Continuing On Drupal 7 Will Jeopardize Your Business After Its Official End of Life - What should you do?

Initially, the planned Drupal 7 End of Life was in November 2021, but it was changed to November 2023, citing the global pandemic and website owners' requests. Drupal's core committee, which oversees technical developments and other aspects of the business growth, is supportive enough to help the users prepare for seamless website migrations by extending the time frame.

On the flip side, the CMS also needs to remain modern, leveraging the latest technologies in its successor versions to stay competitive and productive in the market. What should you do?

Unfolding circumstances push users to upgrade to Drupal 9, which is now inevitable for the Drupal 7 websites.

Drupal 7 end-of-life is in November of 2023!

Drupal 7 websites have enjoyed an extended stay on the same version and can still run without any hiccups until November 2023. The news of the content management system is at its end of life is to be greeted with appreciation and the preparations for Drupal 7 to 9 migration. There is still one more year plus a couple of months to plan for your Drupal 9 development.

As a matter of fact, the Drupal migration is inevitable, and on the brighter side, it comes packing a whole load of opportunities for the businesses and their users. Previously, Drupal hadn't extended its support to two major versions of its platform simultaneously. This time, Drupal's core team understood how many websites used Drupal 7 and decided to continue the support to allow for a planned migration and strengthen the bond.

Risks of Not Migrating

There are many risks that your website will undergo by not migrating to the latest version. Find below the results of not migrating:

• New updates won't be available.
• No more bug fixes or active development
• The possibilities of hitting a dead-end are plentiful.
• Security concerns grow tougher than ever.
• Integration and functionality hiccups are frequent.
• Drupal developers or enthusiasts will no longer support lower versions.

Drupal 7 to 8 or 9 Migration

Many of us are still on Drupal 7, and it is necessary to stay up to date with the PHP versions. If you choose to stay on Drupal 7 after 2023, we recommend that you should engage a vendor like Drupal Partners for a long-term support contract.

Drupal 7 to 9 migration will be our first recommendation. Our long-term support contract will help you patch and work using your Drupal 7 until you are ready to move to 9. However, most Drupal 7 sites are prepared to take the great leap and go straight to Drupal 9.

Why Upgrade to Drupal 9 and not Drupal 8?

Throughout Drupal 8's lifespan, many features were getting added one after the other. These features served the purpose of solving problems, but it also led to the previous code deprecating, which should no longer use it due to better alternatives.

Dries Buytaert - Drupal's founder, stated:

• "If your site doesn't use deprecated code that is scheduled for removal in Drupal 9, your upgrade to Drupal 9 will be easy. In fact, it should be as easy as a minor version upgrade (like upgrading from Drupal 8.6 to Drupal 8.7)."

A few of Drupal 9 and 8 share the same codebase that can be easily removed when it is no longer necessary. This ensures a seamless integration process for your website.

Last but not least, Drupal 8 End of Life is in November 2021!

Have questions on Drupal 9 Development, Drupal 9 Developers, Drupal 9 Web Developers, or Upgrade to Drupal 9 website?

Whatever is your requirement, we got it covered...

Our 50+ certified Drupal experts have worked on different complex and ambitious projects and can deliver the best. Our reputation precedes Drupal migrations for the number of projects we have fulfilled over time. With 11+ years of experience in Drupal CMS, our experts will walk you through the stairs with Drupal 9 Development, Drupal 9 Developers, Drupal 9 Web Developers, or Upgrade to Drupal 9 website.

Conclusion

As mentioned above, we are ready to help you. Your website development, migration, or upgrade need not happen immediately. Talk to our experts to learn more about a proper migration plan, and stay rest assured your website is in good hands.

It is the right time to make the big move!