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Review: Joomla 3.1

updated 21 October 2026

Joomla 3.1 brought tags – and the promise that held for every later version of Joomla 3: a one-click update, not a migration. For this review we installed Joomla 3.1.6 of 6 November 2013, the last version of this line, and photographed it.

Series "Joomla history" · minor version · back to Review: Joomla 3.0 · next: Review: Joomla 3.2

Released23 April 2013 (Joomla 3.1.0)
Last version3.1.6 of 6 November 2013 (7 versions)
Followed byJoomla 3.2 on 6 November 2013
RequirementsPHP from 5.3.1
TemplatesProtostar (default), Beez3; Isis in the backend, Hathor
Included in the installation127 extensions
End of supportEnd of Life: Joomla 3.x

What was new in Joomla 3.1

According to the Joomla 3.1 announcement:

  • Tags for articles and other content, with a component of their own.
  • A "Note" form field for notes in forms.
  • Logs in the debug console and pagination in the search results.
  • A rebuilt installer and language associations in more components.
  • Going from 3.0 to 3.1 is a one-click update.
Joomla 3.1: The new
The new "Tags" component – the sample data does not bring any tags yet.
Joomla 3.1: Editing an article – with the field for tags
Editing an article – with the field for tags.

The installation

Joomla 3.1 installer: step 1
Step 1: site name and login.
Joomla 3.1 installer: step 2
Step 2: the database.
Joomla 3.1 installer: step 3
Step 3: the overview with sample data and server check.
Joomla 3.1 installer: step 4
Step 4: done.

The website

Joomla 3.1: home page
The freshly installed website with the sample data.
Joomla 3.1: Sample Sites
The page "Sample Sites".
Joomla 3.1: Getting Started
The page "Getting Started".
Joomla 3.1: Using Joomla!
The page "Using Joomla!".
Joomla 3.1: The Joomla! Project
The page "The Joomla! Project".
Joomla 3.1: The Joomla! Community
The page "The Joomla! Community".
Joomla 3.1: Site Map
The page "Site Map".
Joomla 3.1: Home
The home page on a smartphone.

The backend

Joomla 3.1: The backend login
The backend login.
Joomla 3.1: The control panel
The control panel.
Joomla 3.1: The
The "Content" menu.
Joomla 3.1: The article list
The article list.
Joomla 3.1: The categories
The categories.
Joomla 3.1: The items of a menu
The items of a menu.
Joomla 3.1: The modules of the website
The modules of the website.
Joomla 3.1: The plugins
The plugins.
Joomla 3.1: 127 extensions in a fresh installation
127 extensions in a fresh installation.
Joomla 3.1: The template styles
The template styles.
Joomla 3.1: The global configuration
The global configuration.
Joomla 3.1: The user groups
The user groups.
Joomla 3.1: The Media Manager
The Media Manager.
Joomla 3.1: System information – with PHP 5.6 from our test environment
System information – with PHP 5.6 from our test environment.
Joomla 3.1: Joomla Update
Joomla Update.

2013 and today

For comparison: the same views in a fresh Joomla 6.2.

Joomla 3.1.
2013Joomla 3.1.
Joomla 6.2.
2026Joomla 6.2.
Editing an article in 3.1.
2013Editing an article in 3.1.
Editing an article in 6.2.
2026Editing an article in 6.2.

All 7 versions of Joomla 3.1

According to the Joomla downloads:

  1. 3.1.023 Apr 2013
  2. 3.1.126 Apr 2013
  3. 3.1.223 Jul 2013
  4. 3.1.325 Jul 2013
  5. 3.1.425 Jul 2013
  6. 3.1.51 Aug 2013
  7. 3.1.66 Nov 2013

Joomla 3 at a glance

VersionFirst releaseLast releaseVersions
Joomla 3.027 Sep 20123.0.4 · 23 Apr 20135
Joomla 3.123 Apr 20133.1.6 · 6 Nov 20137
Joomla 3.26 Nov 20133.2.7 · 1 Oct 20148
Joomla 3.330 Apr 20143.3.6 · 1 Oct 20147
Joomla 3.424 Feb 20153.4.8 · 24 Dec 20159
Joomla 3.521 Mar 20163.5.1 · 5 Apr 20162
Joomla 3.612 Jul 20163.6.5 · 13 Dec 20166
Joomla 3.725 Apr 20173.7.5 · 17 Aug 20176
Joomla 3.818 Sep 20173.8.13 · 9 Oct 201814
Joomla 3.930 Oct 20183.9.28 · 6 Jul 202129
Joomla 3.1017 Aug 20213.10.12 · 11 Jul 202313

Still running a website on Joomla 3?

It gets no security updates any more. We bring it to Joomla 6 – we name the effort after an inventory.

See Joomla update and migration

How we did it: Joomla 3.1.6 in the original package from downloads.joomla.org, locally in Docker with PHP 5.6 and MySQL 5.5, reachable only on our own machine, files unchanged, with the "Learn Joomla" sample data. PHP error display is switched off so that notices about outdated functions do not cover the pictures.

Sources: Joomla 3.1 announcement, Joomla downloads and our own screenshots. As of 21 October 2026.

All versions of Joomla 3

All parts of the series "Joomla history"

  1. Part 1: Joomla 1.0 (2005)
  2. Part 2: Joomla 1.5 (2008)
  3. Part 3: Joomla 2.5 (2012)
  4. Part 4: Joomla 3.0 (2012)
  5. Part 5: Joomla 4.0 (2021)
  6. Part 6: Joomla 5.0 (2023)
  7. Part 7: Joomla 6.0 (2025)
Ufuk Avcu

Owner and developer of the Joomla Agency. Has been building and looking after Joomla websites since 2009.

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