What to do after Drupal to WordPress migration?
A checklist for testing
and optimization
You’ve successfully navigated through the essential steps of pre-migration checklist and smoothly executed the migration from Drupal to WordPress, also diligently followed our during-migration steps for switching from Drupal to WordPress. Now, it’s time to focus on the crucial post-migration phase.
Based on our extensive experience in managing successful migrations, we know that thorough post-migration checks are just as critical as the earlier stages.
In this blog, we’ll guide you through each step of the post-migration process to ensure your site remains organized, functional, and optimized.
Drupal to WordPress post migration checklist
Check the content accuracy
Content accuracy is crucial during the Drupal to WordPress data migration process to ensure all posts, pages, images, and metadata, is correctly transferred without loss. Inaccurate migration can lead to broken links, missing content, and a poor user experience, ultimately affecting the site’s SEO and overall functionality.
Here are the steps to achieve this:
Begin by creating a detailed inventory of all the content on your Drupal site. This includes pages, posts, custom content types, taxonomies (categories and tags), and any other relevant data. Create a spreadsheet to list all these items. For each type, note the URL, content type, and any special fields or metadata.
After migrating the content, conduct a comprehensive review. Carefully compare the original content on Drupal with the newly migrated content on WordPress. Pay close attention to any discrepancies in text, formatting, and links.
When migrating from Drupal to WordPress, special attention must be given to custom content types and fields. It’s essential to ensure that any custom fields in Drupal are accurately mapped to their WordPress equivalents to maintain the structure and functionality of your content. Additionally, it’s important to verify that internal links within the content to redirected to the correct pages on the new WordPress site. This will help preserve the user experience and ensure that visitors can navigate your site seamlessly after the migration.
Security and user management
After migrating to WordPress, prioritize securing the site by implementing strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and regularly updating security plugins. Proper user management includes assigning appropriate roles and permissions to maintain site integrity and prevent unauthorized access.
User roles and permissions
Review and configure user roles and permissions to meet your site’s needs. WordPress offers predefined roles like Administrator and Editor, but you can also create or adjust roles using plugins like “User Role Editor” to match the configurations you had in Drupal.
Password reset
Encourage all users to reset their passwords post-migration, This is vital for enhancing security and preventing unauthorized access. Consider implementing two-factor authentication (2FA) for an added layer of protection.
WordPress plugins and theme update
After migrating to WordPress, ensure all plugins and themes are updated to their latest versions for optimal performance and security. Regular updates prevent compatibility issues and enhance the site’s functionality.
WordPress core updates
Regularly update the WordPress core to ensure your site remains secure, stable, and equipped with the latest features. Enabling auto-updates helps to keep your WordPress site secure and up-to-date.
Regular updates
Regularly update your WordPress core to benefit from the latest security patches, new features, and performance improvements. This practice minimizes vulnerabilities and keeps your site secure and efficient.
Auto-update
Major versions of the updates should be tested first to ensure compatibility with your current theme, plugins, and customizations, preventing potential disruptions to your site. On the other hand, minor versions can be set to auto-update, as they typically include security patches and bug fixes that are crucial for maintaining the stability and security of your website.
To enable auto-updates for the WordPress core.
Steps for Auto-update:
Go to Dashboard > Updates and check the option for automatic updates.
Theme and plugin updates
Ensure all themes and plugins are regularly updated to their latest versions to maintain optimal performance and security.
Consider the latest versions of themes and plugins
Always use the latest versions of themes and plugins. Outdated themes and plugins can have security vulnerabilities that are often targeted by hackers.
Consider themes and plugins from reputable sources
Only install themes and plugins from reputable sources, such as the official WordPress repository.
Additional considerations
After migrating to WordPress, there are several key areas to address to ensure your website functions smoothly and securely. Here are some important steps to take to ensure your WordPress site functions smoothly and securely
Analytics setup and verification
After switching from Drupal to WordPress, set up your analytics platform, such as Google Analytics, to monitor your website traffic. This step ensures you can track visitor behavior and gather valuable insights about your site’s performance. Make sure to verify that the analytics code is properly installed and that it’s collecting data as expected.
Check third-party tool integrations
Review and test the integrations of all third-party tools and services you used on your Drupal site. This includes plugins for SEO, email marketing, and social media sharing. Ensure they are correctly configured on your new WordPress site and functioning as intended. This step is crucial for maintaining the seamless operation of your site’s various features and services.
Implement caching technique
Caching is an essential technique for enhancing the performance and speed of your WordPress site. This practice significantly reduces the server processing load resulting in quicker load times than dynamic database queries.
Check the SEO ranking of the website
After the migration, maintaining the SEO and website ranking have to be the top priority for the website owners.
Keep the SEO plugin updated
Ensure your SEO-specific plugins stay up-to-date to keep your website’s search engine optimization efforts on track.
Implement redirections
After migrating a website, implementing 301 redirects from old URLs to new ones is crucial to maintaining SEO. This process ensures that users and search engines are seamlessly directed to the latest pages and prevents traffic loss.
Update robot.txt file
Update your robots.txt file to assist search engine crawlers in navigating your site effectively and optimizing its indexing process.
Generate new sitemap
Generate a fresh sitemap file and promptly submit it to Google, ensuring comprehensive coverage and visibility of your web pages.
Check SEO elements
Double-check the implementation of on-site SEO elements like meta tags, headings, and internal links to bolster your website’s search engine ranking and visibility.
Check and compare search rankings
After migrating from Drupal to WordPress, periodically check and compare your search rankings using Search Console and SEO tools. Also, compare the website’s engagement rate, engagement time, conversion rate etc. between the old and new sites using the web analytics tool. This analysis helps you to identify any changes in performance and allows you to address issues and optimize your new WordPress site for better results.
Final testing
After migrating your WordPress site, it’s crucial to conduct thorough testing to ensure everything works smoothly in the new environment. This involves checking all pages, forms, and interactive elements to confirm they function as expected. Additionally, ensure that links are working, images display correctly, and all plugins and features operate without errors.
Testing should also include usability checks to verify that the user interface remains intuitive and easy to navigate. It’s important to perform compatibility testing across different browsers and devices to ensure a consistent experience for all users.
While manual testing covers basic functionality and user experience, automated tools can help with performance testing to assess loading times and overall site speed. Run a security scans to identify and address any vulnerabilities that may have arisen during the migration process. By combining manual checks with automated tools, you can effectively ensure that your WordPress site is secure.
Post-launch monitoring
The work doesn’t stop after your WordPress site successfully launches. Just like a car needs regular maintenance, your website also requires ongoing monitoring to perform optimally. Please consider the following activities
Performance monitoring
Keep a close eye on your website’s speed and loading times. A slow website can frustrate visitors and negatively impact search engine rankings.
Check the error logs
The website server and WordPress generate logs that record any errors or issues encountered on your site. Make it a habit to regularly check these logs for any suspicious activity or recurring errors. These logs can be like early warning signs for potential problems before they affect the website.
Take user feedback
Encourage visitors to share their experiences through comments, surveys, or contact forms. This feedback can be valuable in identifying areas for improvement or uncovering unexpected issues. By actively listening to your users and making adjustments based on their input, you can continuously enhance the user experience.
Team training
Training should cover interface navigation, content creation, and media management to ensure team comfort with the new environment. Essential topics include theme customization, plugin usage, user roles, SEO basics, and site security to maintain functionality and performance. Additionally, training on the editorial workflow, including drafting, reviewing, and publishing content.
Getting familiar with WordPress
Introduce your team to the WordPress dashboard, the central control panel for managing your website. Familiarize them with key sections such as Posts, Pages, Media, and Settings. This will help them understand where to create and edit content, manage media files, and adjust site settings efficiently.
Basics of WordPress
Explain the user roles
Explain user roles in WordPress to the team members. This helps ensure everyone has the right access to manage content after the move.
Teach the basics of WordPress
WordPress uses “blocks” to create content. Train your team on making blocks and understanding the basic concept, which is important for your website’s design and future content creation.
Teach the publishing process
Teach your team how to publish content using the Block Editor.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a detailed post-migration checklist is important to keep a website thriving after the migration process. Key steps include Drupal to WordPress data migration & content accuracy, setting up 301 redirects, updating sitemaps, and closely monitoring site performance. Gathering user feedback and incorporating it helps fixes usability issues quickly. By following these steps, you can ensure a smooth transition and maintain your website’s performance. Also, you can follow our comprehensive Drupal to WordPress migration guide to convert Drupal to WordPress easily. As a trusted Drupal to WordPress migration agency, we are dedicated to providing seamless transitions for your website, ensuring a smooth and efficient migration process.
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