Support for TYPO3 v13 is coming to an end: What integrators should do now

On December 31, 2027 the bug fix support for TYPO3 v13 ends. That sounds like plenty of time.

But anyone who has worked in the industry for a while knows that 1.5 years is surprisingly short in the reality of projects.

New projects come in, existing customers have urgent requirements, unplanned tasks pile up. Suddenly the date is there.

This article is aimed at freelancers, solo freelancers and agencies who manage customer projects on TYPO3 v13. What does the end date mean in concrete terms? And what steps make sense now?

What happens after December 31, 2027

After this date, TYPO3 v13 will no longer receive bug fixes. This also includes security updates. Anyone still running a v13 installation after this date will do so without a network.

Known security vulnerabilities will remain open, new ones will be added without patches being delivered. This affects not only our own work, but above all our customers' websites.

A side note: Extended Long Term Support (ELTS) is expected to be available again for v13. This is a fee-based offer that extends the support period for an annual fee. Those who opt for this buy themselves time, but do not solve the actual problem. Calculated over several years, the ELTS fees can exceed the cost of a one-off upgrade. The upgrade will come one way or another.

The upgrade itself is feasible

The upgrade from TYPO3 v13 to v14 is technically one of the less complicated version jumps in TYPO3 history. Anyone familiar with previous migration projects will notice that the effort involved has changed significantly.

Even those who use third-party extensions now have better tools than before. With tools such as Rector and targeted AI support, many extensions can be upgraded to v14 even without deeply specialized PHP knowledge.

Anyone who feels unsure about this can find support in the community and from experienced developers.

The current methods in TYPO3 v14 (site sets, the new rendering concept, Fluid 5 ViewHelper) are the recommended standard, but are largely optional. Those who continue to use the tried and tested methods can do so. A gradual changeover is expressly possible.

The real challenge: the customer

The technical upgrade is rarely the biggest problem. The real challenge is communication.

Many customers simply see no need for action. "Everything is running fine." - an answer that almost every integrator knows.

This is the task of agencies and freelancers: bring the issue to the table in good time and explain clearly what is at stake.

If you don't do this until shortly before the deadline, you make it difficult for yourself, because then budget approvals, coordination and the actual implementation all come at once.

Arguments that work in discussions with customers

Security and state of the art

Anyone who operates a website on a software version for which there are no longer any security updates is taking a calculable risk. From a data protection perspective, the term "state of the art" is relevant here.

An installation on a CMS version that is no longer maintained may no longer meet this standard. For customers who process sensitive data or are particularly exposed in the GDPR context, this can be an effective argument.

The garage analogy

A car needs to be serviced regularly. This always costs a little money. But if you do nothing for years, you end up paying significantly more.

A TYPO3 installation is no different. Those who upgrade regularly keep the costs manageable. Those who wait until several versions have to be bridged have a different starting position.

The improved interface in v14

TYPO3 v14 brings a noticeably improved editing interface. This is not an abstract improvement, but something that editors notice directly in everyday use. For customers for whom usability is an issue, this can be a convincing entry point.

What to do now

Now is a good time to take a look at your own project list.

Which installations are still running on TYPO3 v13?
Which extensions are in use?
How costly would an upgrade be in each case?

A concrete first step: Check the extensions used for each installation for compatibility with v14. The respective entries in the TYPO3 Extension Repository on extensions.typo3.org provide information on this.

If you also need an overview of releases and official compatibility information, you can find this at get.typo3.org.

For extensions that do not yet have a v14 update, it is worth taking a look at the repository or briefly contacting the extension author.

A prioritization plan can be derived from this inventory. Some projects are straightforward, others need more lead time.

And then there are the customers, who need to be informed in good time, not least because upgrades require budgets and budget approvals take time.

Anyone who has not yet actively discussed the topic with customers should do so. Ideally, the topic of TYPO3 version upgrades should be an integral part of every annual plan with the customer. 1.5 years sounds like a lot. In practice, it's not.

Fit for v14: The complete TYPO3 course

Whether you're a freelancer, solo freelancer or agency team - the path to TYPO3 v14 is the same: you need solid knowledge that keeps pace with every new version.

This is exactly what the TYPO3 complete course offers. No one-off purchase after which the content becomes obsolete. No restart with every new version. S

nstead, flexible access that is continuously updated, with live sessions and direct access to the community. Available as a monthly subscription or a cheaper annual subscription.

The course is aimed at beginners as well as experienced integrators who want to keep up to date with every new version without having to spend hours researching it themselves.

And for those who only need access for the upgrade and then no more: that's exactly what the monthly payment option is for. Join while the work is in progress. Quit when you're done.

For agencies with several integrators in the team: each person receives their own access. There are automatic volume discounts for two or more accesses from the same organization.

The date is fixed. What you do with it is up to you. If you plan early, you have more leeway. And if you take your customers with you in good time, you save yourself and them a lot of trouble.