Umbraco 13 reaches end of life on 14 December 2026. If your website runs on this version, there are only weeks left to decide how you will keep it supported.
For many organisations, the next step will be upgrading to Umbraco 17 LTS. Others may benefit from rebuilding their website, or arranging extended support while a migration takes place.
The right approach depends on your website’s code, content, integrations and business priorities. This guide explains what the deadline means, the options available and what you should do now.
When is Umbraco 13 end of life?
Umbraco’s official support schedule sets out three key dates:
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Umbraco 13 released | 14 December 2023 |
| Entered its security-only phase | 14 December 2025 |
| Reaches end of life | 14 December 2026 |
Umbraco 13 is already in its final support phase, during which fixes focus on security issues. After 14 December 2026, publicly available security updates will end. Continued access to security patches requires a separate Extended Long-Term Support arrangement. See Umbraco’s official lifecycle schedule.
There is also an earlier deadline to consider. Umbraco 13 runs on .NET 8, which reaches the end of Microsoft support on 10 November 2026. Your upgrade assessment should therefore cover the application framework and hosting environment alongside the CMS. See Microsoft’s .NET support policy.
Will my website stop working after end of life?
Your website will generally continue to operate after the deadline. End of life marks a change in vendor support, rather than an automatic shutdown.
The concern is what happens afterwards. Without an appropriate extended support agreement, newly discovered security issues may no longer receive fixes for your version.
Umbraco Cloud projects also share the CMS end-of-life deadline. Continued hosting does not mean standard security updates continue indefinitely; Cloud has a separate end-of-service policy. Umbraco explains the distinction in its Umbraco 13 guidance.
What are the risks of staying on Umbraco 13?
The main risk is increasing exposure to security vulnerabilities as support ends. However, the business implications can extend beyond the CMS itself.
Unsupported software may conflict with your organisation’s security policies, customer requirements or supplier assurance processes. Your team should review those obligations against the support arrangements you actually have.
Maintenance can also become more difficult. Packages, integrations and infrastructure evolve, leaving an older implementation with fewer compatible options. Resolving issues may require additional custom development.
End of life does not automatically make a website slower or cause its search rankings to fall. The practical concern is that keeping it secure, compatible and maintainable becomes harder over time.
Which version should I upgrade to?
Umbraco 17 LTS is a sensible starting point for an Umbraco 13 upgrade assessment.
It is the current long-term support release, with end of life scheduled for 27 November 2028. That provides a longer planning window than the shorter support cycle of a standard-term release. Your final choice should still account for package compatibility, integrations and your development roadmap. Check Umbraco’s release and support dates.
Umbraco supports a direct LTS-to-LTS upgrade from version 13 to version 17. However, this does not mean every website can move across through a simple package update. Custom functionality and dependencies still need assessment and testing. See the Umbraco 17 release guidance.
What are my options?
1. Upgrade your existing website
An upgrade is worth exploring when your website’s design, content structure and functionality still serve the business well.
The aim is to preserve what works while updating the underlying platform and adapting the parts affected by breaking changes.
One significant consideration is the backoffice - the interface your team uses to manage content. Umbraco introduced a new backoffice architecture after version 13, so custom editors, dashboards and extensions may need redevelopment. Packages and integrations also need checking against the target version. Umbraco’s migration overview explains these considerations.
An upgrade does not automatically require a redesign. A technical assessment should establish what can stay and what needs changing.
2. Rebuild on a supported version
A fresh implementation may be appropriate when your website already needs substantial changes.
Perhaps the content structure makes publishing difficult, customer journeys need improving, or years of custom development have made maintenance expensive. In those circumstances, rebuilding can address the platform upgrade and broader business needs together.
Content and media may still be migrated, subject to mapping and testing. A rebuild should also include a plan for preserving valuable URLs, metadata and search visibility.
Compare the scope and long-term maintenance implications of both approaches before choosing. A rebuild is not automatically the cheapest or quickest route.
3. Arrange Extended Long-Term Support
If your project cannot be completed before the deadline, Umbraco offers paid Extended Long-Term Support (XLTS) for version 13, with options for 6, 12 or 24 months.
This provides continued access to critical security patches while you plan and deliver an upgrade or rebuild. Confirm the coverage, exclusions and patching responsibilities before relying on it. View Umbraco’s extended support options.
Treat XLTS as additional delivery time with an agreed migration plan. Review support for .NET, third-party packages and infrastructure separately.
How long will an Umbraco 13 upgrade take?
A reliable estimate needs more than the version number.
The work depends on custom backoffice extensions, package compatibility, integrations, content models, hosting and testing requirements. Your team’s availability for reviewing content and approving releases also affects the schedule.
A relatively straightforward website and a platform connected to customer accounts, payments and business systems will need different plans.
With the deadline approaching, start with a focused assessment. If the delivery schedule extends beyond end of life, establish the interim support arrangements early.
What should I do now?
Start by giving your development partner a clear picture of the current implementation:
- Confirm your versions. Record the CMS, .NET runtime, add-ons and third-party packages.
- Review custom functionality. Identify editors, dashboards, integrations and business-critical journeys.
- Agree the route. Compare an upgrade with a fresh implementation, including scope, cost and dependencies.
- Plan testing and migration. Include content, media, forms, search, permissions and connected systems.
- Prepare for launch. Agree backups, redirects, any content freeze, recovery steps and post-launch monitoring.
- Resolve any support gap. Confirm what will cover the platform if migration continues beyond the relevant deadlines.
The immediate priority is a realistic, funded plan with clear ownership.
How Absurd can help
At Absurd, we assess the code, content and integrations behind your website before recommending an upgrade route. As an Umbraco Gold Partner, we support organisations through migration, testing, launch and ongoing platform maintenance.
Whether you want to retain your existing website or use the move to improve the wider experience, we can help establish what is involved and where to start. Explore our Umbraco upgrade services.