When Drupal needs refactoring, not only an update
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A Drupal upgrade improves the platform's technical state, but it does not automatically fix a poorly designed workflow, data model or custom code.
Signs that an update is not enough
Updating Drupal (opens in a new tab) is necessary, but sometimes refactoring must happen before or alongside it.
Warning signs include:
- every small change breaks something unexpected;
- custom modules mix business logic with presentation logic;
- content types duplicate each other;
- editors rely on workarounds;
- testing depends only on manual clicking.
Refactoring must have a reason
Refactoring is not making code prettier for developer preference. It must reduce risk, simplify maintenance or make future changes cheaper.
WebPro usually assesses this during audit and testing. If the problem is clearly in custom code or the data model, custom Drupal development is the right track. If the problem is version and dependency related, the work belongs under Drupal upgrade or migration.
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Send the website URL and a short context. We will tell you whether the sensible next step is an audit, maintenance, an upgrade or a migration.