Why It Is The High Time To Switch To Drupal 9 Now?

The software community often scales and prospers on the latest updates. They are mainly the upgrades from earlier editions with better performance, features, functionalities, and usability. And the products become more secure, efficient, and advanced when they are updated to the most recent technology. Drupal, being one of the most renowned Content Management Systems, has regularly been presenting updates every six months for its CMS. The latest version of Drupal is Drupal 9, which was launched on 3rd June 2020. And unlike the earlier migrations to the most up-to-date versions of Drupal, migrating to Drupal 9 is almost similar to updating to the new edition release. Besides, it is also important for the users to upgrade to this edition of Drupal sooner or later to enjoy complete functionality and also to retain their ability to get security updates within bi-yearly cycles. So, if you have the plan to migrate to Drupal 9, this blog works as a guide on why it is the right time to switch to it. But before that, it is important to learn a few things about Drupal 9.

About Drupal 9

Drupal 9 is developed with Drupal 8 as the foundation. In other words, it can be said that Drupal 9 is the incremental point-release upgrade for Drupal 8. But it doesn’t include the modules, which one can get in Drupal 8 like SimpleTest and Place Blocks.


Even though Drupal 9 doesn’t include many new features, the performance of this latest version would bring more people aboard. Besides, this new version makes things easier while offering better performance.

Differences between Drupal 8 and Drupal 9

Earlier, whenever the most updated versions of Drupal were released, those often send pulses of minor hysteria through the tech community as they didn’t assure backward compatibility with the earlier versions. Earlier, the developers would have to use migration modules for transferring content and data from the previous core versions to the most updated ones. Besides, to ensure that your modules were supported by Drupal 8, the developers had to search through the source files carefully to find out the deprecated code, which needs to be updated. And this process is quite frustrating and lengthy, mainly because many modules become outdated with each release or lag for a longer time.

But Drupal 9 creates a difference as it ensures backward compatibility, which means that the existing components of Drupal 8 would still work with this latest version. Drupal 8 would reach its end of life soon in November 2021. And this version will not get any other bug fixes, updates, or patches from Drupal’s developer community or Drupal.org.

If you have not upgraded to Drupal 9 yet and working with Drupal 8, then here are the steps to follow to upgrade to Drupal 9 from Drupal 8:

Why should you switch to Drupal 9?

Better and faster performance

Although Drupal 9 doesn’t come with any massive code requirements or changes in features, it offers better performance.

Cleaner code base

Even though Drupal 9 doesn’t come with any particular attributes, it is quite like Drupal 8. What makes both of these versions different is that Drupal 9 doesn’t come with deprecated codes. It means Drupal 9 offers you a cleaner codebase. And during Drupal 9 migration, the deprecated codes in every module in Drupal 8 wouldn’t have to be eliminated. It will make Drupal 9 very clean while allowing it to offer superior performance.

Backward compatibility

The majority of people think that upgrading to Drupal 9 means that they won’t be able to use the data, configurations, and modules of Drupal 8. But this is not the right case. While developing Drupal 9, the makers remove this issue successfully. So, this version of Drupal is backward compatible.

Easy to upgrade

The majority of the software community experts consider migrating to Drupal 9 as the easiest one. The main reason behind it is that Drupal 9 offers the commitment to easier upgrades even at some point. With this type of effortless upgrade to the latest version, one doesn’t have to re-platform the websites ever.

New layout builder

This is another latest upgrade of Drupal 9. The content editors and site builders of Drupal have been utilizing the Drupal layout builder to develop content display layouts with a drag-drop interface. This feature restores the PlaceBlocks modules, which were used in the former versions making Drupal 9 even easier to use.

Twig and Symphony update

Even third-party incorporation of Symphony has experienced an upgrade in Drupal 9. And Drupal 8.9 also used Symphony. And this major upgrade of versioning helps in updating the third-party core dependencies that include Twig, Symphony and, other related dependencies to the newest versions.

Headless CMS

The earlier versions of Drupal, to be more specific, the primary versions of Drupal worked as the continuous platform solution. The users had to use the similar CMS for both frontend and backend whether it was to display content or create pages. But Drupal 9 works as a headless CMS. It means, here one can develop the backend content repository on Drupal and utilize other frameworks or technologies instead of Drupal for building front-end. These technologies correspond with the backend through the API application programming interface.

𝗚𝗗𝗣𝗥 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

In connection with implementation of the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation “GDPR”), we would like to inform you of the rules regulating the processing of your personal data and on your rights connected with it.

The rules presented below will be applicable starting from 25 July 2021.

𝗜. 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿

Your personal data will be administered by personel administering SocioJump at [email protected].

𝗜𝗜. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮:

Adminitrator processes your personal data for the following purposes:

  1. to initiate, upon your request, actions to conclude an agreement with Administrator or when it is necessary for the performance of an agreement with the Administrator (Article 6.1(b) of GDPR)
  2. in certain situations it may prove necessary to process your data due to exercise of Administrator legitimate interest (Article 6.1(f) of GDPR

𝗜𝗜𝗜. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮

You must provide your personal data to conclude and perform an agreement with the Adminitrator. If you fail to provide all required personal data, this will prevent Administrator from concluding the agreement with you and providing services to you.

𝗜𝗩. 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮

In connection with the processing of your personal data for the purposes indicated in point II, your personal data may be disclosed to the following recipients or recipient categories:

  1. mailing companies,
  2. couriers,
  3. accounting office

𝗩. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗱𝘀

Your personal data will be processed for a period necessary for achievement of the objectives indicated in point II, i.e. in the scope of performance of the agreement concluded between you and Administrator, for a period until the end of its performance, and after that period for a period and in a scope required under the legal provisions or for implementation by Administrator of a legitimate interest of the data controller in the scope as prescribed in point II above, and if you give your consent to the data processing after termination or expiry of the agreement, until you withdraw your consent.

𝗩𝗜. 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁

Administrator would like to ensure you that all persons whose personal data are processed by the Administrator enjoy the respective rights resulting from GDPR. In view of the foregoing, you have the following rights:

  1. the right to access personal data, including the right to obtain copies of such data;
  2. the right to demand correction of personal data – if the data are incorrect or incomplete;
  3. the right to demand removal of personal data (the so-called right to be forgotten) – if:
  • the data are no longer necessary for the purposes for which they have been collected or processed,
  • the data subject raises an objection against data processing,
  • the data subject withdraws the consent on which the processing is based and there is no other legal basis for the processing,
  • the data are processed in violation of the law,
  • the data have to be removed for purpose of fulfillment of an obligation resulting from the legal provisions;
  1. the right to demand limitation of the processing of personal data—if:
  • the data subject questions the correctness of personal data,
  • the processing of data is in violation of the law and the data subject opposes removal of the data, demanding their limitation instead,
  • the controller no longer needs the data for own purposes, but the data subject needs them for determination, defense or pursuit of claims,
  • the data subject raises an objection against data processing, until it is determined if legally justified reasons on the part of the controller are superior to the basis of the opposition;
  1. the right of data portability – if:
  • the processing takes place on the basis of an agreement with the data subject or on the basis of consent expressed by such person, and
  • the processing takes place in an automated manner;
  1. the right to oppose the processing of personal data, including profiling – if:
  • certain reasons arise which are connected with your specific situation, and
  • the processing of data relies on the necessity for purposes resulting from Administrator’s legitimate interest referred to in point II above;

𝗩𝗜𝗜. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮

In the scope in which you have given your consent to the processing of personal data, you may revoke it. Revoking the consent does not affect the legality of the data processing carried out on the basis of the consent before it is revoked.

𝗩𝗜𝗜𝗜. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆

If you find that the processing by the Administrator of your personal data violates the provisions of GDPR, you may file a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority.

𝗜𝗫. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮 (𝗘𝗘𝗔) 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

In cases justified and necessary due to circumstances, the Administrator may disclose your personal data to entities having their registered office outside the EEA (USA, Singapore, India, China, Hong Kong, Canada and international organizations (e.g. SWIFT), as well as other entities having their registered office outside the EEA or international organizations to which the transfer is necessary for the purpose of performing the agreement (e.g. execution of your orders connected with the agreement). As a principle, data will be transferred outside the EEA on the basis of standard contractual clauses concluded with the recipient, the content of which has been determined by the European Commission and ensures the highest standards of personal data protection applied in the market. You have the right to obtain copies of such data through the Administrator.