{"id":71321,"date":"2025-04-01T13:56:46","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T08:26:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/?p=71321"},"modified":"2025-04-17T21:12:28","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T15:42:28","slug":"detailed-strapi-migration-guide-from-v3-to-v4-with-typical-challenges-and-fixes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/detailed-strapi-migration-guide-from-v3-to-v4-with-typical-challenges-and-fixes\/","title":{"rendered":"Detailed Strapi migration guide from v3 to v4 with typical challenges and fixes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_71317\" style=\"width: 715px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71317\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-71317\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/03\/myblogheading-300x121.jpg\" alt=\"Blog title\" width=\"705\" height=\"282\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-71317\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Blog title<\/p><\/div>\n<h1>Step 1: Understand How V3 and V4 Differ<\/h1>\n<p>Understanding how v4 differs from v3 is essential before beginning the migration. Among the significant modifications are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>New Codebase Structure:<\/strong> Strapi v4 makes it easier to maintain and modular by introducing a new folder structure.<\/li>\n<li><strong>API Improvements:<\/strong> v4 makes use of OpenAPI specifications and endpoints are now more standardized.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Database Migration:<\/strong> v4\u00a0requires\u00a0schema\u00a0and\u00a0data\u00a0updates\u00a0and\u00a0handles\u00a0database\u00a0migrations\u00a0differently.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Common Challenge:<\/strong> If\u00a0you\u00a0have\u00a0a\u00a0highly\u00a0customized\u00a0Strapi\u00a0v3\u00a0instance,\u00a0it\u00a0may\u00a0be\u00a0challenging\u00a0to\u00a0understand\u00a0these\u00a0changes.<br \/>\n<strong>Solution:<\/strong> Plan to migrate each one individually after reading the official upgrade guide and noting your current v3 customization. Don&#8217;t tamper with everything.<\/p>\n<h1>Step 2: Get Your Current Project Ready<\/h1>\n<p>Prior\u00a0to\u00a0initiating\u00a0the\u00a0migration:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Make\u00a0a\u00a0full\u00a0backup\u00a0of\u00a0your\u00a0Strapi\u00a0v3\u00a0project,\u00a0including\u00a0the\u00a0uploaded\u00a0files\u00a0and\u00a0database.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Challenge:<\/strong> If\u00a0you\u00a0use\u00a0cloud\u00a0storage\u00a0for\u00a0your\u00a0assets,\u00a0backing\u00a0up\u00a0large\u00a0projects\u00a0may\u00a0take\u00a0some\u00a0time.<br \/>\n<strong>Solution:<\/strong> You\u00a0can\u00a0create\u00a0a\u00a0local\u00a0store\u00a0backup.zip\u00a0or Create\u00a0a\u00a0distinct\u00a0branch\u00a0specifically\u00a0for\u00a0backup\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0event\u00a0of\u00a0version\u00a0control\u00a0(Git).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Audit Custom Code:<\/strong> List\u00a0every\u00a0modification\u00a0made\u00a0to\u00a0your\u00a0Strapi\u00a0v3\u00a0instance,\u00a0including\u00a0unique\u00a0plugins,\u00a0configurations,\u00a0and\u00a0APIs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Problem:<\/strong> If\u00a0there\u00a0is\u00a0not\u00a0enough\u00a0documentation\u00a0for\u00a0your\u00a0modifications.<br \/>\n<strong>Solution:<\/strong> Reverse-engineering\u00a0them\u00a0can\u00a0help\u00a0you\u00a0resolve\u00a0your\u00a0complexity,\u00a0but\u00a0remember\u00a0to\u00a0keep\u00a0a\u00a0fresh\u00a0document\u00a0with\u00a0your\u00a0migration\u00a0modifications. Your\u00a0fellow\u00a0developers\u00a0will\u00a0find\u00a0this\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0very\u00a0convenient.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Copy Configuration Details:<\/strong> Transfer your existing configurations (e.g., .env details) to ensure a smoother transition to v4.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Step\u00a03:\u00a0Create\u00a0a\u00a0New\u00a0Strapi\u00a0v4\u00a0Instance<\/h1>\n<p>Upgrading\u00a0from\u00a0version\u00a03\u00a0to\u00a0version\u00a04\u00a0is\u00a0not\u00a0possible. Rather,\u00a0you\u00a0must\u00a0start\u00a0a\u00a0new\u00a0Strapi\u00a0v4\u00a0project:<\/p>\n<pre><code>npx create-strapi-app@latest my-project --quickstart<\/code><\/pre>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Database Type:<\/strong> To\u00a0make\u00a0data\u00a0migration\u00a0easier,\u00a0select\u00a0the\u00a0same\u00a0database\u00a0type\u00a0as\u00a0your\u00a0v3\u00a0project\u00a0(e.g.,\u00a0MySQL,\u00a0PostgreSQL,\u00a0etc.).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Challenge:<\/strong> Changing\u00a0database\u00a0types\u00a0(such\u00a0as\u00a0MySQL\u00a0to\u00a0SQLite)\u00a0might\u00a0necessitate\u00a0the\u00a0use\u00a0of\u00a0extra\u00a0data\u00a0transformation\u00a0tools.<br \/>\n<strong>Suggestion:<\/strong> My\u00a0recommendation\u00a0is\u00a0that\u00a0you\u00a0stick\u00a0with\u00a0your\u00a0old\u00a0database\u00a0and\u00a0perform\u00a0a\u00a0database-specific\u00a0migration\u00a0separately.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_71318\" style=\"width: 458px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71318\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-71318\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-31-at-6.41.07\u202fPM-300x195.png\" alt=\"Login and singp page\" width=\"448\" height=\"291\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-31-at-6.41.07\u202fPM-300x195.png 300w, \/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-31-at-6.41.07\u202fPM-1024x665.png 1024w, \/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-31-at-6.41.07\u202fPM-768x499.png 768w, \/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-31-at-6.41.07\u202fPM-1536x997.png 1536w, \/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-31-at-6.41.07\u202fPM-624x405.png 624w, \/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-31-at-6.41.07\u202fPM.png 1950w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-71318\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">yourFirsLookOfStapi<\/p><\/div>\n<p>After the successful completion of setup you will see the above interface on your browser.<\/p>\n<h1>Step\u00a04:\u00a0Recreate\u00a0Components\u00a0and\u00a0Collections<\/h1>\n<p>Although Strapi v4 offers a new method for handling different kinds of content, you can still transfer your current collection and components straight from the old code base to the new one.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><strong>Copy Collection\u2019s: <\/strong><\/strong>Simply navigate to your v3 codebase&#8217;s \/api directory, copy each collection, and then paste it in the appropriate location in your v4 codebase<\/li>\n<li><strong>Copy components:<\/strong> To\u00a0get\u00a0your\u00a0old\u00a0components\u00a0in\u00a0new\u00a0ones,\u00a0repeat\u00a0the\u00a0process\u00a0from\u00a0the\u00a0\/components\u00a0directory\u00a0after\u00a0you&#8217;ve\u00a0finished\u00a0with\u00a0collections.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Migrate Relations:<\/strong> Because\u00a0the\u00a0syntax\u00a0has\u00a0changed\u00a0in\u00a0version\u00a04,\u00a0pay\u00a0attention\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0relationships\u00a0between\u00a0collections.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Challenge:<\/strong> Manually mapping intricate relationships can be prone to mistakes. Throughout the process, keep track of fields and relationships using a spreadsheet.<br \/>\n<strong>Tip:<\/strong> To\u00a0make\u00a0your\u00a0new\u00a0v4\u00a0structure\u00a0more\u00a0efficient,\u00a0eliminate\u00a0extra\u00a0code\u00a0or\u00a0superfluous\u00a0data\u00a0attributes.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_71319\" style=\"width: 252px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71319\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-71319\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-31-at-6.43.39\u202fPM-242x300.png\" alt=\"folder of api and components of your strapi\" width=\"242\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-31-at-6.43.39\u202fPM-242x300.png 242w, \/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-31-at-6.43.39\u202fPM-827x1024.png 827w, \/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-31-at-6.43.39\u202fPM-768x951.png 768w, \/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-31-at-6.43.39\u202fPM-624x773.png 624w, \/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Screenshot-2025-03-31-at-6.43.39\u202fPM.png 1016w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 242px) 100vw, 242px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-71319\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">folder of api and components of your strapi<\/p><\/div>\n<h1>Step\u00a05:\u00a0Data\u00a0Migration<\/h1>\n<p>One\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0most\u00a0challenging\u00a0aspects\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0upgrade\u00a0is\u00a0data\u00a0migration. There\u00a0are\u00a0two\u00a0primary\u00a0methods:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Export and Import Data:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>All you have to do to carry out database migration is execute a script in accordance with the instructions, and your converted data for Strapi v4 will be ready.\n<ul>\n<li>Script Link: <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/strapi\/migration-scripts\">https:\/\/github.com\/strapi\/migration-scripts<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>For\u00a0backup\u00a0purposes,\u00a0export\u00a0your\u00a0data\u00a0from\u00a0the\u00a0v3\u00a0database\u00a0using\u00a0a\u00a0program\u00a0like\u00a0mysqldump\u00a0or\u00a0pg_dump.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Flatten API\u2019s responses:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>This\u00a0section\u00a0of\u00a0Strapi\u00a0v4\u00a0is\u00a0entirely\u00a0different\u00a0if\u00a0you&#8217;re\u00a0using\u00a0GraphQL\u00a0in\u00a0your\u00a0existing\u00a0Strapi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_71334\" style=\"width: 469px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-71334\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-71334\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-01-at-10.28.21\u202fAM-300x175.png\" alt=\"Query comparsion of graphQL in strapi v3 and v4\" width=\"459\" height=\"268\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-01-at-10.28.21\u202fAM-300x175.png 300w, \/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-01-at-10.28.21\u202fAM-1024x597.png 1024w, \/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-01-at-10.28.21\u202fAM-768x448.png 768w, \/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-01-at-10.28.21\u202fAM-1536x896.png 1536w, \/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-01-at-10.28.21\u202fAM-624x364.png 624w, \/blog\/wp-ttn-blog\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Screenshot-2025-04-01-at-10.28.21\u202fAM.png 1636w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 459px) 100vw, 459px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-71334\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Query comparsion of graphQL in strapi v3 and v4<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\"><\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0response\u00a0format\u00a0has\u00a0been\u00a0updated\u00a0for\u00a0both\u00a0GraphQL\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0RESTful\u00a0API\u00a0in\u00a0accordance\u00a0with\u00a0the\u00a0GraphQL\u00a0query\u00a0style\u00a0update. You\u00a0can\u00a0then\u00a0use\u00a0this\u00a0plugin\u00a0to\u00a0change\u00a0the\u00a0data\u00a0to\u00a0your\u00a0old\u00a0notation\u00a0in\u00a0order\u00a0to\u00a0solve\u00a0this\u00a0issue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Plugin Link<\/strong> &#8211;\u00a0 https:\/\/market.strapi.io\/plugins\/strapi-plugin-untransform-response<\/p>\n<p><strong>Challenge:<\/strong> Ensuring data consistency during migration can be tricky, especially for large datasets with complex relationships.<br \/>\n<strong>New Consideration:<\/strong> Strapi v4 enforces a default page limit of 10. Update your queries or configurations if you need to fetch larger datasets<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Step\u00a06:\u00a0Modify\u00a0Permissions\u00a0and\u00a0APIs<\/h1>\n<p>V4\u00a0APIs\u00a0use\u00a0a\u00a0different\u00a0format,\u00a0and\u00a0v3\u00a0custom\u00a0endpoints\u00a0may\u00a0not\u00a0work. To\u00a0correct\u00a0this:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Recreate Custom Endpoints:<\/strong> Use\u00a0the\u00a0new\u00a0Strapi\u00a0v4\u00a0format\u00a0to\u00a0rewrite\u00a0your\u00a0custom\u00a0controllers\u00a0and\u00a0services.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Update Permissions:<\/strong> In\u00a0the\u00a0v4\u00a0admin\u00a0panel,\u00a0change\u00a0the\u00a0permissions\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0roles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Step\u00a07:\u00a0Plugin\u00a0Migration<\/h1>\n<p>Strapi\u00a0v4\u00a0is\u00a0incompatible\u00a0with\u00a0plugins\u00a0made\u00a0for\u00a0Strapi\u00a0v3. You\u00a0must:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Verify\u00a0the\u00a0availability\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0plugin:<\/strong> **Official\u00a0v4\u00a0versions\u00a0are\u00a0available\u00a0for\u00a0some\u00a0well-known\u00a0v3\u00a0plugins,\u00a0such\u00a0as\u00a0Upload\u00a0and\u00a0GraphQL. Use\u00a0the\u00a0CLI\u00a0to\u00a0install\u00a0them:\n<ul>\n<li><code>npm install @strapi\/plugin-graphql<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rewrite Custom Plugins:<\/strong> Use\u00a0the\u00a0new\u00a0v4\u00a0architecture\u00a0to\u00a0refactor\u00a0any\u00a0custom\u00a0plugins\u00a0you\u00a0have\u00a0created.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Deeper\u00a0queries\u00a0are\u00a0supported\u00a0by\u00a0GraphQL\u00a0in\u00a0version\u00a04. Try\u00a0out\u00a0its\u00a0new\u00a0features\u00a0to\u00a0get\u00a0the\u00a0most\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0your\u00a0API\u00a0interactions.<\/p>\n<h1>Step 8: Test Thoroughly<\/h1>\n<p>After\u00a0everything\u00a0is\u00a0configured,\u00a0test\u00a0your\u00a0v4\u00a0instance\u00a0in\u00a0all\u00a0respects:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Content Management:<\/strong> Make\u00a0sure\u00a0you\u00a0have\u00a0the\u00a0ability\u00a0to\u00a0add,\u00a0edit,\u00a0and\u00a0remove\u00a0content.<\/li>\n<li><strong>API Responses:<\/strong> Use\u00a0Postman\u00a0or\u00a0similar\u00a0tools\u00a0to\u00a0validate\u00a0all\u00a0API\u00a0endpoints.<\/li>\n<li><strong>User Permissions: <\/strong>Check\u00a0permissions\u00a0and\u00a0access\u00a0based\u00a0on\u00a0roles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Look\u00a0for\u00a0differences\u00a0between\u00a0v3\u00a0and\u00a0v4\u00a0by\u00a0comparing\u00a0the\u00a0data\u00a0fetching\u00a0and\u00a0response\u00a0structures.<\/p>\n<h1>Step 9: Deploy the New Instance<\/h1>\n<p>Finally,\u00a0set\u00a0up\u00a0your\u00a0Strapi\u00a0v4\u00a0instance\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0hosting\u00a0environment\u00a0of\u00a0your\u00a0choice. Prior\u00a0to\u00a0going\u00a0live:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Update DNS Records:<\/strong> Point\u00a0the\u00a0new\u00a0server\u00a0to\u00a0your\u00a0domain.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Test in Production:<\/strong>\u00a0To\u00a0identify\u00a0any\u00a0problems\u00a0unique\u00a0to\u00a0a\u00a0deployment,\u00a0conduct\u00a0a\u00a0dry\u00a0run\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0production\u00a0setting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Challenge:<\/strong> Users\u00a0may\u00a0be\u00a0impacted\u00a0by\u00a0switch\u00a0outages;\u00a0schedule\u00a0a\u00a0maintenance\u00a0window.<\/p>\n<h1>Step\u00a010:\u00a0Cleaning\u00a0Up\u00a0After\u00a0Migration<\/h1>\n<p>Following\u00a0a\u00a0successful\u00a0migration:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Update Documentation:<\/strong> For\u00a0future\u00a0use,\u00a0record\u00a0your\u00a0new\u00a0architecture\u00a0and\u00a0procedures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Conclusion<\/h1>\n<p>Strapi v3 to v4 migration is a multi-step procedure that needs to be carefully planned and carried out. A more reliable, maintainable, and effective CMS is the end result, despite the considerable challenges\u2014which range from schema modifications to API refactoring. Don&#8217;t be afraid to ask for assistance from the\u00a0 Strapi community and proceed with the migration in small steps. I hope your journey of migration goes well!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Step 1: Understand How V3 and V4 Differ Understanding how v4 differs from v3 is essential before beginning the migration. Among the significant modifications are: New Codebase Structure: Strapi v4 makes it easier to maintain and modular by introducing a new folder structure. API Improvements: v4 makes use of OpenAPI specifications and endpoints are now [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2083,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":74},"categories":[5876],"tags":[6901],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71321"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2083"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71321"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71530,"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71321\/revisions\/71530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}