This article shows you how to update Divi 4 to Divi 5 without breaking your site. You’ll learn how to prepare your Divi 4 website, install Divi 5, run the Divi 5 Migrator, and test everything so your layouts, Theme Builder templates, and WooCommerce pages keep working as expected.
You update Divi 4 to Divi 5 by installing the Divi 5 theme on your site, then running the Divi 5 Migrator to convert your Divi 4 layouts to the new Divi 5 format.
Divi 5 includes a backward compatibility system and a guided migrator, so your existing content keeps working while you move to the new builder.
Before you start
Make sure you’re ready to update Divi 4 to Divi 5:
You have a working Divi 4 site and an active Elegant Themes membership.
Your WordPress install and plugins are up to date.
Strong recommendations before you touch anything:
Use a staging site first. Elegant Themes recommends testing Divi 5 on a staging copy (or a new site) before you update your live site.
Take a complete backup of your live Divi 4 site: files and database. Use your host’s tools or a backup plugin.
⚠︎ Note: After Divi 5 is installed, do not open existing Divi 4 pages, posts, projects, or Theme Builder templates before you run the Divi 5 Migrator. If you open them, Divi 5 will convert those layouts immediately, and you can’t roll them back to the Divi 4 format. Always migrate through the Divi 5 Migrator instead.
Step 1: Prepare your Divi 4 site
You want your Divi 4 site in good shape before you update to Divi 5.
Update WordPress and Divi 4
In your WordPress dashboard, go to Dashboard → Updates and install any pending WordPress and plugin updates.
Make sure your current Divi 4 theme is on the latest release so the migration tools see all the latest fixes and compatibility improvements.
Check third-party Divi modules
If you use Divi Marketplace or other third-party modules, check their product pages for Divi 5 compatibility status.
Modules that are not yet Divi 5-ready will still work but will run in backward compatibility mode, which may impact performance and editing experience on those pages.
Create a backup and staging copy
Use your host’s staging feature if available, or clone your site to a subdomain.
Confirm the staging site works in the browser and uses the same Divi 4 setup as your live site.
Step 2: Install Divi 5 over Divi 4
Divi 5 installs as an update to the existing Divi theme.
Log in to your Elegant Themes account.
Look for the Divi 5 under the Themes & Plugins tab.
Click the Download the Divi 5 button and save the zip file to your computer.
In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance → Themes.
Click on the Add New button.
Click the Upload Theme button.
Choose the Divi 5 .zip file and click Install Now.
WordPress detects that you already have Divi 4 installed and prompts you to “Replace active with uploaded”. Click that to replace Divi 4 with Divi 5.
At this point, your site runs the Divi 5 theme, but your Divi 4 content is still in the old format.
Reminder: Don’t edit existing Divi pages or templates yet. Go straight to the Divi 5 Migrator in the next step.
Step 3: Open the Divi 5 Migrator
Divi 5 adds a dedicated Divi 5 Migrator that handles the entire updating from Divi 4 to Divi 5 process.
In your WordPress dashboard, go to Divi → Divi 5 Migrator.
The Migrator runs an initial Compatibility Check of your site. It scans:
Pages and posts
Theme Builder templates
WooCommerce products
Divi Library items
Widgets, presets, and other Divi 4 content areas
You’ll see a report broken into sections that show which parts of your site are fully compatible with Divi 5 and which will run in compatibility mode for now.
Use this report as your "map" before you commit to the update.
Step 4: Review the compatibility report
Before migrating your website from Divi 4 to Divi 5, read the Migrator’s report so you know what to expect.
The report will tell you:
Which pages, posts, and templates are ready to migrate.
Which items use unsupported or legacy modules, often from third-party plugins.
Where Divi will use backward compatibility mode instead of full Divi 5 performance.
Use it to decide:
If most of your important layouts are supported, you can usually proceed.
If critical layouts rely on unsupported modules, you might wait, replace those modules, or plan some manual clean-up after migration.
Step 5: Run the migration
When you’re comfortable with the report, you’re ready to actually migrate the Divi 4 content to the Divi 5 new framework.
Go to Divi → Divi 5 Migrator.
Click Migrate This Site to Divi 5.
Confirm the migration when the confirmation message appears.
Behind the scenes, Divi 5 will:
Convert all supported Divi 4 modules from the shortcode format to the new Divi 5 storage format.
Wrap unsupported modules in a compatibility layer that uses the legacy Divi 4 framework so those modules still render.
When the process finishes, you’ll see a success message in the Migrator showing that your site now runs on the Divi 5 framework, with options to restore Divi 4 content if needed.
Your posts, pages, Theme Builder templates, and other content stay in place.
Step 6: Test your updated site
Visit your most important pages on the front end. Check for layout issues and obvious errors.
Open a few pages in the Divi 5 Visual Builder and confirm you can edit modules, rows, and sections as expected.
Test forms, menus, popups, and WooCommerce flows (cart, checkout, product pages) if you use them.
Pay attention to any pages showing Backward Compatibility notices in the admin bar; those are the ones still using some Divi 4 framework behind the scenes.
Step 7: What if something goes wrong?
The Divi 5 update includes safety nets. If you’re not happy with the result:
Use your backup tool to restore your Divi 4 site from before the update.
Or, in the Divi 5 Migrator, use the Restore Divi 4 Content option to roll layouts back to the Divi 4 framework.
Once the rollback to Divi 4 content is complete. Reinstall the Divi 4 theme before proceeding further.
After you update Divi 4 to Divi 5
Once you’ve updated Divi 4 to Divi 5 on your live site and finished testing:
Your site runs on the new Divi 5 builder with improved performance and a modern interface.
All native Divi modules now use the new framework, while unsupported modules continue to work in compatibility mode.
You can start adopting Divi 5 features like Flexbox and Grid layouts, Design Variables, the new Responsive Editor, and more to clean up old layouts over time.