Major version upgrade

Notes for specific LimeSurvey versions

LimeSurvey 6

We updated LimeSurvey with a new design, which also includes an upgrade to the Bootstrap version being used for the admin- and surveytheme from Bootstrap 3 to 5.
After this upgrade, all custom survey themes will be uninstalled and reset to use our new default theme "Fruity TwentyThree", this also affects extended themes. Admin themes will be reset to the already existing "sea_green" theme which has been updated as well.

How to prepare for a major version upgrade

To be on the safe side when performing an upgrade and be able to continue surveys with the least amount of interruption, we recommend first testing all your customized code on the new version of LimeSurvey you want to upgrade to.
This will require you to create a new application to test on, you can either create one through our cloud hosting:
https://www.limesurvey.org/
or host one up by yourself:
https://manual.limesurvey.org/Installation_-_LimeSurvey_CE

Custom survey themes

All custom survey themes (this includes extended themes) will be uninstalled and the theme options in the global, group and survey settings will be reset to the new default.

Upgrade Strategy:

1. Export the survey theme from the old application
2. Before importing it into the new application, make sure the compatibility tag is set correctly: https://manual.limesurvey.org/Extension_compatibility#Survey_themes
3. Import it into the new application
4. Check the code you customized for the survey theme and update it in accordance with the new version of the application you want to use.
5. Export your updated customized survey theme from the new application
6. After upgrading your old application to the new version, the current survey themes will be uninstalled and marked as incompatible.
7. Now you can delete the old survey theme and import the new survey theme which you updated. Please ensure you have a backup of the deleted theme.

Custom admin themes

All custom admin themes will be uninstalled and the new default will be used.

for self-hosted application:

1. Before copying the admin theme to the new application, make sure the compatibility tag is set correctly: https://manual.limesurvey.org/Extension_compatibility#Admin_themes
2. Copy the existing admin theme from the old application to the new application https://manual.limesurvey.org/Custom_Admin_Themes
3. Check the code you customized for the admin theme and update it in accordance with the new version of the application you want to use.
4. After upgrading your old application, our new admin theme is displayed by default. To update your previously installed admin theme, either:
   • Manually update the code of the admin theme currently marked as incompatible
   • Delete the old admin theme and install the new one you previously updated in your test environment.

for Cloud users:
Please contact our support.

Custom question themes

Custom question themes that do not match the current version cannot be installed, but will still be active after the upgrade. More information about question themes can be found here https://manual.limesurvey.org/Question_themes. Custom JavaScript inserted into the survey theme or any of the questions in a survey will likely not work anymore as well.

Upgrading your customized question theme:

1. Download the question theme from a website or export the current question theme
2. Before uploading, make sure the compatibility of your custom question theme is set correctly https://manual.limesurvey.org/Extension_compatibility#Question_themes
3. Try to upload your question theme into the new application.
4. If it is a self-created question theme, make the necessary adjustments
5. After successfully uploading, please check if the question theme is displayed and working as expected.

Upgrading a theme you do not own:
Try to see if an update is available from the website or developer that provided it

Custom plugins

Custom plugins that do not match the current version will be deactivated during the upgrade process.

for self-hosted application:

1. Check if the plugin can be installed on the new version.
2. Update the plugin or contact the plugin author to update the plugin.
3. Manually override the plugin with new files in your application which will preserve settings or uninstall the old version and reinstall the new version, in that case all settings will be reentered.

for Cloud users:

1. Check if the plugin can be installed on the new version.
2. Update the plugin code or contact the plugin author to update the plugin.
3. Installation options:
   • Uninstall the old version and reinstall the new version (all settings will be lost and have to be reapplied)
   • Contact support to make an update to the plugin without loosing configuration data