TYPO3 development, maintenance and support in Canada
We maintain, upgrade and extend existing TYPO3 websites, and build new ones when TYPO3 is the right platform. WPlook built its first TYPO3 sites in 2006. Today we work with modern, Composer-based TYPO3 alongside WordPress, for Canadian governments, municipalities, public institutions and enterprises with complex, multilingual and content-heavy websites.
- Take-over and ongoing maintenance of existing TYPO3 sites, anywhere in Canada
- Upgrades of older installations to the current long-term support release
- Custom extensions, integrations and performance work
- English and French, built to WCAG 2.1 AA
Already running TYPO3?
We maintain, upgrade and extend existing TYPO3 websites for Canadian public-sector organizations, institutions and enterprises. Whether an older installation needs a clear upgrade path or a current release needs ongoing development, integrations or technical support, we can take it over from where it is today.
Upgrades and modernization
Version upgrades, legacy sites moved to Composer, and PHP and database compatibility. We tell you what can be upgraded in place and what has to be rebuilt.
Extensions and custom development
Third-party extensions updated or replaced, and custom extensions written or brought up to date for the current release.
Performance and security
Security updates monitored and applied promptly, caching and page speed improved, and the server set up so the site stays fast as it grows.
Search and integrations
Apache Solr and site search set up or repaired, connections to your other systems through APIs, and data imports that run on their own.
We work with organizations across Canada, from Montreal and Quebec City to Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver, in English and French.
Every take-over starts with a technical review of your installation: TYPO3 and PHP versions, extensions, custom code, hosting and security. You get a written report and an upgrade path before you commit to anything else.
When TYPO3 is the right platform for a new site
New TYPO3 websites
Information architecture, design, templates and content structure for a new government, municipal, institutional or corporate site, built on the current long-term support release.
Multilingual setup
Language configuration, translation workflow and fallback rules decided up front, so every language stays aligned as the site grows.
Built for organizations where many people publish
A government, municipal or university website is not one team publishing a few pages. It is a clerk posting council or board agendas, program staff updating schedules and services, communications publishing news and notices, and someone trying to keep all of it consistent, in two languages. TYPO3 was designed around that kind of organization, and most of what it does well is in the core rather than in add-ons.
A large company has the same shape. Marketing runs the main site, HR posts careers, product teams maintain their own sections, regional offices publish in their own languages, and legal signs off before anything goes out. Often there are several brand or country sites on top. TYPO3 handles that structure in one installation, without a stack of plugins to hold it together.
Multilingual in the core
Languages are configured per site, and every page and content element can be translated, kept in sync, or left out of a language on purpose. Multilingual content is a feature of the system, not a plugin bolted onto it.
Permissions that match your org chart
Backend user groups can be limited to a branch of the page tree, to specific content types and fields, and to a language. Each department edits its own section, the clerk’s office edits council or board pages, and HR edits careers.
Review before publish
With workspaces, changes are prepared in a draft version of the site, reviewed, and published in one step. Nothing goes live because someone clicked save at the wrong moment.
Several sites, one installation
A main site, a library or a tourism portal, or a corporate site with its brand and country sites, can run from one installation, sharing users, templates and maintenance while keeping their own domains.
Security and long-term support
TYPO3 has a dedicated security team, coordinated advisories, and long-term support releases on a published schedule, so upgrades can be planned and budgeted years in advance.
Open source, no licence fees
TYPO3 is free software under the GPL. You pay for the build, the hosting and the support, not for seats or modules, and you are never locked to one vendor.
Modern TYPO3, with experience behind it
We built our first TYPO3 websites in 2006, when it was already the platform of choice for complex European sites. Today we work with the current release: a modern backend, Composer-based installs, a cleaner templating layer and a predictable long-term support cycle.
What has not changed is the reason organizations choose it. For a government body, a municipality, a university or a company with many departments, several languages and a real need to control who publishes what, TYPO3 handles in its core what other platforms leave to plugins and custom code. We work with TYPO3 and WordPress, and we recommend the one that fits the organization, not the one we happen to prefer.
Running TYPO3, or planning a new site?
Tell us what your site runs on today, how many people publish and which languages you need. For an existing TYPO3 site, we start with a technical review. For a new project, we tell you whether TYPO3 or WordPress is the better fit, and what it would take, before you commit to anything.
An honest comparison
We work with both, so we have no reason to push one. The right choice depends on how your organization publishes, not on which platform is more popular.
TYPO3 is usually the better fit when
Many people across several departments publish content. Changes need review and approval before they go live. You run, or plan to run, several related sites, such as departments, brands or countries. Multilingual content is an obligation rather than a nice-to-have, and you want fine-grained control over who can edit what.
WordPress is usually the better fit when
A small team manages the site. The workflow is simple and editors publish directly. You want the widest choice of developers and add-ons, or the budget favours a faster, lighter build. For many smaller municipalities and businesses, this is the right answer.
How a TYPO3 project runs
For an existing TYPO3 site, the process starts with a technical review and an upgrade path instead of discovery.
Discovery
Who publishes, what they publish, in which languages, and who approves it. This shapes the page tree and the permissions, so it comes first.
Structure
Page tree, content types, user groups and language rules, agreed in writing before design starts.
Design
Templates and components designed for accessibility and for the content you actually have, not for a demo.
Build
TYPO3 installed on the current long-term support release, with templates, content elements and the backend configured for each editor group.
Migration and testing
Content moved, redirects mapped, and the site tested for accessibility, performance and editor workflows.
Training and support
Training by role, written guidance for editors, and a maintenance plan that includes the next upgrade.
Frequently asked questions
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Can you take over a TYPO3 website built by another agency?
Yes. We start with a technical review of the installation: versions, extensions, custom code and hosting. You get a written report of what is there, what needs attention first, and what ongoing maintenance would cost, so the handover is planned rather than rushed.
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Our TYPO3 site is several versions behind. Can you help?
Yes. Older installations are common, and they can be brought back to a supported release. Depending on how far behind the site is, that means an upgrade in place or a rebuild of the templates with the content migrated. We tell you which case you are in after the review.
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Do you work outside Quebec?
Yes. We work with organizations across Canada, including Ontario and British Columbia. Most of the work is done remotely, in English or French, and we meet in person when a project calls for it.
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Is TYPO3 free?
Yes. TYPO3 is open source software under the GPL, with no licence fees per user, site or module. The costs of a TYPO3 project are the build, the hosting and ongoing maintenance, the same as any open source platform.
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Is TYPO3 used by large companies?
Yes. TYPO3 is widely used by enterprises, universities and public bodies, particularly in Europe, where it is one of the most established enterprise content management systems. It suits companies with several brands, countries or languages, many editors, and a need for approval before publishing.
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Should our organization choose TYPO3 or WordPress?
It depends on how you publish. If many departments edit content, changes need approval, and multilingual content is a requirement, TYPO3 is usually the stronger choice. If a small team runs the site with a simple workflow, WordPress is often the better value. We build both and will recommend the one that fits.
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Can you upgrade our existing TYPO3 website?
Usually, yes. A site one or two major versions behind can often be upgraded in place. A site several versions behind usually needs its templates rebuilt and its content migrated. We assess the installation first and tell you which case you are in before quoting the whole project.
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Can a TYPO3 site be hosted in Canada?
Yes. TYPO3 runs on a standard PHP and database stack, so it can be hosted with any Canadian provider that meets your data residency and security requirements.
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Is TYPO3 accessible?
The accessibility of a TYPO3 site depends mostly on how its templates and content elements are built. We build to WCAG 2.1 AA, and configure the backend so editors are prompted for alternative text and use headings in the right order.
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Will our staff be able to use it?
Yes. Each editor group sees only the pages and options it needs, which makes the backend simpler than it first appears. We train by role and leave written guidance specific to your site.
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How long is a TYPO3 version supported?
TYPO3 publishes long-term support releases on a regular schedule, each supported for several years, with paid extended support available afterwards. We plan the next upgrade as part of the maintenance plan, so it is budgeted rather than urgent.