Why isn't Drupal 8 being supported?
Drupal 8 support ends on November 2, 2021, but Drupal 7 support continues until November 2023.
Why has Drupal jumped a version and what does that mean for you?
Drupal 8 was a big change from Drupal 7
You can read a lot about how Drupal 8 was a game changer for the platform. A total re-architecture that moved Drupal into the Enterprise CMS space, made the editor experience much nicer, and leverage modern web technologies. It also means that instead of a big project for major version upgrades (from 6 to 7, or 7 to 8) the next upgrade to 9 is closer to the minor upgrades (from 8.1 to 8.2).
A lot of sites are yet to make the big move from Drupal 7 to 8, and Drupal 8 to 9 is easier
The Drupal community will only ever support two versions of the platform. So with more sites still on version 7 and those on 8 with an easier upgrade path it is a pragmatic decision to move out of sequence.
Why are a lot of sites still on Drupal 7?
With any big change it takes time, money and planning, which has been possible for some and not others. The past couple of years have been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, where business has not been as usual. This has led to a delay in many sites moving over.
I have a Drupal 7 site - what do I do?
You still have until November 2022 to decide what you want to do, and some suppliers will be supporting Drupal 7 for past the deadline. The real question is that if you want to continue in running on technology with wider Drupal community support or jump into the newer versions.
I have a Drupal 8 site - what do I do?
It is time to upgrade to Drupal 9, and the good news is that it should only be a matter of days instead of months to get done. We are working with our Support clients to get it done now, and it has been a very smooth process.
I have a Drupal 9 site - what do I do?
If you're one of the 1% of Drupal sites on version 9 then you have until November 2023 to think about any sort of upgrade.
Can NDP Studio help me?
Drupal is our specialism, and has been since day 1. We can help with upgrades, migrations and Drupal 7 and 8 fleet management. Just contact us below.
