Often you cannot jump straight to the latest release. Major CMSs publish a minimum starting version, such as Drupal 10.3 before Drupal 11 or Joomla 5.4 before Joomla 6, and very old installs may need a content migration instead. Find your exact version, read the target release's upgrade guide, and step through any required intermediates.
From the original phpWordPress forum · archived copy
phpWordPress staff (Product Line Manager) ·
This came up as a rather frequent problem, so I'm posting this to avoid any further issues with upgrading to latest v3.2 The upgrade pack you can download from our site refers only to upgrading from 3.1 -> 3.2, as clearly stated in readme.txt Quote:
a forum member ·
So where do I find the 3.1 upgrade? I have all the upgrades but seemed to miss the 3.1. I am currently using 3.0.
View the archived thread on the Wayback Machine. Usernames and contact details have been removed.
In 2006 a customer on version 3.0 discovered that the vendor’s 3.2 upgrade pack only covered 3.1 to 3.2, and that they had missed the 3.1 step. Current CMSs have the same rule: the upgrade guide for a release assumes you start from a particular version.
Can I skip CMS versions?
It depends on the system and on whether the jump is within a series or across a major version. The published minimums show the pattern.
| CMS | Target | Documented starting point |
|---|---|---|
| Drupal | Drupal 11 | Site must be on Drupal 10.3.0 or later; earlier core updates were removed in Drupal 11 |
| Drupal | Drupal 10 | Update to Drupal 9.4.x or 9.5.x first |
| Drupal | Any current release | From Drupal 6 or 7, content and configuration are migrated to a new site |
| Joomla | Joomla 6 | Guide assumes Joomla 5.4.x; earlier versions update to 5.4.x first |
| WordPress | Latest | Follow the extended instructions when updating across multiple versions; very old installs (0.7 to 3.6) are better migrated |
The Drupal line is the clearest modern equivalent of the 2006 problem. Once a major release drops the old update steps, a site too far behind cannot run them, so the vendor tells you to land on a late version of the previous series first.
What does “sequential” mean in practice?
Sequential upgrading means stepping through each required release in order, running the update routine after each step and checking the site works before moving on.
- Find your exact version, not just the product name.
- Open the upgrade guide for your target and read the minimum starting version.
- If you are below it, list every intermediate release you must pass through.
- Rehearse the whole chain on a copy of the site, and time it.
- Run the chain on production, testing after each hop.
Our guide to major upgrades covers backups and staging in more detail.
How do I find my version?
Joomla’s documentation says the version number appears in the top toolbar of the administrator area and on the Home Dashboard, which also reports whether updates are available. For other systems, check the admin dashboard, the about or status page, or the version file in the installation, and confirm it in the vendor’s documentation. Also note your PHP version, since a new CMS release may need a newer one: the Joomla 6 guide lists PHP 8.3 as a requirement, and Drupal 11 needs PHP 8.3.0 or later.
When is a rebuild better than a chain of upgrades?
WordPress documentation says an incremental approach may help on a large site if an upgrade takes longer than expected, but for very old installations it recommends moving the content instead. Drupal does not offer an in-place route from versions 6 and 7 at all.
A rebuild usually wins when:
- the version is several majors behind and the extensions you used no longer exist,
- the theme was heavily customised for the old template system,
- the hosting cannot run both the old and new PHP versions the chain would need.
A chain of upgrades wins when the site is only one or two releases behind and the extensions have maintained versions for each step.
How do I stay current without a big project each time?
Most of the pain comes from letting years pass. Three habits help:
- Automatic minor and security updates. WordPress documentation says most sites have applied these in the background since version 3.7, with major releases needing a click. Joomla notifies updates within the current major version by default.
- A fixed review slot. Check for major releases and end-of-support dates every quarter and plan the upgrade early.
- Watching PHP. PHP.net gives each branch two years of full support and two of security fixes only. PHP.net says users of an end-of-life release should upgrade as soon as possible.
WordPress’s hardening documentation puts the risk plainly: older versions are not maintained with security updates. For a publisher that holds reader accounts, newsletter lists or payment details, that matters more than any new feature.
What should I record before starting?
Write down a short inventory before any step, because the 2006 customer’s problem was partly one of records: they held “all the upgrades” but had lost track of which one was missing.
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| CMS version | Decides the minimum starting point and the chain of steps |
| PHP version and database version | A target release may need a newer PHP, so hosting may change mid-chain |
| Theme name and version | Templates are the most common casualty of a major step |
| Extension list with versions | Each one needs a release that supports the target version |
| Custom code and core edits | Core edits are lost on update; custom code needs a developer’s review |
| Date of last tested backup | You should be able to roll back to a known state |
Keep the list in the project repository or a shared document, and update it after each upgrade. It turns the next upgrade from detective work into a checklist, and it gives an agency a clear brief if you hand the job over.
What if the vendor’s upgrade pack does not cover my version?
Ask the vendor or agency in writing which path they support from your version, and whether they will do it for you. If they only support the previous release, you may need an intermediate upgrade first. See working with vendors and agencies for how to agree that scope. For release history of the old phpWordPress product this thread came from, see the what’s new archive.
This page summarises vendor documentation. Word & Press has not run these upgrade chains; see how we test for what we do verify.
Questions people ask
Can I skip a version when upgrading my CMS?
Sometimes within a series, rarely across majors. Drupal 11 requires you to be on 10.3.0 or later, and Joomla 6 expects you on 5.4.x. Read the upgrade guide for the target version, because it states the minimum starting point.
How do I find out which version of my CMS I am running?
Look in the admin area first. Joomla shows the version in the administrator toolbar and on the Home Dashboard. Other systems show it in a status or about screen, in the footer of the admin, or in a version file in the code. Check your CMS documentation for the exact place.
What if my CMS version is very old?
Expect a migration rather than an upgrade. WordPress documentation recommends content migration for very old installs, and Drupal says a Drupal 6 or 7 site must be migrated to a new site. Treat it as a rebuild with your content moved across.
How do I avoid falling behind on versions again?
Turn on automatic minor and security updates where your CMS offers them, and book a major upgrade before support ends. Subscribe to the release and security announcements, and track your PHP version too, because it has its own end-of-life dates.
Sources
- Drupal's Drupal 10 to 11 upgrade guide states the site must be running Drupal 10.3.0 or later, and that all earlier core updates have been removed in Drupal 11, and that the hosting environment needs PHP 8.3.0 or later. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- Drupal's Drupal 9 to 10 upgrade guide tells you to update to Drupal 9.4.x or 9.5.x, if not already on that version, before upgrading to Drupal 10. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- Drupal's documentation states that an update cannot simply be applied to an existing Drupal 6/7 site; the content and configuration must be migrated to a new Drupal 10 (or later) site. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- Drupal's upgrading documentation has separate instructions for minor and patch version site updates and separate sections for upgrades from Drupal 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- Joomla's 5 to 6 upgrade guide assumes you are starting from Joomla 5.4.x and says that if you are on an earlier version you should migrate or update to 5.4.x before upgrading to Joomla 6.x. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- Joomla's 5 to 6 upgrade guide lists PHP 8.3 as a technical requirement. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- Joomla's version update documentation says that with the Update Channel set to Default, updates within the current major version are notified, and that the current version number appears in the top toolbar of the administrator area and on the Home Dashboard. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- WordPress's extended upgrade instructions say that on a large site an incremental approach may help if the upgrade takes longer than expected, and that for very old installations (0.7 to 3.6) a content migration approach is recommended instead of a direct upgrade. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- WordPress documentation says that since WordPress 3.7 most sites can apply minor and security updates automatically in the background, while major feature releases still need you to click Update Now. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- WordPress's update documentation says that if you are updating across multiple versions you should follow its extended upgrade instructions, and that you should always update to the latest version. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- WordPress hardening documentation says you should always keep up to date with the latest version of WordPress and that older versions are not maintained with security updates. — source, checked 10 October 2026.
- PHP.net states each release branch is fully supported for two years and then supported for two further years for critical security issues only, and that an end-of-life release should be upgraded as soon as possible. — source, checked 10 October 2026.