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 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
"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 470+ Umbraco projects, every major version, and some of the most complex digital estates in professional services and enterprise. His view on V17 is clear. It 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.
What are the benefits of Umbraco 17?
Here are a few of the key benefits across teams:
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
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!
Advanced AI Marketplace integrations
The AI Umbraco Marketplace integrations available for V17 show you how much things have moved on since 13. Among them. Agent Run, by Cogworks Founder and CEO, Adam. It lets you run complex, site-wide tasks in seconds, from the Umbraco backoffice with full human oversight.
How you can use it:
• Audit SEO metadata across your entire site
• Check content freshness for a defined period
• Review brand voice compliance across hundreds of pages
• Scans for accessibility issues site-wide
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?
| 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 the V17 release means for all versions
Not every Umbraco site has the same level of risk. Here's an honest picture of where things stand depending on the version you're on.
• V8 and V10
Act now. V8 and V10 are no longer supported. Both versions are End-of-Life and have 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
Start planning. 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
Time to upgrade. V13 has been in security-only mode since December 2025, with no bug fixes, performance updates, or new features. After December 2026, every vulnerability discovered on your platform will be your responsibility to find and fix.
The Umbraco V13 to V17 Planning Guide for High-Trust Organisations
Plan your. upgrade, build a case, and ask good questions so you can use the V13 upgrade to drive digital momentum
Inside:
1. The V13 End-of-Life timeline and what actually changes for your organisation
2. What V17 unlocks for editors, developers and leadership teams
3. The risks specific to professional services and charities
4. 4 key opportunities
5. The 3 upgrade routes and how to pick the right one
6. What to prepare before, during and after your upgrade
7. The questions worth asking any Umbraco upgrade partner
8. What V18 means for your decision right now
9. The foundation for the future
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?
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