Choosing a TYPO3 Agency: What Companies and Public Clients Need to Consider

TYPO3 is rarely used for small websites. Those who choose this system usually have one of the following reasons: many editors with different rights, multiple languages or locations, integration with existing specialized systems, or requirements from a procurement office. In all four cases, selecting an agency is a different task than for a company website with eight pages.

The difference: You are not choosing a service provider for a project, but a partner for the next five to ten years. TYPO3 installations have a long lifespan, and switching is complex. Accordingly, the criteria change.

The Version Status is the First Selection Criterion

TYPO3 is released in long-term versions with fixed support periods. The current status according to the roadmap and ELTS overview:

TYPO3 has been releasing a new long-term version every 18 months for some time now, with community support lasting approximately three years each. The exact end dates for v13 and v14 are on the roadmap at typo3.org – check them before you put them in a contract.

This is not a minor aspect, but the framework of your decision. Anyone starting a new project in autumn 2026 will build on v14 – anything else means entering the contract with a planned migration. Anyone operating an existing v12 installation has three options: upgrade to v13, upgrade to v14, or an ELTS contract as a transition. Without one of these options, any newly discovered security vulnerability remains open.

Ask each agency specifically: Which version would you build with, and why that one? An answer recommending v13 can be correct – if it is justified by existing extensions. An answer that does not understand the question disqualifies.

Proofs that Actually Mean Something

TYPO3 has a formalized certification landscape, which is rare in the industry. Particularly relevant are:

Certified Integrators and Developers. The official TYPO3 certifications apply to individuals, not companies. Ask how many certified people are on the team – and if one of them will be working on your project. For integrators and developers, TYPO3 maintains public lists of certified individuals where information can be verified.

Membership in the TYPO3 Association. Silver or Gold membership is primarily a willingness to pay, not a quality proof. However, it shows that the agency is committed to the system long-term.

Own extensions in the TYPO3 repository. Those who publish and maintain extensions demonstrably work within the system's core and not just on interfaces. This can be checked in five minutes.

References with comparable structure. Not "we've done it before," but: How many editors, how many languages, which interfaces, how many pages. An agency that has built ten university websites already knows your problems.

Questions for the Editorial Team

TYPO3 is operated by people who did not choose it. This is where projects fail in everyday life – not because of the technology.

Have the editorial system shown to you in live operation, on a real client project, not a demo. Pay attention to:

• How many clicks does it take to create a press release?
• What does an editor see who is only allowed to maintain a department page?
• How does approval work if a four-eyes principle is required?
• How are contents translated into the second language – copied, linked, via a service provider?

Also ask about the training concept. Two hours of instruction for twelve editors are not enough. Common and sensible: basic training by role, a recording or quick guide for reference, and an appointment four weeks after going live, when the real questions arise.

Accessibility Belongs in the Tender, Not in the Rework

For public bodies, the Barrier-Free Information Technology Ordinance applies; for many companies, the Accessibility Strengthening Act applies since June 28, 2025. Both essentially refer to the same technical standard, the European norm EN 301 549, and thus to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines of the W3C.

For agency selection, this means three specific requirements:

Accessibility in the offer, not as an additional item. Making it accessible afterwards costs many times more. If an agency offers this as an optional module, they deliberately omitted it from the basic offer.

Proof, not assertion. Ask how it is tested: automated, manual, with a screen reader, by an external testing body. Automated tools find about a third of the problems.

Also the editorial interface. If an editor with a visual impairment is to maintain the website, the backend must be usable – not just the public site. This is almost always forgotten.

Maintenance, Operation, and the Question of Emergency

For TYPO3, the maintenance contract is often more important than the project proposal. What should be included:

• Security updates within a defined period after publication. TYPO3 publishes security advisories continuously via its own channel, for core and extensions. A good agency subscribes to it and gives you a deadline in hours or days, not "shortly".
• Staging environment. Updates are tested on a copy before going live. Without staging, every update is an experiment on the production system.
• Backups with defined retention and – more importantly – a documented restoration test. A backup that has never been restored is an assumption.
• Response times by severity. Website unreachable is different from a crooked image on a subpage.
• Regulation for major upgrades. The jump from v14 to v15 is project work, not maintenance. Is it stated in the contract how this will be calculated, or will you negotiate again in three years?

Procurement: What's Added for Public Clients

Those who tender publicly have additional obligations. Three points that regularly cause problems in TYPO3 tenders:

Service description without product naming. TYPO3 may generally only be specified if it is factually justifiable – for example, because existing systems, training status, or state framework agreements are linked to it. The justification belongs in the file, not in a footnote.

Evaluation not solely based on price. If the price accounts for 70 percent of the evaluation, the cheapest offer wins – and the addenda come later. A weighting that adequately considers concept, references, and maintenance is not benevolence towards agencies, but protection against renegotiations.

Rights to source code and extensions. TYPO3 itself is under a free license. Individually developed extensions are not automatically. Regulate in writing that you may continue to use and develop them – even by another agency.

The Decision in One Sentence

Choose the agency that most honestly tells you what will be complex about your project. Anyone who only confirms in the first conversation has either not listened or expects to get the rest through addenda.

Sources

All information last checked on September 8, 2026.

• TYPO3 Development Roadmap – Release dates and support periods for LTS versions
• TYPO3 Extended Support (ELTS) – exact end dates for v10.4, v11.5, and v12.4
• TYPO3 Certifications – Certification types and public lists of certified individuals
• TYPO3 Security Advisories – Security advisories for core and extensions
• Federal Agency for Accessibility: The Accessibility Strengthening Act – Scope and entry into force
• W3C: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 – technical standard behind EN 301 549

The statements regarding procurement practices, training scope, and maintenance contracts are based on experience, not collected data. The exact support deadlines for v13 and v14 are not in the official roadmap at the time of editing and should be checked there before signing a contract.