When Should You Upgrade From Drupal 7?
Do You Have a Plan?
*Updated February 29, 2024
All good things come to an end — or at least require a software upgrade to the next version. Such is the case with the beloved open-source CMS, Drupal. Drupal version 7 is reaching the end of its life soon, with its end of life extended to January 2025. Drupal 10, the latest software iteration, is now the focal point for upgrades. For this article, we’ll dive into why moving to Drupal 10 is crucial for your website’s future. With Drupal 9 having reached its end of life, it’s a pivotal time to consider upgrading directly to Drupal 10.
Should You Upgrade From Drupal 7 to Drupal 910?
Upgrading from Drupal 7 to 10 might seem daunting, but it is more straightforward than you might think. The transition offers a significant leap forward in terms of functionality, security, and ease of use. Drupal 10 introduces new features and improvements, building upon the foundation laid by Drupal 8 and 9. It uses even more third-party libraries and continues the shift towards an object-oriented codebase, making Drupal a more robust and flexible CMS.
Why Now Is the Right Time for Drupal 10
With Drupal 7’s extended end-of-life on the horizon and Drupal 9’s lifecycle already concluded, the window for a strategic upgrade is narrowing. Sites continuing on Drupal 7 post-January 2025 will no longer receive official support, exposing them to potential security vulnerabilities and outdated technology.
Benefits of Upgrading to Drupal 10
Upgrading to Drupal 10 from Drupal 7 brings numerous benefits, including:
- Access to the latest features and improvements over previous versions.
- Enhanced security and support, with ongoing updates to protect your site.
- Improved performance and efficiency, thanks to modern, streamlined code.
- A better content management experience, with tools like the Layout Builder and Media Library enhancing site design and media handling.
- Future-proofing your website, ensuring compatibility with upcoming web technologies and standards.
Making the Transition Smooth
To ensure a successful upgrade to Drupal 10, planning and preparation are key. Begin by auditing your current Drupal 7 site to understand the customizations and modules in use. This will help identify what needs to be updated, replaced, or removed during the migration.
Need a trusted partner? WebOps Support for Small Teams
Molly Duggan Associates is here to support teams of any size through the Drupal 10 process. We understand the complexities involved and offer comprehensive support to make your migration as seamless as possible. Our experts will guide you through each step, ensuring your site benefits from the latest Drupal has to offer, aligned with your organizational goals and budgetary requirements.
Upgrading to Drupal 10 is not just about keeping your site secure and functional; it’s about taking a step into the future of digital experiences. Let Molly Duggan Associates help you make that transition a success.
Success Story
Could you imagine upgrading from Drupal 7 to 9 in under 30 days? We helped the Structural Building Components Association (SBCA) migrate their website’s most critical components in just three weeks.
SBCA needed to migrate quickly after a dispute with their service provider, leaving all of their documents and eight websites in jeopardy. They needed a Drupal expert who could handle a major workload and pull off a complete migration in less than a month — they called Molly Duggan Associates.
We migrated all of their sites, improved their overall speed by 20%, and migrated eight websites and a SaaS application in 21 days.
Our approach was to use Pantheon as a scalable solution for SCBA’s websites. We then customized their SaaS platform’s migration with a server-side solution. Erik Cochran, CTO of Molly Duggan Associates, oversaw the project and led a dedicated team through Slack and email to make major changes to SCBA’s websites in several days.
SBCA faced two major challenges; first, they needed a cost-effective solution for a large quantity of data; second, they needed simple workflows that their marketing team could use. Pantheon helped us create a scalable, secure environment that supported faster interactions on their sites.
We continued to provide helpdesk support to ensure the migration process was as easy and disruption-free as possible.
Need help making the transition?
If you run a site on Drupal and want to upgrade, we’re here to help. Contact us today to learn more about our WebOps services. From improving integrations and Drupal maintenance to migrating your most important properties, our team is always here to provide the support and service you need.
