Migrating from Drupal to WordPress: A Complete Guide for All Skill Levels

Migrating from Drupal to WordPress

Migrating your Drupal site to WordPress may feel like an overwhelming task. However, by following the right approach and understanding the steps, the migration can be smooth and manageable. This guide covers everything you need to know, from preparation to common troubleshooting tips, and even coding scripts if you decide to migrate manually.

Let’s get started by exploring the benefits of switching from Drupal to WordPress, as well as the differences between the two platforms.

Why Migrate from Drupal to WordPress?

Beyond the functional advantages of WordPress, another significant reason for migration is Drupal’s end-of-use and support cycle. Drupal versions are periodically retired, which means that they stop receiving security updates, new features, and bug fixes. This can leave your site vulnerable to security risks and compatibility issues.

Drupal End-of-Life (EOL) Considerations

• Drupal 7: Support for Drupal 7, originally planned to end in 2022, has been extended but will officially reach its end-of-life in January 2025. After this, Drupal 7 will no longer receive updates or official support, which may expose websites to security vulnerabilities.
• Drupal 8: Drupal 8 reached its end of life in November 2021, as it’s built on Symfony 3, which also ended support. Websites still on Drupal 8 are advised to migrate to Drupal 9 or, alternatively, to WordPress for a more future-proof solution.
• Drupal 9 and Beyond: While Drupal 9 is currently supported, the platform has a shorter lifecycle with each new version, requiring frequent upgrades to stay current.

Why Choose WordPress Instead?
WordPress has a robust update and backward compatibility system, making it less disruptive when updating versions. Its consistent support cycle and large developer community ensure that the platform stays secure, compatible, and adaptable, making it a reliable long-term choice for most websites.

WordPress has become the most popular Content Management System (CMS) in the world, powering over half of all CMS-based websites. Notable companies like Uber, Siemens, Hallmark, and National Geographic use WordPress, and it’s no wonder why. Here are several reasons why you might consider switching from Drupal to WordPress:

1. WordPress Dominates the CMS Market
   WordPress is the leading CMS, with more than 40% of all websites using it. Out of the top 1 million websites powered by a CMS, nearly half of those are on WordPress. Its popularity has created a massive user base, which translates to a wealth of resources, plugins, and support.
2. Ease of Use
   Unlike Drupal, WordPress is known for its ease of use, even for those without technical skills. WordPress’ intuitive front-end editor allows users to publish and edit content without needing advanced coding knowledge, making it ideal for small businesses, bloggers, and enterprises alike.
3. Scalability and High-Traffic Support
   WordPress can handle high-traffic and complex sites. In fact, many top-ranking sites worldwide, including Forbes and CNN, are built on WordPress, which has proven it can handle high traffic spikes. This scalability makes WordPress suitable for any type of website, including large e-commerce stores.
4. Strong Community and Support
   With a large global community, WordPress offers extensive resources, support, and troubleshooting help. WordPress forums, online manuals, and developer resources make it easy to find assistance for any issues you encounter.
5. Future-Proofing and Modern Development
   WordPress continually evolves to stay relevant. With regular updates and compatibility with the latest technology (like the WP REST API), WordPress remains a flexible, forward-looking choice for any business or individual.

Key Differences: Drupal vs. WordPress

Migrating from Drupal to WordPress will involve understanding some platform differences. Here’s a quick breakdown of terms to know:

Understanding these terms will help you navigate WordPress post-migration, making it easier to organize and manage content.

Before You Begin: A Migration Preparation Checklist

Migrating from Drupal to WordPress requires preparation. Use the following checklist to guide your setup:

1. Back Up Your Drupal Site
   Always create a full backup of your Drupal site before starting migration. This backup protects your data if anything goes wrong during the process.
2. Take Inventory of Your Content
   Review and list the content you plan to migrate. Taking inventory helps avoid transferring unnecessary content, reducing clutter on your WordPress site.
3. Establish Migration Goals
   Are you looking to maintain the same design or just transfer content? Consider if you want to keep your current theme, make a fresh redesign, or restructure URLs. Clear goals will make the process more organized and prevent hiccups later.
4. Plan for SEO Preservation
   SEO is critical to maintain rankings during migration. Use tools like Xenu Link Sleuth to crawl and export your URLs. If you’re less experienced, reach out to a service provider that can address SEO during migration.
5. Set a Migration Timeline
   Depending on your site’s complexity, migration could take hours or days. Choose a time when traffic is low to minimize disruptions and make the transition smoother.

Migrating from Drupal to WordPress: Methods Based on Skill Level

Depending on your technical expertise, there are several options for migrating your Drupal site to WordPress.

Beginner Level: Hire Codeable for Migration Services

If you have minimal coding knowledge, hiring a professional service is the easiest and most reliable option. Codeable offers a seamless Drupal to WordPress migration process, where skilled professionals handle all aspects of your transfer. Codeable developers can ensure your SEO rankings, URL structures, and content are preserved, and they even handle additional customization needs.

Popular Codeable Services:

• Basic content migration
• Full content and theme migration
• Custom theme or design transfer
• SEO optimization during migration

Hiring experts from Codeable lets you avoid the technical challenges of migration, and their expertise ensures a smooth transition without the need for DIY learning or troubleshooting.

Intermediate Level: Teach Yourself with Online Tutorials

If you’re on a budget and have moderate technical skills, teaching yourself can be an option. Numerous video tutorials and step-by-step guides are available online, which cover topics like how to migrate Drupal to WordPress with minimal coding. Tutorials typically explain how to use migration scripts, and some courses even offer visual aids for better understanding.

Things to Consider:
Teaching yourself will save money but requires significant time and patience. Additionally, SEO preservation and URL structure alignment may still require additional support.

Advanced Level: Manual Database Migration

For those with advanced skills in SQL and working with databases, a manual database migration provides a cost-effective way to transfer content. Here’s a step-by-step guide to migrate Drupal to WordPress using SQL queries.

Step-by-Step Manual Migration Process

1. Backup Both Databases
   Start by backing up both your Drupal and WordPress databases.
2. Clear Existing WordPress Content
   Run SQL commands to empty WordPress tables. Example:

   TRUNCATE TABLE wp_comments;
   TRUNCATE TABLE wp_links;
   TRUNCATE TABLE wp_postmeta;
   TRUNCATE TABLE wp_posts;
   TRUNCATE TABLE wp_term_relationships;
   

3. Migrate Users
   Transfer users by executing the following command:

   DELETE FROM wp_users WHERE ID > 1;
   DELETE FROM wp_usermeta WHERE user_id > 1;
   

4. Migrate Tags and Categories
   To transfer tags from Drupal:

   INSERT INTO wp_terms (term_id, `name`, slug, term_group)
   SELECT DISTINCT tid, name, REPLACE(LOWER(name), ' ', '_'), 0
   FROM drupal.term_data;
   

5. Convert Posts
   Migrate content like posts and pages:

   INSERT INTO wp_posts (id, post_author, post_date, post_content, post_title, post_status)
   SELECT nid, uid, FROM_UNIXTIME(created), body, title, 'publish'
   FROM drupal.node;
   

6. Handle Comments
   Migrate comments using:

   INSERT INTO wp_posts (id, post_author, post_date, post_content, post_title, post_status)
   INSERT INTO wp_comments (comment_post_ID, comment_date, comment_content)
   SELECT nid, FROM_UNIXTIME(timestamp), comment FROM drupal.comments;
   

7. Update Image Paths
   Update URLs if images are moved to WordPress’ uploads folder:

   UPDATE wp_posts SET post_content = REPLACE(post_content, '/files/', '/wp-content/uploads/');
   

8. Assign Author Roles
   Set author roles for imported users:

   INSERT INTO wp_usermeta (user_id, meta_key, meta_value) VALUES (user_id, 'wp_capabilities', 'author');
   

Following these steps will migrate most of your content. Adjust the SQL queries according to your Drupal database structure.

Common Migration Problems and Solutions

Here are some issues you may encounter during the migration, along with tips on how to address them:

1. Taxonomy Errors
   Categories or tags may import incorrectly. Check your original Drupal taxonomy setup and adjust as needed before migration.
2. Duplicate Errors
   Duplicate values can cause SQL errors. Locate the last successfully imported table and restart from that point.
3. Broken Links
   If your pages or posts redirect to the homepage after migration, updating slugs in your wp-config.php file can fix this.

Final Thoughts

Migrating from Drupal to WordPress is a significant undertaking but manageable with the right plan. Whether you choose a professional service like Codeable or take on a manual approach, ensure you’re prepared and organized to make the process as smooth as possible. Taking the time to preserve your SEO, maintain content quality, and test functionality post-migration will set your new WordPress site up for success.