Roadmap to Drupal 10: Preparation and Strategy Guide

CMS Drupal 10 has been launched and it is a game-changer. More than six months have passed since the launch of Drupal 10 in December 2022, and as of now, more than 10k websites have already switched to the updated version of this content management software. It’s time to start thinking about upgrading from Drupal 9 to Drupal 10. But what exactly does that involve? In this blog post, we'll walk you through a comprehensive Drupal 9 to 10 upgrade roadmap that will enable you to prepare for the upgrade and ensure a smooth and seamless transition.

The first step in preparing for your Drupal 9 to 10 upgrade is to upgrade to at least Drupal 9.4 or 9.5. This is essential, time-consuming, and needs to be done carefully as skipping updates can cause system bugs and a long-drawn recovery process. Issues are common when support for minor point releases is coming to an end, as your upgrade path takes you through the correct steps for a smooth and steady update.

Use the Upgrade Status module to check the compatibility of your modules and themes. This module will help point out any issues that need to be addressed before upgrading to Drupal 10. It will also help you identify any deprecated code, database issues, or missing files that need to be resolved.

Module compatibility is often the most cumbersome part of the upgrade process. You must ensure that all contributed modules and themes are up-to-date and are compatible with Drupal 10. Some modules may only be compatible with CMS Drupal 10, in this case, the project's composer.json file needs to be updated to include both the versions required by Drupal 9 and Drupal 10 for a smooth transition process.

For example: in composer.json, you would modify "drupal/remove_http_headers": "^1.0"  to "drupal/remove_http_headers": "^1.0 || ^2.0"

Now it's time to update custom projects and make sure they are compatible with Drupal 10 too. Often, custom code contains deprecated code caused by removed APIs. It is also important to test custom modules in the Drupal 10 environment to check compatibility.

With CMS Drupal 10, support for a variety of features and code will be going away. Prioritizing the handling of deprecated modules and themes is essential in Drupal development. This may sound easy, but it is important to note that Drupal may forcefully remove these modules, causing issues in your website. Early detection of issues before the start of Drupal migration can save the day.

Before proceeding with your Drupal 10 update, remember to uninstall and remove the Upgrade Status module. The reason for this is that it's not compatible with Drupal 10, so it is no longer needed.

Finally, when everything's ready, it's time to do the upgrade. The Drupal community has made the upgrade process significantly better than the Drupal 7 to 8 upgrade, with a direct upgrade being possible if you have been keeping up with minor version releases of CMS Drupal 9.

Upgrading from Drupal 9 to Drupal 10 can be a complex process, but with careful planning, it can be a smooth and seamless transition. By following the Drupal 9 to 10 upgrade roadmap outlined in this blog post, and taking into account the information highlighted here, you can prepare your system for Drupal 10 upgrade and continue enjoying the benefits of Drupal's powerful content management system.