Understanding Drupal to WordPress Migration
Drupal and WordPress are both widely used open-source content management systems. Each platform can support professional websites, Blogs, business portals, and custom web applications, but they are designed with different priorities.
Drupal is often selected for complex websites that require advanced permissions, custom content structures, and strong developer control. WordPress is commonly chosen for websites that need easier management, faster publishing workflows, broader theme availability, and a simpler learning curve.
Migrating from Drupal to WordPress is not about declaring one platform better than the other. The right CMS depends on the website’s goals, technical requirements, content structure, and the people who will manage it.
What Are Drupal and WordPress?
Drupal is a flexible CMS built for advanced content structures, custom workflows, and complex permission systems. It is often used by enterprises, public institutions, universities, and organizations with more technical requirements.
WordPress is a user-friendly CMS with a large ecosystem of themes, Plugins, Entwickler, and documentation. It is frequently used for business websites, Blogs, E-Commerce-Shops, knowledge bases, portfolios, and marketing websites.
Both platforms can be extended and customized, but WordPress is generally easier for non-technical users to manage after migration.
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Drupal vs WordPress
Before migrating, it is useful to understand the main differences between the two platforms.
| Besonderheit | Drupal | WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | Better suited to technical users | Easier for beginners and editors |
| Themes and plugins | Fewer options and often more complex | Large ecosystem and easier installation |
| Sicherheit | Strong control when managed properly | Secure when maintained, but commonly targeted |
| Flexibilität | Excellent for complex data structures | Very flexible through plugins and themes |
| Access control | Advanced permissions built in | Basic by default, expandable with plugins |
| Unterstützung | Strong developer community | Large global community and lower entry barrier |
Drupal can be the better fit for highly customized systems. WordPress is usually more practical when ease of use, content publishing, plugin availability, and faster site management are priorities.
Why Migrate from Drupal to WordPress?
Website owners often move from Drupal to WordPress for reasons such as:
- Easier content management
- Faster publishing workflows
- Lower maintenance complexity
- Larger theme and plugin ecosystem
- Easier editor training
- Lower development costs
- Better compatibility with common marketing tools
WordPress is especially useful when a website is managed by content teams rather than developers.
Before You Start the Migration
A successful CMS migration requires preparation.
Before moving content, complete the following steps:
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- Create a full backup of the Drupal website
- Back up the Drupal database
- Prepare a clean WordPress installation
- Confirm FTP or file manager access
- Confirm Drupal database credentials
- Review existing content types and taxonomies
- Plan the new WordPress structure
Do not delete the old Drupal website until the WordPress migration has been reviewed and tested.
Schritt 1: Install WordPress
Start with a working WordPress installation.
This may be installed on:
- A temporary domain
- A staging environment
- A subdomain
- The final production domain
Using a staging environment is recommended because it allows you to test the migration without affecting the live Drupal website.
Schritt 2: Install the FG Drupal to WordPress Plugin
Confirm the plugin edition and current compatibility with your Drupal and WordPress versions. User accounts, password hashes, custom entities, taxonomy mappings and media fields may need paid extensions or a separate migration process; test a representative sample before purchasing or running a full import.
The FG Drupal to WordPress plugin is commonly used to migrate Drupal content into WordPress.
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It can import items such as:
- Articles
- Pages
- Stories
- Kategorien
- Tags
- Bilder
- Media files
- Comments
For simple Drupal websites, the free version may be enough. For websites using custom taxonomies, custom fields, users, or more advanced Drupal structures, the premium version may be required.
To install the plugin:
- Log in to the WordPress dashboard.
- Gehe zu:
Plugins → Add New
- Search for:
FG Drupal to WordPress
- Install and activate the plugin.
Schritt 3: Open the Import Tool
After activating the plugin, open:
Tools → Import
Find the Drupal importer and click:
Run Importer
The import screen will allow you to configure the migration source and choose how the Drupal content should be imported.
Schritt 4: Decide Whether to Remove Existing WordPress Content
The importer may provide an option to remove existing WordPress content before migration.
This can be useful if the WordPress installation contains default demo content, such as:
- Sample posts
- Sample pages
- Default comments
Only remove WordPress content if you are sure it is not needed.
Do not delete the WordPress installation itself.
Schritt 5: Collect Drupal Website and Database Details
The plugin needs access to the Drupal database to import content.
You will need:
- Drupal website URL
- Database name
- Database username
- Database password
- Database hostname
- Table prefix
Some of these details may already be known. If not, they can usually be found in the Drupal configuration file.
Connect to the Drupal server using FTP, SFTP, SSH, or File Manager.
Navigieren Sie zu:
/sites/default/
Offen:
settings.php
Inside this file, locate the database connection details.
The values should include information such as:
'database' => 'database_name',
'username' => 'database_user',
'password' => 'database_password',
'host' => 'localhost',
'prefix' => 'drupal_',
Copy these values carefully.
The table prefix must be entered exactly as shown. If the prefix includes an underscore, include it.
Schritt 6: Test the Database Connection
Prefer a temporary database copy or narrowly scoped read-only credentials. Keep database access private or use a secured tunnel; do not expose the database port to the internet just to make the importer connect. Revoke temporary credentials after migration.
Enter the Drupal database details into the WordPress importer screen.
Then click:
Test the Database Connection
If the credentials are correct, the plugin should confirm that the connection is successful.
If the connection fails, check:
- Database hostname
- Username
- Passwort
- Database name
- Table prefix
- Firewall restrictions
- Remote database access permissions
Schritt 7: Configure Migration Behavior
Before starting the import, review the migration options.
The plugin may allow you to choose how to handle:
- Post summaries
- Full content
- Media files
- Featured images
- Kategorien
- Tags
- Internal links
For post summaries, you can decide whether summaries should become WordPress excerpts or be inserted into the content with a read-more link.
Choose the option that best matches the structure of the original Drupal website.
Schritt 8: Configure Media Import
The media section controls how images and files are migrated.
You may choose to:
- Import media files
- Skip media files
- Set featured images
- Import external media
- Resize or preserve images
For most migrations, importing media is recommended so the WordPress website does not depend on the old Drupal installation.
Skipping media may be useful only for testing or when files will be migrated manually later.
Schritt 9: Start the Drupal to WordPress Import
Once all options are configured, klicken:
Start / Resume Import
The plugin will begin importing Drupal content into WordPress.
Depending on website size, the process may take several minutes or longer.
Large websites with many images, comments, or custom structures may require multiple import runs.
When the process finishes, the plugin should display a completion message and show a migration log.
Schritt 10: Modify Internal Links
After importing content, internal links may still point to the old Drupal URL structure.
Scroll to the section labeled:
After the Migration
Klicken:
Modify Internal Links
This updates internal links so they point to the new WordPress content structure.
After running this step, manually test several pages and posts to confirm links work correctly.
Schritt 11: Review Migrated Content
After the migration, review the WordPress website carefully.
Überprüfen:
- Pages
- Posts
- Bilder
- Kategorien
- Tags
- Menus
- Comments
- Internal links
- Formatting
- Redirects
Some formatting differences are normal because Drupal and WordPress use different content systems.
Complex Drupal layouts may need manual cleanup after migration.
Schritt 12: Choose and Configure a WordPress Theme
After content migration, the website may not look like the old Drupal version.
This is expected.
WordPress uses its own theme system, so you will need to select and configure a WordPress theme.
When choosing a theme, halten:
- Page layout requirements
- Mobile responsiveness
- Leistung
- Compatibility with required plugins
- Editing experience
- Long-term update support
Avoid installing too many themes. Keep only the active theme and one fallback theme if needed.
Schritt 13: Install Required WordPress Plugins
After migration, install only the plugins required for the new website.
Common plugin categories include:
- SEO
- Sicherheit
- Caching
- Forms
- Backups
- Redirect management
- Custom fields
- Ecommerce
Avoid replacing every Drupal feature with a plugin unless it is truly needed. Too many plugins can increase maintenance work and security risk.
Schritt 14: Configure Redirects
Map each valuable old URL to its corresponding new URL with a permanent redirect. Avoid sending every removed page to the homepage. Preserve canonical tags, metadata and language relationships, and remove staging noindex settings only when the production site is ready.
Drupal and WordPress use different URL structures.
To preserve SEO value and prevent broken links, create redirects from old Drupal URLs to the new WordPress URLs.
Important redirects may include:
- Old articles to new posts
- Old pages to new pages
- Category pages
- Media URLs
- High-traffic landing pages
Use a redirect plugin or server-level redirects depending on the size and complexity of the website.
Schritt 15: Test the New WordPress Website
Before launching, test the WordPress website thoroughly.
Review:
- Homepage
- Navigation menus
- Contact forms
- Search function
- Media files
- Mobile layout
- Page speed
- SEO metadata
- Redirects
- User login behavior
If the site includes ecommerce, also test:
- Product pages
- Cart
- Checkout
- Payment gateway
- Emails
- Customer account pages
Schritt 16: Launch the WordPress Website
Once testing is complete, the final launch can begin.
Typical launch steps include:
- Put the Drupal website into maintenance mode
- Create a final Drupal backup
- Run a final import if new content was added
- Update DNS or web server configuration
- Enable SSL
- Test the live WordPress site
- Monitor logs and traffic
Keep the Drupal backup available after launch in case any content must be restored later.
After Migration
Once the website is live on WordPress, continue with post-migration tasks.
Recommended actions include:
- Submit the new sitemap to search engines
- Monitor 404 errors
- Check redirect performance
- Review analytics data
- Update internal menus
- Rebuild important landing pages if needed
- Train content editors on WordPress usage
The migration is only complete after content, Design, URLs, SEO, and functionality have all been reviewed.
Moving from Drupal to WordPress Successfully
Migrating from Drupal to WordPress can make website management easier, especially for teams that want a simpler editing experience and access to a larger plugin and theme ecosystem. With the right preparation, a reliable import plugin, careful database configuration, and proper post-migration testing, Drupal content can be moved into WordPress without rebuilding the entire website manually.
The most important part of the process is not only importing the content but also reviewing links, media, redirects, Design, and functionality after migration. A structured migration plan helps preserve content value while creating a WordPress website that is easier to manage going forward.
