Moving from WordPress to a new platform is a chance to simplify your site, but it needs a careful plan so you keep what works. The aim is a new site that looks and performs better while holding on to the search visibility you have earned.

Audit what you have

List pages, posts, media, forms and any plugins that provide features. Export your page list with traffic data from Search Console and analytics so you can see what matters. Then decide what to keep, rewrite or retire. Many WordPress sites carry years of unused posts and duplicate pages, and a migration is the right time to tidy them. Our SEO audit checklist can help you judge what earns its place.

Identify what plugins are really doing

Plugins often hide important jobs. Go through the list and note what each one does, then decide how that job will be handled in Framer: natively, with a built-in component, with a third-party tool or not at all.

• Forms and email notifications

• SEO titles, redirects and sitemaps

• Memberships or gated content

• Search and filtering

• Booking, shop or events functions

If a feature is complex, such as a full online shop, check carefully that Framer is the right fit. Review the Framer help centre to see what is supported.

Map content and URLs

Plan how posts and pages will fit into CMS collections, such as a blog collection with fields for title, date, category, image and body. Record old and new URLs in a spreadsheet so redirects can be set up. Keep URLs identical wherever you can. Where they must change, every old address needs a permanent 301 redirect to its closest new equivalent. Do not send everything to the homepage, since that wastes the value of old pages.

Move content and metadata carefully

Copy page titles, descriptions, headings, image alt text and internal links across. Large blogs can be imported in batches, then spot-checked for broken formatting, missing images and odd characters. Review internal links so they point to the new structure, using the principles in our guide to internal linking. If you plan layout changes as well, see the website redesign checklist for what to protect.

Test before switching

Check forms, tracking, redirects and metadata on the new site while it is still unpublished to the public domain. Submit every form and confirm delivery, test on a phone and review speed with PageSpeed Insights. Keep the old site available until you are sure everything works, and make sure someone has access to your domain settings in advance. Confirm your cookie and privacy information is carried over, and consult the ICO's UK GDPR guidance if forms collect personal data.

Switch over and monitor

Choose a quieter time to point the domain at the new site. Submit your sitemap, check indexing and watch for crawl errors. Keep an eye on enquiries for several weeks. Schedule realistic time for all of this, as outlined in how long a redesign takes.