Drupal to WordPress Migration: Cost, Steps and What Breaks
A Drupal to WordPress migration moves your content, design and features from Drupal to WordPress and keeps your URLs, or redirects them. The steps are: back up, list every live URL, map content types, build on a staging site, import, rebuild the design and forms, redirect old URLs, test, and go live. Cost depends on what your Drupal site does, not how many pages it has. We give a fixed quote after a free consultation.
This page is for people who have already decided to move. Our website migration service covers the move end to end. If you are still deciding whether to leave Drupal, read our guide to Drupal 10 end of life first. Drupal.org lists Drupal 10 end of life as 9 December 2026. Drupal 7 ended on 5 January 2025.
Drupal to WordPress migration: the 10 steps
- Back up everything. Take a full copy of the Drupal files and database. Store it off the server. Test that it restores.
- List every live URL. Combine a crawler, your XML sitemap and Google Search Console. Drupal sites often have old aliases and URLs that look like /node/123. Include them.
- Map content types and fields. Decide where each Drupal content type goes in WordPress: a post, a page or a custom post type. Map each field too.
- Build a staging WordPress site. Work on a private copy. Keep it out of search results until launch.
- Import the content. Use an importer plugin or a custom script. The next section explains how to choose.
- Rebuild design, menus, blocks and forms. Drupal themes do not carry over. You rebuild the look in a WordPress theme.
- Build the 301 redirect map. Match each old URL to its new page. More on this below.
- Test. Check links, images, forms, search, user logins, speed and mobile view. Test the redirects.
- Go live. Switch DNS, check SSL and email (MX) records, then remove any block that stops search engines.
- Watch Search Console. Submit the new sitemap. Watch indexing and crawl errors for the next weeks.
What breaks when you move from Drupal to WordPress
Drupal and WordPress store content in different ways. Some features have no direct match. This table shows what usually needs work. It describes general behaviour. Your site may differ, and a developer should check it before you commit.
| Drupal feature | What usually happens | What to plan |
|---|---|---|
| Views | No one-to-one copy. Lists and filters are rebuilt with WordPress queries, blocks or plugins | List every View and what it shows |
| Webform submissions | Stored in the Drupal database, separate from content | Export them as CSV before the move; rebuild forms |
| Paragraphs and field layouts | Layouts are rebuilt with blocks or a page builder. Some importers need an add-on for Paragraphs | Screenshot each layout type |
| Custom content types and fields | Move into custom post types and custom fields if the importer or script supports them | Map each field before you import |
| Taxonomies | Categories and tags move easily. Custom vocabularies need custom taxonomies | Count vocabularies and terms |
| Multilingual content | WordPress core is single-language. A multilingual plugin is needed | Decide the language structure first |
| User accounts and passwords | Users can move. Drupal password hashes differ from WordPress ones | Plan a reset email, or use a tool that supports Drupal passwords |
| Roles and permissions | WordPress roles are simpler. Fine-grained Drupal permissions may need a plugin | Write down who can do what |
| Path aliases | Old URLs change unless you recreate them | Keep the same slugs or redirect |
| Blocks and regions | Rebuilt as widgets, template parts or blocks | List each block and where it appears |
| Menus | Can move, but placement is rebuilt | Note menu locations |
| Media and file paths | Files move, but links inside content must point to the new paths | Check images and PDFs after import |
| Custom modules | Do not carry over. Their features are rebuilt as plugins or code | List what each module does |
| Theme | Rebuilt from scratch in a WordPress theme | Decide: copy the design or refresh it |
How Drupal content maps to WordPress
Mapping is the step that decides most of the work. Here is the usual starting point. Your site may need different choices.
| In Drupal | Usually becomes in WordPress | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Article | Post | Author, date, image and tags |
| Basic page | Page | Page order and parent pages |
| Custom content type, such as Event or Case Study | Custom post type | Every field and its type |
| Category or tag vocabulary | Category, tag or custom taxonomy | Hierarchy and term descriptions |
| User | User with a role | Roles, profile fields and passwords |
| Webform | Form built with a forms plugin | Notification emails and spam protection |
| Block | Widget, block or template part | Where each block shows |
| Menu | WordPress menu | Menu locations and sub-menus |
| Media file | Media Library item | File path and alt text |
Do this mapping on paper first. It also reveals what you can drop. Many Drupal sites carry old content types that nobody uses.
Staging, downtime and launch day
Build the new site on a private staging copy. Test it there. The old Drupal site stays live the whole time, so visitors see no gap. On launch day you freeze content changes on Drupal, run a final import, point DNS to the new host and switch on the redirects.
Plan the freeze. If editors keep publishing on Drupal during the build, you need a final import to catch their changes. Agree a date after which nothing changes on the old site.
Do not switch off the old Drupal site on launch day. Keep it available until you have checked the new site, the redirects and your email. Check that the new site does not tell search engines to stay away. A staging setting left on is a common cause of pages vanishing from search results.
Should you redesign at the same time?
You can, but it makes problems harder to trace. If traffic drops after a move that changed the platform, the design and the copy together, you cannot tell which change caused it. Our advice is to move first with a close copy of the design, then refresh it in a second step. If budget allows only one project, move first.
After launch: the first month
- Submit the new XML sitemap in Search Console.
- Check the indexing and crawl error reports each week.
- Crawl the site and look for 404 errors and redirect chains.
- Test every form and send a real enquiry through each one.
- Check that tracking and conversion events fire in Analytics.
- Compare top-page traffic with the numbers you saved before the move.
- Keep the redirects in place for at least a year.
After go-live, WordPress needs updates and backups. See our WordPress website migration page for moves into WordPress. We also offer website maintenance for the routine work afterwards.
Plugin or custom script?
Both can work. The right choice depends on how much of your site is standard content.
The FG Drupal to WordPress plugin is a common choice. Its free version covers articles, basic pages, categories, tags and images, and it updates internal links. Its premium version adds users, comments, custom post types, custom taxonomies, custom fields, navigation menus, login with Drupal passwords and SEO redirects. Paid add-ons cover modules such as Paragraphs, Drupal Commerce and Ubercart. We read the plugin page on 14 November 2026. Re-check it before you buy, because features change.
| Factor | Importer plugin | Custom script |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Standard articles, pages, images, categories and tags | Complex content types, custom entities, odd data |
| Speed | Fast to set up | Slower to write and test |
| Control | Limited to what the plugin supports | Full control over mapping |
| Risk | Edge cases stay unmapped and need manual fixes | Bugs in your own code; needs a developer |
| Cost | Plugin licence if you need premium features | Developer hours |
Many projects mix the two. A plugin handles the standard content. A short script or manual work handles the rest.
The redirect map: where rankings are won or lost
A new site on the same domain keeps most of its search value only if old URLs lead to the right new pages. Google’s site move guide sets the rules:
- Use permanent server-side redirects (301 or 308).
- Send each old URL straight to its final page. Avoid chains.
- Do not send many old pages to the home page or to one unrelated page.
- Keep redirects for at least a year.
- Submit a sitemap with the new URLs and watch the indexing reports.
Google also says search visibility can move around during a move and settle over time. For a small or medium site, it can take a few weeks. No provider can promise zero change. The best protection is a complete URL list and a tested map.
Where you can, keep the same URL slugs on WordPress. Fewer changed URLs means fewer redirects to get wrong.
What a Drupal to WordPress migration costs
These factors move the price more than page count:
- Number of content types, fields and Views
- Custom modules and integrations (CRM, payments, single sign-on)
- Multilingual setup
- User accounts, roles and passwords
- Design work: copy the look or rebuild it
- Volume of files and images
- How strict the downtime rules are
A simple Drupal brochure site is a small job. A Drupal site with Views, custom modules and many content types is a much larger one. At WebUncles, the price depends on the size and complexity of the site, and we share it after a free consultation. A Drupal site with Views and custom modules will cost well above that starting price. We give a fixed quote after a free consultation, once we have looked at your site.
Staying on Drupal instead?
Moving is not the only answer. If your site relies on custom modules, complex permissions or multilingual features that WordPress would need plugins to match, an upgrade may suit you better. See our Drupal development service, or the Drupal 10 end of life guide linked at the top of this page.
Running a store on Drupal Commerce or Ubercart? See our Drupal to WooCommerce migration page.
Checklist before you start
- Full backup of files and database, stored off the server, with a restore test
- Admin access to Drupal, hosting, DNS and the domain registrar
- Search Console and Analytics access
- List of every content type, View, block, form and custom module
- Export of Webform submissions and any user data you need
- List of integrations: email service, CRM, payment, analytics, tracking codes
- Decision on design: copy it or refresh it
- Decision on URLs: keep slugs the same or change them
- Launch date outside your busiest week
- A named person on your side who approves content and tests the site
Talk to us before you move
Send us your Drupal URL and a note on what the site does. We will look at the content types, modules and Views, point out the risks and give you a fixed quote. Book a free consultation before migration.
FAQ
How long does a Drupal to WordPress migration take?
It depends on the content types, Views and modules, and on how much design work you want. A simple site is much quicker than one with custom features. We give a timeline with the quote.
Will I lose my Google rankings?
Rankings can move for a few weeks while Google recrawls. A full URL list, tested 301 redirects and Search Console monitoring lower the risk. No provider can promise zero change.
Can I keep my existing URLs?
Often yes. If the Drupal path aliases can be recreated as WordPress slugs, the URLs stay the same. Where they cannot, each old URL gets a 301 redirect.
Will my users and passwords move?
Users can move. Drupal password hashes differ from WordPress ones. Some tools support Drupal passwords. Otherwise users get a password reset email.
Can I use a free plugin to migrate?
For standard articles, pages, categories, tags and images, the free version of a plugin like FG Drupal to WordPress may be enough. Users, custom fields, menus and redirects need the premium version or custom work.
What about my Drupal 7 site?
Drupal 7 ended on 5 January 2025, so it no longer gets official security fixes. Moving is one way forward. Drupal 7 content can be migrated to WordPress too, but check the tool version you plan to use.
What does a Drupal to WordPress migration cost?
At WebUncles the price depends on the size and complexity of the site, and we share it after a free consultation. A Drupal site with Views and custom modules costs well above the starting price. We quote a fixed price after a free consultation.
Services to Empower Your Business
We help startups, as well as enterprises, convert their potential ideas into profitable realities.