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Umbraco 17 is the current Long-Term Support release and the most significant platform update in years
For organisations on V13, time is ticking: security support ends in December 2026, and the deadline is closer than it looks.
Whether you're responsible for growth, governance, engineering or editorial operations, what happens next on your Umbraco platform affects you.
As dedicated Umbraco partners since 2008, we've guided organisations through every major Umbraco version. This guide covers what V17 means in practice, for your platform, your team, and your decision.
Imran heads to the v17 workshop in Angel, London. Oct 2025
What are the benefits of Umbraco 17?
V17 completes a full rebuild of the Backoffice architecture that has been underway since V14. It's fully stable, production-ready, and the platform Umbraco will support through to November 2028! In our opinion this is the most significant release in years!
Here's what that means across your organisation.
For developers
A modernised Backoffice
The Backoffice has been rebuilt on a modern technical architecture, which means it's faster, more stable, and easier to extend. Developers build on the platform rather than around it.
Better performance under load
V17 runs on .NET 10, Microsoft's latest long-term supported framework. Your site handles traffic more efficiently, and your development team is working on a current, well-supported stack.
AI developer tools
The Developer MCP Server allows developers to connect AI tools like Claude or ChatGPT directly to your CMS via the Management API, creating pages, updating content, or running bulk changes within existing user permissions.
In typical Umbraco fashion, the AI developer tools are a totally separate, flexible layer from Umbraco, with no vendor lock-in. You can connect to OpenAI, Claude, Google Gemini, Amazon or Microsoft, and switch providers at any time.
For content and marketing teams
Reliable scheduled publishing
All system dates in V17, including publishing schedules, content logs and activity records, are stored in UTC. Which in plain English means, content is published at the right time regardless of where your editors or servers are located. Hello, smooth campaigns. This was a known limitation on V13.
Editorial scalability
Previously, the Backoffice ran on a single server. V17 distributes it across multiple instances, resulting in better performance and resilience for larger editorial teams working simultaneously.
A more accessible editing experience
The V17 Backoffice has been independently audited against WCAG accessibility standards, making it easier for editors who rely on assistive technology to use.
AI writing assistance
AI writing packages for editors are now available via the Umbraco Marketplace, allowing teams to generate alt text, SEO titles, summaries, and more directly in the Backoffice. Umbraco Copilot and automated content workflows, translating sections, updating product descriptions at scale, fixing accessibility issues site-wide!
Content audits, updates, and health checks in seconds
The advanced AI Umbraco Marketplace integrations available for V17 show you how much has accelerated since Umbraco Version 13.
Among them. AgentRun: a free, open-source Umbraco integration designed and built by Cogworks Founder, Adam. It lets your content team easily run complex, site-wide tasks in seconds, from the Umbraco backoffice with full human oversight and control throughout.
Other use cases:
• Audit SEO metadata across your entire site
• Check content freshness and flag pages that haven't been updated in a defined period
• Review brand voice compliance across hundreds of pages
• Scan for accessibility issues site-wide
• Run content model health checks
For compliance, IT and leadership teams
Security and compliance support until November 2028
You're on a fully supported platform with ongoing security patches, bug fixes and updates through November 2028. Running on the current LTS means vulnerabilities are actively addressed as they arise — and you have something concrete to put in a board paper, an audit response, or a procurement conversation.
Governed AI with human oversight
Umbraco has built AI as a controlled, optional layer. You set the rules once at the platform level, tone of voice, data boundaries, approval requirements, and they apply everywhere. AI suggests. Editors approve. Nothing is published without an explicit human sign-off. You choose which AI provider connects to your platform, and you can switch at any time.
Which Umbraco versions are currently active and supported?
As of now, these are the actively supported Umbraco versions.
| Version | Type | Support Status | Advice | |
| 💪Relax | Umbraco 17 | LTS (Long-Term Support) | Supported until November 2028 |
|
| 💭Plan | Umbraco 16 | Standard Support | Active |
|
| 💭Plan | Umbraco 15 | Standard Support | Active |
|
| 🚨Act now | Umbraco 13 | LTS (Long-Term Support) | Security-only since December 2025. Full EOL: December 2026 |
|
| 🚨Act now | Umbraco 10 | End of Life (EOL) | Unsupported | |
| 🚨Act now | Umbraco 8 | End of Life (EOL) | Unsupported |
What does the Umbraco 17 release mean for you?
Not every Umbraco site has the same level of risk. Here's an honest picture of where things stand.
V8 and V10
Act now
V8 and V10 are no longer supported. Both versions are end-of-life with no security patches in place. If you're still on V8 or V10 and handling user data, running transactions, or operating in a regulated sector, this is an active compliance exposure. Talk to our team about the fastest safe path forward. Talk to our team about moving off an unsupported version.
V15 and V16
Plan ahead
Umbraco Version 15 and Umbraco Version 16 share V17's architecture, so the upgrade is lighter than you might expect. No immediate crisis, but staying on a non-LTS version means missing out on the stability and AI capabilities that V17 delivers. Now is a good time to plan.
V13 → V17
Act now
This is the most pressing upgrade in the Umbraco ecosystem right now. V13 has been in security-only mode since December 2025, with no bug fixes, performance updates, or new features.
Full end-of-life arrives in December 2026. After that, every vulnerability discovered on your platform is yours to find and fix alone.
The organisations upgrading now are doing so calmly, and those waiting are heading toward a pressured, deadline-driven migration with less time, fewer choices, and higher risk.
"The question worth sitting with isn't whether V13 still works. It's what you're leaving on the table by staying on it." - Adam Shallcross
A word from Cogworks CEO
Adam has spent nearly two decades building on Umbraco, across 500+ projects, every major version, and some of the most complex digital estates in professional services and enterprise. His view on V17 is unambiguous: this is the most significant release in years, and the gap between V13 and V17 (particularly around AI capabilities) is not a minor version gap. It's a fundamentally different platform.
Common V13 to v17 questions
How long does an Umbraco V13 to V17 upgrade take?
How much does an Umbraco V13 to V17 upgrade cost?
Will my custom extensions still work on V17?
How do we deliver V17 to V13 upgrades?
Your V13 to V17 upgrade starts with an honest assessment of what's involved and what needs updating, before you commit.
Cogworks V13 to V17 upgrade service starts from £14,999, with tailored pricing for more complex projects.
The V13 to V17 upgrade process itself is smooth and non-disruptive, engineered from 500+ Umbraco projects delivered over 20 years of experience.
If you're looking for a sign to upgrade, this is it.
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