Sitecore XP 10.5: what changes, and what to check before you upgrade

2 November 2026
Andrew Hany

Sitecore released Experience Platform 10.5 on 5 August 2026. It gives you two more years of mainstream support than 10.4 and closes several critical security holes. In return it asks a lot of your infrastructure: new minimum versions of Windows Server, SQL Server and Solr, and a handful of code changes that fail without an error message. For many organizations in the Gulf the bigger question is whether to upgrade at all, or put the budget into a move to SitecoreAI. This guide covers both, with the checks we would run before committing to either.

Support dates, and a new support model

Sitecore’s product support lifecycle (last updated 20 October 2026) gives these dates:

Version	Mainstream support ends	Extended support ends	Sustaining support ends
10.5	31 December 2029	31 December 2032	31 December 2034
10.4	31 December 2027	31 December 2030	31 December 2032
10.3	31 December 2025 (ended)	31 December 2028	31 December 2030
10.2	31 December 2024 (ended)	31 December 2027	31 December 2029
10.0 and 10.1	31 December 2023 (ended)	31 December 2026	31 December 2028
9.2 and 9.3	31 December 2022 (ended)	31 December 2025 (ended)	31 December 2027

The same article describes a new support model for customers in extended and sustaining support, in operation from 1 June 2026. Under the previous model, extended support included security updates and help with production incidents. Under the new one, both are marked as options to discuss with your Sitecore account representative. If you run 10.2 or 10.3, security updates are no longer included as standard. Sitecore also says it assists with upgrades only to a version in mainstream support, which today means 10.4 or 10.5.

What 10.5 changes in your infrastructure

Sitecore describes the release as one that improves “security, prolonged supportability, performance, and usability”, and its release notes recommend upgrading if it “aligns with the specific needs of your organization”. In practice, most of the work sits below the application:

Component	Supported in 10.5	What it means for you
Windows Server	2022 and 2025	Hosts on Windows Server 2019 must move before the upgrade. Container images ship for ltsc2022 and ltsc2025 only.
SQL Server	2022 and 2025, or Azure SQL	SQL Server 2019 is dropped, and deployment tooling (DacFx, SQLSysClrTypes, SMO) needs updating. The server requirements page lists only 2025 and Azure SQL, so confirm 2022 with Sitecore.
Solr	10 only, with basic authentication	Solr 8 and 9 are dropped. Every Solr connection string must carry a username and password, and Solr must be upgraded before Sitecore.
.NET	.NET Framework 4.8.1	All assemblies move from 4.8 to 4.8.1, and a newer Visual C++ redistributable must be installed first.
Identity Server	9.0.7 on .NET 10	Servers need the .NET 10 Hosting Bundle, and signing certificates must be in PFX format.
Azure deployment	ARM templates and Web Deploy packages	10.5 is no longer offered through Azure Marketplace, and Application Insights now needs a connection string.

What changes in your code and configuration

The breaking changes page is long. These are the changes we expect to cause most trouble on long-running estates:

Four connectors lose support. Sitecore Connect for Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales, Salesforce CRM and Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and the Data Exchange Framework, are no longer supported from 10.5. Sitecore said at release that customers could keep using them through an open-source repository it would publish. If forms or contact data flow through these connectors, plan the replacement before the upgrade.
Rollback gets harder. Sitecore replaced BinaryFormatter serialization with JSON, and data written by 10.5 cannot be read by earlier versions. Take full backups and rehearse the upgrade on a copy of production.
The package installer is off by default. Teams that deploy content packages through the Installation Wizard need a configuration change, or a better deployment route.
Solr queries are sent as HTTP POST. Firewall, proxy and logging rules that expect GET requests will need updating, which matters on locked-down banking and government networks.
Some failures are silent. Deprecated FileUtil serialization methods now return null or exit silently, and overrides of some ClientDataStore and search index methods are no longer called.
Smaller changes with real impact: anonymous Item Service search requests now return 403, publishing skips items that would duplicate a sibling’s name, the upgraded Telerik controls need your own licence key for custom code compiled against them, and the built-in GraphQL playground and legacy CM shell JavaScript and CSS files are gone.

Fixes that matter on Arabic and English sites

Some of the strongest reasons to upgrade are in the resolved issues. The release notes record that publishing “no longer deletes live pages when a non-final workflow version exists in another language”, a problem that bites bilingual sites where Arabic and English move through approval at different speeds. Search results also no longer include items the user is not allowed to read.

Search needs the most testing. Solr 10 is a major version jump, and populating the schema in 10.5 rewrites every language-specific text field type. Fields used for facets and sorting change type, facet values are capped at 1,024 characters, and Sitecore documents a Solr bug that can stop multi-field facets returning results. Rebuild the indexes in a test environment and check Arabic search relevance, facets and sorting before you go live.

Check your modules first

When 10.5 shipped, its download page listed several modules still being verified. Some have caught up since. At the time of writing, late October 2026:

Module	Status for 10.5
Sitecore Experience Accelerator (SXA)	No 10.5 release yet. The latest listed is 10.4.0. Sites built on SXA should wait.
Connect for Content Hub	Version 5.2.0 covers XP 10.0 to 10.4. Treat it as not yet certified for 10.5.
Headless Rendering (Headless Services, JSS)	Version 23.0.0 supports 10.5
Publishing Service	Module 10.5.0 and Publishing Service 9.0.4, both released 2 September 2026
Identity Server	9.0.7 supports XP 10.3 to 10.5
Sitecore Stream for Platform DXP	Added 10.5 support in version 1.7.57 on 14 October 2026
Forms and Email Experience Manager	Part of the platform and upgraded with it. 10.5 includes a security update to a Forms dependency and fixes for EXM.

Eight checks before you commit

Inventory the estate. Sitecore version and topology, every module and connector, custom code that uses the deprecated serialization APIs, and anything that depends on the package installer.
Map the infrastructure gap. Windows Server, SQL Server, Solr and .NET versions on every server and container host, including disaster recovery.
Find the integrations. Anything that uses the four retired connectors needs a new route before the upgrade.
Check firewall and proxy rules for Solr traffic and for anonymous Item Service calls.
Confirm module support, SXA above all, and set the upgrade date from the last module to arrive.
Plan the search test. Arabic and English relevance, facets and sorting on a fully rebuilt index, run by people who search in each language.
Rehearse the upgrade and the rollback on a copy of production.
Write down the stay-or-move decision before you spend on either (see below).

How the upgrade runs

Sitecore’s on-premises upgrade guide supports a direct upgrade from 8.1.0 or later. Older versions must reach 8.1.0 first. The guide sets the order: upgrade the databases, install 10.5 beside your existing installation, attach the databases, then deploy your solution. The database step starts with the UpdateApp Tool 1.5.2 clean-up, then the SQL upgrade scripts, run on each database in the order listed. Upgrades from 10.1.0 or later without modules or connectors can skip the clean-up. Container estates on 9.3.0 to 10.4.0 can use the upgrade container, which handles the XP and xConnect SQL databases.

Sitecore’s post-upgrade steps include updating the Solr schema, rebuilding all search indexes and the link databases, republishing to every publishing target and clearing the browser cache. Two traps catch older estates. The MongoDB provider is not supported for the Collection database, and the xDB Data Migration Tool for Sitecore 8 data only migrates as far as 10.0.1. If you still hold xDB data from Sitecore 8, decide what you need to keep before you start.

Upgrade to 10.5, or move to SitecoreAI?

Sitecore’s own transition guidance (updated 8 October 2026) is direct about this. It says upgrading XP before migrating to SitecoreAI “is not always required”, that it “brings no benefit in efficiency, cost or stability”, and that an upgrade “is likely to have a high cost and add many weeks to a migration project”. It also says that moving XP to the cloud as it is calls for Sitecore Managed Cloud, and that SitecoreAI is for teams that want a composable SaaS CMS or new platform features early.

Three facts weigh on the decision. Several XP marketing features, including Marketing Automation, the Email Experience Manager and Path Analyzer, have no equivalent in SitecoreAI. SitecoreAI requires Headless SXA, so an MVC site needs its front end rebuilt to move. And SitecoreAI deprecates the Experience Editor from 1 January 2027 in favour of Page builder, while XP 10.5 still ships it, with fixes. Here is how we would decide:

If this is you	Our view
You plan to move to SitecoreAI within about a year	Skip 10.5 unless security or infrastructure forces your hand, and put the budget into the migration.
You are on 10.4 and staying on XP for two years or more	Upgrade to 10.5 once SXA and your other modules support it, and replace the retired connectors first.
You are on 10.0 to 10.3	Decide this quarter. Extended support for 10.0 and 10.1 ends on 31 December 2026, and extended support no longer includes security updates as standard.
You depend on Marketing Automation, EXM or xDB data	Upgrading keeps those features supported. Plan their replacement before any move to SitecoreAI.
You are on 9.x or earlier	Price the upgrade and the migration side by side. Both are substantial, and an upgrade you will replace within two years rarely pays back.

Whichever way you lean, read our piece on what does not migrate to SitecoreAI before you decide. Workflow states, personalization rules, analytics and integrations stay behind, and they are what your customers notice.

Not sure which path fits? The free Sitecore Health Check reviews your version, infrastructure, modules, integrations and Arabic search, and gives you a written recommendation on 10.5 or SitecoreAI with the work each one involves. See how we deliver Sitecore in Arabic and English.

Frequently asked questions

When was Sitecore XP 10.5 released?

Sitecore released Experience Platform and Experience Manager 10.5.0 on 5 August 2026.

How long is Sitecore XP 10.5 supported?

Sitecore’s support lifecycle gives 10.5 mainstream support until 31 December 2029, extended support until 31 December 2032 and sustaining support until 31 December 2034. For 10.4, mainstream support ends on 31 December 2027.

What are the system requirements for Sitecore XP 10.5?

Windows Server 2022 or 2025, SQL Server 2022 or 2025 or Azure SQL (confirm 2022 with Sitecore), Solr 10 with basic authentication, .NET Framework 4.8.1, and the .NET 10 Hosting Bundle for Sitecore Identity Server 9.0.7.

Can we upgrade directly from Sitecore 9 to 10.5?

Yes. Sitecore supports a direct upgrade from 8.1.0 or later. From 9.x, run the UpdateApp clean-up and the SQL upgrade scripts, then install 10.5 side by side. Container estates on 9.3.0 to 10.4.0 can use the upgrade container.

Does Sitecore XP 10.5 still include the Experience Editor?

Yes. The Experience Editor ships with XP 10.5, and the release includes fixes for it. The deprecation from 1 January 2027 applies to SitecoreAI, where Page builder is the supported editor.

Should we upgrade to 10.5 before moving to SitecoreAI?

Usually not. Sitecore’s own transition guidance says an upgrade first is not always required, brings no benefit in efficiency, cost or stability, and can add many weeks to a migration. Upgrade only if you will stay on XP long enough to use the extra support years.

Does SXA support Sitecore XP 10.5?

Not yet. As of late October 2026, the latest SXA release on Sitecore’s downloads portal is 10.4.0, which supports XP 10.4. Sites built on SXA should wait for a 10.5 release before upgrading.

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