What moves, and what does not
Comes across
- Page and post text, as files or as content in a headless CMS
- Images and files, optimised and uploaded again
- Titles, descriptions and structured data, written into the page templates
- Categories, tags and authors, kept as content fields
- Your URLs, kept where we can and redirected where we cannot
- The look of your site, rebuilt as components
Stays behind
- Plugins and themes. Custom code does not run WordPress code, so each plugin feature is built or replaced.
- The WordPress admin. Your team edits in a headless CMS such as Sanity, Contentful or Storyblok, or in files.
- Page builder layouts. They are rebuilt as components, not converted.
- Comments and user accounts, unless rebuilt on purpose.
- Online stores. A WooCommerce shop is a different job. See the ecommerce service.
Protect your search rankings
Custom code gives you full control of addresses, so most can be kept exactly as they are. That makes this the cleanest move for rankings, if the map is done properly.
Redirect map
List every old address from your sitemap, a crawl, Search Console and analytics. Keep the same path wherever you can. For the rest, add a 301. Astro has a redirects setting in its config, and Next.js has a redirects function in its config. Large lists can also live at your host or at the edge. WordPress addresses often end with a slash, so set the trailing slash rule to match, or every page will redirect once.
Metadata
Plugins like Yoast wrote your titles, descriptions, canonical tags and structured data for you. In custom code you write them into the page templates and pass in each page's fields. Export your existing titles and descriptions first, then check each template renders its own canonical tag, Open Graph tags and JSON-LD.
Sitemap
Astro has an official sitemap integration. Next.js can build a sitemap from a file in its app folder. Either way the sitemap is generated at build time, so check that it lists every page and nothing private. Old addresses like /wp-sitemap.xml should redirect to the new one.
Search Console
Verify your domain in Google Search Console before the move, ideally with a DNS record, because that kind of proof survives a change of platform. After launch, submit the new sitemap and check the key pages with the URL Inspection tool. Then watch the Pages report for errors and the Performance report for drops. Every 404 you find gets a redirect.
Content and CMS mapping
| In WordPress | In custom code | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Pages | Page templates | Components and a layout, written once and reused. |
| Posts | Content collection or CMS entries | Markdown files in Astro, or entries in a headless CMS. |
| Categories and tags | Content fields | Used to build the category pages. |
| Authors | Author entries | Referenced from each post. |
| Custom post types | Their own collections | A team, a portfolio or a list of services. |
| Custom fields (ACF) | Typed fields in a schema | Checked by the build, so a missing field is caught early. |
| Media library | Optimised images | Sized and compressed at build time. |
| Menus and widgets | Layout components | One header and footer for every page. |
If your team publishes often, choose the editing tool first. A headless CMS gives editors a form to fill in, without touching the code.
Forms and integrations
Forms
Custom code has no form plugin. A form needs a place to send its data: a form service, or a small function that emails you or posts to your CRM. Plan spam protection and test every form.
Analytics and tags
Add Google Analytics, Tag Manager and ad pixels in the layout. Check that events and conversions still fire, and respect your cookie rules.
Search and other plugin features
Write down what each plugin does: site search, popups, redirects, sliders. Each one is built, replaced with a service or dropped.
Hosting and deploys
The site is built and published from a code repository. Every change gets a preview address before it goes live. Choose the host before the build starts.
The steps, in order
Audit the old site
List every page, post, image, form, plugin and redirect. Record your best pages and their rankings so you can compare later.
Choose the stack
Astro for a content-heavy marketing site, Next.js for a site with app-like parts, and the editing tool your team will use.
Build the redirect map
One row for every old address: the new address and the status, keep or 301.
Set up the structure
Components, routing, the content schema and the deploy pipeline, planned before any page is built.
Build and move content
Build the templates, bring over the content and metadata, and check each page against the old one.
Connect forms and tools
Set up forms, analytics, tags, your CRM and email tools.
Test on staging
Click every link, send every form, check the pages on a phone and run every old URL through the redirect map. Nothing goes live until this passes.
Switch the domain
Point the domain at the new site by changing its DNS records. The new site is already built and tested, so the change takes minutes to take effect. Keep the old site and its backup until you are sure.
Watch the first 30 days
Check Search Console for errors, compare traffic and rankings with the weeks before, and fix any address that returns a 404. Our migration service includes 30 days of ranking and traffic monitoring.
Time and cost
Time3 to 6 weeks
Cost$4,000 to $10,000
The range depends on the number of pages, how complex the platform is and any custom needs. We scope it after an audit. Large sites with thousands of pages can take longer. If you also want a new design, it is scoped as a frontend build, which typically takes 6 to 10 weeks.
More migration guides
- WordPress to WebflowLeave plugins and updates behind. Keep your pages, posts and rankings.
- Wix to WebflowGet out of the template box. Keep your pages and your place in search.
- Squarespace to WebflowMore control over layout and content. Every old link still works.
- Figma to WebflowTurn a finished design into a live site your team can edit.
