ERPNext2 min read
ERPNext Upgrade Guide: Moving Between Major Versions Safely
How to upgrade ERPNext between major versions: inventory apps, handle features moved to separate apps, test on staging and run the production upgrade.
ERP platform · ERPNext
ERPNext customisation with the least code that works
Frappe gives ERPNext an unusually capable set of low-code tools. Fields, form layouts, approval workflows, print formats, email notifications and reports can all be changed in the browser, and those changes survive upgrades.
Overview
The short version
The risk is volume, not capability. A year of well-meant tweaks — a field here, a server script there — leaves a system nobody fully understands. We customise with restraint, document every change, and keep it all in a form that can be rebuilt and reviewed.
ERP Builders is an independent ERPNext services company and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Frappe Technologies. “ERPNext” and “Frappe” are trademarks of Frappe Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
01
The customisation ladder
We use the lightest tool that solves the problem, and climb only when we need to.
Settings and Customize Form
Labels, mandatory fields, defaults, naming series and form layout — no code, upgrade-safe.
Workflows and notifications
Approval states by role and amount, email and system notifications, and assignment rules.
Print formats and letter heads
Invoices, delivery notes and quotations designed in the builder or in Jinja for full control, including tax-compliant layouts.
Client and server scripts
Small validations, defaults and calculations. Useful, but kept few, named clearly and exported to Git.
02
Cleaning up an over-customised system
If your ERPNext has accumulated undocumented custom fields, conflicting scripts or modified standard print formats, we inventory every customisation, decide what to keep, remove or consolidate, and move what remains into a custom app as fixtures.
The result is the same behaviour your users rely on, with a clear record of what was changed and why — and a much safer path to the next upgrade.
Related
Related Odoo services and topics
Integrations
Insights
Related reading
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How ERPNext manufacturing works: BOMs, workstations, production plans, work orders, job cards, backflushing, subcontracting, quality and costing.
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Migrating from Tally to ERPNext: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to move from Tally to ERPNext: mapping ledgers, GST details, stock items and godowns, loading opening balances, picking a cutover date and reconciling.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Are customisations made in the browser upgrade-safe?
Custom fields, property setters, workflows and print formats made through the standard tools survive upgrades. Scripts may need adjustment if the standard fields or functions they rely on change between versions.
Can you change a standard ERPNext print format?
We create a copy and customise that rather than editing the standard format, so upgrades do not overwrite your changes.
When does a customisation become development?
When logic spans several documents, needs to be fast at volume, calls external systems, or would be costly if it failed silently. At that point it belongs in a tested custom app.
Comparisons
Weighing Odoo against alternatives?
Odoo vs SAPIntegrated, extensible suite for SMB and mid-market versus the deepest enterprise ERP ecosystem on the market.Odoo vs Dynamics 365An all-in-one suite versus Microsoft's ERP ecosystem with deep Office, Teams and Power Platform integration.Odoo vs NetSuiteFlexible, lower-cost suite versus a mature cloud-only ERP with strong financials and multi-entity support.
Next step
Want ERPNext to match how you work?
Share the changes you have in mind and we will recommend the lightest way to make them.