Capacitor Plugin Upgrade
Upgrade a Capacitor plugin to a newer major version (4→5, 5→6, 6→7, or 7→8).
Prerequisites
| Target Version | Node.js |
|---|---|
| 5 | 16+ |
| 6 | 18+ |
| 7 | 20+ |
| 8 | 22+ |
The project must be a Capacitor plugin (not an app project).
Procedures
Step 1: Detect Current Version
Read @capacitor/core version from package.json (devDependencies or peerDependencies). Determine the current major version.
Ask the user for the target version. Default to the latest (8) if not specified.
Step 2: Execute Upgrade
For each major version jump between the current and target version, apply the corresponding upgrade guide sequentially:
| Current → Target | Reference |
|---|---|
| 4 → 5 | references/upgrade-v4-to-v5.md |
| 5 → 6 | references/upgrade-v5-to-v6.md |
| 6 → 7 | references/upgrade-v6-to-v7.md |
| 7 → 8 | references/upgrade-v7-to-v8.md |
For multi-version jumps (e.g., 5 → 8), apply each upgrade in order:
- Read and apply
references/upgrade-v5-to-v6.md - Run
npm install && npx cap sync, build, and verify the plugin's test/example app - Read and apply
references/upgrade-v6-to-v7.md - Run
npm install && npx cap sync, build, and verify the plugin's test/example app - Read and apply
references/upgrade-v7-to-v8.md - Run
npm install && npx cap sync, build, and verify the plugin's test/example app
Do not skip intermediate versions.
Step 3: Final Verification
After completing all upgrade steps:
npm install
npx cap syncBuild the plugin's test/example app on both platforms to verify.
Error Handling
- If automated upgrade tools fail, check the terminal output for which steps failed and apply those manually using the steps in the corresponding reference file.
- If Android build fails after upgrade, run Tools > AGP Upgrade Assistant in Android Studio.
- If iOS build fails, verify the deployment target matches the target version requirements in the reference file.
- If Gradle property syntax warnings appear (v8+), search all
.gradlefiles for property assignments without=and update them. - If a multi-version upgrade fails mid-way, fix the current version step before proceeding to the next.
Related Skills
capacitor-app-upgrades— If the app project itself also needs upgrading, use this skill.capacitor-plugin-spm-support— After upgrading a plugin to Capacitor 6+, use this skill to add Swift Package Manager support.capacitor-plugin-development— For creating new Capacitor plugins from scratch, including scaffolding, native implementation, and publishing.