Planning for a Magento Upgrade: 5 Steps for a Successful Upgrade

Irrespective of the eCommerce platform you prefer to use for your online shop, it’s essential to plan your upgrades. A well-thought through plan will reduce or even eliminate downtime, ensure there are no security risks, maximise performance of the upgrade, and ensure your digital business gets its upgrade on time so that you don’t suffer from glitches and cyber threats that can arise from outdated software version.

Here are 5 steps specifically for your next Magento upgrade to ensure your eCommerce solution in 2024 which delivers an optimum performance for your business and customers

1. Check extensions and customizations

Review your current Magento applications, extensions, and customizations to make sure they’re still needed for your business. If any item is outdated or obsolete or not utilised, uninstall, or remove it to clean up your platform. If an application is outdated but its function is still required, look for an alternative third-party extension for Magento compatibility to replace it with.

2. Assess employees’ eCommerce knowledge

Before your Magento upgrade, make sure the employees who work with your eCommerce platform, whether on the back end, technical side or the front end, customer facing side, are ready. Consider if professional training needs to be planned into the upgrade to get the most out of the changes and to address any queries before it goes live.

3. Plan a budget and project timeline

Check the release calendar for the Adobe Commerce platform so you know when they next upgrade will be available. This will help you to decide which version for each upgrade you need and therefore the extent and potential cost of the development work required.

4. Plan for deployment

A project plan is essential when carrying out a Magento upgrade. There are various tools to help you prepare and it’s important to make sure the whole project team are briefed and onboard with the budget, timeline, and scope. Adobe Commerce has additional upgrade preparation tools, including the Upgrade Compatibility Tool and the Site-Wide Analysis Tool.

Always check and document the changes that will be needed after the upgrade and make sure your plan includes the following:

• A plan for sharing with stakeholders.
• A maintenance window for any expected downtime.
• Time to ensure extensions and customisations are compatible with the upgraded version.
• A post-deployment plan that is updated to address any issues during the upgrade.
• A test plan with a robust testing framework or the use of a third-party tool.

5. Post deployment review

After the Magento 2.4.6 upgrade has been deployed, it is imperative to closely monitor the site for performance, and particularly order processing issues. It is usually the case that a mop-up of post-deployment bugs is required so allow for that in your planning and ensure you manage the expectations of your stakeholders prior to go live.

A security scan after deployment is also recommended to identify any potential security threats or vulnerabilities to your eCommerce store as a result of the changes.

A frank discussion with stakeholders will ensure an even better plan and smoother transition for the next Magento upgrade.

As an Adobe Magento partner Agency, chilliapple has been upgrading Magento platforms since 2008. Clients choose us because of our no-nonsense approach, Magento expertise and fair prices. Contact us to discuss your next upgrade plans.