What if the checker says an extension is INCOMPATIBLE?

Three options, in order of preference:

1. Check the vendor’s changelog for a newer version. The checker uses Packagist + the vendor’s published changelog, but some vendors are slow to publish. Email the vendor; ask about 2.4.9 compatibility roadmap. Many vendors have a beta available privately.
2. Swap to an alternative. For most categories (SEO, search, blog, page builder, GDPR) there are 2-5 viable alternatives. Use my extension finder to find swaps. Migration effort: ~$500, $2,500 per swapped extension depending on data migration needs.
3. Fork + patch. If the vendor is silent and there’s no swap, fork the extension into your custom code and patch it yourself. Cost: $1k, $5k per extension depending on size. Long-term maintenance burden, you now own that codebase.

Categories where swap is easy: SEO, blog, page builder, GDPR, customer reviews, related products, abandoned cart. Categories where swap is hard: payment gateways (locked to processor), ERP integrations (data-coupled), B2B-specific modules (Commerce-only).

Never option: ship a broken upgrade. An INCOMPATIBLE extension on a production storefront means silent data corruption, broken checkout, or an admin-side crash. Always swap or patch first, never ignore.