For years, "Joomla 7" was a distant milestone — something the community knew was coming but never felt urgent. That changed on June 6, 2026. The Joomla Maintenance Team sat down, rolled up their sleeves, and began doing something they'd been promising for a long time: actually cleaning up the codebase in preparation for Joomla 7.
If you're an extension developer, a site builder, or a Joomla contributor, this is your early warning. The groundwork for Joomla 7 has officially begun, and the decisions made in these early sprints will directly affect your extensions, templates, and workflows. The earlier you understand what's changing — and why — the smoother your upgrade path will be.
This article breaks down what happened at the June sprint, what code is being removed, and exactly what you should do right now to prepare for Joomla 7.
What Makes Joomla 7 a Major Release?
Joomla follows semantic versioning: a major version number (like jumping from 6 to 7) signals that backward compatibility is intentionally broken. Minor releases (6.1, 6.2, etc.) add features while keeping things compatible. Major releases are where the project takes out the trash.
In Joomla's development cycle, the process works like this:
- A function, API, or class is marked deprecated — meaning "this still works, but stop using it."
- Developers are warned via deprecation notices in the code and documentation.
- At the next major version, the deprecated code is permanently removed.
This system exists to protect site owners and extension developers. You get advance notice — sometimes years of it — before anything breaks. The catch? Deprecations tend to pile up. Code that was supposed to disappear in "the next major release" survives through multiple cycles because no major release ever comes.
Joomla 7 ends that cycle. The team is now actively removing code that has been marked deprecated across multiple versions, some of it going back as far as 2015. This is a healthy, necessary step for the project's long-term survival — but it does mean real breaking changes are coming, and extension developers need to act now.
The June 6 Sprint — First Concrete Steps Toward Joomla 7
On June 6, 2026, the Joomla Maintenance Team held a focused sprint with one goal: find deprecated code and remove it. The result exceeded expectations.
Here's what the team accomplished in a single day:
- 100+ deprecation notices removed from the Joomla core codebase
- 25+ pull requests merged into the
7.0-devbranch - 23+ documentation PRs submitted to the Joomla Manual repository to keep migration guidance up to date
The sprint covered years' worth of deprecation warnings — legacy APIs, outdated helper methods, and code that newer Joomla architectures had already replaced. As Benjamin Trenkle, one of the sprint organizers, put it: "We argued about whether anyone still uses that one helper method from 2015 — spoiler: probably not, but someone will complain."
That candor is important. The Joomla team knows that removing code always has consequences. The sprint wasn't reckless — it was deliberate, documented, and paired with migration guides so developers have a clear path forward.
Thanks go to the sprint participants: Allon Moritz, Benjamin Trenkle, Christiane Maier-Stadtherr, Hannes Papenberg, Harald Leithner, Martin Kopp, Richard Fath, Tuan Pham Ngoc, and Viviana Menzel.
What Code Was Removed?
The June sprint targeted three broad categories of outdated code:
1. Legacy APIs
Joomla has evolved significantly over the years. Many older API patterns — the way extensions interacted with the core — have since been replaced by cleaner, more modern approaches. These legacy APIs were kept alive through Joomla 5 and 6 to give developers time to migrate. That grace period is now over.
2. Ancient Helper Methods
Helper classes and methods that were deprecated years ago — some as far back as Joomla 3.x — are being removed. If your extension calls JHtml, JFactory, or similar old-style static helpers directly without using the updated equivalents, your code will break on Joomla 7.
3. Replaced Architecture Patterns
Joomla's internal architecture has matured considerably. Code patterns that newer structures already replace — from the way components register themselves to how plugins interact with the framework — are being cleaned out. The goal is a leaner, more consistent codebase that's easier for both experienced contributors and new developers to navigate.
The impact of this cleanup goes beyond just removing old code. A codebase littered with deprecation warnings is intimidating for new contributors. When half the code screams "don't use me!", it's hard to figure out what's current. Removing the noise makes Joomla more approachable — and more maintainable — for the next generation of developers.
What This Means for Extension Developers
If you build or maintain Joomla extensions, the Joomla 7 cleanup sprint is a direct signal: it's time to audit your code.
Check Your Extensions for Deprecated API Usage
Go through your extension code and look for any calls to deprecated Joomla APIs. Pay special attention to:
- Old static helper calls like
JFactory::getDbo(),JFactory::getUser(), and similar patterns — these should be replaced with the modern dependency injection approach orFactory::getContainer(). - Legacy JHtml calls — use
HTMLHelperinstead. - Deprecated component structure — ensure your component follows the MVC structure introduced in Joomla 4.x and refined since.
- Old plugin event signatures — plugin events have been modernized; check that your plugins use the updated event classes.
Test Against the 7.0-dev Branch
The 7.0-dev branch on GitHub is active. Setting up a local development environment against this branch is the best way to catch compatibility issues early — before your users do. Run your extension against it regularly as more cleanup PRs land.
Read the Official Migration Guide
The Joomla team updated 23+ pages of documentation alongside the code removal sprint. The Joomla Manual contains migration guides that map deprecated patterns to their modern replacements. Bookmark it and check it regularly as the 7.0-dev branch evolves.
The Cost of Ignoring This
Extension developers who wait until Joomla 7 is released to start looking at compatibility will face a painful rush. Users on Joomla 7 sites will see broken extensions, and you'll be scrambling to push emergency updates. Starting now — while the codebase is still being finalized — gives you time to migrate methodically and ship compatibility updates well before the release lands.
How to Prepare Your Joomla Site for Joomla 7
Even if you're not an extension developer, site owners and administrators should be thinking about Joomla 7 now. Here's a practical preparation checklist:
1. Audit Installed Extensions
Make a list of every extension on your site — components, modules, plugins, and templates. As Joomla 7 approaches, check each extension's developer communications for Joomla 7 compatibility statements. Extensions that haven't been updated in years are likely to break.
2. Stay on the Latest Joomla 6.x Release
The best path to Joomla 7 runs through a fully updated Joomla 6.x site. Keeping current with minor releases ensures you're already using the recommended APIs and won't have compounding upgrade issues when 7 arrives.
3. Follow the 7.0-dev Branch and Changelogs
You don't need to run a dev build to stay informed. Follow the Joomla CMS GitHub repository and watch the 7.0-dev branch activity. The PR descriptions and changelogs give you a clear picture of what's changing before it's finalized.
4. Set Up a Staging Environment
Before your production site ever touches Joomla 7, test everything on a staging clone. This is non-negotiable for sites with custom code or specialized extensions. Catching a broken plugin on staging is a minor inconvenience; catching it in production is a crisis.
5. Engage with the Joomla Community
The Joomla Magazine, the official forums, and the Joomla Mattermost channels are where the team shares sprint updates, deprecation lists, and migration advice. Being plugged in means you hear about breaking changes early — not after they've already broken your site.
What Comes Next for Joomla 7?
The June 6 sprint was described by the team as "the first hurdle cleared" — not the finish line. More cleanup sprints are planned as the 7.0-dev branch continues to grow. Each sprint will target additional deprecated code, refine the architecture, and push more documentation updates.
An official release date for Joomla 7 has not been announced — Joomla operates on a community-driven model where features and timelines are shaped by contributor availability and the volume of work involved. What the June sprint confirmed is that the process is underway and moving with momentum.
If you want to contribute — and this is genuinely one of the best ways to shape a major release — the Joomla Maintenance Team welcomes:
- Code contributors — find deprecated code, write PRs to remove it cleanly
- Testers — run the 7.0-dev branch and report regressions
- Documentation writers — help update the Joomla Manual migration guides
- Reviewers — help PR review to keep the dev branch moving quickly
Every sprint participant in June contributed to something that will affect hundreds of thousands of Joomla sites worldwide. The barrier to entry is lower than you think.
Conclusion: The Clock Has Started on Joomla 7
Joomla 7 is no longer a someday project. The first sprint has happened, code has been removed, and the 7.0-dev branch is live and evolving. For the Joomla ecosystem, this is exactly how healthy major releases should be built — incrementally, transparently, and with clear migration paths for everyone who depends on the platform.
For developers and site owners, the message is simple: start preparing now. Audit your extensions, test against the dev branch, bookmark the migration documentation, and stay connected with the Joomla community. The developers who act early will have smooth upgrades. Those who wait will have hard ones.
Joomla 7 is coming — and thanks to the work that started on June 6, 2026, it's coming in better shape than any major version before it.
Stay tuned to thepixel.dev for more Joomla 7 coverage as the development branch evolves. We'll be tracking every sprint, every breaking change, and every migration tip so you're never caught off guard.