Keep your Drupal website up to date and why It matters

Drupal is one of our go-to frameworks for building websites. It’s one of the most popular open source content management systems (CMS) in the world, has been around for decades, and is particularly well suited to larger or more complex websites where custom development is needed. Charities, co-ops, public sector bodies, and cultural organisations often choose Drupal because of its flexibility and the strength of its community.

But Drupal’s ability to handle complexity comes with a challenge: keeping your site updated and secure. Unlike WordPress, where updates can usually be applied safely from the admin dashboard, Drupal updates must be performed on the command line using Composer. If something goes wrong, it takes developer knowledge to diagnose and fix it. This means many Drupal websites end up stuck on outdated versions, leaving them more vulnerable and harder to maintain in the long run.

Why Drupal Updates Are Different

Updates in Drupal fall into two main categories:

• Minor version updates (for example, from 10.1 to 10.2)
  These are generally straightforward and can be applied with less preparation, though they still require testing to make sure nothing breaks.
• Major version updates (for example, from 9 to 10, or 10 to 11)
  These require more care. Although the Drupal community has worked hard to make upgrades smoother in recent years, they can still cause issues, especially if your website relies on lots of contributed modules.

Modules are part of what makes Drupal powerful, but they can create delays in upgrading. If your site depends on a module that isn’t yet compatible with the latest release, you may need to wait until the ecosystem catches up before moving your live website across.

The Drupal 7 to 8 (and Beyond) Challenge

One of the most difficult upgrades in Drupal’s history was the jump from Drupal 7 to Drupal 8. This wasn’t just a version update — it was a complete rebuild of Drupal’s internals, integrating the Symfony PHP framework and changing the codebase significantly.

Because of this, upgrading from Drupal 7 isn’t a simple update. In most cases, the most efficient and cost-effective approach is to rebuild the site in the latest version of Drupal and then migrate your users, content, and data across. At Creative Coop, we’ve helped organisations do this using a combination of Drupal’s native migration tools and custom scripts tailored to each client’s needs.

Why You Shouldn’t Delay a Drupal Upgrade

Running an out-of-date version of Drupal can cause real problems:

• Security risks — unsupported versions no longer receive critical security patches
• Compatibility issues — modules and themes may stop working with newer browsers or hosting environments
• Performance bottlenecks — older versions are slower and less efficient than current releases
• Rising costs — the longer you delay, the harder and more expensive the eventual migration becomes

Whether your Drupal site is one minor version behind or still running on Drupal 7, tackling the upgrade sooner rather than later saves time, money, and stress.

How Creative Coop Can Help

We specialise in helping organisations make the most of Drupal, including:

• Drupal maintenance and support — keeping your site secure, stable, and updated
• Drupal upgrade and migration services — from minor updates to major rebuilds
• Drupal 7 to 10 rebuilds — moving older sites into modern, future-proof frameworks
• Content and user migration — ensuring data is transferred smoothly without loss
• Consultation and audits — helping you decide whether to upgrade, migrate, or rebuild

Our team has a long track record of building and maintaining Drupal websites for co-ops, charities, and mission-driven organisations. We approach every project with accessibility, sustainability, and long-term value in mind.

Time to Upgrade Your Drupal Website?

If you’ve found yourself with an out-of-date Drupal site, you’re not alone — and it’s not something you need to solve on your own. Whether you need a one-off consultation, ongoing maintenance, or a complete Drupal rebuild, we can help.

Get in touch with Creative Coop to discuss your Drupal website. We’ll help you find the best path forward and keep your site secure, accessible, and ready for the future.