Overview

Why most CMS migrations fail (and how to do them properly).

The common mistake is treating migration as a content-lift - moving pages 1-for-1 from old platform to new. That preserves every flaw of the original alongside the new platform's strengths. OX treats migration as full redevelopment: content is restructured, templates are rebuilt, the new platform is documented and supported from day one.

Particular experience with Drupal, GovCMS, Joomla and SilverStripe migrations. Each source CMS has its own quirks - Drupal's complex taxonomies, GovCMS's permission structures, Joomla's content hierarchy. OX has done enough of them to know what to watch for, where the URL-redirect gotchas live, and what content models translate cleanly to WordPress.

Every migration preserves SEO — URL redirect mapping, canonical tag continuity, metadata transfer - and is treated as a multi-month engagement, not a weekend job.

Source platforms OX migrates from.

01

Drupal to WordPress

GovCMS, Drupal 7, 8, 9, 10. Content restructure, custom field mapping, taxonomy translation, view-to-template conversion.

  • Field-level migration (text, image, reference, structured)
  • Drupal Views translated to WordPress templates with caching
  • User permission structure mapped to WordPress roles
  • URL redirect mapping preserved 1-to-1
02

Joomla to WordPress

Section / category structure to WordPress taxonomies. K2 content handled. Multi-language considerations for sites using JoomFish or Falang.

  • Categories + sections collapsed into a clean WP taxonomy model
  • K2 content extracted with custom fields preserved
  • JCE editor formatting cleaned to valid HTML
  • Joomla URL aliases redirected with no SEO loss
03

GovCMS to WordPress

Federal and state government Drupal-based platforms. Particular attention to permission structures, accessibility conformance, and procurement-compliant documentation.

  • Content extraction from GovCMS multisite environments
  • Permission audit and translation to WP role structure
  • WCAG 2.1 AA conformance preserved through the migration
  • Hosting transition planned for procurement requirements
04

SilverStripe to WordPress

Less common in Australia but the same restructure-not-lift principle applies. Content extraction, template translation, asset migration.

  • DataObject schema mapped to WP custom post types + ACF
  • SilverStripe template logic translated to WP templates
  • Asset references rewritten through the migration
  • URL redirects preserved for SEO continuity
05

Other platforms

Squarespace, Wix, Webflow, ExpressionEngine, MODX, Craft CMS, static HTML, hand-built PHP. The migration approach is the same - full redevelopment, not lift-and-shift.

  • Content extraction via API, scraping, or manual export
  • Restructure to WordPress content model (CPTs + ACF)
  • Custom template build matching new architecture
  • Full URL redirect mapping and SEO transfer

Why OX

Migration done properly is cheaper than migration done twice.

Methodical

Migration is full redevelopment with content restructure, not lift-and-shift. Done once, properly.

SEO-safe

URL redirects, canonical tags, metadata and structured data all preserved through the cutover.

GovCMS-aware

Particular experience with Australian government Drupal platforms and their procurement context.

Documented

Migration plan agreed up-front; handover documentation delivered at completion.

Start a project

Let's build something properly.

Whether you're a large organisation with complex requirements or a growing business that wants to build something properly from the start - let's talk about what that looks like. Every enquiry is handled personally, usually within one business day.

hello@oxweb.dev · Newcastle, Australia · Response within one business day