The Umbraco 17 Upgrade Guide

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.

• A modernised Backoffice: faster, more stable, easier to extend -

The Backoffice has been rebuilt on a modern technical architecture which is easier to extend and maintain. 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. No lock-in: connect to OpenAI, Claude, Google Gemini, Amazon or Microsoft, and switch providers at any time.

• 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 publishes 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, meaning better performance and resilience for larger editorial teams working at the same time.

• A more accessible editing experience -

The V17 Backoffice has been independently audited against WCAG accessibility standards, making it easier to use for editors who rely on assistive technology.

• AI writing assistance -

AI writing packages for editors are available now 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!

• 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 at every step -  

Umbraco has built AI as a controlled, optional layer. You set the rules once at platform level, tone of voice, data boundaries, approval requirements, and they apply everywhere. AI suggests. Editors approve. Nothing publishes without explicit human sign-off. You choose which AI provider connects to your platform, and you can switch at any time.

Not every Umbraco site has the same level of risk. Here's an honest picture of where things stand.

This is the most pressing upgrade in the Umbraco ecosystem right now. V13 has been in security-only mode since December 2025, no bug fixes, no performance updates, no new features.

Full end-of-life arrives December 2026. After that, every vulnerability discovered on your platform is yours to find and fix alone.

This isn't a future problem. It's already started.

The organisations upgrading now are doing it calmly and the ones waiting are heading toward a pressured, deadline-driven migration with less time, fewer choices, and higher risk.

If your site is on V13, there is no good reason to wait.

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.

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.

The new Umbraco backoffice in version 17 uses a modern architecture, so some extensions and custom tools must be updated. 

We review what needs refactoring and prepare a structured plan to ensure everything works as expected before any upgrade is recommended.

We've been Umbraco Gold Contributing Partners since 2008. Your V13 to V17 upgrade starts with an honest assessment: what's involved, what needs updating, what it costs , before you commit to anything.

Our V13 to V17 upgrade pricing is transparent, backed by 500+ Umbraco projects delivered, 20 years of expertise and fixed timeline.

If you're looking for a sign to upgrade...this is it.