Once you have found useful plugins for your TYPO3 project you next need to install them. Before the installation, make sure that the selected installation is compatible with the version of the content management system that you are using. You should also check the reputation and reliability of the extension. You can do this by looking at the basic information like the version’s history, the date of the last update, or the download numbers. To install the desired TYPO3 extension, you can refer back to the Extension Manager, which is a standard component of the program. The manager makes possible the installation and configuration of extensions directly within TYPO3 itself; something which is always preferable to a manual installation via an external package.

In most cases, the extension that you are looking for can be found using the search function within the Extension Manager. All that you need is the complete and correct key, which for example you can find in the official repository. To begin the installation, simply click on the ‘Import and install’ button, which can be found next to the title of the selected extension. If the implementation was a success, TYPO3 will inform you of this by displaying a brief dialogue window.

For developers who have programmed a TYPO3 extension and wish to share it with the whole community, then the TYPO3 Extension Repository (TER) is the right platform for this. This central directory, which can be accessed via the official homepage of the content management system, offers the possibility of uploading one’s own plugins, templates, and so on to make them available for the entire TYPO3 user community. With the upload process, the developer also assigns (among other things) the aforementioned extension key, that can be found through the Extension Manager and installed.

The TYPO3 Extension Repository offers more than 1800 different extensions, which makes it one of the most important portals for TYPO3 users. One of the directory’s particularly useful features is the integrated search function, which among other things, allows you to filter results based on development status, category, and TYPO3 compatibility.

The search for a template is often more complicated than originally envisioned. It is not unusual for one to find the perfect solution, only for it to turn out that it is not actually compatible with your version of TYPO3. In other cases, the entire package might be the perfect fit; except that the price of the template exceeds your budget. You should approach the whole issue with patience and not immediately pounce on the first decent solution that you encounter. This is the only way to ensure that you find a TYPO3 template that meets all your expectations and can be used long term. Below is an overview of the established and reputable providers.

The previously mentioned extension repository from TYPO3 also introduces us to a number of templates. While the repository doesn’t actually offer the possibility of choosing an extension category, it does have a filter option that can help you search for the template you need. The templates in question come from a variety of developers who use this platform to make their products available to the user community. Along with a short description, the most important basic details for each TYPO3 template will also be written. These include the current version of the template, the compatible TYPO3 versions, whether the template is dependent on other extensions to function, as well as the name of the developer responsible for the template.

Sometimes it is also possible to access a manual, which alongside a detailed introduction, offers information relating to the licensing. When downloading a TYPO3 template you will have the choice between a T3X package and a ZIP archive – both formats can load the content management system as standard.

A template of particular note is the t3Bootstrap Template from WapplerSystems, which as the name suggests, is based on the CSS Framework Bootstrap. This template is primarily aimed at TYPO3 users who are creating their own template but do not wish to work with the standard engine. Along with a series of basic components – like a grid system, sidebar menu, typographies, and a function for responsive images – you also have access to a template maker that makes the creation of basic components for your project so much easier. Alternatively, thanks to the finished bootstrap elements, the TYPO3 responsive template can also be used, unchanged, for content management.

In order to be able to use t3Bootstrap, you need to acquire one of the licenses on offer. One of the relatively cheap private user licences is usually sufficient for a basic homepage. If it is the case, however, that you wish to use the TYPO3 template for your company website, then you will need the individual commercial licence. WapplerSystems offers a multi-project licence for unlimited commercial use. Non-profit organisations can use the template free of charge, on the one condition that they use a backlink.

The web developer Sebastian Klein has also created a template for TYPO3 that you can use as a basis for your own templates. Apart from the t3Bootstrap template, his template (named ‘basetemplate’) contains no integrated frontend solution like Bootstrap. Instead, it has a simple HTML structure that aims to make the use of TYPO3 FLUID templates that little bit easier. For this purpose, the template has a logical file structure, a basic TypoScript setup, as well as a basic configuration of the TYPO3 module (TSconfig). All settings can be adjusted without complication if required. You can find the free basetemplate, in three versions: ‘basetemplate62’ (for TYPO3 6.2), ‘basetemplate7’ (for TYPO3 7.6), and ‘basetemplate8’ (for TYPO3 v8 LTS), available for download on GitHub.

If you are looking for an onpage layout for your web presence and are working with TYPO3 6.2, then the t3onepage template is an excellent choice. The TYPO3 template from Maximilian Mayer contains the right TypoScript and the corresponding module basis in order to allow you to present your content on a single page. The package made up of fonts, icons, JavaScript snippets, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), is available under a free MIT license, and can be utilised and modified for both private and commercial aims (provided licence and copyright are indicated). The web page onepage.compuart.com functions as a live preview of the template that you can download for free on Github.

While Codingpeople Ltd. offers no TYPO3 templates for download, it does offer the service of creating a standard, complete template on demand within 5 working days. This German company orientates itself on the official TYPO3 coding guidelines and, therefore, focuses on a clean separation between design and code, as well as an object-orientated PHP, and JavaScript development. For the agreed upon price, you will receive a high-performance template with all the basic functions of the content management system, and various optional features like a responsive web design, contact formulae, multi-language, newsletter, and special fonts. All of these, as well as the desired number of subpages can be selected in the configurator and then added to the standard package.

Apart from the option of making use of the finished templates, there is also, of course, the possibility of creating your own TYPO3 template. This gives you maximum control over the layout and design of your web presence. In order to do this, you need have the necessary skills for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It is possible to make the creation of a basic framework like this easier by using the likes of Bootstrap [Build web projects with Bootstrap], ZURB Foundation, or HTML5 Boilerplate. This then means that you don’t have to start right from scratch. Also, an alternative to creating templates via HTML template, you can also create yours with TYPO3 internal configuration language TypoScript. Although for this to happen, a certain amount of time for familiarisation is required.

It is recommendable that you create your own template in the form of a TYPO3 extension. This allows you to easily embed the template using the Extension Manager.

When upgrading to a new TYPO3 version, there are a couple of things that you need to do. Regardless of whether it is a small update (e.g. from 7.6.2 to 7.6.3) or a large one (e.g. from 6.2 to 7.6), you should first create a backup of both your current TYPO3 installation as well as your database. This means that if there are any complications with the update process, you can still quickly change back to the old version. Before switching over to the new version, you should also definitely make sure to update the reference index. With larger TYPO3 updates, i.e. for those that should be done with the help of the Upgrade Wizard, it is necessary to take further steps:

• Convert global extensions to local extensions
• Run the database analyzer
• Empty the cache table and delete temporary cache files
• Delete backend user settings
• Read the ChangeLog and the NEWS.md file of the new TYPO3 update
• Updating of extensions and the language module

In most cases, switching to a new TYPO3 version can occur without much complication. The adjustments that will be necessary is dependent on the range of extensions and different versions being used. Given that these often involve a significant amount of work, many hosting providers will offer the implementation of TYPO3 updates as a service as well.