are connected to your dashboard, and react when one joins or leaves, directly from your flows.
+
+Every client now carries a stable `clientId` on `msg._client`. The old `socketId` changed on every reconnect, sleep, or page reload, so anything you stored against it broke the moment the connection blipped. The `clientId` stays the same for that browser across reconnects and restarts, which makes it a reliable key for per-client state.
+
+The `ui-control` node can now emit presence events keyed on that id. Set its **Output** to **Client Presence Events Only** and it sends:
+
+- `client-connect` when a new client first connects
+- `client-reconnect` when a client returns after a brief drop
+- `client-gone` when a client leaves and does not come back
+
+A grace window means a quick refresh or network blip does not fire `client-gone`. A client that returns within 20 seconds is reported as `client-reconnect` instead, so you only hear about genuine departures. Use these to keep an accurate map of who is currently viewing your dashboard: add on connect, keep on reconnect, remove on gone.
+
+![A ui-control node set to Client Presence Events Only, with a debug node showing a client-connect message](./images/client-presence-events.gif)
+*Reopening the same browser produces `client-reconnect` rather than a second `client-connect`, so the client keeps its place in your map. The recording uses a shortened grace window so the events fit on screen; the real window is 20 seconds.*
+
+**Note:** if you have `ui-control` nodes set to **All Events**, they will now also emit the `client-*` presence messages. The `client-` prefix keeps them distinct from the existing `connect` / `lost` events, so flows that switch on `msg.payload` are unaffected, but a flow that reacts to *every* message from that node will see the new ones.
+
+`clientId` identifies a browser for presence and routing, not a user for authorization. The browser supplies it, so treat it the way you would any other client-supplied value.
+
+This feature is available to all FlowFuse Dashboard users from v1.32.0, on FlowFuse Cloud and Self Hosted.