A Step-by-Step Guide to Migrating from WordPress to Strapi

WordPress & Strapi: An overview!

WordPress ranks among the most esteemed open-source content management systems (CMS), celebrated for its user-friendliness, extensive plugin ecosystem, and broad adoption, serving as the preferred choice for numerous businesses and individuals seeking to swiftly establish an online presence; however, as enterprises evolve, they often necessitate a more contemporary and adaptable CMS to meet their dynamic requirements.

Whereas,

Strapi, an open-source headless CMS, empowers developers to craft bespoke APIs and manage content with unparalleled flexibility; its headless architecture separates the front end from the back end, delivering a scalable and customizable solution for enterprises, particularly those pursuing multi-platform content delivery, while facilitating integration with any front-end technology, thereby establishing itself as the favored option for developers desiring advanced customization and performance.

Strapi is an upgraded platform with built-in, latest features and functionalities, however businesses are choosing to move from WordPress to the Strapi platform. This guide offers a comprehensive overview of how to migrate from WordPress to Strapi and how Addact can be your trusted partner throughout the process.

First, we will go through the steps involved in the process of WordPress to Strapi migration.

Steps Involved in WordPress to Strapi Migration:

Migrating from WordPress to Strapi can seem daunting, but following a structured approach can streamline the process and ensure a smooth transition. Let’s look into the essential steps involved in WordPress to Strapi migration:

1. Content Inventory and Data Backup
First take inventory of all the content current content live on the WordPress site, which includes posts, pages, categories, media files, and any custom fields or taxonomies. Create a full backup of your WordPress site to ensure no data loss during the migrating process.

2. Set Up a Strapi Environment
In the next step install Strapi on your development server. You can either host Strapi locally or choose a cloud hosting provider. Strapi provides a quick-start command to set up the environment. Once Strapi is installed, configure your database like MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, based on your business requirements.

3. Data Modeling in Strapi 
After the successful configuration of the database next is analyze the content structure of WordPress and create the corresponding content types in Strapi. Look below as an example:

For example: - WordPress Posts → Strapi Articles - Categories → Strapi Categories - Media Library → Strapi Media Collection Use Strapi’s Content-Type Builder to define the schema for each content type.

4. Extracting content from WordPress 
Export all the content from WordPress using the built-in export tool (Tools > Export). This will generate an XML file containing posts, pages, categories, and media information. Alternatively, if you want more granular control over the export, you can use plugins such as WP All Export, which allows you to export content as CSV or JSON files.

5. Transform and Import Data into Strapi 
The content exported from WordPress may require transformation to fit the new data model in Strapi. Tools like Node.js scripts or ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) tools can help in converting the data format. Once transformed, import the content into Strapi using the Strapi API or by directly inserting it into the database.

6. Migrate Media Files 
WordPress stores media files in the “/wp-content/uploads/” directory. Copy these media files to the Strapi media collection. Strapi supports media management out of the box, and you can use Strapi’s media API to link the imported files to the content.

7. Frontend Integration 
Since Strapi is headless, you have the flexibility to choose any front-end technology. If you're already using WordPress themes or templates, you'll need to rebuild the front end using modern technologies such as React, Vue.js, or Angular, integrating it with Strapi's API to fetch and display content.

8. Testing and validation 
It is one of the significant steps to test the migrated content thoroughly. Ensure that all pages, posts, categories, and media are correctly migrated and displayed on the new front end. Validate the content structure, navigation, and SEO settings.

9. Go live 
Finally, once the migration is complete and tested, it's time to go live. Redirect the WordPress URLs to the new Strapi-based URLs and ensure that any SEO configurations, such as “meta tags and canonical URLs,” are properly set up in Strapi.

How Does Addact Help in the WordPress to Strapi migration Process?

At Addact, we specialize in guiding businesses through seamless CMS migrations, particularly from WordPress to Strapi. Our team of experts ensures a smooth transition by handling the complexities of data migration, content structure customization, and front-end integration.

Here’s how we can help:

1. Consultation and strategy: We assess your existing WordPress setup and develop a migration strategy that aligns with your business goals and technology stack.

2. Custom Content Modeling:  Our developers help you build custom content models in Strapi that suit your current and future content needs.

3. Data migration: We use custom scripts and tools to ensure that your WordPress data (posts, pages, media, categories) is accurately transformed and imported into Strapi.

4. Front-end development: Whether you're building a new front end or integrating with an existing one, we ensure seamless API integration between Strapi and your chosen front-end framework.

5. Post-migration support: After the migration, we provide ongoing support to ensure that your new Strapi CMS functions smoothly and efficiently. Migrating from WordPress to Strapi is a significant step towards modernizing your content management system.

Addact as your Migration Partner!

With Addact's, your WordPress to Strapi migration will be handled with precision, minimizing disruptions and maximizing the potential of your new CMS.

Contact us for any Strapi needs!

Jayes Kapadi- CEO of ADDACT

CEO

Jayesh, CEO of Addact, brings over a decade of expertise in enterprise CMS services. Leading a team of certified experts, he helps businesses build scalable, personalized, and future-ready digital experiences. Reach out at jayesh@addact.net to explore the right CMS services for your business growth.