Reading version numbers: Beta, Patch Level and "Needs XenForo 2.3"
What 1.0.3 Patch Level 2 means, why the add-on list shows a long version ID, and how to read the XenForo requirement on each add-on.
Updated 3 min read By the D.C Style team
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XenForo add-ons follow one version scheme. "1.0.3 Patch Level 2" means the third fix release of version 1.0, with two small patches on top. Behind every version string is a long number, the version ID, which XenForo uses to decide what is newer. Once you can read both, the Version History tab on a product page tells you exactly what to install.
The version string
A version string has three numbers and an optional stage:
- Major (the first number) changes when an add-on is rebuilt or changes a lot, for example Story 1.x to 2.x.
- Minor (the second number) adds features, for example Login As User 1.0 to 1.1.
- Patch (the third number) fixes bugs.
- Stage says how finished the release is.
What each stage means
| Stage | Example | Use it on a live forum? |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha | 1.0.0 Alpha 1 | No. It is an early build for testing only. |
| Beta | 1.0.0 Beta 2 | Only if you accept some rough edges. Try it on a test copy first. |
| Release Candidate | 1.0.0 Release Candidate 1 | Expected to become the final release unless a problem turns up. |
| Stable | 1.0.7 | Yes. No suffix means a finished release. |
| Patch Level | 1.1.0 Patch Level 3 | Yes. It is a small fix on top of a stable release, often shortened to PL3. |
For example, Widgets Importer is at 1.0.0 Beta 2, and Forum Statistics is at 1.0.0 Patch Level 2.
The version ID
Each release also has a version ID, a whole number stored in the add-on's addon.json file. XenForo compares IDs, not strings, to decide whether a file is an upgrade. Read it from the right:
- The last digit is the stage number (the "2" in Beta 2).
- The digit before it is the stage: 1 alpha, 3 beta, 5 release candidate, 7 stable, 9 patch level.
- The rest is the version, with two digits each for minor and patch.
So 1000092 is 1.0.0 Patch Level 2, and 1020070 is 1.2.0 stable. You rarely need to read these yourself. They matter because they are how XenForo knows which upgrade steps to run when you skip several versions at once. How to upgrade an add-on.
"Needs XenForo 2.3.0+"
The Compatibility section on each product page shows the oldest XenForo version the current release supports. "Needs XenForo 2.3.0+" means any 2.3 forum works. A 2.2 forum does not, even if it runs the latest 2.2 release.
XenForo checks this for you. If your forum is too old, it will not install the add-on and shows "The following requirements for" the add-on "were not met", followed by what is missing. Find your XenForo version.
Still on XenForo 2.2?
Several of our add-ons kept a separate build for XenForo 2.2 before moving to 2.3. You can download these from the Version History tab on the product page:
- Story: 1.0.4 was the last build for XenForo 2.2.
- Thumbnail: 1.0.5 Patch Level 6 was the last build for XenForo 2.2.
- Thread Icon: 1.0.1 Patch Level 1 was the last build for XenForo 2.2.
Those older builds do not get new features. When you move to XenForo 2.3, upgrade them to the current release as part of the move. Upgrading from XenForo 2.2 to 2.3 gives the order to do it in. Where to download older versions.
Still stuck? Open a support ticket with your XenForo version and the add-on version you have. We will tell you which build to use.