As Divi 5 approaches its full release, ensuring backward compatibility with Divi 4 and third-party modules is a key priority in our five-phase release strategy.
In this article, we'll explore Divi 5 Public Alpha's approach to backward compatibility and its support for third-party modules. These features will help ensure a smooth transition to the full release.
⚠️ Important Notes: Read Before Using Divi 5
Best for New Sites & Staging
We recommend using Divi 5 on new WordPress websites or in a staging environment before deploying it live.Migration Considerations
If you have a Divi 4 site and don’t rely on all its features, you can explore Divi 5 today. Migration is supported, but we strongly recommend backing up your site first.Active Development & Feature Limitations
Divi 5 is still in development, so you may encounter incomplete features or occasional bugs. Third-party Marketplace products and some Divi 4 features, like WooCommerce modules, may not be fully supported. Unsupported modules migrated via the Divi 5 Migrator System will run in compatibility mode with some limitations.
What is Divi 5 Public Alpha?
The Divi 5 Public Alpha is an early access version of Divi's next major update.
We recommend using Divi 5 on new WordPress websites or in a staging environment before deploying it live. Since this alpha release, users can experiment and provide feedback. Your feedback is crucial in shaping Divi's future, and we value your contribution to our development process.
This recommendation will change once we iron out the kinks.
Backward Compatibility Mode
While Divi 5 introduces a completely revamped architecture, backward compatibility is our priority.
Upgrading from Divi 4 to Divi 5 Public Alpha will allow most of your existing content to continue functioning as expected. However, some limitations exist, particularly with WooCommerce and third-party modules.
During the Public Alpha Phase, third-party products from the Divi Marketplace and some Divi 4 features—such as WooCommerce modules, Split Testing, and Find and Replace—are not fully supported.
We focus on ensuring a smooth transition to Divi 5 so your website continues to operate as before. If your page includes unsupported modules, it will still display correctly as it will be loaded using the legacy Divi 4 framework. However, pages using these legacy modules will not benefit from Divi 5's performance enhancements.
Backward Compatibility Mode On The Front End
For pages utilizing unsupported Divi 4 modules, a notification will appear in the WordPress Admin bar at the top of the screen when viewed on the front end:
Clicking the notification will give you more information about the modules that are not yet fully compatible with Divi 5 Public Alpha.
In the example above, the modules used are Woo Product Title and Images.
⚠️ Note: Only pages with unsupported Divi 4 modules will experience slowdowns due to the Divi 4 framework being loaded. Pages using modules fully supported by Divi 5 Public Alpha will maintain optimal performance without any impact on speed.
To take full advantage of Divi 5's performance and speed improvements, we recommend using only fully compatible modules with the Divi 5 Public Alpha. All core Divi 4 modules are compatible except for WooCommerce modules.
Backward Compatibility Mode In The Builder
Legacy modules can also be edited in the new Visual Builder using Divi 5's backward compatibility interface. Divi 5 interprets legacy shortcodes and generates a settings panel using the native field types currently available.
The backward compatibility interface is still in its alpha stage, and you may encounter errors or notice missing settings if the legacy module uses unsupported field types. Editing legacy modules also requires an Ajax reload after any setting is changed.
Backward compatibility mode is a temporary solution to bridge the gap. At the same time, creators from the Divi Marketplace will redevelop their modules for Divi 5, and we will continue to improve the system and fix problems throughout the alpha phase.
You can also revert to Divi 4 at any time. For more information, see the How to Rollback to Divi 4 article.
Third-Party Divi Module Support
Many users rely on third-party modules and plugins available through the Divi Marketplace.
These products are essential for enhancing Divi's functionality. We are committed to offering third-party developers all the tools they need to ensure that their products will be fully functional with the new Divi 5 platform and that the transition between the current Divi 4 code base to the new Divi 5 code base will be as smooth as possible as we transition to Divi 5.
During the Public Alpha phase, third-party modules will run in compatibility mode. This mode ensures that your favorite plugins continue functioning. However, there are some caveats. Front-end performance will be degraded, and you may notice missing settings in the Visual Builder while we improve the system and fix bugs. Backward compatibility mode is a temporary solution to help bridge the gap while creators redevelop their plugins.
Full compatibility with third-party plugins will be addressed in the later stages of development, particularly as we approach Divi 5's final release. At that point, third-party plugin authors will finish redeveloping their plugins for the new Divi 5 framework.
Opt-Out Mechanism For Divi Creators
The Opt-out Mechanism for Divi Creators allows plugin authors to opt out of the Divi 5 Public Alpha.
If your site uses a plugin whose author has opted out of Divi 5 Public Alpha, you won't be able to activate it, and the following message will appear:
The plugin listed in the message above must be deactivated before activating the Divi 5 Public Alpha.
⚠️ Note: If any of your pages use modules related to the listed plugin(s), deactivating the plugin(s) will stop displaying the related module and instead display a shortcode.
If Divi 5 Public Alpha is already activated, and you try to activate a third-party plugin whose author decided to opt out of the Divi 5 Public Alpha, the following message will appear:
If you need the plugin activated, you can roll back to Divi 4 and activate it.
Third-Party Product Expectations
Since Divi 5 is still in its Alpha Phase, it's important to note that the plugin authors should not be attributed any compatibility issues with third-party plugins or modules. The Alpha Phase is an early development period during which bugs and performance issues are expected as the system is refined.
What to Expect Moving Forward
The Divi 5 Public Alpha is just the beginning as we move closer to the full release, more features and improvements will be added, including full support for WooCommerce modules and enhanced third-party plugin compatibility.
Key Takeaways:
The Divi 5 Public Alpha is an early access version, not intended for live production websites.
This Divi 5 Public Alpha release does not support some Divi 4 features, such as WooCommerce modules and other third-party Divi modules.
Backward compatibility is in place, but third-party plugins will run in compatibility mode if migrated, affecting performance.
Plugin authors are not expected to have their plugins ready for Divi 5. Instead, third-party modules will run in backward compatibility mode to help bridge the gap.
We are working hard to ensure a smooth transition as we progress toward Divi 5's full release. Your feedback during the alpha phase will be invaluable in shaping Divi's future.