I'm managing a mid-size company website that's been on Drupal for quite some time, and we're planning a full rebuild and upgrade from Drupal 7 to either Drupal 10 or 11. Our current setup involves custom modules, outdated themes, and performance issues. Our internal team mainly handles content updates and minor fixes. Since I haven't worked on large-scale Drupal projects in a while, I'm considering hiring an agency for this rebuild, as I don't feel confident we can tackle it ourselves. However, my team believes we should attempt it on our own. We're looking into several agencies, including Alliance Interactive for their Drupal development services, but I want to hear about real experiences before making a decision. How has your rebuild experience been? Is it still as challenging as it used to be?
4 Answers
With such an old site, a rebuild is unavoidable. And honestly, the newer versions of Drupal are quite nice! You'll find a lot of improved features that could be beneficial for your site.
Don't forget about the core migration API! It can help with upgrading the initial data model and content. Just remember, custom modules need to be reimplemented using the newer Drupal 8+ methods for Drupal 11. I’ve gone through a few large upgrades recently, and while it’s a lot of work, it does pay off once you’re up and running.
You should definitely consider targeting Drupal 11 since it’s backward compatible with Drupal 10. Just keep in mind that transitioning from Drupal 7 is a big deal. A lot has changed since Drupal 8, so you’ll likely have to rebuild your site and custom modules from scratch. It might seem tedious, but it’s a necessary step given the age of your current setup.
Thanks for the info! Definitely a heads up on what to expect.
Have you thought about migrating to Backdrop? It's a port of Drupal 7 and could be a smoother transition for your team if you're concerned about a full rebuild.
Thanks! I appreciate the encouragement.