diff --git a/src/core/server/config/deprecation/core_deprecations.ts b/src/core/server/config/deprecation/core_deprecations.ts
index 1cf67f479f9b3..b115ea25fc363 100644
--- a/src/core/server/config/deprecation/core_deprecations.ts
+++ b/src/core/server/config/deprecation/core_deprecations.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ const kibanaPathConf: ConfigDeprecation = (settings, fromPath, addDeprecation) =
   if (process.env?.KIBANA_PATH_CONF) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'env.KIBANA_PATH_CONF',
+      level: 'critical',
       message: `Environment variable "KIBANA_PATH_CONF" is deprecated. It has been replaced with "KBN_PATH_CONF" pointing to a config folder`,
       correctiveActions: {
         manualSteps: [
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ const configPathDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (settings, fromPath, addDepreca
   if (process.env?.CONFIG_PATH) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'env.CONFIG_PATH',
+      level: 'critical',
       message: `Environment variable "CONFIG_PATH" is deprecated. It has been replaced with "KBN_PATH_CONF" pointing to a config folder`,
       correctiveActions: {
         manualSteps: ['Use "KBN_PATH_CONF" instead of "CONFIG_PATH" to point to a config folder.'],
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ const dataPathDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (settings, fromPath, addDeprecati
   if (process.env?.DATA_PATH) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'env.DATA_PATH',
+      level: 'critical',
       message: `Environment variable "DATA_PATH" will be removed.  It has been replaced with kibana.yml setting "path.data"`,
       correctiveActions: {
         manualSteps: [
@@ -53,13 +56,13 @@ const rewriteBasePathDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (settings, fromPath, addDe
   if (settings.server?.basePath && !settings.server?.rewriteBasePath) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'server.basePath',
+      level: 'warning',
       title: 'Setting "server.rewriteBasePath" should be set when using "server.basePath"',
       message:
         'You should set server.basePath along with server.rewriteBasePath. Starting in 7.0, Kibana ' +
         'will expect that all requests start with server.basePath rather than expecting you to rewrite ' +
         'the requests in your reverse proxy. Set server.rewriteBasePath to false to preserve the ' +
         'current behavior and silence this warning.',
-      level: 'warning',
       correctiveActions: {
         manualSteps: [
           `Set 'server.rewriteBasePath' in the config file, CLI flag, or environment variable (in Docker only).`,
@@ -75,6 +78,7 @@ const rewriteCorsSettings: ConfigDeprecation = (settings, fromPath, addDeprecati
   if (typeof corsSettings === 'boolean') {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'server.cors',
+      level: 'warning',
       title: 'Setting "server.cors" is deprecated',
       message: '"server.cors" is deprecated and has been replaced by "server.cors.enabled"',
       correctiveActions: {
@@ -113,6 +117,7 @@ const cspRulesDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (settings, fromPath, addDeprecati
             if (sourceList.find((source) => source.includes(NONCE_STRING))) {
               addDeprecation({
                 configPath: 'csp.rules',
+                level: 'critical',
                 message: `csp.rules no longer supports the {nonce} syntax. Replacing with 'self' in ${policy}`,
                 correctiveActions: {
                   manualSteps: [`Replace {nonce} syntax with 'self' in ${policy}`],
@@ -132,6 +137,7 @@ const cspRulesDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (settings, fromPath, addDeprecati
             ) {
               addDeprecation({
                 configPath: 'csp.rules',
+                level: 'critical',
                 message: `csp.rules must contain the 'self' source. Automatically adding to ${policy}.`,
                 correctiveActions: {
                   manualSteps: [`Add 'self' source to ${policy}.`],
@@ -156,6 +162,7 @@ const mapManifestServiceUrlDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (
   if (settings.map?.manifestServiceUrl) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'map.manifestServiceUrl',
+      level: 'critical',
       message:
         'You should no longer use the map.manifestServiceUrl setting in kibana.yml to configure the location ' +
         'of the Elastic Maps Service settings. These settings have moved to the "map.emsTileApiUrl" and ' +
@@ -175,6 +182,7 @@ const serverHostZeroDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (settings, fromPath, addDep
   if (settings.server?.host === '0') {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'server.host',
+      level: 'critical',
       message:
         'Support for setting server.host to "0" in kibana.yml is deprecated and will be removed in Kibana version 8.0.0. ' +
         'Instead use "0.0.0.0" to bind to all interfaces.',
@@ -206,6 +214,7 @@ const opsLoggingEventDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (
   if (settings.logging?.events?.ops) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'logging.events.ops',
+      level: 'critical',
       documentationUrl: `https://github.com/elastic/kibana/blob/${branch}/src/core/server/logging/README.mdx#loggingevents`,
       title: i18n.translate('core.deprecations.loggingEventsOps.deprecationTitle', {
         defaultMessage: `Setting "logging.events.ops" is deprecated`,
@@ -237,6 +246,7 @@ const requestLoggingEventDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (
   if (settings.logging?.events?.request) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'logging.events.request',
+      level: 'critical',
       documentationUrl: `https://github.com/elastic/kibana/blob/${branch}/src/core/server/logging/README.mdx#loggingevents`,
       title: i18n.translate('core.deprecations.loggingEventsRequest.deprecationTitle', {
         defaultMessage: `Setting "logging.events.request" is deprecated`,
@@ -268,6 +278,7 @@ const responseLoggingEventDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (
   if (settings.logging?.events?.response) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'logging.events.response',
+      level: 'critical',
       documentationUrl: `https://github.com/elastic/kibana/blob/${branch}/src/core/server/logging/README.mdx#loggingevents`,
       title: i18n.translate('core.deprecations.loggingEventsResponse.deprecationTitle', {
         defaultMessage: `Setting "logging.events.response" is deprecated`,
@@ -299,6 +310,7 @@ const timezoneLoggingDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (
   if (settings.logging?.timezone) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'logging.timezone',
+      level: 'critical',
       documentationUrl: `https://github.com/elastic/kibana/blob/${branch}/src/core/server/logging/README.mdx#loggingtimezone`,
       title: i18n.translate('core.deprecations.loggingTimezone.deprecationTitle', {
         defaultMessage: `Setting "logging.timezone" is deprecated`,
@@ -330,6 +342,7 @@ const destLoggingDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (
   if (settings.logging?.dest) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'logging.dest',
+      level: 'critical',
       documentationUrl: `https://github.com/elastic/kibana/blob/${branch}/src/core/server/logging/README.mdx#loggingdest`,
       title: i18n.translate('core.deprecations.loggingDest.deprecationTitle', {
         defaultMessage: `Setting "logging.dest" is deprecated`,
@@ -361,6 +374,7 @@ const quietLoggingDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (
   if (settings.logging?.quiet) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'logging.quiet',
+      level: 'critical',
       documentationUrl: `https://github.com/elastic/kibana/blob/${branch}/src/core/server/logging/README.mdx#loggingquiet`,
       title: i18n.translate('core.deprecations.loggingQuiet.deprecationTitle', {
         defaultMessage: `Setting "logging.quiet" is deprecated`,
@@ -391,6 +405,7 @@ const silentLoggingDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (
   if (settings.logging?.silent) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'logging.silent',
+      level: 'critical',
       documentationUrl: `https://github.com/elastic/kibana/blob/${branch}/src/core/server/logging/README.mdx#loggingsilent`,
       title: i18n.translate('core.deprecations.loggingSilent.deprecationTitle', {
         defaultMessage: `Setting "logging.silent" is deprecated`,
@@ -421,6 +436,7 @@ const verboseLoggingDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (
   if (settings.logging?.verbose) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'logging.verbose',
+      level: 'critical',
       documentationUrl: `https://github.com/elastic/kibana/blob/${branch}/src/core/server/logging/README.mdx#loggingverbose`,
       title: i18n.translate('core.deprecations.loggingVerbose.deprecationTitle', {
         defaultMessage: `Setting "logging.verbose" is deprecated`,
@@ -455,6 +471,7 @@ const jsonLoggingDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (
   if (settings.logging?.json && settings.env !== 'development') {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'logging.json',
+      level: 'critical',
       documentationUrl: `https://github.com/elastic/kibana/blob/${branch}/src/core/server/logging/README.mdx`,
       title: i18n.translate('core.deprecations.loggingJson.deprecationTitle', {
         defaultMessage: `Setting "logging.json" is deprecated`,
@@ -487,6 +504,7 @@ const logRotateDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (
   if (settings.logging?.rotate) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'logging.rotate',
+      level: 'critical',
       documentationUrl: `https://github.com/elastic/kibana/blob/${branch}/src/core/server/logging/README.mdx#rolling-file-appender`,
       title: i18n.translate('core.deprecations.loggingRotate.deprecationTitle', {
         defaultMessage: `Setting "logging.rotate" is deprecated`,
@@ -518,6 +536,7 @@ const logEventsLogDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (
   if (settings.logging?.events?.log) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'logging.events.log',
+      level: 'critical',
       documentationUrl: `https://github.com/elastic/kibana/blob/${branch}/src/core/server/logging/README.mdx#loggingevents`,
       title: i18n.translate('core.deprecations.loggingEventsLog.deprecationTitle', {
         defaultMessage: `Setting "logging.events.log" is deprecated`,
@@ -548,6 +567,7 @@ const logEventsErrorDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (
   if (settings.logging?.events?.error) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'logging.events.error',
+      level: 'critical',
       documentationUrl: `https://github.com/elastic/kibana/blob/${branch}/src/core/server/logging/README.mdx#loggingevents`,
       title: i18n.translate('core.deprecations.loggingEventsError.deprecationTitle', {
         defaultMessage: `Setting "logging.events.error" is deprecated`,
@@ -578,6 +598,7 @@ const logFilterDeprecation: ConfigDeprecation = (
   if (settings.logging?.filter) {
     addDeprecation({
       configPath: 'logging.filter',
+      level: 'critical',
       documentationUrl: `https://github.com/elastic/kibana/blob/${branch}/src/core/server/logging/README.mdx#loggingfilter`,
       title: i18n.translate('core.deprecations.loggingFilter.deprecationTitle', {
         defaultMessage: `Setting "logging.filter" is deprecated`,
@@ -596,40 +617,42 @@ export const coreDeprecationProvider: ConfigDeprecationProvider = ({
   unusedFromRoot,
   renameFromRoot,
 }) => [
-  unusedFromRoot('savedObjects.indexCheckTimeout'),
-  unusedFromRoot('server.xsrf.token'),
-  unusedFromRoot('maps.manifestServiceUrl'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.lazy'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.lazyPort'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.lazyHost'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.lazyPrebuild'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.lazyProxyTimeout'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.enabled'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.bundleFilter'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.bundleDir'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.viewCaching'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.watch'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.watchPort'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.watchHost'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.watchPrebuild'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.watchProxyTimeout'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.useBundleCache'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.sourceMaps'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.workers'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.profile'),
-  unusedFromRoot('optimize.validateSyntaxOfNodeModules'),
-  renameFromRoot('xpack.xpack_main.telemetry.config', 'telemetry.config'),
-  renameFromRoot('xpack.xpack_main.telemetry.url', 'telemetry.url'),
-  renameFromRoot('xpack.xpack_main.telemetry.enabled', 'telemetry.enabled'),
-  renameFromRoot('xpack.telemetry.enabled', 'telemetry.enabled'),
-  renameFromRoot('xpack.telemetry.config', 'telemetry.config'),
-  renameFromRoot('xpack.telemetry.banner', 'telemetry.banner'),
-  renameFromRoot('xpack.telemetry.url', 'telemetry.url'),
-  renameFromRoot('cpu.cgroup.path.override', 'ops.cGroupOverrides.cpuPath'),
-  renameFromRoot('cpuacct.cgroup.path.override', 'ops.cGroupOverrides.cpuAcctPath'),
-  renameFromRoot('server.xsrf.whitelist', 'server.xsrf.allowlist'),
-  unusedFromRoot('elasticsearch.preserveHost'),
-  unusedFromRoot('elasticsearch.startupTimeout'),
+  unusedFromRoot('savedObjects.indexCheckTimeout', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('server.xsrf.token', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('maps.manifestServiceUrl', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.lazy', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.lazyPort', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.lazyHost', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.lazyPrebuild', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.lazyProxyTimeout', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.enabled', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.bundleFilter', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.bundleDir', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.viewCaching', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.watch', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.watchPort', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.watchHost', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.watchPrebuild', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.watchProxyTimeout', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.useBundleCache', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.sourceMaps', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.workers', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.profile', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('optimize.validateSyntaxOfNodeModules', { level: 'critical' }),
+  renameFromRoot('xpack.xpack_main.telemetry.config', 'telemetry.config', { level: 'critical' }),
+  renameFromRoot('xpack.xpack_main.telemetry.url', 'telemetry.url', { level: 'critical' }),
+  renameFromRoot('xpack.xpack_main.telemetry.enabled', 'telemetry.enabled', { level: 'critical' }),
+  renameFromRoot('xpack.telemetry.enabled', 'telemetry.enabled', { level: 'critical' }),
+  renameFromRoot('xpack.telemetry.config', 'telemetry.config', { level: 'critical' }),
+  renameFromRoot('xpack.telemetry.banner', 'telemetry.banner', { level: 'critical' }),
+  renameFromRoot('xpack.telemetry.url', 'telemetry.url', { level: 'critical' }),
+  renameFromRoot('cpu.cgroup.path.override', 'ops.cGroupOverrides.cpuPath', { level: 'critical' }),
+  renameFromRoot('cpuacct.cgroup.path.override', 'ops.cGroupOverrides.cpuAcctPath', {
+    level: 'critical',
+  }),
+  renameFromRoot('server.xsrf.whitelist', 'server.xsrf.allowlist', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('elasticsearch.preserveHost', { level: 'critical' }),
+  unusedFromRoot('elasticsearch.startupTimeout', { level: 'critical' }),
   rewriteCorsSettings,
   configPathDeprecation,
   kibanaPathConf,
diff --git a/src/core/server/kibana_config.ts b/src/core/server/kibana_config.ts
index 859f25d7082f1..a0476a54ae744 100644
--- a/src/core/server/kibana_config.ts
+++ b/src/core/server/kibana_config.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const deprecations: ConfigDeprecationProvider = () => [
     if (kibana?.index) {
       addDeprecation({
         configPath: 'kibana.index',
+        level: 'critical',
         title: i18n.translate('core.kibana.index.deprecationTitle', {
           defaultMessage: `Setting "kibana.index" is deprecated`,
         }),
diff --git a/src/plugins/home/server/index.ts b/src/plugins/home/server/index.ts
index 9523766596fed..db72af9d78a39 100644
--- a/src/plugins/home/server/index.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/home/server/index.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ export const config: PluginConfigDescriptor<ConfigSchema> = {
   },
   schema: configSchema,
   deprecations: ({ renameFromRoot }) => [
-    renameFromRoot('kibana.disableWelcomeScreen', 'home.disableWelcomeScreen'),
+    renameFromRoot('kibana.disableWelcomeScreen', 'home.disableWelcomeScreen', {
+      level: 'critical',
+    }),
   ],
 };
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/newsfeed/server/index.ts b/src/plugins/newsfeed/server/index.ts
index 460d48622af69..30bd27f027ccd 100644
--- a/src/plugins/newsfeed/server/index.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/newsfeed/server/index.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export const config: PluginConfigDescriptor<NewsfeedConfigType> = {
     mainInterval: true,
     fetchInterval: true,
   },
-  deprecations: ({ unused }) => [unused('defaultLanguage')],
+  deprecations: ({ unused }) => [unused('defaultLanguage', { level: 'critical' })],
 };
 
 export function plugin() {
diff --git a/src/plugins/telemetry/server/config/deprecations.test.ts b/src/plugins/telemetry/server/config/deprecations.test.ts
index 567ef69e8991c..1243ae6712057 100644
--- a/src/plugins/telemetry/server/config/deprecations.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/telemetry/server/config/deprecations.test.ts
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ describe('deprecateEndpointConfigs', () => {
               "To send usage to the staging endpoint add \\"telemetry.sendUsageTo: staging\\" to the Kibana configuration.",
             ],
           },
+          "level": "critical",
           "message": "\\"telemetry.url\\" has been deprecated. Set \\"telemetry.sendUsageTo: staging\\" to the Kibana configurations to send usage to the staging endpoint.",
           "title": "Setting \\"telemetry.url\\" is deprecated",
         },
@@ -188,6 +189,7 @@ describe('deprecateEndpointConfigs', () => {
               "To send usage to the staging endpoint add \\"telemetry.sendUsageTo: staging\\" to the Kibana configuration.",
             ],
           },
+          "level": "critical",
           "message": "\\"telemetry.optInStatusUrl\\" has been deprecated. Set \\"telemetry.sendUsageTo: staging\\" to the Kibana configurations to send usage to the staging endpoint.",
           "title": "Setting \\"telemetry.optInStatusUrl\\" is deprecated",
         },
diff --git a/src/plugins/telemetry/server/config/deprecations.ts b/src/plugins/telemetry/server/config/deprecations.ts
index 38553be7d5774..fa939482a5f57 100644
--- a/src/plugins/telemetry/server/config/deprecations.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/telemetry/server/config/deprecations.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ export const deprecateEndpointConfigs: ConfigDeprecation = (
 
       addDeprecation({
         configPath: fullConfigPath,
+        level: 'critical',
         title: i18n.translate('telemetry.endpointConfigs.deprecationTitle', {
           defaultMessage: 'Setting "{configPath}" is deprecated',
           values: { configPath: fullConfigPath },
diff --git a/src/plugins/usage_collection/server/config.ts b/src/plugins/usage_collection/server/config.ts
index faf8ce7535e8a..0c52f4525c134 100644
--- a/src/plugins/usage_collection/server/config.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/usage_collection/server/config.ts
@@ -30,10 +30,16 @@ export type ConfigType = TypeOf<typeof configSchema>;
 export const config: PluginConfigDescriptor<ConfigType> = {
   schema: configSchema,
   deprecations: ({ renameFromRoot }) => [
-    renameFromRoot('ui_metric.enabled', 'usageCollection.uiCounters.enabled'),
-    renameFromRoot('ui_metric.debug', 'usageCollection.uiCounters.debug'),
-    renameFromRoot('usageCollection.uiMetric.enabled', 'usageCollection.uiCounters.enabled'),
-    renameFromRoot('usageCollection.uiMetric.debug', 'usageCollection.uiCounters.debug'),
+    renameFromRoot('ui_metric.enabled', 'usageCollection.uiCounters.enabled', {
+      level: 'critical',
+    }),
+    renameFromRoot('ui_metric.debug', 'usageCollection.uiCounters.debug', { level: 'critical' }),
+    renameFromRoot('usageCollection.uiMetric.enabled', 'usageCollection.uiCounters.enabled', {
+      level: 'critical',
+    }),
+    renameFromRoot('usageCollection.uiMetric.debug', 'usageCollection.uiCounters.debug', {
+      level: 'critical',
+    }),
   ],
   exposeToBrowser: {
     uiCounters: true,
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/licensing/server/licensing_config.ts b/x-pack/plugins/licensing/server/licensing_config.ts
index a27eaba56df50..485351ec22048 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/licensing/server/licensing_config.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/licensing/server/licensing_config.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ export const config: PluginConfigDescriptor<LicenseConfigType> = {
   deprecations: ({ renameFromRoot }) => [
     renameFromRoot(
       'xpack.xpack_main.xpack_api_polling_frequency_millis',
-      'xpack.licensing.api_polling_frequency'
+      'xpack.licensing.api_polling_frequency',
+      { level: 'critical' }
     ),
   ],
 };