Why you should be upgrading to Umbraco 12

Nothing lasts forever, and the same goes for your CMS.

With Umbraco v7 fast approaching End of Life (September 2023), take this blog as a gentle reminder that this version will no longer be supported after that date – and it might be time you think about an upgrade to ensure your Umbraco website continues to be secure and performant.

Upgrading from v7 (or even v8) to the newest version, Umbraco 12, can be an involved process, so it’s best to get cracking as soon as possible, though v8 will not reach end of life until 2025, giving you much more time to plan your upgrade.

As certified Umbraco Platinum Partners, we’d be more than happy to help you with your upgrade!

What does ‘End of Life’ mean?

Basically, end of life (EOL) means that the software will no longer be supported by the Umbraco development team after the above date. There won’t be any more releases or patches, and any bugs or security issues will no longer be fixed. Technically, you can still use Umbraco 7 after September (your website won’t just disappear), but this could mean running into potential problems down the road such as lack of security or outdated features – so do so at your own risk!

Why should we upgrade to Umbraco 12?

Umbraco 12 is the next major release for Umbraco and promises to be its best version yet. By choosing to stay on v7, you won’t get to work with the fastest, most reliable, and up-to-date version of Umbraco and you’ll be missing out on a bunch of exciting new features, including:

• Powerful improvements for developers: Both .NET 7 and ASP.NET Core 7 contain a long list of new features and improvements that make development easier and faster. C#11 adds new features and new functionality for working with raw string literals, meaning you can write cleaner, more readable code. This means developers have a fully up-to-date environment to work in.
• New Property Editor: Block Grid Editor: The Block Grid Editor is a new Property Editor focusing on bringing better layout and content structure capabilities to editors. Built on modern and future-proof technology, the editor provides a significantly improved developer experience on top.
• The Fastest Umbraco yet: With the huge increase in performance (including better load times on slower connections) there’s never been a better time to start with Umbraco.

Upgrading to Umbraco 12 is the easiest major upgrade yet!

When should we upgrade to Umbraco 12?

Umbraco recommends always keeping your software up-to-date and on the newest version.

The longer you leave it to upgrade, the pricier it gets, and the more difficult a task it becomes. Therefore, we’d strongly recommend you complete your upgrade well before the cut-off date of September 2023!

How do we upgrade to Umbraco 12?

If you’re an existing Cantarus client, please contact your assigned Relationship Manager who will be able to advise you on the next steps.

If you would like some advice on your current Umbraco website, but you are not an existing Cantarus client, please contact us via [email protected] or our Live Chat function on this page.

We can run an audit on your website to determine the best approach for an upgrade and how much time, effort and investment might be required.

Want an Umbraco health check? Get in touch today.