The Drupal project is constantly evolving. Usually the changes are incremental, with minor updates to the core code and contributed modules. However, from time to time major releases are made which will lead to changes in the internal APIs which will lead to breaking changes. One such change is the deprecation of the Panelizer paradigm for managing page layouts. Sites built with Panelizer (Drupal 8 and Drupal 9 era) will need to be uplifted to use Layout Builder or be rebuilt from scratch using the new system.
An opportunity
A move to a Layout Builder system is the recommended approach for most sites. In many cases the expense to uplift a legacy site will be similar to starting with a fresh site and then conducting a migration. For larger, complex sites, where the migration effort is significant, it would be worth considering an uplift rather than a rebuild.
If a rebuild is the selected option, there is an opportunity to improve and update other parts of the site. Typical areas for improvement include:
- A new brand or styleguide.
- An improvement to the content model
- New features or functionality.
- Content strategy and content design.
- Internal work processes around content workflow and moderation.
Whilst improvements can be made to your site, it is also important to maintain the parts of it which are worth keeping:
- Content and data is valuable and it should be preserved and augmented where possible.
- Site URLs are important to maintain or map in order to retain SEO rankings.
The upgrade process should therefore be seen as an opportunity to make improvements to your site. It not only is a chance to ensure the continuity of your website but also to replace or enhance key aspects of it.
How can Morpht help?
Morpht is a leading user experience and Drupal development company providing services through the Drupal Services Panel. We have worked on many large transformation projects on the GovCMS platform and are expert in upgrading sites from Drupal 7 to Drupal 9. We recommend the following approach to the upgrade of your site.
Site audit
A site audit will provide a good starting point from which to assess the site so that the migration process can be better planned. A site audit includes reviews on:
- Accessibility
- SEO
- Design
- Content model
- Functionality
- Roles
- Content moderation
- Migration
The site audit will be delivered as a separate deliverable and can be used for scoping and planning the next phases.
Upgrade project
The upgrade project is then able to continue as per a normal. Typically Morpht takes the following approach:
- Establishment
- Discovery
- Definition
- Build
- Migration
- Testing
- Training
- Pre deploy
- Deploy
- Post deploy
Time to get started
If you would like to get started on upgrading your GovCMS 7 site, please contact us to initiate an initial discussion of your project and requirements.
