Umbraco Website Upgrades and Migrations

Time to upgrade your Umbraco site?

20 December 2022

In September 2023, Umbraco 7 will officially become ‘end of life’ (EOL) meaning the version will no longer receive updates – or crucially, security patching - from Umbraco HQ.

While it’s theoretically possible to continue using the platform after this date, it would leave your site open to security vulnerabilities and a system that will degrade over time.

Released in 2013, Umbraco 7 will be ten years old by the time it reaches EOL. It’s also more than 4 years since Umbraco 7 had any updates other than security patching - between HQ and the open source community, that’s a lot of years of bug fixes and new features you’re missing out on.

With typical builds taking several months from conception to public release, now is definitely the time to get your Umbraco 7 site updated.

Plan your Umbraco Update Project

In this guide we walk you through the options for updating and then maintaining your Umbraco web estate.

Whether you're on version 7, 8, or 9 we have an upgrade path for you.

Get started on planning your update today.

What’s the latest version of Umbraco?

As we’re writing this we’re starting new Umbraco builds on version 11, which was released in early December 2022.

As Umbraco Gold Partners, we get early access to new versions too, and so we can help our clients minimize upgrade costs early in the life of their new platform.

How do I find out what version I'm currently using?

When logged into the admin, click the question mark symbol in the top right. The Help panel that expands shows your version at the top.

how to find out your Umbraco version screenshot

How do I upgrade my Umbraco sites?

Technically there is no such thing as an upgrade from v.7 or v.8. The underlying codebase that powers Umbraco changed to .NET Core, from v.9 on, meaning code can’t be shared between the versions.

This comes with plenty of advantages, including faster, more performant sites, and Umbraco have now aligned their release cadence (how often they bring out new versions) with the .NET release program, meaning your whole tech stack stays in step.

Despite there being no ‘upgrade now’ button, there is a repeatable process we follow to streamline the migration process smooth and mitigate the risks of creating a new digital platform.

We have created this guide to explain the options and outline the process of upgrading, whatever version you're currently running.

Download our guide to plan your update project.

If you have questions about how to take the next step in your upgrade, talk to us about our experience in CMS and DXP implementations, and our product selection advice service.

We have used Umbraco to power over 100 client projects. We have built brand new digital experiences, and retrofitted it as a headless CMS for existing estates. We have used it to create content management for apps, and as part of API-based integrations with legacy software and platforms.

Umbraco is a future-proof, flexible, and cost-effective open-source content management system. It combines engineering flexibility, and a powerful content editing experience. Use Umbraco to create a digital experience your users will love.