WordPress Migration

WordPress-to-Drupal Migration Process

Migrating websites from WordPress to Drupal is like moving from one house to another: the furniture and possessions (your content) can come with you, but the layout, wiring, and size of the new house are different. Everything must be packed, transported, and unpacked in a way that fits the new structure.

WordPress and Drupal organize content differently, so migration is not a simple copy-and-paste. Careful preparation and cleanup help ensure a smooth transition.

Estimated Timeline: The migration process typically takes 2-4 weeks from initial preparation to final launch, depending on site complexity and total number of pages to be migrated and reviewed.

Note: To clarify, "Drupal" is the software platform used to build these new websites. "SUpal" refers to Syracuse University's customized instance, which includes our specific modules, formatting, layouts, and rules.

 

Preparing Your Existing WordPress Site

Before any content is moved, you need to review the WordPress site to determine what should be kept. This is the ideal time to remove outdated or unnecessary material, so it does not carry over into the new site.

What You Should Do Before Migration

  • Remove all unneeded or unvisited pages from your site.
  • Delete unused files and images from the media library.
  • Review meta descriptions and page titles to ensure they are current and SEO-optimized.
  • Identify any plugins, shortcodes, or custom features used on your WordPress site. Some may not have direct equivalents in SUpal and may require redesign or removal.
  • Document your current site structure, including menus, page hierarchy, and internal linking patterns.
  • Export analytics data for reference (page views, popular content, etc.).
  • If possible, reorganize your site navigation to reflect how you want it structured in Drupal, keeping in mind that SUpal has specific navigation rules and guidelines.

Migrating these items "as is" can create problems in Drupal, so cleanup is strongly recommended.

Content Freeze Requirement 

Important: Once migration begins, a content freeze will be required. No new pages, edits, or media should be added to the WordPress site until the Drupal version is live.

If you must add or change content to your live WordPress site during migration, you must also add it to the new staging website during creation.

Backup and Safety

Your migration staging site and your live WordPress site are completely separate so your current live website will always exist while developing your new website.  Once you have gone live with your new site, your old WordPress site will be retained for 90 days after launch as a safety measure.

 

What We Will Handle During Migration

Our goal is to move as much of your content as possible into SUpal while preserving structure and functionality.

Content Migration:

  • Move page content into corresponding SUpal pages.
  • Transfer media files such as images, PDFs, and documents.
  • Preserve meta descriptions, page titles, and SEO settings where possible.
  • Map WordPress components to their SUpal equivalents (for example, accordion to accordion, tabs to tabs).
  • Maintain existing file paths, when possible, to avoid broken links.

Keep in mind that we are migrating the data that make up your old site into the new platform - we are not moving the existing website.  There will still be work involved in setting up the content using the new components and layouts.

URL and Redirect Management:

  • We will redirect the top-level domain if it changes.
  • Individual page redirects: We cannot automatically redirect every individual page. If your page URLs change significantly, external links from other university sites may break. You should coordinate with units that link to your content to update their links after launch.

Please note: Any custom programming or components without an equivalent in SUpal may not be able to be migrated into the system. We recommend discussing these items during your migration kickoff meeting.

 

What You Will Need to Rebuild Manually

Some elements cannot be migrated automatically because WordPress and Drupal handle design and layout differently.

Required Manual Work:

  • Design and layout: Rebuild the site's appearance using SUpal components and templates.
  • The homepage will need to be built from scratch.  It cannot be imported due to issues with mismatched components.
  • Menu(s): Recreate navigation menus within SUpal.
  • Widgets and blocks: Configure header navigation, footer content, and other global website elements.
  • Page titles should all be unique and describe the page’s content and purpose.
  • Tables used for page layout should be removed, as tables are intended only for presenting tabular data. Ideally, tables should have no more than four columns.
  • Forms: Rebuild contact forms and other interactive forms using SUpal's form builder.
  • Homepage design: Configure your homepage layout using SUpal's available components.
  • Accessibility improvements: Add missing alt text, fix heading structures, and remediate any accessibility issues identified during review.

Training Requirement: You must complete SUpal training before migration to learn how to manage content, menus, and components in your new site. Contact the web team to schedule training if you haven't already done so.

 

Reviewing Your Migrated Site

After the migration, a thorough review of the staging environment ensures everything transferred correctly.

Your Review Checklist:

  • Click through all pages to confirm they display properly.
    We have created a comprehensive Canvas page report, located under “Content” → “Canvas Pages,” that can be filtered and searched. This report will serve as the starting point for most of your migration cleanup. Sorting pages by “URL Alias” can help you rebuild your navigational structure, if needed.
  • Check that images appear and are linked correctly.
  • Test internal links by running the Drupal link checker to ensure they still work and there are no broken links on the new website.
  • Review formatting to confirm it matches expectations.
  • Verify that forms you might have work correctly and send to the correct recipients.
  • Test on mobile devices to ensure responsive display.
  • Review your content for accessibility issues such as missing alt text, improper heading structure, or inaccessible PDFs using the built-in accessibility checker (Editoria11y).
  • Compare key pages side-by-side with your WordPress site to ensure nothing was lost.
  • Check that meta descriptions and page titles transferred correctly.

Timeline: Make sure that you have allotted sufficient time for testing before the scheduled launch date.

 

Before Going Live

Final Testing:

  • Have multiple people from your team explore the site to identify any issues that need correction.
  • Verify Google Analytics or other tracking codes are installed.
  • Submit a Web Development ticket requesting that the site go live.

Communication:

  • Notify any external sites that link to your content about the upcoming change.
  • Prepare an announcement if appropriate for your audience.

Launch Day:

The migration team will update the network DNS to direct traffic to your new Drupal site. The change should appear immediately on campus but may take several hours to update at remote locations or smaller ISPs.  Your website will remain accessible; users will see either the old version or the new one, depending on whether the update has reached them.

 

Post-Launch Support

Ongoing Support:

  • Regular content updates and edits are your responsibility.
  • The web team provides ongoing technical support for platform issues.
  • Request additional training sessions as needed.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long will my site be down during migration?
A: Minimal to no downtime. We build the new Drupal site separately and switch over when ready.

Q: Will my Google rankings be affected?
A: If URLs remain the same, SEO impact should be minimal. We preserve meta descriptions and page titles.

Q: What happens to my WordPress site after migration?
A: It will remain accessible as a backup for 90 days, then be archived.

Q: Can I make edits during the migration process?
A: Any updates must be made on both sites after the migration has occurred.

Q: What if something goes wrong during go live?
A: We can roll back to WordPress if critical issues arise during launch.