Introduction

Last updated on

5 August 2019

Drupal 7 will no longer be supported after January 5, 2025. Learn more and find resources for Drupal 7 sites

Before you begin

This documentation is about updating Drupal, not upgrading (from one major version to the next). However, very often the term upgrade is used when the technically correct term is updating. If you have been told to upgrade your Drupal installation, in particular if you are told to do a security upgrade, this page is normally the correct place to read.

Updating a Drupal site means an update from one minor version to another, for example from '7.0.2' to '7.3.0'. This documentation guide is about updating your Drupal 7 site.

Upgrading a Drupal site means a change of a major version, for example from Drupal 6 to 7 or from Drupal 7 to 8

Update Drupal 7 Core

Using the "Options" column below, please click on one of the following four options to choose from. If unsure about which option best match your present needs, please read the "Recommendation" column below.

Options	Audience	Summary	Recommendation
Option 1	Newcomers	Manual installation	For newcomers who are: Not yet familiar with Drupal 7 updates Interested in using exclusively a graphical user interface (GUI) Not interested in using terminal/console command lines operations Not interested in using Drush or Composer
Option 2	Mid-Level	Manual installation	For people with mid-level skills who are: Familiar with Drupal 7 updates. And need detailed step by step instructions. Interested in using terminal/console command lines operations Not interested in using Drush or Composer
Option 3	Mid-Level	Manual installation	For people with mid-level skills who are: Familiar with Drupal 7 updates. And need concise instructions. Without the cluttered details needed by newcomers. Not interested in using terminal/console command lines operations Not interested in using Drush or Composer
Option 4	Advanced	Drush	For people with advanced skills who are: Familiar with Drupal 7 updates Interested in using exclusively Drush terminal/console command lines operations Not interested in using Composer