Website Migration Guide 2026: WordPress, Drupal, Kentico, WooCommerce & Magento

Migrating a website or online store is one of the most important technical decisions a business makes. Done well, it gives you a faster site, easier publishing and lower maintenance. Done badly, it can cost you rankings, traffic and sales. This guide explains when to migrate, how to pick the right target platform, and how each common migration path works, from WordPress and Drupal to Kentico, WooCommerce and Magento.

If you want expert help at any point, RW Infotech offers end-to-end website migration services that move your content, protect your SEO and keep downtime low.

Why Businesses Are Migrating to Headless Platforms

A traditional platform ties your content, design and code together in one system. A headless platform separates them: your team manages content in a CMS or commerce back end, and a modern front end (often built with Next.js) delivers it through APIs. For a deeper look at the idea, read why migrate to a headless CMS.

The common reasons we hear from teams are:

• Speed. Pre-built pages served from a CDN load faster than pages assembled on the server for every visit.
• Security. With no public plugin layer or admin login on your main domain, there is less for attackers to reach.
• Marketing freedom. Editors publish pages and campaigns without waiting for developers.
• Lower maintenance. Fewer plugins, fewer emergency updates and fewer version conflicts.
• Multi-channel content. One content source can feed your website, app and other channels.

Signs It Is Time to Migrate

You do not need to move just because a newer tool exists. But these signals usually mean your current platform is holding you back:

1. Every update risks breaking a plugin, extension or custom module.
2. Pages load slowly even after repeated optimisation.
3. Simple content changes need a developer.
4. Your platform version is old, unsupported or expensive to keep patched.
5. Hosting and maintenance costs keep growing while results do not.
6. You want to sell or publish across more than one channel and the system cannot keep up.

Pick the Target Platform Before You Plan the Move

The destination matters as much as the migration itself. Here is a quick guide to the platforms we migrate to, and what each is best at:

Target platform	Type	Best suited for
Sanity	Headless CMS	Flexible content models, real-time collaboration, content-heavy sites
Contentful	Headless CMS	Large teams and enterprise content operations
Strapi	Headless CMS (open source)	Teams that want self-hosting and full control
Storyblok	Headless CMS	Marketers who want a visual editor
Prismic	Headless CMS	Marketing sites built from reusable page slices
Directus	Headless CMS / data platform	Projects that sit on top of an existing database
Builder.io	Visual headless CMS	Visual page building and A/B testing without code
Shopify	Hosted ecommerce	Fast launch and a mature app ecosystem
BigCommerce	Hosted ecommerce	Open SaaS commerce with strong built-in features
Medusa	Open-source commerce	Custom, developer-led headless commerce
Saleor	Open-source commerce	Headless commerce with GraphQL and multi-region selling

Not sure which one fits? Our team can help you compare options during a free audit before any work starts.

Migration Paths: Where Are You Moving From and To?

Below are the migration paths we handle most often. Find your current platform, then jump to the destination that suits your goals. Each link goes to a dedicated page with more detail.

Migrating from WordPress

WordPress powers a huge share of the web, which is exactly why plugin conflicts, security patches and slow pages are such a common complaint. Moving away does not mean starting over: posts, pages, media, categories, authors and SEO data can all be carried across. For an overview of the full process, see our WordPress to headless CMS migration service, or read our step-by-step guide to migrating from WordPress to Sanity.

WordPress to Sanity. A strong choice when you want a flexible content model and a clean editing studio. Your posts and pages are reshaped into structured content, so editors get a simpler interface and developers get a fast API.

WordPress to Contentful. Suited to larger teams that need roles, workflows and enterprise-grade content operations. Content types are modelled up front so many editors can work without stepping on each other.

WordPress to Strapi. Ideal if you prefer an open-source CMS that you host and control yourself. It works well when you want to own the data layer and customise the back end.

WordPress to Storyblok. Built around a visual editor, so marketers can see changes as they build pages. A good fit for teams that rely on landing pages and campaigns.

WordPress to Prismic. Pages are assembled from reusable slices, which keeps layouts consistent and makes new pages quick to produce. Popular for marketing sites with many similar page types.

WordPress to Directus. A data-first option that wraps an SQL database with an API and an admin app. It suits projects where the database structure matters as much as the content.

WordPress to Builder.io. For teams that want to design and edit pages visually and test variations without waiting for code changes.

WordPress to Shopify. The right move when your site has become mainly an online store. Products, collections and customers move to a platform built for selling, while content can stay light and fast.

Migrating from Drupal

Drupal is powerful, but upgrades between major versions can be complex, and custom modules add to the cost of keeping a site current. Many teams find that moving to a headless CMS gives them the same structured content with far less upkeep. The main work is mapping Drupal content types, taxonomies, users and URLs onto the new platform so nothing is lost.

Drupal to Sanity. Drupal's structured content maps naturally to Sanity's schemas, which makes it a popular destination for complex, content-rich sites.

Drupal to Contentful. A common choice for enterprises that already run governed content workflows and want a managed, hosted service.

Drupal to Strapi. Good for teams that want to stay open source and keep control of hosting, while dropping the weight of a full Drupal stack.

Drupal to Storyblok. Lets editors work visually, which is a big change from Drupal's admin forms and often speeds up publishing.

Drupal to Prismic. Fits marketing-led sites where reusable page sections matter more than deep custom content logic.

Drupal to Directus. Works when your data lives in a relational database and you want an API and admin layer on top of it.

Drupal to Builder.io. Suited to teams that want drag-and-drop page building and easy experimentation on a modern front end.

Migrating from Kentico

Kentico (now known as Xperience by Kentico) is a .NET-based platform that many organisations adopted for its all-in-one features. Over time, licensing costs, hosting needs and developer availability can make a headless approach more attractive. Migrations typically cover page trees, custom page types, media libraries, forms and URL structures.

Kentico to Sanity. Custom Kentico page types become Sanity document types, giving editors a lighter interface and developers a flexible API.

Kentico to Contentful. A natural step for larger organisations that want a managed enterprise CMS with strong roles and workflows.

Kentico to Strapi. Suits teams that want an open-source back end they can host and extend themselves.

Kentico to Storyblok. Brings a visual editing experience to teams used to Kentico's page builder approach.

Kentico to Prismic. A lightweight, slice-based option for marketing sites that do not need the full weight of an all-in-one suite.

Kentico to Directus. Useful when you need to keep existing SQL data and expose it through a modern API.

Kentico to Builder.io. For teams that want visual page creation and testing on a fast, modern front end.

Migrating from WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a great way to start selling, but as catalogues, traffic and integrations grow, store owners often hit limits: slow category pages, plugin overload and checkout issues at peak times. A commerce migration has more moving parts than a content migration, since it must carry products, variants, customers, order history, coupons and redirects.

WooCommerce to Shopify. The simplest route to a hosted, reliable store. Shopify handles hosting, security and checkout, so your team can focus on selling.

WooCommerce to BigCommerce. A hosted alternative with strong built-in features, popular with stores that sell a large or complex catalogue.

WooCommerce to Medusa. For developer-led teams that want an open-source commerce engine and full control over how the store behaves.

WooCommerce to Saleor. A GraphQL-first, open-source option that suits stores selling across several regions or channels.

WooCommerce to Sanity. Pairs Sanity's flexible content with a commerce back end, so product storytelling and editorial content live in one place.

WooCommerce to Builder.io. Lets merchandisers build and test landing pages and collection pages visually while the commerce engine stays separate.

Migrating from Magento

Magento (Adobe Commerce) has served many large catalogues well, yet its hosting needs, upgrade effort and developer costs are a regular pain point. A headless or SaaS move often reduces that burden while improving speed on product and category pages. As with any store, order history, customer accounts, SEO URLs and integrations need careful mapping.

Magento to Shopify. Trades server management for a hosted platform with a large app ecosystem and a dependable checkout.

Magento to BigCommerce. A SaaS option with strong native features for B2B and B2C stores that want to cut infrastructure work.

Magento to Medusa. An open-source, developer-friendly engine for teams that want a custom headless store without Magento's weight.

Magento to Saleor. A modern, API-first platform that works well for multi-channel and international selling.

Magento to Sanity. Adds a powerful content layer on top of commerce, so product pages, guides and campaigns are managed together.

Magento to Builder.io. Gives marketing teams visual control over storefront pages and experiments, while commerce logic stays in the back end.

How a Safe Migration Works, Step by Step

Whichever path you take, a well-run migration follows the same core stages. Skipping any of them is where most problems start.

1. Audit. List every page, post, product, media file, redirect, plugin and integration. Record current traffic and rankings so you have a baseline to compare against.
2. Choose the platform. Match the destination to your team, budget and goals using the comparison above.
3. Model the content. Design the new content structure so editors get a simple, consistent interface instead of a copy of the old mess.
4. Migrate the data. Use scripts to move posts, pages, products, customers and media, rather than copying by hand. This keeps the process repeatable and testable.
5. Build the front end. Create the new site, often with Next.js, and connect it to the new back end.
6. Protect SEO. Map every old URL to its new one, carry over titles, descriptions and structured data, and test redirects before launch.
7. Test. Check content accuracy, forms, checkout, analytics, speed and mobile behaviour in a staging environment.
8. Launch and monitor. Switch over at a quiet time, watch Search Console and analytics closely, and fix any issues quickly.
9. Train your team. Make sure editors and marketers are comfortable in the new system from day one.

How to Protect Your SEO During a Migration

Rankings are the thing most owners worry about, and with good reason. A few habits prevent most losses:

• Keep URLs the same where you can, and use permanent (301) redirects wherever they must change.
• Preserve metadata, including titles, descriptions, canonical tags, headings and image alt text.
• Carry over structured data such as product, article and breadcrumb markup.
• Update the sitemap and resubmit it in Google Search Console after launch.
• Check for broken links and redirect chains before and after go-live.
• Compare traffic and rankings against your pre-migration baseline for several weeks.

What Affects Migration Cost and Timeline

There is no single price or duration, because every project differs. The main factors are:

• The amount of content, number of products and size of the media library
• How much of the old structure can be reused versus rebuilt
• The number of custom features, integrations and third-party tools
• The complexity of the new front-end design
• Languages, regions and currencies
• Testing and SEO requirements

The best way to get a realistic scope is a short audit of your current site. It shows what needs to move, what can be dropped and where the risks sit.

How to Choose the Right Migration Partner

Look for a team that can answer these questions clearly:

1. Have they done your exact migration path before?
2. How do they protect SEO, and can they show examples?
3. Do they migrate with scripts and testing, or by manual copy and paste?
4. Will they train your team and support you after launch?
5. Do they work with the platform you are moving to every day? For example, RW Infotech works closely with Sanity and other headless platforms, and you can see our work in our case studies.

Conclusion

Migrating to a headless platform is less about technology and more about planning. Pick the right destination, protect your content and rankings, and test before launch, and the move can make your site faster, safer and easier to run. Browse the migration paths above to find your own, or visit our website migration services page to see every platform we support.

Ready to plan your move? Get a free migration audit or contact our team and we will help you choose the right path.

FAQs

1. Will I lose my Google rankings if I migrate my website?

Not if the move is planned well. Mapping every old URL to its new one with 301 redirects, carrying over metadata and testing before launch protects most of your rankings. Some short-term movement is normal, so monitor traffic for a few weeks.

2. How long does a website migration take?

It depends on the size of the site, the number of custom features and the complexity of the new design. A short audit of your current site is the quickest way to get a realistic timeline.

3. Will my website go down during migration?

A properly managed migration keeps downtime very low. The new site is built and tested separately, then switched over at a quiet time.

4. Can I move my content without copying it by hand?

Yes. Posts, pages, products, customers and media can be moved with migration scripts. This is faster, more accurate and easier to repeat than manual copy and paste.

5. What is the difference between a headless CMS and a traditional CMS?

A traditional CMS combines content, design and code in one system. A headless CMS manages content separately and delivers it through APIs to a front end, which is usually faster and easier to scale.

6. Which headless CMS should I choose?

It depends on your team and goals. Sanity suits flexible content models, Contentful suits large enterprise teams, Strapi suits open-source and self-hosting, Storyblok and Builder.io suit visual editing, and Prismic suits slice-based marketing sites.

7. Should I move my online store to Shopify, BigCommerce, Medusa or Saleor?

Shopify and BigCommerce are hosted platforms that remove server management. Medusa and Saleor are open-source and give developers more control. The right choice depends on your catalogue size, team skills and growth plans.

8. Can I move from WooCommerce or Magento without losing orders and customers?

Yes. Products, variants, customer accounts, order history and coupons can be migrated, as long as the data is mapped and tested carefully before launch.

9. Will my marketing team still be able to edit content?

Yes, and usually more easily. Modern headless platforms offer clean editing studios, previews and workflows, and we train your team before go-live.

10. How do I get started?

Begin with a free migration audit. We review your current site, recommend a destination platform and outline the steps, risks and timeline before any work begins.