The first successful migration from Umbraco 8 to 13 on Umbraco Cloud: our findings

At Webwonders, we take pride in our innovative approach and groundbreaking solutions. Recently, we achieved a significant milestone that we would like to share with you: the very first successful transition from Umbraco 8 to Umbraco 13 on Umbraco Cloud.

Many websites in the market are still waiting for migration. We understand that this is always an exciting process, which is why we are happy to share our steps and findings with you in this blog.

Why switch to Umbraco 13?

With Umbraco 8 nearing its end-of-life, it was crucial to migrate to a newer version. This upgrade is essential to ensure the sustainability, security, and efficiency of our clients' websites. Thanks to our proactive approach, our clients remain at the forefront of digital innovation. Just as our client Hela was the first to go live with Umbraco 8.0.0 on Umbraco Cloud, they now have the honour of being the first to complete the successful migration from 8 to 13.

The migration process: A step-by-step approach

The migration from Umbraco 8 to 13 on Umbraco Cloud was a carefully planned and executed process. We worked intensively with the Umbraco Cloud developers to resolve the final issues and ensure a smooth transition. Our approach included the following steps:

1. Site export from Umbraco 8: The first step was to securely export the entire site from the existing Umbraco 8 environment.

2. Site import into Umbraco 13: Next, we imported the site into the new Umbraco 13 environment.

3. Code refactoring: This process involved updating and optimising the code to be compatible with the new version of Umbraco.

4. Testing: A comprehensive testing phase ensured that all functionalities worked seamlessly in the new environment.

5. Import content: We then imported the most recent content to ensure that the latest updates were visible on the website.

6. Go live: Finally, the site was successfully launched on Umbraco 13, with minimal downtime.

Findings and results

After completion, we carefully analysed all the results. The migration yielded remarkable conclusions and successes:

• One week turnaround: The total migration was completed within a week.

• Content freeze of only 1 hour: A minimal interruption in content availability for the client. Visitors were not affected at all.

• Automatic transfer of content and media: All existing content and media were effortlessly and automatically migrated.

• Speed improvement: A significant enhancement in speed and performance with Umbraco 13 compared to Umbraco 8.

• Clear path for future upgrades: The migration has set a clear trajectory for future updates.

Conclusion and tips

This migration demonstrates the effectiveness and efficiency of our methods at Webwonders, as well as the power of Umbraco Cloud. With minimal disruption for our clients and a quick, hassle-free process, we are setting a new standard for future migrations.

Our advice: make sure to get well informed before you migrate. With the knowledge and experience we have gained, we believe that a fast and efficient migration is possible if you follow our process and steps.

If you think you will spend too much time, you may be missing an important optimisation step. Get in touch for expert advice. Or request the Platformscan directly so you know what to expect.