Umbraco Version Upgrade Services for Supported and Legacy Websites

Plan and deliver your Umbraco upgrade with a clear route for the CMS, .NET runtime, custom code, packages, integrations and content. iConnect Digital supports upgrades to a current Umbraco release, including complex projects moving from legacy versions.

Tell us which Umbraco version you are running

A version route based on the real codebase

Compatibility risks identified before delivery

A tested cutover and rollback plan

An Umbraco upgrade becomes urgent when support, compatibility or delivery starts to narrow

A major-version upgrade is rarely limited to changing a CMS package. The project may also affect the .NET runtime, backoffice extensions, property editors, search, hosting, deployment and third-party packages. Early assessment gives the team time to choose the right destination and deal with dependencies before support deadlines force the decision.

Your Umbraco version is approaching end of life

Security-only support and end-of-life dates change the risk of staying where you are. The upgrade plan should consider the CMS, .NET version, Umbraco add-ons and third-party package support together.

A package or integration blocks other work

A payment, CRM, search, identity or marketing dependency may no longer support the current CMS. We trace where the dependency is used before choosing whether to upgrade, replace or refactor it.

Your team is spending time maintaining legacy code

Older controllers, property editors, backoffice extensions and deployment routines can slow every release. An upgrade can remove recurring work, but only after the inherited code is understood.

A redesign or platform change is already planned

A redesign, hosting move or integration programme can create a practical upgrade window. The work still needs clear boundaries so several migrations do not become one uncontrolled release.

The newest major version is not automatically the right landing point

The target release should be selected before estimates are finalised. The decision affects package availability, test scope, support life and how soon the next major upgrade may be needed.

Move to Umbraco 17 LTS

Suitable for teams that want a longer support window and a stable destination aligned with .NET 10 LTS.

Long-Term Support release
Strong default for business-critical sites
Useful landing point for Umbraco 13 projects

Move to Umbraco 18 STS

Suitable when current Umbraco 18 features have clear value and the organisation accepts a shorter support cycle.

Standard-Term Support release
Includes the new Library and Elements foundation
Needs an earlier next-version decision

Confirm the route first

Choose this path when package support, custom backoffice code, hosting or integration dependencies make the destination uncertain.

Compatibility investigation
Proof of concept for high-risk components
Scope and estimate after evidence

Choose the destination version for the support period and features you need

As of September 2026, Umbraco 17 is the current Long-Term Support release and runs on .NET 10 LTS. Umbraco 18 is the current Standard-Term Support release. Umbraco 13 reaches end of life on 14 December 2026. The right destination depends on the required support window, package readiness, feature needs and the likely date of the next major upgrade.

Version dates change. Confirm the release lifecycle against current Umbraco guidance when the project is scoped.

An upgrade assessment should expose the work that a package update will not show

We review the areas that can change scope, delivery risk or the target version. The output is a practical upgrade route with assumptions, exclusions and items that need a proof of concept.

CMS and .NET baseline

Current Umbraco release, runtime, hosting model, environments and deployment method.

Custom code

Controllers, services, composers, scheduled jobs, Razor views and application-specific extensions.

Backoffice extensions

Property editors, dashboards, AngularJS-era extensions and editor workflows.

Packages and add-ons

Vendor support, replacement options, licences and version compatibility.

Integrations

CRM, ERP, identity, search, payments, marketing and other external dependencies.

Content and database

Content models, media, members, data migrations, database size and publishing behaviour.

Delivery and hosting

Build pipeline, configuration, secrets, cloud services, caching and release controls.

Quality and recovery

Critical journeys, regression coverage, performance baseline, backups and rollback requirements.

The current version determines how much of the project is an upgrade and how much is a migration

Each route is confirmed against the actual solution. Version number alone is not enough to estimate the work.

Minor and patch updates

Update within the same major release, review release notes, confirm package compatibility and test the affected areas before deployment.

Supported major-version upgrade

Move through the required major versions, update project dependencies, address breaking changes and validate the application at each planned stage.

Umbraco 13 to Umbraco 17 LTS

Review .NET 10 readiness, packages, custom code and backoffice extensions, then deliver and test the selected upgrade sequence.

Umbraco 17 to Umbraco 18

Use this route when Umbraco 18 features justify an STS move and the project accepts its shorter lifecycle.

Umbraco 8 legacy migration

Assess content transfer, templates, custom code, property editors and packages. The move to modern Umbraco crosses a major platform change and should not be sold as a routine package update.

Umbraco 7 and earlier

Treat the project as a controlled migration or rebuild assessment. Preserve valuable content, URLs and business rules while replacing unsupported platform components.

Umbraco Cloud version upgrade

Coordinate the application changes with Cloud environments, deployment workflow, baseline restrictions and the target version supported for the project.

Upgrade during redesign or replatforming

Separate upgrade work, content change, frontend rebuild and infrastructure change into clear workstreams with shared test and release decisions.

Umbraco version upgrades move from evidence to a tested production release

The sequence creates approval points before high-risk work and before launch. Smaller upgrades may combine stages, but the ownership, test and rollback decisions should remain visible.

Step 01

Assess

Confirm the current version, target release, hosting, repositories, environments, packages, integrations, data and known issues.

Step 02

Plan

Define the upgrade sequence, proof-of-concept work, acceptance criteria, responsibilities, downtime assumptions and rollback approach.

Step 03

Prepare

Create backups and working environments, update build and deployment requirements, and resolve blockers that would make the upgrade unsafe.

Step 04

Upgrade

Update the CMS, runtime and dependencies in controlled increments. Refactor custom code and replace incompatible packages where agreed.

Step 05

Verify

Test editorial workflows, critical user journeys, integrations, search, forms, members, performance and deployment behaviour.

Step 06

Release

Complete the agreed cutover, run launch checks, monitor the platform and record the remaining maintenance or support work.

Testing should follow the ways editors, customers and connected systems use the site

A successful build is only one checkpoint. The upgraded platform must preserve the journeys and operational behaviour that the business depends on.

Editorial workflows

Create, edit, preview, publish, unpublish, schedule and manage media using the roles that will use the production backoffice.

Customer journeys

Test forms, search, member access, transactions and the high-value page journeys agreed for the project.

Connected systems

Verify data exchange, authentication, retries, scheduled work and failure handling across each critical integration.

Release and recovery

Confirm deployment steps, database handling, cache behaviour, monitoring, backups and the conditions for rollback.

Upgrade effort depends on the solution, not only the version numbers

Two websites on the same Umbraco version can require very different work. The estimate should state which dependencies are confirmed, which remain assumptions and what evidence is still needed.

Starting and target versions

The number of major-version boundaries, runtime changes and version-specific breaking changes shape the route.

Custom code and backoffice extensions

Inherited code, custom property editors and unsupported extension patterns increase refactoring and test work.

Packages and integrations

Package availability, vendor support and external-system dependencies can add replacement or coordination work.

Content, environments and release constraints

Data volume, editorial structure, deployment controls, downtime tolerance and test coverage affect the delivery plan.

Final terms are confirmed in the proposal

Minimum booking

Onboarding time

Retainer rollover

Urgent-work rules

Is the Umbraco upgrade ready to scope

A first conversation does not need a finished specification. It does need enough access and context to separate known work from assumptions.

Ready for assessment

The current Umbraco and .NET versions are known
The code repository and package list can be reviewed
Key integrations and custom extensions can be identified
The preferred release window and business constraints are understood
A technical owner can answer questions about the current platform

Clarify these points first

There is no current backup or recoverable source code
Production is the only usable environment
Critical integrations have no owner or documentation
The target release has been chosen without checking package support
A redesign, hosting move and CMS upgrade are combined without separate scope

We have been delivering Umbraco solutions for over a decade.

To deliver consistently at scale, we align with your delivery model, tech stack, and client expectations every step of the way.

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Dedicated high skilled developers across backend, frontend, QA, and DevOps.

Questions teams ask before upgrading Umbraco

The final route and estimate depend on the current solution. These answers explain the decisions we normally make during assessment.

Which Umbraco version should we upgrade to?

For many business-critical websites, Umbraco 17 LTS is the natural destination because it offers a longer support window and aligns with .NET 10 LTS. Umbraco 18 may be appropriate when its features are required and the shorter STS lifecycle is acceptable. We confirm the target after reviewing package support, custom code and the timing of the next major upgrade.

Is Umbraco 13 still supported?

Umbraco 13 is in its security phase and reaches end of life on 14 December 2026 according to Umbraco’s published lifecycle. Teams still on version 13 should plan their next step now and confirm whether any extended support option forms part of their risk plan.

Can you upgrade Umbraco 8 directly to Umbraco 17?

The move from Umbraco 8 to modern Umbraco crosses a major platform change. Content may be migrated, but templates, custom code, backoffice extensions and packages often need refactoring or replacement. We assess the current solution before confirming the route.

Can you upgrade Umbraco 7 or an older version?

Yes, but these projects are normally treated as controlled migrations or rebuilds rather than routine package updates. The first step is to identify what content, URLs, functionality and integrations must be preserved.

How long does an Umbraco version upgrade take?

The duration depends on the starting version, target release, codebase, package compatibility, integrations, content volume, hosting and test requirements. A small supported upgrade may be contained. A legacy migration can become a larger development project. We provide the delivery plan after assessment.

Will the website need to go offline during an Umbraco upgrade?

Development and most testing should take place away from the live site. The final cutover may require a short content freeze or maintenance window, depending on database changes, content activity and deployment method. The release plan should state the expected interruption and rollback conditions.

What happens to custom packages and integrations?

We record each dependency, confirm whether a compatible release exists and test the business flow it supports. If a package is no longer maintained, the agreed scope may include replacement, refactoring or removal.

Will our content and URLs be preserved during an Umbraco upgrade?

Content preservation is planned as part of the database and content work. URL continuity, redirects, metadata, canonicals, structured data and analytics should also be checked before launch. Any deliberate change should be documented and tested.

Can you upgrade an Umbraco website built by another agency?

Yes. We begin with technical discovery so that estimates are based on the inherited code, packages, environments and deployment process. Access, ownership and handover responsibilities are agreed before delivery begins.

Do you provide support after the upgrade?

Yes. Post-launch support can cover monitoring, defects, package maintenance, performance work and future version planning. The support arrangement is agreed separately from the upgrade scope.

Tell us which Umbraco version you are running and what needs to change

Share the current version, target date and any known package, integration or hosting constraints. We will use the first discussion to confirm what must be reviewed before scope and timing can be agreed.

Request an Umbraco Upgrade Assessment

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