If your website is built with Divi 4, you may have started hearing more about Divi 5 and wondering whether you need to do anything about it.
The short answer is: you don't necessarily need to panic, but you shouldn't ignore it either.
Divi 5 is now officially here, and it represents a significant change to the way Divi works behind the scenes. Elegant Themes is continuing to support Divi 4 for the time being, but new feature development is focused on Divi 5.
So if your business website is still running on Divi 4, now is a good time to start thinking about your options.
What's the difference between Divi 4 and Divi 5?
Divi 5 isn't simply a small update to Divi 4.
It has a new underlying architecture and a different way of handling Divi content. Divi 5 was designed to improve performance, stability and the editing experience, while providing a foundation for future development.
For existing Divi websites, there is a migration system designed to convert compatible Divi 4 content into the Divi 5 framework.
That doesn't necessarily mean starting your website again from scratch.
Do I have to upgrade immediately?
No.
If your Divi 4 website is working well, you don't need to suddenly take it offline and rebuild it tomorrow.
Elegant Themes is continuing to provide security updates and critical bug fixes for Divi 4. However, new feature development is happening in Divi 5, and Divi 4 will eventually reach the end of its support life.
That means it makes sense to plan your migration rather than waiting until you are forced into making a change.
What happens when you migrate?
This is where things can get a little more complicated.
Divi 5 has a migration system that scans your website and checks which parts are compatible.
Compatible Divi 4 content can be converted to the Divi 5 framework.
But if your website uses older third-party Divi modules or plugins that haven't been updated for Divi 5, those elements may continue to work using Divi's backwards compatibility system.
That's useful because it means you don't necessarily have to replace everything immediately.
However, there is a catch.
Pages using legacy modules still have to load parts of the older Divi framework, so they won't get the full benefit of Divi 5's new architecture and performance improvements.
That's one of the reasons we wouldn't recommend simply clicking the migration button and assuming the job is finished.
What should you check before migrating?
Before making a major change to an established website, we'd recommend looking at a few things.
1. Your Divi modules and plugins
Make a list of the Divi extensions and third-party plugins your website relies on.
Are they compatible with Divi 5?
If not, is there an updated version available?
Or is there a better alternative?
This can be particularly important on older websites that have accumulated plugins over the years.
2. Your website content
A migration is a great opportunity to ask whether your content is still doing its job.
Are your services still the same?
Are your prices or contact details correct?
Are there pages that are no longer needed?
Are there pages that should be rewritten?
Could your calls to action be clearer?
A website migration doesn't happen very often, so it's a good opportunity to deal with things you've been putting off.
3. Your SEO
Don't forget about SEO.
Check your page titles, meta descriptions, headings, internal links and schema.
Look at which pages are bringing traffic from Google and which aren't.
And don't assume that every existing page should simply be carried across unchanged.
Sometimes a migration is the perfect opportunity to improve the structure and content of the website at the same time.
4. Mobile and tablet layouts
Your website may look great on your computer and still have problems on smaller screens.
Check your pages on desktop, tablet and mobile.
Pay particular attention to:
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Menus
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Buttons
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Spacing
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Images
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Forms
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Headings
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Columns
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Pop-ups
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Calls to action
If you're migrating anyway, it's a good time to fix anything you've been ignoring.
5. Your security and WordPress setup
A migration is also a good time to look at the wider WordPress setup.
Are your plugins up to date?
Are there plugins you no longer need?
Are you using old or unsupported software?
Are your backups working?
Is your security setup still appropriate?
A website migration shouldn't be the only time you think about these things, but it can be a useful trigger for a proper review.
Do you need to rebuild your website?
Probably not.
That's one of the biggest things we'd want Divi 4 website owners to know.
Moving to Divi 5 doesn't automatically mean throwing away your existing website and starting again.
The Divi 5 Migrator is designed to convert compatible existing content, while unsupported modules can continue to operate through backwards compatibility.
However, every website is different.
A small, straightforward website with mostly standard Divi modules could be relatively straightforward.
A large, older website with lots of third-party modules, custom code and plugins could require considerably more planning.
That's why we'd recommend checking what you've actually got before deciding what needs to be done.
What happened when we migrated the DIGITALO website?
We recently migrated the DIGITALO website from Divi 4 to Divi 5.
And because our website has more than 200 pages, we didn't want to simply migrate it and walk away.
We worked on a copy of the site, removed legacy plugins, replaced outdated plugins, reviewed the SEO, rewrote pages, checked mobile and tablet layouts, reviewed legal documents, checked links and completely changed how our portfolio was structured.
Our portfolio went from one page to 125 individual project pages.
The migration became an opportunity to improve the website rather than simply change the software underneath it.
We've written more about exactly what we changed and why in our previous article:
Moving from Divi 4 to Divi 5: Why We Used It as an Opportunity to Review Our Entire Website
So, should you upgrade?
If you're running Divi 4, we wouldn't recommend ignoring Divi 5.
But we also wouldn't recommend rushing into a migration without first looking at your website and working out what you're dealing with.
You may be ready to migrate now.
You may need to replace a few older plugins first.
Or you may decide that your website needs a more thorough tidy-up before you migrate.
There's no single answer that applies to every Divi website.
The important thing is to know what you're working with and have a plan.
Still running Divi 4?
If you'd like someone to take a look at your existing website and help you work out what needs to happen before moving to Divi 5, DIGITALO can help.
We can review your existing Divi setup, identify potential issues, help with the migration and make sure the opportunity isn't wasted.
Because if you're going to make a significant change to your website, you might as well use it as an opportunity to make the website better too.
