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Migrating from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10 - Essential Advice for Marketing Teams

Michał Klemczak

CTO

Drupal

Migrating from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10 - Essential Advice for Marketing Teams

3 November 2023

With the end of Drupal 7's life scheduled for January 2025, it is imperative that marketing teams consider migrating to a newer version, such as Drupal 10. In this article, we will explain why this migration is essential for marketing success.

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The "end of life" (EOL) for a software product is a significant milestone. It denotes the point at which the software, in this case, Drupal 7, will no longer receive official support from the developers who created it.

Security and Compliance

Security and following the rules are extremely important in the field of digital marketing. When a CMS runs out of time, it no longer receives the necessary security updates and patches. This leaves your site vulnerable to potential threats and security vulnerabilities. At a time when data protection and privacy regulations such as RODO are an issue, using an outdated CMS can jeopardise your marketing efforts. Migrating to Drupal 10 ensures that your site benefits from the latest security features and compliance tools, protecting your data and helping you meet regulatory requirements.

Without security patches, any vulnerabilities discovered in Drupal 7 after its EOL will not be officially fixed. This leaves websites using Drupal 7 at an increased risk of being hacked or compromised.

Performance and User Experience

In digital marketing, website performance isn't just about speed; it's about delivering a seamless experience that captivates and retains your target audience. Drupal 10 has been designed with superior performance in mind, so your site not only responds instantly but also scales smoothly under pressure. It's a strategic move to ensure your digital touchpoints are fast, reliable and ready to impress. This is particularly significant for marketing teams aiming to capture and retain their audience's attention.

For organisations subject to regulations that require running supported software for compliance (such as GDPR for data protection), continuing to use Drupal 7 post-EOL could result in non-compliance and potential legal and financial repercussions.

Cutting-Edge Features

Drupal 10 doesn't just update features; it revolutionizes them. Drupal 10 introduces a host of new features and enhancements that can significantly improve the user experience. These include improved content creation tools, better customisation options and responsive design capabilities. Upgrading to Drupal 10 enables marketing teams to take advantage of these features, resulting in a more engaging and interactive online experience for site visitors.

The developers of Drupal modules and themes will prioritise newer versions of Drupal for their updates and new releases. This means that the available extensions for Drupal 7 will become outdated or incompatible as time goes on.

Ecosystem and Community Support

The Drupal community is a vibrant and dedicated hub for open-source enthusiasts. By migrating to Drupal 10, marketing teams can align themselves with the latest trends and best practices in web development. This not only provides access to a wider pool of developers and contributors but also provides valuable resources for troubleshooting and custom programming.

Migrating to the latest Drupal version opens doors to a thriving community of developers and marketers who are pushing the boundaries of open-source excellence. Strong community support can be a game changer and ensure marketing success.

While the Drupal community is robust and may continue to offer unofficial patches and support, the focus will largely shift to newer versions. Over time, the community-provided support is expected to wane.

Long-Term Viability

The Drupal community is a vibrant and dedicated hub for open-source enthusiasts. Staying on an outdated CMS such as Drupal 7 can pose risks for marketing teams. Finding developers well-versed in older versions can become increasingly challenging and there may be compatibility issues with modern web technologies. Choosing Drupal 10 not only prepares you for the now - it gears you up for what's next, ensuring your marketing efforts stay as dynamic as the digital landscape itself.

Maintaining a Drupal 7 site post-EOL could become more expensive. It might require hiring specialized developers to manage and patch the site manually, increasing the overhead costs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, migrating from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10 is not only a smart move; it is a necessary step for marketing teams who want to maintain a secure, efficient and feature-rich web presence. The benefits of improved security, performance, enhanced features and long-term viability far outweigh migration challenges.

Remember that migrating to Drupal 10 is not only a technical challenge but also an opportunity to improve and optimise your web presence. This transition will be resource-intensive, so treat it as an investment in your digital infrastructure.

It is critical for the marketing team that your online infrastructure remains competitive and robust. Using the latest version of Drupal is an essential part of achieving this. By migrating to Drupal 10, you are positioning your marketing efforts to succeed in the dynamic digital marketing landscape.