Migrating to Drupal 11 means checking site readiness, updating modules and themes, and testing the upgrade before launch. Drupal 11 is a major version of the Drupal content management system used to build and manage websites. This guide gives a practical order of work for owners, developers, and project managers. It helps you decide what to keep, what to fix, and when the site is safe to switch.
Table of Contents
- Is your site ready for Drupal 11?
- What should you do about modules and themes?
- How should you test the migration?
- What should you check before launch?
Is your site ready for Drupal 11?
Start with a full inventory of your current site. List the Drupal core version, contributed modules, custom modules, theme, and connected services. Note anything old, unused, or heavily customized.
Check hosting and maintenance basics next. Confirm the server meets current system requirements for PHP, database, and file storage. Remove unused modules, old revisions, and test content that could slow the upgrade. Run available upgrade-status checks on a copy of the site: Fix what you can before upgrading, not during the upgrade.
- Identify custom code that uses removed or changed functions
- Flag modules and themes without a compatible release
- List configuration that needs manual review
What should you do about modules and themes?
Treat modules as the main migration decision. For each contributed module, check whether it has a compatible release, a replacement, or no further support. Keep only modules the site still uses. Give custom modules and themes closer review.
Simple template overrides may need small changes for new markup or libraries. Custom code that alters forms, access rules, or data storage often needs rewriting and focused tests. Decide early when a feature should be replaced rather than repaired. A complex gallery, slider, search tool, or form builder may work better as core functionality or a supported module. Fewer dependencies make testing and future updates easier.
How should you test the migration?
Never upgrade the live site first. Make a separate staging copy with current content, files, and configuration. Run the upgrade there, then fix errors and repeat until the process runs cleanly. Test by user task, not by page count.
Create content, edit pages, upload media, submit forms, log in, change roles, and complete checkout or donation steps. Check menus, views, search, multilingual pages, and connected email, payment, or customer tools. Ask editors and site owners to test real work. They often catch broken layouts, missing blocks, changed permissions, or confusing workflows. Record each issue with steps to repeat it, then retest after the fix.
What should you check before launch?
Freeze content changes during the final migration pass. Back up files, database, and configuration where you can restore them quickly. Move the tested upgrade to production, then verify logins, forms, redirects, and key integrations.
Check results that affect visitors and marketing. Review page speed, mobile layout, metadata, redirects for changed URLs, and analytics or ad tracking. A short content freeze plus a clear rollback plan prevents a small error from becoming long downtime.
