Drupal 10, the latest version of the open-source digital experience platform with even more features, is here.
Move from Drupal 8 to 9
The easiest major upgrade in a decade
All the features you love with continued security support and new core innovations twice a year. Drupal 9 is coming June 3rd, 2020.
Key Drupal 9 benefits
Drupal 9 brings forward all the features you love in Drupal 8 with updated system requirements and components for longer security support.
Adopting Drupal 9 keeps you on the continuous innovation cycle with feature additions twice a year. Drupal 9.1.0 with new features is scheduled for Dec 2, 2020.
Developers with Drupal 8 experience will find Drupal 9 very familiar, no need to retrain. Cleaned up, consistent APIs provide developers a modern environment.
Easiest major upgrade in a decade
Drupal 9 is unique. Unlike previous new major versions, Drupal 9 is not a reinvention of Drupal. It was mostly built in Drupal 8 through deprecating APIs and updated dependencies. Other than these two things, Drupal 9.0.0 is the same as Drupal 8.9, the last Drupal 8 minor release.
To illustrate this, imagine your website is a train. Previously, moving major versions meant moving the train to a different track entirely. After Drupal 8, new major versions will just be stations on the same track.
Four steps to prepare Drupal 8 sites for 9
To be ready for Drupal 9, here is your todo list, most of which you can achieve with Upgrade Status :
- Make sure your hosting environment is compatible with the updated requirements of Drupal 9.
- Upgrades are supported from Drupal 8.8 and 8.9. Update to the latest Drupal 8 version available.
- Keep your contributed projects up to date. Most contributed projects resolve Drupal 9 compatibility issues gradually, while also keeping Drupal 8 compatibility.
- Remove deprecated API use in your custom code. Rector will help resolve a big part of these automatically.
At this point you have a fully running cleaned up Drupal 8 site. Once all of your custom code and contributed projects are ready, you are prepared to make the jump and update Drupal core itself as well to Drupal 9.
Considering a migration to Drupal 9? Get the Ultimate Guide to Drupal 9 Today.
Get expert help
Reach out to one of our featured service providers for further help:
The future of Drupal 9
While the focus for Drupal 9.0.0 was an easier upgrade experience, the new major version will receive feature updates twice a year like Drupal 8 did.
For example, the new Olivero frontend theme is already being built while the experimental Claro administration theme is being stabilised.
Participate in the 2020 Drupal Product Survey to provide feedback on what should be improved in Drupal 9 onwards. Follow @dropismoving on Twitter for regular Drupal core updates.
The last big migration from Drupal 7
For Drupal 7 users, this will be your last big migration. Upgrade to Drupal 8 now with an eye on a quick step to Drupal 9 or move to Drupal 9 directly.
