Drupal 7 End-of-Life
Drupal 7 was launched in 2011 and quickly became a popular open source content management system (CMS). Drupal has continued to grow and is now known for its flexibility, scalability and security.
With the release of Drupal 8 in 2015, Drupal 9 in 2020 and Drupal 10 in 2022, the Drupal community has been gradually shifting its focus to the newer versions. But many website owners still rely on Drupal 7, making it an important subject in web development.
Why did Drupal 7's EOL date get extended?
When Drupal 7 was released in January 2011, its End-of-Life (EOL) was November 2021. In 2020, the Drupal decided to extend Drupal 7's EOL by an extra year, until 28 November 2022. Then, in February 2022 they announced another extension until 1 November 2023.
The EOL date has been pushed back for several reasons, including:
Drupal 7’s large user base
The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
The significant changes in architecture and coding standards that make it a considerable technical upgrade with a high cost, so it’s harder for people to move from Drupal 7 to later versions of Drupal
Drupal 7’s user base
The below graph is from Drupal core’s usage . The big red section is the number of websites globally that still use Drupal 7*. While Drupal 7’s use is declining, it’s also clear how many people were still using Drupal in 2021 and 2022.
*This is the minimum number of sites, because not all Drupal 7 sites have the module enabled that allows the site to be included in the usage stats.
In 2021, there were over 600,000 active installations of Drupal 7. We believe this large user base was a key determining factor in the Drupal community’s decision to extend the EOL — twice.
While the extensions have taken the pressure off, they only delay the inevitable. If you’re on D7 you’ll still need to take some sort of action to ensure the security and compatibility of your site.
Will Drupal 7’s End-of-Life be extended again?
It’s hard to say if Drupal 7’s EOL will be extended again. It seems unlikely given it’s already been extended twice AND Drupal 10 has also now been released. But it’s possible.
Having said that, if you’re running Drupal 7 you definitely shouldn’t rely on the prospect of another extension. You need to explore options for Drupal 7 End-of-Life now (see the section below, What are the options for Drupal 7 site owners or visit our Drupal 7 EOL page).
For more information about Drupal 7 EOL, view our insight Drupal 7 End-of-Life (EOL).
What are the risks of continuing to use Drupal 7?
Continuing to use Drupal 7 after its EOL date poses many risks, with serious repercussions.
Cybersecurity risks
After the EOL date, Drupal 7 will no longer receive security updates or patches from the Drupal community. This means that any security vulnerabilities that are discovered in the CMS will not be fixed. This means D7 websites will be highly exposed to these vulnerabilities, especially once they are announced online (and to hackers). Given hackers often exploit security vulnerabilities in outdated software, websites on Drupal 7 are a rich potential target.
Compatibility risks
As newer versions of web technologies such as PHP are released, Drupal 7's compatibility with this tech may become a problem. This could cause compatibility issues with modules, themes or other website components. The end result: broken functionality and other issues that affect the user experience.
Lack of support and updates
Finally, once support for Drupal 7 ends you won’t get official help and advice from the core team that maintained Drupal 7 in the past. Drupal 7 will no longer receive bug fixes or security updates. This can lead to issues with the website's performance and functionality. Plus, many third-party modules and themes may stop providing updates or support for Drupal 7 after the EOL date.
The risks of continuing to use Drupal 7 beyond its EOL date are significant. While some people may not want to upgrade due to the cost and time it will take, the risks of using an outdated CMS are very real. You’ll need to work out a plan to deal with Drupal 7 EOL sooner rather than later.
What are the options for Drupal 7 site owners?
Drupal 7 site owners have several options:
- Rebuild in Drupal 10 following a traditional bespoke, ground-up rebuild pathway
- Rebuild in another CMS platform altogether
- Use one of Salsa’s innovative Drupal 7 End-of-Life services to solve the Drupal 7 EOL problem
Salsa’s End-of-Life services include:
Leave it — Generate and host a static version of your site, with a simple content editor for basic updates, then decommission (leave) your Drupal 7 website (and the need for a CMS) permanently once the static site is set up.
Keep it — Generate and host a static version of your site for your public site visitors, while keeping a separated and locked-down version of your Drupal 7 site for your content editors.
Rebuild it — Build your Drupal 10 site using , a low-code open source design system and Drupal 10 theme with over 50 user interface (UI) components that are user-tested and WCAG 2.1AA-tested pre-built and ready to use out-of-the-box.
Salsa’s EOL options will save you serious money and serious time.
Have a chat to us about our Drupal 7 EOL services
Next steps
The extensions to Drupal 7’s End-of-Life date have given Drupal 7 site owners extra time to move off Drupal 7. But it's important you don’t rely on the chance of another extension.
Continuing to use Drupal 7 past its EOL date is risky in terms of cybersecurity, compatibility and lack of support/updates. Fortunately, there are options available if you want to move away from Drupal 7 including rebuilding in Drupal 10 or another CMS, or using one of Salsa’s innovative End-of-Life services.
Whichever option you choose, you need to take action and work out a long-term solution now. While Drupal 7 may be approaching its "long goodbye", there are still many options available for Drupal 7 sites.