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Last updated on Apr 30, 2025

Umbraco to WordPress migration: Planning for a successful transition

Migrating from Umbraco to WordPress is more than a technical task, it’s a strategic opportunity to enhance how your site works, how your teams collaborate, and how your platform supports future growth.

In this section, we break down the planning phase into practical, manageable steps, so your team enters the migration phase with clarity and confidence.

Start with a complete system assessment

Before any migration begins, it’s essential to evaluate what’s already in place and how it needs to change. This assessment helps prevent surprises down the line and ensures every critical detail is accounted for.

Audit your current system

Begin by analyzing your existing Umbraco setup, both on the surface and under the hood. Two key areas to examine are:

Review frontend and design elements

Even if you’re not planning a redesign, you’ll need to recreate your frontend from scratch in WordPress. Document your current layouts, design components (headers, footers, sliders, buttons), and any interactive behaviors. If you’re using Razor views, macros, or the Grid Editor, consider how those components will be rebuilt using WordPress templates or blocks.

This is also a good time to decide whether you want to carry your visual identity over as-is or evolve it.

Inventory your content

Creating a detailed content inventory gives you a master list to reference during the migration process. This should include:

You may also want to flag outdated or underperforming content for deprecation or improvement.

Define your technical requirements

Planning for WordPress means more than copying features, you’ll also need to define the environment it runs in. Some key decisions include:

Identify risks before they surface

Every migration carries some risk, but identifying them early lets you address them with confidence. Common concerns include:

Including your stakeholders in early planning discussions also helps surface risks, often before they become blockers.

Get stakeholder alignment early

No migration should happen in a silo. Bring key stakeholders into the planning process to ensure alignment on scope, priorities, and timelines. These typically include:

Early involvement ensures smoother approvals later and minimizes rework.

Choose the right migration approach

Once your assessment is complete, you’ll need to decide how you want to migrate. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, it depends on your goals, available time, and internal capacity. Here are three common approaches:

Your approach should reflect what matters most, speed, innovation, continuity, or a mix of all three.

Map terminology between Umbraco and WordPress

While both CMSs manage content, they use different terms and structures. Here’s a side-by-side comparison to help bridge the gap:

Umbraco TermWordPress EquivalentDescription
Umbraco CMSWordPressThe main software powering your site
Content NodesPosts & PagesStructured content in a hierarchical tree
Document TypesCustom Post TypesCustom content models
Templates (CSHTML)Theme Templates (PHP)Defines layout and presentation
PropertiesCustom Fields / Meta FieldsData fields attached to content
Nested Content / List PickerCategories / TagsStructured content classification
Media SectionMedia LibraryStores and manages assets
User Groups & PermissionsUser RolesAccess control for different users
PackagesPluginsExtend CMS functionality
Grid Editor / Block GridGutenberg Block EditorStructured, component-based content editing
Global Content / SettingsTheme Options / CustomizerSite-wide configuration
Multi-node Tree PickerMenusUsed for navigation and internal linking
Content VersionsRevisionsTrack and roll back content changes
REST API / Delivery APIREST API / GraphQLProgrammatic access to content
Multiple Sites (structure)WordPress MultisiteManaging multiple sites under one installation
Umbraco FormsWPForms / Gravity FormsForm builders for capturing data
Examine / Output CacheWP Query / Page/Object CacheSearch and caching systems

Final note

This planning phase might not involve any code, but it’s where the success of your migration is determined. With a clear assessment, a realistic strategy, and aligned stakeholders, your team will be positioned to execute with precision and minimal disruption.

When done right, this isn’t just a migration. It’s a strategic upgrade, one that makes your site easier to manage, more scalable, and better aligned with your business goals.


Credits

Authored by Abhijit Abhijit Abhijit Prabhudan Technical Writer | Edited by Shreya Shreya Shreya Agarwal Growth Engineer