What is Umbraco Extended Long Term Support?
8 min read
- Umbraco Extended Long Term Support (XLTS) extends security support after End of Life. It provides critical security updates and continued support for compliance requirements when an Umbraco project can’t be upgraded immediately.
- XLTS buys you time. It can be useful for complex enterprise websites, projects with limited development resources, or organisations working within fixed budgets.
- An Umbraco Upgrade should still be the long term goal. XLTS keeps an older version protected for a defined period, but it doesn’t provide the benefits, features, or improvements available in a supported Umbraco version.
If your organisation runs an Umbraco website on an old or outdated version, you may have come across the terms Umbraco Extended Long Term Support and Umbraco XLTS.
As websites become more complex, an Umbraco Upgrade also becomes increasingly complex. There can be integrations, custom functionality, third party packages and bespoke infrastructure, as well as your own organisation’s internal processes to consider.
That’s where Umbraco XLTS can give organisations ‘xtra breathing room!
In this guide, we explain what Umbraco Extended Long Term Support is, how it works, and why it should only be viewed as a temporary solution while you plan your next Umbraco Upgrade.
Umbraco Extended Long Term Support is a service that provides continued security and compliance coverage for eligible Umbraco versions after their standard support period ends.
When an Umbraco version reaches End of Life, it no longer receives updates from Umbraco! For any organisation running a business critical website or digital platform, continuing without security updates can create operational and compliance risks.
XLTS provides a way to extend protection beyond that End of Life date while an organisation prepares for its next step.
At the time of writing, Umbraco currently offers XLTS for its Long Term Support versions from Umbraco 10 onwards, with XLTS also available for Umbraco 7 and Umbraco 8. Coverage can be purchased for 6, 12 or 24 months.
Umbraco XLTS begins after an Umbraco version’s End of Life date, providing critical security updates for the agreed period.
Updates are delivered through a secure private feed. Coverage must also be continuous, meaning organisations cannot allow an XLTS agreement to lapse and then restart it later.
For an enterprise organisation, this can provide valuable time to properly assess their existing website, and plan an Umbraco Upgrade around business priorities.
That could mean reviewing integrations, auditing custom functionality, planning content migration, assessing technical debt, and agreeing a realistic project timeline with internal stakeholders.
There are several situations where XLTS can make sense.
You might have an enterprise website with a complex tech stack that requires significant upgrade work. You may have limited developer availability, or a budget that’s already been allocated elsewhere.
Your website may also be in maintenance mode, with little active development taking place.
In these situations, rushing an Umbraco Upgrade could introduce unnecessary risk. XLTS can provide extra time to properly understand the work involved and plan the upgrade around your organisation.
For enterprise decision makers, that extra time can help turn an urgent technical issue into an expertly managed and executed project.
Umbraco XLTS is designed to provide an extra window of support while you plan your next upgrade.
It doesn’t move your website onto a newer Umbraco version. Your existing platform still stays on the same version, meaning you don’t get access to newer Umbraco features, improvements, and development opportunities available through an Umbraco Upgrade.
There’s also a wider business consideration.
The longer an organisation operates an older technology stack, the more technical debt accumulates. Older integrations, packages, and custom functionality can become increasingly difficult to maintain.
XLTS can therefore be a useful part of an upgrade strategy, but it shouldn’t become a reason to postpone the conversation indefinitely.
A successful Umbraco Upgrade starts with understanding what you already have.
Before development begins, an Umbraco Agency (like Cold Banana!) should assess the current website, CMS version, integrations, custom code, third party packages, hosting environment and content structure.
From there, we can establish what needs to be upgraded, rebuilt, replaced or retired.
A structured approach could include:
- Audit the Existing Platform
Understand how the current Umbraco website has been built and identify areas that could affect the upgrade.
- Review Integrations and Custom Functionality
Enterprise websites often rely on CRM, ERP, ecommerce, marketing and other business system integrations. These need to be considered as part of the wider upgrade.
- Identify Tech Debt
An upgrade can be a good opportunity to address outdated functionality and simplify parts of the platform where appropriate.
- Plan Content and Data Migration
Content migration needs careful planning, particularly for large websites with complex content structures.
- Build a Realistic Roadmap
Your Umbraco Upgrade should fit around business priorities, budgets and internal resources.
- QA Testing Before Going Live
Thorough testing identifies issues across functionality, integrations, performance, accessibility, and user journeys before the new platform goes live.
At Cold Banana we’re an Umbraco Gold Partner agency, which means our expertise in the enterprise CMS has been recognised by Umbraco themselves! From Umbraco Upgrades and migrations to bespoke development, integrations, ecommerce / Ucommerce and ongoing Umbraco support, we help businesses build and maintain Umbraco experiences to cater to their specific business needs.
Our approach combines technical expertise with a straightforward, collaborative way of working.
If your Umbraco website is approaching End of Life, we can help you understand your options, including whether XLTS is appropriate in the short term, and what an eventual Umbraco Upgrade could look like.
And Umbraco is only part of what we do.
Alongside web development, we work across app development, AI product development, ecommerce, performance marketing, data and analytics and more!
Thinking about your next Umbraco Upgrade?
Let's talk about where you are now, where you need to get, to and what needs to happen in between. Get in touch today!
What Does Umbraco XLTS Stand For?
Umbraco XLTS stands for Extended Long Term Support. It’s an Umbraco service that provides continued critical security updates and compliance coverage for eligible Umbraco versions after their standard End of Life date.
How Long Does Umbraco XLTS Last?
Umbraco currently offers XLTS coverage for 6, 12 or 24 months. Coverage starts the day after the relevant End of Life date and must be continuous.
Does Umbraco XLTS Include New Features?
No. XLTS is focused on security and compliance coverage for an existing Umbraco version. It does not provide the new features and improvements that come with upgrading to a supported version.
Is Umbraco XLTS an Alternative to an Umbraco Upgrade?
XLTS can provide extra breathing room to plan an upgrade, but it should generally be considered a temporary measure. An Umbraco Upgrade allows an organisation to move onto a supported version and take advantage of newer platform capabilities.
When Should I Start Planning an Umbraco Upgrade?
Several months before your current Umbraco version reaches End of Life! Starting early gives your organisation time to audit the platform, understand the development requirements, plan budgets, and manage the upgrade around wider business priorities. Smaller websites will take less time to upgrade to a new version of Umbraco, while larger or more complex sites will take longer.
If your website is already approaching or has passed End of Life, XLTS provides extra time to plan the work.