Upgrading Drupal 7 to the Latest Version of Drupal

Although support for Drupal 7 has already ended and no new updates will be released, all new modules are now being published for Drupal 11+, there are still many websites running on Drupal 7 that are unable to migrate to newer versions. There are valid reasons for this, especially for sites with a large amount of custom code.

Using Claude Code, Codex, Copilot 

Within the context of an article about upgrading Drupal 7 to the latest Drupal version, it is important to note that modern AI tools such as Claude Code, Codex, and Copilot can become valuable assistants for the team and help reduce the overall complexity of the project, even if the reader does not dive into technical details. Their main value lies in helping teams more quickly understand legacy site code, carefully migrate existing business logic to a new platform version, and reduce the number of errors during the upgrade by automatically suggesting more modern and secure solutions, indicating which parts of the system require changes, and accelerating routine development tasks. As a result, migration timelines are shortened, the process becomes more predictable, management oversight is simplified, and the team can focus not on technical difficulties but on achieving business goals and ensuring the stable operation of the site after moving to a new Drupal version.

Migrating to CKEditor 5 or staying on CKEditor 4

Migrating to CKEditor 5 is preferable to staying on the older version of the visual editor. However, if you have a very large project, it may be acceptable to keep CKEditor 4, but only in cases where content is edited exclusively by your company’s employees. Using CKEditor 4 for anonymous users, especially with image upload plugins, can be insecure. 

You can read more about the extended support for CKEditor 4 in Drupal in this article:

/node/2918CKEditor 4 support in Drupal

If the number of CKEditor 4 plugins you use is small, it is better to rewrite them using Claude Code or Codex.

Migrating to modern frontend frameworks such as Next.js and Nuxt.js

As part of a site upgrade, it is also worth considering an alternative approach: migrating to modern frontend frameworks such as Next.js, Nuxt.js, or similar solutions while keeping Drupal as the backend, especially if the existing site contains a large amount of accumulated content. In this scenario, Drupal continues to handle content storage, management, and security, while the new frontend provides a more modern appearance, high performance, and flexibility in developing the user interface. This approach makes it possible to upgrade the site gradually without rewriting the entire system, reduce business risks, preserve investments in existing content and editorial processes, and respond more quickly to new market requirements without affecting the critical internal part of the platform.

As the DrupalBook agency, we help companies upgrade and evolve a wide range of websites originally built on Drupal 7: corporate and brand websites, content portals and media projects with large volumes of accumulated content, multilingual and multisite platforms, educational solutions, as well as complex commercial and internal systems for which stability, security, and the ability for long-term development are critical. We have been working with Drupal since 2010 and approach upgrades not as a one-time technical task but as a strategic business step—taking into account architecture, editorial workflows, and future changes. If you are planning a migration from Drupal 7, want to assess possible upgrade scenarios, or simply discuss your situation, we would be happy to connect: