--- url: 'https://dxpr.com/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/drupal-release-cycle' title: 'Drupal release cycle | DXPR' author: name: Jurriaan url: 'https://dxpr.com/users/jurriaan' date: '2026-10-26T18:01:04+00:00' copyright: 'Copyright DXPR. All rights reserved.' type: article summary: "Drupal's published policy for when each core version ships and how long it gets bug and security fixes, so owners can plan updates ahead." tags: - 'Drupal glossary' image: 'https://dxpr.com/themes/custom/dxpr_com/images/dxpr-share-card.jpg' published: true og: site_name: DXPR updated_time: '2026-10-26T18:01:04+0000' 'image:alt': 'DXPR, powered by Drupal: AI-powered Drupal for marketers.' schema: '@context': 'https://schema.org' '@graph': - '@type': FAQPage mainEntity: - '@type': Question name: 'How long is a Drupal version supported?' acceptedAnswer: '@type': Answer text: '

A minor version is supported for one year: bug and security fixes for the first six months, security fixes only for the last six. A major version is supported for at least four years, until two further major versions are out. By that rule, Drupal 11 is supported until Drupal 13 is released.

' - '@type': Question name: 'When is Drupal 12 released?' acceptedAnswer: '@type': Answer text: '

The core schedule lists 12.0.0 for the week of 7 December 2026. As of 26 October 2026 the latest release is 12.0.0-beta2, and the schedule plans the first release candidate for the week of 9 November. Check the schedule page before you commit to a date.

' - '@type': Question name: 'What is in a patch release?' acceptedAnswer: '@type': Answer text: '

Patch releases come monthly and hold non-disruptive bug fixes, so Drupal.org treats them as safe to apply. Security fixes ship in them too. New features and deprecations arrive in minor releases instead.

' - '@type': Question name: 'How do I find out which Drupal version my site runs?' acceptedAnswer: '@type': Answer text: '

Open the Status report at /admin/reports/status. Its Drupal row shows the installed core version. Compare that number with the release pages on Drupal.org to see whether your minor is still supported.

' - '@type': TechArticle headline: 'Drupal release cycle' description: "Drupal's published policy for when each core version ships and how long it gets bug and security fixes, so owners can plan updates ahead." image: '@type': ImageObject url: 'https://dxpr.com/themes/custom/dxpr_com/images/dxpr-share-card.jpg' width: '1200' height: '630' datePublished: '2026-10-26T18:01:04+0000' dateModified: '2026-10-26T18:01:04+0000' author: '@type': Organization '@id': 'https://dxpr.com/#organization' name: DXPR url: 'https://dxpr.com/' logo: '@type': ImageObject url: 'https://dxpr.com/themes/custom/dxpr_com/dxpr-logo-dark.svg' width: '1348' height: '501' publisher: '@type': Organization '@id': 'https://dxpr.com/#organization' name: DXPR url: 'https://dxpr.com/' logo: '@type': ImageObject url: 'https://dxpr.com/themes/custom/dxpr_com/dxpr-logo-dark.svg' width: '1348' height: '501' mainEntityOfPage: 'https://dxpr.com/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/drupal-release-cycle' articleSection: 'Drupal glossary' - '@type': WebPage '@id': 'https://dxpr.com/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/drupal-release-cycle' description: "Drupal's published policy for when each core version ships and how long it gets bug and security fixes, so owners can plan updates ahead." breadcrumb: '@type': BreadcrumbList itemListElement: - '@type': ListItem position: 1 name: Home item: 'https://dxpr.com/' publisher: '@type': Organization '@id': 'https://dxpr.com/#organization' name: DXPR inLanguage: en --- [Help Center](/hc)/[Documentation](/hc/documentation) /[Learn Drupal](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal) /[Drupal glossary](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary) # Drupal release cycle Drupal's published policy for when each core version ships and how long it gets bug and security fixes, so owners can plan updates ahead. Learn DrupalDrupal glossary Last updated October 26, 2026 ## In this guide Related terms - [Core](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/core) - [Update](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/update) - [Security update](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/security-update) - [Drupal Security Team](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/drupal-security-team) - [Contributed](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/contributed) - [Composer](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/composer) [All Drupal terms from A to Z](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary) The Drupal release cycle is the published timetable that decides when new versions of Drupal core appear and when old ones lose support. It uses semantic versioning with three kinds of release: a patch every month, a minor about every six months and a major every two years. A site owner uses it to plan updates before support ends. ## How the release cycle works in Drupal 11 The Drupal.org release process overview defines the three types. A major release may contain breaking changes that the continuous upgrade path allows. A minor release brings bug fixes, new features and deprecations, in June and December. A patch release holds bug fixes only. Rare off-schedule minors exist for an important fix that is too disruptive for a patch. Support follows from the type. A minor gets bug and security fixes for six months and security fixes alone for six more. When a new major ships, the previous major gets a long-term support phase with a maintenance minor every six months. New versions pass through alpha, beta and release candidate stages. For a minor, each stage lasts about two weeks. For a major, the beta stage lasts two months and the release candidate stage one month. Those are targets; the dates move. Releases happen in windows. Drupal.org lists a bugfix window on the first Wednesday of the month for 11.4.x and a security window, usually on the third Wednesday, for 11.4.x, 11.3.x and 10.6.x. Not every window produces a release. The [Drupal Security Team](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/drupal-security-team) announces the security ones, and [security update](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/security-update) covers what to do when one lands. ## Example This is the position on 26 October 2026, from the Drupal.org release pages: | Version | Status | |---|---| | 10.6.20 | Stable; the last minor of Drupal 10, which reaches end of life on 9 December 2026 | | 11.3.20 | Stable; security coverage until December 2026 | | 11.4.11 | Stable, released 21 October 2026; security coverage until June 2027 | | 11.5.0-beta1 | Beta, released 15 October 2026; not for production | | 12.0.0-beta2 | Beta, released 14 October 2026; not for production | A site on 11.3.20 should plan its move to 11.4.x or to 11.5.0 before that December date. The 11.5.0-beta1 notes also announce deprecations, among them the Search, Settings Tray, Shortcut and Toolbar modules. The notes say they have moved to contributed projects and that more modules may be deprecated before Drupal 12. Such lists can change before the final release. ## Common mistakes - **Reading supported as fully fixed.** In the second half of its year, a minor receives security fixes only. Bugs you hit stay unfixed there. - **Planning around a date as if it were a promise.** Drupal 12 beta1 was scheduled for the week of 14 September 2026 and was released on 30 September. Build slack into any plan that depends on a release. - **Putting a beta on a live site.** The 12.0.0-beta2 and 11.5.0-beta1 notes both say betas are not for production. - **Treating the major number as the only deadline.** The minor you run has its own end date, which can come years before the major version ends. ## For marketing and content teams The cycle gives you a calendar. Ask your developers which minor your site runs, when its security coverage ends, and which month the next update is planned. Put the third Wednesday of each month in the team calendar as a possible security day, and avoid launching a campaign into that window without a standby plan. A major upgrade is a project with a budget, so raise it early, not in the month support ends. This term covers the timing and support windows; the [update](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/update) term covers the steps, and [core](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/core) explains what the versions contain. ## Sources - [Drupal.org: Release process overview](https://www.drupal.org/about/core/policies/core-release-cycles/release-process-overview) - [Drupal.org: Drupal core release cycle overview](https://www.drupal.org/core/release-cycle-overview) - [Drupal.org: Drupal core release schedule](https://www.drupal.org/about/core/policies/core-release-cycles/schedule) - [Drupal.org: Drupal core releases](https://www.drupal.org/project/drupal/releases) - [Drupal.org: Drupal core 11.4.11 release notes](https://www.drupal.org/project/drupal/releases/11.4.11) - [Drupal.org: Drupal core 11.5.0-beta1 release notes](https://www.drupal.org/project/drupal/releases/11.5.0-beta1) - [Drupal.org: Drupal core 12.0.0-beta2 release notes](https://www.drupal.org/project/drupal/releases/12.0.0-beta2) - [SystemRequirementsHooks, Drupal 11.4.10 source](https://git.drupalcode.org/project/drupal/-/raw/11.4.10/core/modules/system/src/Hook/SystemRequirementsHooks.php) ## Questions about Drupal release cycle ### How long is a Drupal version supported? A minor version is supported for one year: bug and security fixes for the first six months, security fixes only for the last six. A major version is supported for at least four years, until two further major versions are out. By that rule, Drupal 11 is supported until Drupal 13 is released. ### When is Drupal 12 released? The core schedule lists 12.0.0 for the week of 7 December 2026. As of 26 October 2026 the latest release is 12.0.0-beta2, and the schedule plans the first release candidate for the week of 9 November. Check the schedule page before you commit to a date. ### What is in a patch release? Patch releases come monthly and hold non-disruptive bug fixes, so Drupal.org treats them as safe to apply. Security fixes ship in them too. New features and deprecations arrive in minor releases instead. ### How do I find out which Drupal version my site runs? Open the Status report at /admin/reports/status. Its Drupal row shows the installed core version. Compare that number with the release pages on Drupal.org to see whether your minor is still supported. ## Cite this definition "Drupal release cycle." DXPR Drupal glossary, https://dxpr.com/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/drupal-release-cycle. Last updated October 26, 2026. Copy ## Related terms - [Core](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/core) - [Update](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/update) - [Security update](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/security-update) - [Drupal Security Team](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/drupal-security-team) - [Contributed](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/contributed) - [Composer](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary/composer) [All Drupal terms from A to Z](/hc/documentation/learn-drupal/drupal-glossary)