Drupal to WordPress Conversion
Drupal and WordPress are two free Web content management systems, also known as CMSes. These systems allow even non-programmers to produce dynamic websites without the need to hand code every feature. Drupal is a powerful tool that allows Web developers more options, but it can be less intuitive and more difficult for new users than WordPress. It's relatively easy to move a WordPress site to Drupal, but considerably more difficult to export Drupal sites to WordPress.
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Warning
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Before you use any migration utility, check your WordPress and Drupal versions. Instructions or utilities made to work with earlier versions of your CMS may not work correctly. They could cause an incomplete migration or incorrect file placement that prevents you from migrating effectively. Always back up your site and your CMSes before you make any changes. If you have problems, you can restore the older files and return the site to its original state.
Hand Migration
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Migrating your Drupal site by hand offers you the most control, but also gives you a greater chance of error. You'll need familiarity with basic coding as well as some knowledge of MySQL and website databases. Work on a development server backed up to your computer, never a live site, in case you make a mistake. Back up a copy of both CMSs, then clear the WordPress installation of all default WordPress content. Make a new set of categories that lines up with your existing Drupal taxonomies. Move posts and pages into these categories, converting articles to posts. Once you've finished the export process, check your work carefully. Some links may have broken during the transfer.
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Utilities
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You can also use a utility built by another programmer. Most programmers create conversion utilities to move their own sites, so their code may not be optimized for the version of WordPress or Drupal you use or for your purposes. However, utilities let less experienced users attempt to migrate their sites without professional help. Check over all information for the module or code you intend to use before you start your migration to reduce the chance of a problem.
Considerations
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Exporting a Drupal site to WordPress is a complex task that requires some Web development experience. If you don't feel comfortable modifying your own CMS, consider hiring a professional service to migrate the site for you. A good service will convert your Drupal taxonomies to categories on WordPress, keep your original structure and move all users, posts and pages seamlessly. This method costs the most, but may work well for users without a lot of technical experience.
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References
- Social CMS Buzz: Convert – Import a Drupal 6 Based Website to WordPress 2.7
- Vrypan.net: Migrating From Drupal to WordPress
- 9 Seeds: Drupal to WordPress Migration
- Joshua Brauer: Migrate a WordPress Site to Drupal
- Changing Way: Drupal and WordPress, Two Years On
- Poynter: 9 Reasons to Switch From Drupal to WordPress
Resources
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