XenForo add-on compatibility: what to check before moving to 2.3
Before you move to XenForo 2.3, check add-on compatibility: what each add-on needs, what to upgrade first, and which of ours need a 2.3 build.
On this page
Moving from XenForo 2.2 to 2.3 goes smoothly when every add-on you run has a version that works on 2.3. Checking XenForo add-on compatibility before you start takes a few minutes and saves you a broken forum. Here is how to read an add-on's requirements, what to upgrade first, and where each of our 19 add-ons stands.
Why add-ons break when XenForo changes version
XenForo 2.3 changed enough under the hood that some add-ons built for 2.2 stop working. The biggest change is JavaScript. XenForo 2.2 loaded the jQuery library on every page, and 2.3 no longer does. An add-on whose scripts rely on jQuery breaks: buttons do nothing and overlays never open.
Templates changed too. A template modification written for 2.2 may no longer find the text it looks for. That's why many developers, us included, publish separate builds for 2.3.
XenForo protects you from the worst of it. Every add-on declares what it needs in its addon.json file: a XenForo version, sometimes a PHP version, and any add-on it builds on. XenForo checks all of them before it installs or upgrades anything. If a need isn't met, it stops with a message and changes nothing. Checking XenForo add-on compatibility yourself first means you won't meet that message halfway through an upgrade.
How to read XenForo add-on compatibility
Most developers state the oldest XenForo version each release installs on. You'll often see it written as "XenForo 2.3.0+" or "Needs XenForo 2.3". A release marked 2.2.0+ runs on 2.2 and on 2.3. A release marked 2.3.0+ won't install on 2.2 at all.
On our product pages, the Compatibility section lists every release with the XenForo version it needs. Pick your version under "My forum runs" to see which releases fit your forum. The Version History tab lists what changed in each release.
Check the add-ons an add-on depends on as well. XenForo add-on compatibility includes the whole chain. Among our add-ons, three need another one:
- More Threads needs Thumbnail 1.0.0 or newer.
- Advanced Download Pro needs Advanced Download 1.0.0 or newer.
- Rock Paper Scissors needs DragonByte Credits 5.6.0 or newer, a separate add-on by DragonByte Technologies.
Our guide to add-on dependencies explains the messages XenForo shows when one is missing.
Where our add-ons stand on 2.2 and 2.3
Here is the XenForo add-on compatibility of our own add-ons. Six need XenForo 2.3 in their current release. Five of those had an earlier release for 2.2.
| Add-on | Current release | Needs | Last release for 2.2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Story | 2.3.1 | 2.3.0+ | 1.0.4 |
| Thumbnail | 1.0.7 | 2.3.0+ | 1.0.5 Patch Level 6 |
| Thread Icon | 1.0.3 | 2.3.0+ | 1.0.1 Patch Level 1 |
| Advanced Tag View | 1.0.1 | 2.3.0+ | 1.0.0 Beta 2 |
| Rock Paper Scissors | 1.0.3 Patch Level 2 | 2.3.0+ | 1.0.0 Beta 3 |
| Login As User | 1.1.0 Patch Level 3 | 2.3.0+ | None |
The other 13 run on both 2.2 and 2.3 in their current release:
| Add-on | Current release | Needs |
|---|---|---|
| Forum Statistics | 1.0.0 Patch Level 2 | 2.2.0+ |
| Google Drive Attachments | 1.2.0 | 2.2.0+ |
| Widgets | 1.1.5 Patch Level 5 | 2.2.0+ |
| Widgets Importer | 1.0.0 Beta 2 | 2.2.0+ |
| Link Proxy | 1.1.5 Patch Level 4 | 2.2.0+ |
| More Threads | 1.0.2 | 2.2.0+ |
| Advanced Download | 1.0.9 Patch Level 1 | 2.2.0+ |
| Advanced Download Pro | 1.0.1 | 2.2.0+ |
| Attachment View | 1.1.2 | 2.2.0+ |
| Captcha Questions on Posting | 1.0.3 | 2.2.0+ |
| Custom Node Icon | 1.0.2 Patch Level 1 | 2.2.0+ |
| Profile Post Share | 1.0.1 | 2.2.0+ |
| Unique Field | 1.0.2 Patch Level 1 | 2.2.0+ |
Two add-ons went the other way. Forum Statistics 1.0.0 needed 2.3, but its patch levels since then run on 2.2 too. Google Drive Attachments 1.0.0 needed 2.3, and version 1.2.0 runs on both.
One more change makes the move simpler. Thread Icon 1.0.3 no longer needs the [TC] Component Library add-on, so there is one less add-on to check. Thread Icon is free and adds Font Awesome icons to thread titles.
What to upgrade first
Once you know every add-on has a 2.3 version, the order matters. Our full guide to upgrading XenForo 2.2 to 2.3 walks through each step. In short:
- List what you have installed. The Add-ons page in the Admin CP shows it, or run php cmd.php xf:addon-list.
- Download the 2.3 version of every add-on before you start. Premium add-ons need an active update period for new downloads.
- Decide what to do with any add-on that has no 2.3 version. Find a replacement, or plan to uninstall it.
- Back up the database and files, and close the board.
- Disable all add-ons, then upgrade XenForo itself.
- Upgrade the add-ons. Do the ones others depend on first: Thumbnail before More Threads, and Advanced Download before Advanced Download Pro.
- Turn add-ons back on one or two at a time, and check the forum between each.
Each add-on upgrades the same way it installs. Our guide on how to upgrade an add-on covers the messages you might see.
If you can, try the whole upgrade on a private test copy of your forum first. It shows any add-on problem before your members see it.
If you're staying on 2.2 for now
Staying on 2.2 for a while is fine. The releases marked 2.2.0+ keep working, and the last 2.2 releases in the first table still run. New features will mostly arrive in 2.3 releases, though. For example, Thumbnail's movie and TV posters came in 1.0.7, which needs 2.3.
Do install XenForo's latest security fix while you wait. XenForo released a patch for every 2.2 version in September 2026. Our post on the September XenForo security patches explains which one to install.
Plan ahead for PHP too. XenForo has said that 2.4 will need PHP 8.0.2 or newer.
What to do next
- Check XenForo add-on compatibility for every add-on you run. Note the XenForo version each one needs.
- Check the add-ons they depend on, too.
- Download every 2.3 version before you upgrade.
- Follow the upgrade order above, and bring add-ons back one or two at a time.
Want a second pair of eyes? Open a support ticket with your list of add-ons, and we'll check it before you start.