In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, staying ahead demands constant innovation and embracing advanced technologies. This is especially true for MarTech stacks, which businesses need to continuously update to ensure security, performance, and meet ever-changing customer demands.

Drupal, a robust and widely used open-source CMS, launched its Drupal 10.1.7 version on 6 December’23. For those still using Drupal 7, this presents a crucial crossroads. While Drupal 7 served faithfully for many years, its upcoming end-of-life (EOL) in January 2025 demands an upgrade or migration. In this blog, we'll explore the journey of migrating from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10, uncovering the key considerations, benefits, and best practices for a successful transition.

Understanding the need for Drupal upgrade

Drupal 7, released on January 5, 2011, served as a reliable CMS for many years. However, with its EOL set for January 5, 2025, and limited extended vendor support until November 1, 2026, it is important for website owners to plan Drupal migration. While Drupal 7 will receive security updates until its EOL, it won't have priority. Critical fixes may be delayed or not addressed at all.

The following things will happen after Drupal end of life:

• No further security updates for Drupal 7 core, contributed modules, or themes. Exploits will be public and zero-day attacks may occur.
• Limited Drupal.org support for documentation, testing, and packaging. Unsupported releases will be flagged.
• Certain Drush functionalities will no longer work due to infrastructure changes.
• Drupal.org file archives will be shut down and potentially removed.
• No further core updates or package availability.
• Security scans will flag Drupal 7 as insecure.

 

Drupal 10, released on December 14, 2022, offers a modernized platform. By upgrading to Drupal 10, you gain access to the latest security patches and mitigation strategies, ensuring your Drupal website's continued protection.

Key Differences between Drupal 7 and Drupal 10

Drupal 7 is built on a monolithic architecture, which means that all of the code is bundled together in one single codebase. This can make it difficult to extend and modify the core functionality of Drupal 7. Drupal 10 is built on a more modern, modular architecture - Headless. This means that the code is divided into smaller, independent modules that can be easily installed, enabled, and disabled. This makes it much easier to extend and modify the core functionality of Drupal 10.

Look at this table to understand the different features of both Drupal versions.

Feature	Drupal 7	Drupal 10
Release Date	January 5, 2011	December 14, 2022
End-of-life Date	January 5, 2025	November 2028 (estimated)
PHP version support	Up to PHP 7.4	PHP 8.0 and up
Twig support	Limited	Full Twig support for templates and themes
Composer integration	No	Built-in Composer support for managing dependencies
Content editing experience	WYSIWYG editor with limited options	Improved content editing experience with CKEditor 5 and drag-and-drop functionality
Mobile responsiveness	Requires additional modules	Responsive by default
Multilingual support	Requires additional modules	Built-in multilingual support with out-of-the-box translations
Headless CMS capabilities	Limited	Headless capabilities built-in with JSON API and GraphQL
Performance	Can experience performance bottlenecks	Designed for better performance and scalability
Ease of use	Requires more technical expertise	More user-friendly interface with streamlined workflow
Community and support	Large and active, but declining because of EOL	Rapidly growing, strong support from Drupal Association and contributors
Upgrade path	Complex and requires careful planning	Semantic versioning for a smoother transition to future versions

For a complete overview of Drupal 10 features, check out these insightful blogs from Drupal experts:

• Top new features of Drupal 10
• What should Drupal 7/8/9 owners do about the Drupal 10 release?

 

And if you are ready for Drupal 7 upgrade, continue reading below.

Best practices for upgrading Drupal 7 to Drupal 10

Upgrading from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10 is a major migration, as it involves transitioning between two significantly different versions. Here's a comprehensive checklist to help you navigate the process:

Will add Image of checklist headings once the blog is approved

Pre-migration checklist

Before starting on the Drupal CMS upgrade, check off these key pointers:

☑	Analyze your website: Perform a thorough analysis of your website's content, contributed modules, and themes to identify potential issues such as deprecated modules, incompatible themes, or custom code needing revision.
☑	Choose your upgrade path: Decide whether to directly upgrade to Drupal 10 or migrate to Drupal 9 first. While directly upgrading to Drupal 10 is possible, some complex sites may benefit from a two-step migration t7o Drupal 9 first.
☑	Drupal website backup: Make a complete and accessible backup of your Drupal 7 site. This includes your database, files, and any custom code. Having a backup allows you to restore your Drupal site in case of unforeseen issues during the upgrade.
☑	Update Drupal 7 to the latest version: Upgrade your Drupal 7 website to the latest version (7.93) and update all core modules. This ensures compatibility with your chosen upgrade path and mitigates potential security vulnerabilities.
☑	Create a development environment: Set up a dedicated development environment for testing and migrating your Drupal site. This allows you to experiment and troubleshoot without affecting your live website.

Ongoing migration checklist

Once your preparations are complete, you can start the migration process. Here are some essential tools and best practices to ensure smooth Drupal migration:

☑	Content mapping: Define how your Drupal 7 content translates to Drupal 10 structures. This may involve field mappings, taxonomy mappings, and user account mappings. Implement a Content Freeze during the content migration to prevent any changes to content.
☑	Leverage Upgrade modules: Use dedicated migrate tools or upgrade modules like Migrate Drupal and Upgrade Status to facilitate the migration process. These modules automate tasks, streamline workflows, and provide valuable insights into the upgrade progress.
☑	Perform test migration: Conduct a test migration using a small subset of your data. This helps identify potential issues, compatibility problems, and areas requiring further configuration before migrating your entire website.
☑	Follow the upgrade path: Refer to the official Drupal upgrade guide and documentation for your chosen upgrade path or migration path. These resources provide detailed instructions and best practices specific to your chosen approach.
☑	Update Drupal modules and themes: Ensure all your modules and themes are compatible with Drupal 10. Update existing compatible modules and consider replacing incompatible ones with alternatives. Use tools like TWIG for template rebuilding.
☑	Test your website: After the upgrade, test all functionalities, including content display, forms, workflows, and user accounts across different devices and browsers. Address any issues identified before launching your migrated site.
☑	Deploy carefully: Schedule a launch date, communicate it to your users, and perform a final backup of your migrated site before making it publicly accessible.

Post-launch checklist

The upgrade process doesn't end with launch. Ongoing maintenance is essential to ensure your Drupal 10 site remains secure, performs optimally, and evolves with the latest technologies. Here are some key practices:

☑	Monitor and troubleshoot: Closely monitor your site for potential issues and performance bottlenecks after launch. Utilize monitoring tools and performance analysis platforms to identify areas for improvement.
☑	Update regularly: Stay up to date with the latest Drupal core, modules, and themes regularly. This ensures your site benefits from the most updated security patches, bug fixes, and feature enhancements.
☑	Custom review and adaptation: Review and update any custom code not compatible with Drupal 10. In some cases, replacing outdated code with modern alternatives might be necessary. Also review migrated content for accuracy and optimize it for the new platform.
☑	Documentation and training: Update documentation to reflect changes made during the migration. Provide training to content editors and administrators on any new features or workflows.
☑	Stay connected with Drupal community: Subscribe to Drupal security advisories and announcements to stay informed about the latest developments and potential threats. Engage with the Drupal community forums and resources to learn from others, access troubleshooting solutions, and keep your knowledge base current.

Conclusion

Staying on Drupal 7 website means using an outdated platform with limited future support. Migrating to Drupal 10 Headless CMS now allows you to leverage the latest technologies and ensures your website remains functional, secure, and competitive in the evolving digital landscape. By following the best practices and consulting a Drupal migration expert, you can achieve a smooth transition and provide your users with a superior digital experience.

Altudo, a certified Drupal partner, provide Drupal migration services to help you migrate from Drupal 7 to 10 seamlessly:

• Our team of Drupal experts possesses the knowledge and experience to handle complex Drupal migration process seamlessly.
• We have a successful track record of migrating websites of all sizes and complexities to Drupal 10.
• We provide custom migration services to match your unique needs and requirements.
• We implement best practices and methodologies to ensure a smooth and efficient migration.
• We are there to support you every step of the way, even after the migration is complete.

Don't wait until the last minute to start your Drupal 7 migration. By starting now, you can avoid the stress and risk, and ensure your website is ready for the transition before support for Drupal 7 ends.

Contact Altudo today to schedule a free consultation and discuss your Drupal 10 migration plan.