Migrating from Drupal to WordPress is a major undertaking that includes more than just transferring content. It requires careful planning, technical execution and thorough testing to ensure a smooth transition.
In this blog we will explore the process and considerations before migrating to wordpress.
Why Migrate from Drupal to WordPress?
Migrating from Drupal to WordPress can improve your website experience, mainly if ease of use is your top priority. WordPress is known for its intuitive interface, which simplifies content updates and management for users. It also provides a comprehensive ecosystem of themes and plugins that makes it convenient to customize your site and add new features without much development. Besides this, WordPress also includes lower maintenance costs and advantages from a large community of developers which help simplify support and continuous site management.
Considerations to Migrate from Drupal to WordPress
Here are some considerations to migrate from drupal to wordpress:
Set up a New Website or Web Host
Before migrating, ensure that you have a hosting environment compatible with WordPress. If your current host allows multiple websites, set up a new one for WordPress. If not, you may need to upgrade your plan to a web hosting provider that supports WordPress installations.
Backup Your Drupal Site
Always make sure to backup your Drupal site before migration.
- Your site’s database: Use modules like Backup and Migrate to export it.
- Drupal root directory: Connect through SFTP and download the complete folder and save it securely so you can restore the site if needed.
Pre-requisites
Here are some prerequisites before migrating from drupal to wordpress:
- Access to the Drupal site files through the Drupal site and WordPress site or HTTP, FTP should be on the same server.
- Access to the Drupal site database.
Step-by-Step Process to Migrate a Drupal Site to WordPress
Follow the below process to migrate content from drupal to wordpress:
Step 1: Install and Configure FG Drupal to WordPress plugin
Drupal and WordPress have comparable database structure. Drupal has nodes whereas WordPress has posts. Both platforms support custom content types. The FG Drupal to WordPress plugin helps simplify the migration process by effectively mapping Drupal’s default node types to corresponding WordPress post types.
- Install and activate the FG Drupal to WordPress plugin.
- Go to Tools -> Import -> Drupal.
- Add database details of your Drupal site.
- Choose the data that you want to import (posts, pages, media, etc.).
- Begin the import process and double check for errors.
Step 2: Organize Imported Content
Once the data has been imported, you can refine and reorganize it.
Custom Post Types:
To improve content management in WordPress use “Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)” where you can create and manage custom fields, mimicking Drupal custom node content structure.
Convert Post Types:
If you want the imported Drupal content to be reassigned to other post types, use the “Post Type Switcher” to convert posts, pages, and custom post types.
Manage Classification:
To reassign and reorganise categories and tags use “Taxonomy Switcher” which helps you migrate terms between categories, tags, and custom taxonomies.
Improve WordPress Admin:
Use “CodePress Admin Columns”, lets you improve the admin panel to view important content details in a systematic and organized way.
Step 3: Final Touches and Testing
- Double check posts, pages, media, and links to make sure all the data has been transferred properly.
- To preserve your SEO rankings, use a redirection plugin in WordPress to map old drupal URLs to new wordpress URL structure for easy search engine visibility.
- Use a plugin like “Broken Link Checker” to fix any broken internal links.
- Install image optimization and caching plugins to improve site speed.
Conclusion
Migrating from Drupal to WordPress can be smooth and straightforward with the right tools to help you have an organized and efficient transition. Always make sure to review and fine tune your migrated data and get the flexibility and ease of managing your site on WordPress.
FAQ’s
How to import a Drupal database?
Go to the MySQL database field -> Click File -> Choose File. Choose your local archive file -> click Import. If you recently imported the database and need to re-import, refresh the page and use a new filename for the database file.
Can I use Drupal with WordPress?
Yes, it’s possible to easily migrate a website from Drupal to WordPress using reliable migration plugins and services, for a smooth transition without losing any content or SEO rankings.
Which is more secure: WordPress or Drupal ?
Drupal’s ecosystem is often secure because of its review process, but WordPress plugins, when installed from trusted providers, can be just as secure. The challenge for both is vetting and maintaining third-party code.
