Before each AI SDK major, check the runtime and save transcripts to compare, because the automated migration fixes renames and misses changes that compile but behave differently. The SDK shipped three majors in eleven months, and each renamed APIs that production code depends on. The steps also cover which release lines still get patches.
When you need this
- A new major is out and the team is deciding when to move.
- A provider package update arrives with the core upgrade.
- An agent starts behaving differently after a version bump, with no error in sight.
Evaluation criteria
Know which lines get patches
Are you on a line that still receives fixes?
Look forOn October 23 and 24, 2026, Vercel published patches to the 5, 6, and 7 lines: 5.0.281, 6.0.315, and 7.0.153. Vercel publishes no end-of-support date for the older lines, so plan each upgrade around your own launches and watch the ai-v5 and ai-v6 npm tags for patches.
Check the runtime first
Does every service meet AI SDK 7's requirements?
Look forAI SDK 7 requires Node.js 22 or later and is ESM only, with require() no longer supported. Vercel's guide notes Node.js 22 reached end of maintenance on April 30, 2026, and recommends Node.js 24 or 26 for production.
Run the migration tool, then read the diff
What did the automated migration change, and what did it miss?
Look forRun Vercel's automated v6 to v7 migration for the mechanical renames, then review every changed call. The tool changes names. It does not flag a property that kept its name and changed its meaning.
Hunt silent behavior changes
Which results changed without a compile error?
Look forCompare transcripts before and after each upgrade. In AI SDK 7, response.messages holds only the final step. Full history moved to responseMessages. A benchmark that kept the old accessor dropped tool history and logged 114 failed follow-ups. BrainGrid also found AI SDK 5 stop conditions changed agent run length.
Move provider packages with the core
Do your provider packages support the new major?
Look forUpgrade @ai-sdk provider packages in step with ai, and check community providers before you commit. Sourcebot's self-hosted model support waited on a community Ollama provider that did not yet support AI SDK 5. Provider packages also change behavior in minor releases, as a Bedrock structured-output switch showed in July 2026.
Check type-checking cost
Do editor and CI type checks stay fast?
Look forEarly AI SDK 5 releases drew issues about slow type checking and a TypeScript server reaching about 8 GB with Zod 4. Time your type check before and after the upgrade and keep Zod on a version the release supports.
Budget the time
How long will this take your team?
Look forBrainGrid moved 14 tools from AI SDK 4 to the 5 beta in a couple of days, with renames and a type overhaul. Schedule upgrades between launches and re-run evals before release.
Questions to ask vendors
- Which line are we on, and is Vercel still publishing patches for it?
- Do all services run Node.js 22 or later with ESM?
- Which accessors and options changed meaning in this major, and where do we use them?
- Which community providers do we depend on, and do they support the new major?
- What eval or transcript comparison must pass before the upgrade ships?
Red flags
- Upgrading ai without the matching @ai-sdk provider packages.
- Relying on the automated migration alone, with no review of changed calls.
- No saved transcripts or eval baseline to compare after the upgrade.
- Services still on CommonJS or Node.js 20 when planning AI SDK 7.
Products in this piece
Sources
- Official documentation
- 9
- Public source
- 6
- AI SDK docs: Migration guides
- AI SDK docs: Migration guide, AI SDK 7.0
- vercel/ai releases on GitHub
- npm registry: the ai package, dist-tags and release times (as of Oct 24, 2026)
- Vercel blog: AI SDK 5 (Jul 31, 2025)
- Vercel blog: AI SDK 6 (Dec 22, 2025)
- Vercel blog: AI SDK 7 (Jun 25, 2026)
- AI SDK providers (46 first-party integrations)
- AI SDK community providers
- Kevin Peckham, Lightning Jar: A deprecated accessor that still typechecks broke my benchmark (Jul 6, 2026)
- Felipe Cadavid, BrainGrid blog: Migrating to AI SDK v5 (Jul 24, 2025)
- Hacker News comment from the Sourcebot team on the Ollama provider and AI SDK 5 (Jul 31, 2025)
- vercel/ai issue #17881: Bedrock native structured output degenerates on claude-sonnet-4-6 (Jul 23, 2026)
- vercel/ai issue #7351: TypeScript server at about 8 GB with AI SDK 5 and Zod 4 (Jul 16, 2025)
- npm: the ai package, versions and weekly downloads (as of Oct 12, 2026)