# Application group lifecycle, JSON schema validation, and multi-cluster Partner Zones

## Manage application group membership and permissions

Self-service application groups now have full lifecycle management:

- **Members tab**: Add and manage group members
- **Resource access tab**: Set granular permissions across topics, consumer groups, subjects, and connectors
- **External mapping**: Align application groups with user groups from identity providers

Regex-based group assignment works for both user groups and application groups.

![](https://www.conduktor.io/assets/images/releases/aug-2025-1.png)

## See all resources associated with an application

Application instances now include a resources tab showing all associated resources, dependencies, and relationships.

## Use Confluent subject naming strategies

Support for Confluent subject strategies directly in the produce page. Reference and organize schemas without forcing a naming convention.

## Mark violations instead of blocking them

Trust policies can mark violating messages with a special header instead of blocking them. Downstream systems see flagged data and can audit, route, or act on it.

## Validate JSON messages against schemas

JSON Schema Rules validate the structure and content of every JSON message:

- Check fields, types, and structure against your defined schema
- Log, tag, or block violations
- No Schema Registry required

Learn more in [our blog](https://www.conduktor.io/blog/bounce-bad-kafka-data-with-json-schema-rules).

![](https://www.conduktor.io/assets/images/releases/aug-2025-2.webp)

## Use pre-built regex patterns for rules

A regex library provides pre-built examples when creating data quality rules.

## Create Partner Zones across multiple clusters

Partner Zones (now GA) work across any Kafka cluster configured in Conduktor Gateway. Create isolated environments for external partners without spinning up multiple proxies.

![](https://www.conduktor.io/assets/images/releases/aug-2025-3.png)

---

For a full list of changes, read the [complete release notes](https://docs.conduktor.io/changelog/#console-1370).