Hire Joomla Developers

Joomla is a PHP-based open-source CMS that was one of the leading platforms through the 2010s. It uses a component-based architecture – extensions come in four types: components (major functional areas), modules (smaller display units), plugins (event-driven functionality), and templates (the theme layer). Joomla has built-in multi-lingual support, a detailed access control list (ACL) system, and a content versioning system as core features.

Joomla’s user base has declined relative to WordPress, but it still powers a substantial number of sites – particularly in government, education, and European markets. Joomla 4 and Joomla 5 are modern versions with updated architecture, Bootstrap 5 in the front-end framework, and an improved administrator interface.

A significant portion of Joomla work on Codeable involves migrations – clients who built their sites on Joomla years ago and now want to move to WordPress for its larger plugin space, more available developers, and more accessible editorial experience. How To Migrate WordPress New Host Without Downtime.

Joomla work on Codeable typically falls into these categories:

• Joomla to WordPress migration – moving content, structure, and users from Joomla to WordPress, which is the most common Joomla project request on Codeable.
• Joomla extension development – building custom components, modules, or plugins for specific functionality not available in the extension directory.
• Joomla template development and customisation – modifying existing templates or building custom ones for Joomla 4 or 5.
• Joomla version migration – upgrading from Joomla 3 (end of life August 2023) to Joomla 4 or 5.
• Bug fixes and troubleshooting on existing Joomla sites.
• Performance optimisation for Joomla sites that have grown slow.

Joomla developers are fewer than WordPress developers, so finding one with recent Joomla experience is the main challenge. For extension development, look for developers who have worked with Joomla 4 or 5 specifically – the architecture changed significantly from Joomla 3, and developers whose experience is limited to Joomla 3 will need to relearn core patterns.

For migrations from Joomla to WordPress, the key skill is data mapping – understanding how Joomla content structures (articles, categories, custom fields, menu items) map to WordPress equivalents, and handling edge cases where there is no direct equivalent.

For ongoing Joomla maintenance, ask whether the developer is familiar with the Joomla update process and the extension compatibility considerations that come with Joomla major version upgrades.

Common Joomla problems: How To Set Up WordPress Multisite.

• 500 error or blank page after update – an extension that is not compatible with the updated Joomla version. Disable extensions in the Joomla admin or rename the extensions folder temporarily to identify the conflict.
• Admin login not working – session or cookie issues, often triggered by a URL change (HTTP to HTTPS) or a server configuration change. Checking and updating the Site URL in Global Configuration usually resolves it.
• Images not displaying – a path configuration issue in Global Configuration, or the media folder has incorrect file permissions on the server.
• Slow front end – Joomla caching not configured, too many third-party extensions loading JavaScript and CSS on every page, or a database performance issue. The Joomla debug toolbar shows query counts and times when enabled.
• Extension not working after Joomla upgrade – the extension has not been updated for the new Joomla version. Check the extension developer’s changelog or support forum for a compatible version.

Joomla releases security updates regularly and applying them is important – Joomla sites are targeted by automated scanners looking for unpatched vulnerabilities. The Joomla admin shows available updates for both core and installed extensions.

Joomla 3 reached end of life in August 2023. Sites still running Joomla 3 no longer receive security patches and should be upgraded to Joomla 4 or 5, or migrated to WordPress if the Joomla 4 architecture does not suit the site’s requirements.

Third-party extension compatibility is the main challenge in Joomla maintenance. The Joomla extension community is smaller than WordPress’s, and some extensions are not actively maintained, which means upgrades may break functionality that depends on outdated extensions.

When posting a Joomla project on Codeable, specify the Joomla version and whether the work is on an existing site or a migration. For migrations to WordPress, be clear about what content exists – articles, custom fields, user accounts, e-commerce data – and whether you need URL redirects from the old Joomla URLs to the new WordPress URLs (you almost certainly do, for SEO).

For extension development, describe the functionality as concretely as possible. Joomla extension development is a less standardised community than WordPress plugin development, and the quality of available starting points varies widely. A developer with Joomla experience will know whether to build from scratch or adapt an existing extension.