WordPress migration: How to move your site to a new platform

How to migrate your WordPress site to a new platform: 5 steps

Whether you’re moving to a new CMS or transferring to a different server, here’s the best way to migrate your WordPress site without losing content or disturbing your website’s performance.

1. Prepare for the migration and back up your website

Before making any changes, create a full backup of your current WordPress site — including your content, images, database, and plugins (although plugins won’t be needed if you’re migrating to Webflow). A backup ensures that you won’t lose content during migration. It also preserves your existing site structure and search engine optimization (SEO) efforts so the site maintains search engine visibility after the switch.

Use a WordPress backup plugin or export your content manually from your WordPress dashboard. And save copies of media files, themes, and key SEO settings like meta titles, meta descriptions, redirects, and structured data. These elements may not transfer automatically to your new platform, and keeping them means you can manually reapply them, which helps you preserve your site’s search rankings, maintain the user experience, and avoid issues like broken links or duplicate content.

2. Set up the new hosting environment

After backing up your content, you’ll need a new home for your website. This involves choosing a new CMS, signing up for a hosting plan (if needed), and setting up your workspace or project. A reliable hosting environment provides fast load times and uptime so your site stays up and running 24/7.

If you switch to Webflow, the platform takes care of hosting, CMS functionality, and design tools — so you can skip configuring servers or managing databases.

3. Import the database and upload files to the new platform

You’ll now need to move your website content — like blog posts, images, and other media — to the new platform. Depending on your chosen platform, you can do this manually or with the help of import tools, like using CSVs to import content into Webflow’s CMS Collections.

This is an excellent opportunity to fix outdated pages, tend to broken links, and optimize headings and metadata to make sure your content remains search-friendly and visible on Google post-transition.

4. Update domain settings (if needed)

Your domain tells browsers where to find your site. Updating your domain settings also helps search engines recognize and index your new site location.

Log into your domain registrar (like GoDaddy or Squarespace Domains) and update your domain name system (DNS) records — such as A and CNAME records — to match your new platform’s instructions. Each platform will give you step-by-step instructions on how to update your nameservers.

Expect some downtime — DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to fully update. During this period, some visitors may see the old site. Once your new site is ready, connect your domain name to the new hosting environment. For Webflow, you can do this directly in your Site Settings.

5. Test and fix any issues

Before publishing your new site, test it thoroughly to make sure everything functions correctly. An exhaustive run-through ensures you deliver the best possible user experience — and confirms that you preserved your SEO performance during the transition.

Check that all your links work, your forms submit properly, and your content displays as expected across different screen sizes. Test functionality across all popular devices and browsers — if you chose to migrate to Webflow, you can preview responsiveness in Webflow’s built-in design view. And tools like Google Search Console and PageSpeed Insights can help you spot SEO issues like crawl errors and broken links.

Why migrate to Webflow

Moving from WordPress to Webflow gives you more control over design and performance while the platform handles security on the backend. Using our platform means you don’t need to constantly manage plugin updates, security patches, and technical maintenance. Instead, you can focus on building a positive experience.

Here’s why Webflow is a strong alternative to WordPress:

• No plugin or maintenance hassles. WordPress heavily relies on plugins for features, including contact forms, SEO tools, and security. But outdated plugins can lead to compatibility issues and security risks. Webflow, on the other hand, has built-in SEO tools, CMS management, and updated security features — meaning less maintenance.
• A truly visual design experience. WordPress designs often depend on rigid themes or external page builders, but Webflow gives you complete creative control over your website. Instead of relying on developers, you can build layouts in an intuitive, visual-first interface while Webflow writes code in the background.
• High performance without optimization stress. Excessive plugins, bloated themes, and shared hosting might slow down your WordPress site. Webflow optimizes performance out of the box with built-in content delivery network (CDN) hosting and faster page rendering. Site visitors enjoy a smooth user experience — no matter where they are — without you making manual speed tweaks.
• Security without extra effort. WordPress sites typically rely on plugins to scan for malware and manage firewalls. And these add-ons can be vulnerable to attacks if they aren’t updated regularly. On the other hand, Webflow provides enterprise-grade security features like SSL encryption and managed hosting, so you don’t have to worry about vulnerabilities or data breaches.
• Seamless editing. With Webflow’s built-in staging, branching, and publishing workflows, you can test updates before they go live. You don’t need to risk broken layouts or downtime when making changes — something that can be a concern with WordPress updates.

Ready to upgrade your WordPress site?

Website migration seems technical, but Webflow removes the hurdles. Our platform gives you a visual-first design system with built-in security, high-performance hosting, and more — all without managing developers or updates.

Build a migration plan and make the switch to Webflow to take full control of your website.