How we approach major Umbraco upgrades
Umbraco MVP, Busra, shares how Umbraco upgrades are handled at true
Umbraco upgrades
When it comes to upgrading a content management system, especially jumping from Umbraco 13 to version 17, it's not just about clicking an update button and hoping for the best. At true, we've developed a methodical approach that minimises downtime and keeps your website running smoothly throughout the process.
Why upgrades matter
Think of your website's CMS like the foundation of a house. Over time, new features become available, security gets stronger, and performance improves. But moving from an older version to a newer one requires careful planning, especially when you're making a leap across LTS versions.
Our approach to the upgrade process
Starting on solid ground
Before we touch anything major, we make sure your current system is in the best shape possible. We bring your existing Umbraco 13 installation fully up to date and clean out any outdated features that won't work in the new version. This includes removing legacy tools and ensuring all your media and content elements are using current standards.
The clean slate strategy
Here's where our approach differs from what you might expect. Rather than trying to migrate everything at once and risk creating a tangled mess, we temporarily strip things back to basics. We remove custom configurations and start with a minimal setup. It might sound counter-intuitive, but this "clean slate" approach actually prevents the most common problems that cause upgrades to fail.
The beauty of this method is that it lets us verify the core upgrade has worked properly before we layer your custom functionality back in. It's like making sure the engine runs before you put the bodywork back on a car.
Dealing with the technical shift
Major version upgrades inevitably come with changes under the hood. We work through these systematically, updating configuration files, adjusting how different components talk to each other, and ensuring licensing is properly set up. This isn't glamorous work, but it's essential.
Database migration
Once the groundwork is laid, we run the database migration. This is where your content structure gets updated to work with the new system. We always take full backups beforehand, because it's better to be safe than sorry.
Modernising your content structure
Umbraco 17 introduces new ways of handling certain content types, particularly things like block lists and forms. We go through and update these to use the new formats, which typically gives you better editing capabilities in the long run.
Bringing it all together
With the core system stable and tested, we bring back all your custom code and functionality. This is also an excellent opportunity to clean up and modernise how everything is structured, following current best practices.
What makes our process different
We've learned through experience that the biggest mistakes happen when people try to rush through upgrades or skip steps because they seem unnecessary. Our phased approach might take a bit longer initially, but it dramatically reduces the risk of problems cropping up weeks or months down the line.
We also don't just follow a script. Every website is different, and we adjust our approach based on how your particular site is built and what features you're using. The technical guide we follow internally is comprehensive, but we know when to adapt it for your specific situation.
The result
When we're finished, you'll have a website running on the latest version of Umbraco, with better performance, enhanced security, and access to new features. More importantly, the upgrade will have been completed without causing disruption to your day-to-day operations.
Want to find out more about your Umbraco upgrade? Drop us a line to speak to one of our experts today.
